Posted
23rd May 2001
Thanks
But No Thanks
Do
dignity and development aid go together? Or will the west keep
acting as a colonial power as long as the economies of developing
countries still depend on western aid? These are questions asked
by the special Dutch ambassador to Ethiopia and Eritrea, Pieter
Marres, in a letter to a leading Dutch daily. Mr Marres feels
that developing countries would be better off without development
aid. The special Dutch ambassador to Ethiopia and Eritrea, Pieter
Marres has stuck his neck out by publicly questioning the use
of development aid. He says it's keeping people dependent and
less self-reliant. It's a situation perpetuated by the way international
aid is organised. Every donor has its own priorities, procedures
and regulations. Satisfying donor demands requires great effort
and energy on the part of developing nations. Many have adopted
a wait-and-see attitude, says Mr Marres. "The main thing is
that people get their self-esteem back and that they will be
fully in charge of their own future and their own development.
That is the crux of the matter. Now, people tend to look abroad
for solutions, instead of focusing on homeborn solutions. My
experience in Africa is that people prefer to talk to a Foreign
Minister rather than a Minister for Development Co-operation."
Priorities
Mr Marres is convinced that developing countries have far more
potential than the West believes it has. He came to this conclusion
on the basis of personal observations in Ethiopia where he's
stationed. During the war with neighbouring Eritrea, Ethiopia
managed to supply diesel for tanks to the farthest corners of
the country. These are areas that lack the most basic provisions
such as medicines. "It's all a matter of priorities," says Mr
Marres. He believes that people will be putting higher demands
on their own governments once development aid is abolished.
This is a process that will take time. Development aid programmes
should not be halted abruptly. Mr Marres says that would be
unfair. He's suggesting an interim period of several years in
which the money available for development aid is spent instead
on debt relief. This will enable developing nations to start
with a clean sheet. "It will provide them with a macro-economic
framework to carry out their own programmes." Meanwhile, it's
important that these countries get access to Western markets.
"Relaxation of existing rules would certainly help."
Controversial
Not
all developing nations will be pleased with these suggestions.
They're likely to meet some opposition from within the donor
community, too. Doing away with foreign aid simply doesn't go
together with the level of Western guilt about the unequal distribution
of prosperity in the world. It would also spell the end of development
aid as an international business. It's unlikely to come to that,
but at least Mr Marres has reignited the debate about the blessings
and drawbacks of the current system of international aid.w
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