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