摘要:In 1999, Amartya Sen published his book Development as Freedom in which he conceptualizes
development “as a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy” (36). Sen’s theory that development
ideally expands individuals’ agency and freedoms is refected within the goals and objectives of the Millennium
Villages Project (MVP). Although the objectives of the MVP align with Sen’s theory about freedom and human
capabilities, the linkages between Sen’s ideal for development and the actual implementation of the MVP in
Sauri are ambiguous. By juxtaposing Sen’s theory of development with the assessment, training and evaluations
invoked in the MVP in Sauri, I will highlight the inconsistencies between the MVP’s objectives and its practices
on the ground. Through this analysis I will argue that despite its objectives of empowerment, the MVP fails to
present an opportunity by which to fulfll Sen’s ideal for development as freedom.