DEVELOPMENT AID TO AFRICA: QUO VADIS? (Part I)I was halfway the writing of my review of this July’s now (in)famous issue of Vanity Fair, while simultaneously dealing with not less controversial, and not that far away from this main plate, issues in my own “parochial community”, when fellow blogger BRE called my attention to the ongoing Sachs vs. Easterly debate, to which the following quotation is just an introduction:
Read article here or at AfricanPath.
1 comment:
{Comments from Africanpath}
Added: August 11, 2007 03:25 PM
Hi Koluki
Koluki:
That is a deep piece, I hope you don't mind if I must read it again to fully digest what you are saying.
One point that you made, which immdiately grabs me is that development and aid must be treated separately. I couldnt agree more with you on that, Koluki. I believe that you have been following the whole "aid vs trade" arguments that have been floating around.
But what do you think is a viable alternative to the way that aid is presently administered? Recently, here in Atlanta, I met a paramount King from Ghana-we didnt talk for long but we spoke about an instance in Ghana where the Asantehene was the trustee of a 40 million dollar aid package. From all accounts the school project that the World Bank was aiming the aid at, went on without a hitch and every dollar was accounted for.
The point that I am trying to make is that aid in and of itself is not evil. It is how aid is administered that seems to present problems. What do you think about this statement?
By:
Benin
Added: August 17, 2007 04:41 PM
Thanks for your comment Benin.
Sorry, I’m only replying today because I only saw your comment now…
I also couldn’t agree more with all the statements and points you make. It takes me back to my (I hope not tiresome…) argument about institutions, in particular indigenous institutions preserved throughout the colonial era. The example you give of the Asantehene is very similar to the one I mentioned of the Batswana in one of my previous articles here – so, it looks like we’re gathering important empirical evidence for the case of giving institutions central stage in all the development debate.
By:
Koluki
Added: August 17, 2007 04:49 PM
P.S.: I don't mind at all that you take your time. I'm also taking my time to come up with Part II...
Cheers!
By:
Koluki
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