Aid

Aid

1. Summary of Details

   • Aid programmes are most effective where they are integrated into national development strategies.
   • Contrasting views about aid programmes e.g. DFID vs. Action Aid in Kenya.
   • There are also many challenges concerning aid.

2. Facts and Figures

   • There are various types of aid e.g. emergency (Haiti Earthquake in 2010), tied (conditions attached which will favour MDC's e.g. the Aswan Dam Project in Egypt), charitable by NGO's, long-term aid e.g. education programmes such as Practical Action, bilateral (given from one country to another) and multilateral (i.e. organisations such as the World Bank)

3. MEDC's

   • Many MEDC's will make allowances in their domestic budget to provide aid to LEDC's. This may be part of a planned project or as a response to an emergency. Many charities also exist to prodice aid to LEDC's
   • International aid can solve some problems in the short term however, van also create problems.

4. Who gives aid?

   • Moslty north to south but sometimes south to south (i.e. China to India) however, should poor countries be giving to poor countries.

5. Benefits of Aid

   • Builds relationships, solidaritary to confront powerful Western blocs, supporting votes in the UN and allows poorer countries to share their expertise

6. Criticisms of Aid

   • aid doesnn/t often reach those who need it the most, usually benefits the elites in both recipient and donor countries and it relies on economic growth
     • However, it is also Euroentric and based on Western values.

7. Modernisation Theory

   • Large-scale reforms are the best way to provise aid and most aid can overcome economic barriers by breaking cycles of poverty. It can also compromise expertise and industrial technology.
   • Aid can develop infrastructure and therefore support industrialisation. It can also overcome cultural barriers.

8. Neo-Liberalism

   • Bauer (1971) argues that aid is counterproductive and although may instigate short term relief, it also actively prevents changes required to occur accross political, cultural and economic development. Therefore, aid is inaffective and arguably harmful.

9. Dependency Theory

   • Aid is often manipulative e.g. by powerful MDC's often resulting in tied aid. Aid can simply only benefit the rich, misleading their recipients.

10. Consequences

    • International debt