Chapter 11 & 12

Chapter 11 & 12

1. International action to reduce poverty.

   • Campaigns such as Make Poverty History & Drop The Debt
     • Collective effort in intervention.
   • Civil society movements have grown to become 'big business'
     • Oxfam, World Vision, Care.
     • A lot rely on government funding & undertake government contracts.
       • Are these orgs independent from gov influence?
       • More concerned with rasing the big bucks for job security and less focus on what they are trying to achieve?
   • Why we give aid.
     • Altruism, charity, obligation, supporting allies in the Cold War, political stability, access to natural resources & create pathways for foreign investments.

2. From the 1970's, there was a focus on developing countries to move forward into industrialisation & the technological age.

   • Lots of developing countries were plunged into lots of debt with 'pushy' tactics from banks in the North in the 70's.
     • In the late 70's, countries in the North stopped lending, and pushed interest rates upas the second oil crisis happened.
       • With the Cold War - developing countries were forced to choose sides.

3. What is aid?

   • 'Foreign aid' includes all transfers (money, goods, skills, military & civilian aid, grants & loans.
     • ODA - Official Development Assistance - aid coming from states & other official agencies.
       • Which contains a grant element of at least 25%.
       • A lot of bargaining by 'donors' & 'recipients' of aid - conditions attached.
         • Power in aid relationships - aid is desperately needed sometimes so the donor has more power.
       • This is the largest category of aid.
         • Followed by NGO & humanitarian aid (although much of this comes from gov funds too.

4. Who has legitimacy to develop the capacities of another?

   • Interventions can create contention.
     • Different voices, interests, roles & responsibilities coming together.
   • The State, Int Orgs (UN), NGO's & local community groups & associations.
     • Poverty agendas change - more emphasis on the poor's own agency.
       • Although, Moser, states this means that the poor has responsibility for their own poverty - causes aren't being tackled.

5. From the 1990's - change.Poverty was caused by features of the world economy that disadvantaged the South or some people thought problems arose from within these countries.

   • The World Bank thought it was the latter.
     • There was a lot of contention though - which resulted in more reforms in the 90's.
       • MDG's
   • Riddell wants to see more direct cash transfers
     • The Bolsa Familia plan in Brazil