Problems, Promises, and Paradoxes of Aid: Africa’s Experience

The Institue for African Development annual symposium brings together scholars, practitioners, and other experts to discuss and exchange views on the symposium topic. The symposium is free and open to the public. More information on the symposium can be obtained by visiting the IAD website at:

http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/africa/news

or by contacting the Institute at 170 Uris Hall,(607) 255-6849 / ciad@cornell.edu.

We must embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas. More than half the people of the world are living in conditions approaching misery. Their food is inadequate. They are victims of disease. Their economic life is primitive and stagnant. Their poverty is a handicap and a threat both to them and to more prosperous areas. For the first time in history, humanity possesses the knowledge and skill to relieve the suffering of these people. -President Harry Truman, April, 1949

At the time that Harry Truman spoke these words, the aim of aid was to offer assistance to alleviate a country's social problems without changing or altering basic social structures. Since then development aid has undergone a transformation from traditional aid to what is now termed development cooperation, partnership, or development assistance. With this transformation have come disagreements surrounding aid effectiveness and the need for aid.

The issue of aid effectiveness has gained prominence in recent years, especially with the signing of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness at the Paris High Level Forum II, organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and held on February 28-March 2, 2005 and the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) created in 2008. The Paris Declaration is an unprecedented achievement for the international donor community and the partner governments, with representatives in significant numbers from both groups committing themselves to key principles for aid reform. The Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) was drawn up in 2008 and builds on the commitments agreed in the Paris Declaration.

In light of the global economic downturn, the debate on aid has intensified. Aid skeptics express the view that aid has failed or has achieved very little and that development aid has no effect on the speed with which countries develop. They point to the negative side effects of aid (corruption, postponements of democratic reform, dependency) as evidence of their position. Aid advocates, however, argue that the role of aid in economic development is much more complex and multifaceted than the anti-aid advocates portray.

There is also argument about which form development aid should take in order to be effective. It has been argued that government-to-government aid was ineffective because it was merely a way to support strategically important leaders. Another criticism was that Western countries often projected their own needs and solutions onto other societies and cultures. It has also been argued that help based on direct donation creates dependency and corruption, and has an adverse effect on local production. A common criticism in recent years is that rich countries have put so many conditions on aid (tied aid) that it has reduced aid effectiveness, for example, some donor countries require the partner country to open up to foreign investment, even though many countries may not be ready for it.

In addition to country-to-country aid, development charities make up a vast web of non-governmental organizations, religious ministries, foundations, business donations and college scholarships devoted to development aid. And while referring to remittances as development aid may be a dubious prospect, remittances appear to constitute a large proportion of the flows of money between developed and developing countries. Remittances have come under attack as the IMF has reported that private remittances-often used for private consumption of individuals and families rather than for economic development of the region or country-may have a negative impact on economic growth.

With the varied and evolving views and approaches to aid, the Cornell Institute for African Development will host a symposium on the theme Problems, Promises, and Paradoxes of Aid: The African Experience, April 16-17, 2010 at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Those wishing to present a paper at the conference are requested to send a 200-250 word abstract by January 15, 2010 along with a short bio to jsb25@cornell.edu. Priority will be given to papers that present innovative and insightful views of aspects of the theme. A question and answer period will be available following each 30-minute presentation. As with all IAD symposia, the proceedings will be published.

Sub-themes will include:

• Impact of aid on development;


• Human rights, right to food, and aid;


• Comparison of Chinese and Western approaches to aid in Africa;


• Aid "ownership"


• Gender, health, and aid;


• Governance and aid;


• Civil society and aid effectiveness;


• Tied" aid;


• Politicization of humanitarian aid; and


• Rethinking aid

Contact Information
Jackie Sayegh
Program Manager
(607) 255-6849
jsb25@cornell.edu