Below is a political cartoon representing a stereotype pertaining to development. In it, one can see two figures in a bicycle race against each other. One figure’s head is replaced with a globe focusing on (an inaccurate representation of) Europe and ‘SDG’ written on it, whereas the other figure’s head is replaced with a globe focusing on Africa, with ‘MDG’ written on it. ‘SDG’ stands for ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ while ‘MDG’ stands for ‘Millennium Development Goals’. The MDGs were 8 development-related goals set by the UN in 2000 with the target that they should all be accomplished by 2015. These were replaced by the SDGs in 2015. In the race, ‘SDGs’ is leading and approaching the finish line whereas ‘MDGs’ can’t move because its bicycle is clamped. ‘SDGs’ is wearing formal attire while ‘MDGs’ is wearing more casual clothes. The finish line is taped on to a shack in which lies what seems to be a squat toilet.

Every component of this cartoon means something metaphorically and contributes to its overall meaning. This cartoon is suggesting that developed countries are using the fact that they are already working on SDGs to push developing countries into accomplishing the already outdated MDGs, despite the fact that the developing countries simply don’t have the resources and aid to do so. Though the clamp is blatantly visible, ‘SDGs’ is oblivious to it as it encourages ‘MDGs’ to accelerate and (in the real world) accomplish the MDGs. With this, the artist is representing how developed countries are refusing to help under-developed countries accomplish their goals, and that they (MEDCs) only care about themselves. The reason the artist chose Europe to represent MEDCs is because European countries are generally the most developed on Earth. Conversely, Africa was chosen to represent LEDCs because Africa is home to several of the most under-developed countries in the world. The artist further portrays the difference between the two through their clothes. Office attire was chosen to represent more economically well-off countries (with more jobs and more work), while casual clothing is meant to represent countries that are economically less well-off. The squat toilet to the side is another nod towards LEDCs, where such toilets are more prominent.

Such images bring about stereotypes that Western countries are soaring in terms of development and that African and other developing nations are not making any progress and lagging behind. This may also cause some people to believe that the apparent lack of progress in under-developed nations is solely due to MEDCs refusing to help and turning a blind eye to the struggles they face. This image may also make some people fall under the impression that MDGs and SDGs are completely different things, when that is actually far from the truth. The SDGs are actually just a follow-up and a more comprehensive revision of the MDGs, which effectively expired in 2015. They share several of the same values, and though the SDGs are of more use to developed nations, they aren’t that different to their predecessors.