In a time of growing demand for and debate on sustainable development, which also influences thefield of social work, development is often related to various empowerment-oriented and neoliberalinvestment related activities for the development of ‘non-developed’ countries. This risks ignoring thestructural mechanisms, which reproduce global inequalities and non-sustainability. This postercritically examines the dilemmas linked to a neoliberal and linear global development agenda forcombating poverty and global problems declared by international organs, such as the UN and the EU,which also influences the practices of social work.The following questions are guiding the study: ‘Which are the core arguments behind the recent UNand EU reports concerning sustainable development for empowering local communities? ‘How doindividuals and families from local communities evaluate the effects of such projects and programs fortheir life conditions? What is the role of social work in combating shortcomings of a lineardevelopment agenda and the development of new sustainable alternatives?The study is based on analysis of official UN and EU documents guiding sustainable developmentand interviews with individuals with experiences of development projects and programs in localcommunities in Southern India and in a few West African countries. The results of the study show thatthe discourse of ‘sustainable development’ in the recent UN report and EU documents are very muchguided by a neoliberal and West-centric understanding of global development and empowerment,which deteriorate the living conditions of people living in non-Western local communities. It is arguedthat social work should consider the dilemmas and problems engaged in the established discourse of‘sustainable development’ and find alternative programs beyond the West-centric developmentagenda. This requires further development of ‘the global agenda for social work’ in order to addressthe mechanisms behind the reproduction of inequalities in the name of development.