Comments on: An Institutional Perspective on Development Aid http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/ Critiquing the Politics, Policy & Practice of Development Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:24:49 +0200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: feed the addiction: being a VC, “making friends/influencing people” and Kenyan Entrepeneurship :: steve.ntwiga.net http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-131911 feed the addiction: being a VC, “making friends/influencing people” and Kenyan Entrepeneurship :: steve.ntwiga.net Mon, 10 May 2010 01:12:05 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-131911 [...] as a development tool. 1 and [...] [...] as a development tool. 1 and [...]

]]> By: More on the Foreign Aid Curse - The Discomfort Zone http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-58258 More on the Foreign Aid Curse - The Discomfort Zone Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:57:40 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-58258 [...] mentioned the aid curse before. Well, the topic of provisioning public goods came up today, so I ended up doing some more [...] [...] mentioned the aid curse before. Well, the topic of provisioning public goods came up today, so I ended up doing some more [...]

]]> By: Steve Ntwiga Mugiri » Archives » feed the addiction: being a VC, “making friends/influencing people” and Kenyan Entrepeneurship http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-41363 Steve Ntwiga Mugiri » Archives » feed the addiction: being a VC, “making friends/influencing people” and Kenyan Entrepeneurship Thu, 30 Nov 2006 04:17:50 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-41363 [...]  + Consultants as a development tool. 1 and 2. [...] [...]  + Consultants as a development tool. 1 and 2. [...]

]]> By: YSL http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-41339 YSL Mon, 06 Nov 2006 18:45:55 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-41339 Totally agree with Alex. "History has taught me to be wary about international aid giving organisations and WB in particular. " Same goes with the IMF. Interesting articles were written at the time of the Asian Crisis, regarding its causes and handling of the crisis (especially by IMF and WB). It's the dog biting its own tail - how do ensure that the money is well spent? I was once told at uni, if the money reaches 5% of the target group, it's worth doing it. I can't help but look at collateral damage (money diverted and spent on weapons for example). How do you measure the final impact of aid? How do you create the right incentives, as you point out? I guess that if someone knew, there wouldn't be so much money diversion and aid distorsion... Totally agree with Alex. “History has taught me to be wary about international aid giving organisations and WB in particular. ”
Same goes with the IMF. Interesting articles were written at the time of the Asian Crisis, regarding its causes and handling of the crisis (especially by IMF and WB).
It’s the dog biting its own tail – how do ensure that the money is well spent?
I was once told at uni, if the money reaches 5% of the target group, it’s worth doing it. I can’t help but look at collateral damage (money diverted and spent on weapons for example). How do you measure the final impact of aid? How do you create the right incentives, as you point out? I guess that if someone knew, there wouldn’t be so much money diversion and aid distorsion…

]]> By: Dweep’s Weblog » Blog Archive » Development Aid: If and How? http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-41212 Dweep’s Weblog » Blog Archive » Development Aid: If and How? Fri, 11 Aug 2006 23:08:20 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-41212 [...] On this blog, in class, and in arguments with friends I have often criticized the paradigm of International Development Assistance - and the belief that aid will help poor countries, especially the poorest in Africa. I believe it will not. [...] [...] On this blog, in class, and in arguments with friends I have often criticized the paradigm of International Development Assistance – and the belief that aid will help poor countries, especially the poorest in Africa. I believe it will not. [...]

]]> By: alex m thomas http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-41192 alex m thomas Sat, 05 Aug 2006 18:07:42 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-41192 I agree with Toiyoi that The whole Aid thing is(i do not care to be polite, yet peoples lives are being destroyed) a con, but the conned party is a willing partner, hence its continuation. Its very true. Today while i was reading The algebra of infinite justice by Arundhati Roy, she mentions numerous cases where aid was given by the world bank for building of infrasrtuctural projects, in the Indian case, dams. The result: thousands and thousands of people lost their land. And India becomes indebted to the WB. It is a cycle, a vicious one. History has taught me to be wary about international aid giving organisations and WB in particular. I agree with Toiyoi that The whole Aid thing is(i do not care to be polite, yet peoples lives are being destroyed) a con, but the conned party is a willing partner, hence its continuation.
Its very true.
Today while i was reading The algebra of infinite justice by Arundhati Roy, she mentions numerous cases where aid was given by the world bank for building of infrasrtuctural projects, in the Indian case, dams. The result: thousands and thousands of people lost their land. And India becomes indebted to the WB. It is a cycle, a vicious one.
History has taught me to be wary about international aid giving organisations and WB in particular.

]]> By: Toiyoi lemindet http://www.planetd.org/2006/07/07/development-aid-an-institutional-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-39221 Toiyoi lemindet Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:31:41 +0000 http://www.planetd.org/blog/?p=140#comment-39221 I generally agree with you. Here are my Quick observations on Aid (i)Expatriates being paid (some quote 4X what a local would have been paid) Who would not want some action on "free" money? (ii)How can external expatriates with no "experience" in the environment of the problem they are trying to solve, provide a lasting solution? Its kind of like getting a business loan from the bank, and the bank insists on leadership position in running your business! (iii) In real life, there is no such thing as free lunch, so it should not be a suprise when the "donors" insist on hiring expatriates from mother country in addition to other "ties". (iv)Would local expats do any better where "free" money is involved? How come the NGO folks all suddenly feel the need of 4X4 luxury vehicles and huge pays? (v) That the pays are in relation to work done: Bull. Those same folks back in their countries( USA/UK/etc) CANNOT afford to live the lives they live in KENYA, etc, nor would they even earn 1/2 of what they now get as experts. In addition, true experts would be in such high demands in their mother countries, they would never leave the safety of USA/UK/etc for the hardship of KENYA/etc (vi) The whole Aid thing is(i do not care to be polite, yet peoples lives are being destroyed) a con, but the conned party is a willing partner, hence its continuation. Does Aid impoverishes? There is a current and live similar example: The African American community in the USA. I generally agree with you. Here are my Quick observations on Aid
(i)Expatriates being paid (some quote 4X what a local would have been paid)
Who would not want some action on “free” money?
(ii)How can external expatriates with no “experience” in the environment of the problem they are trying to solve, provide a lasting solution? Its kind of like getting a business loan from the bank, and the bank insists on leadership position in running your business!
(iii) In real life, there is no such thing as free lunch, so it should not be a suprise when the “donors” insist on hiring expatriates from mother country in addition to other “ties”.
(iv)Would local expats do any better where “free” money is involved? How come the NGO folks all suddenly feel the need of 4X4 luxury vehicles and huge pays?
(v) That the pays are in relation to work done: Bull. Those same folks back in their countries( USA/UK/etc) CANNOT afford to live the lives they live in KENYA, etc, nor would they even earn 1/2 of what they now get as experts. In addition, true experts would be in such high demands in their mother countries, they would never leave the safety of USA/UK/etc for the hardship of KENYA/etc
(vi) The whole Aid thing is(i do not care to be polite, yet peoples lives are being destroyed) a con, but the conned party is a willing partner, hence its continuation.

Does Aid impoverishes? There is a current and live similar example: The African American community in the USA.

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