Idea Factory
Is aid a waste of money? Critics say aid has not only failed to do its job, but has held back development and helped keep corrupt regimes in power. With the current crisis, many people also argue that the money should be spent at home. Aid supporters say that official development assistance is only a small part of OECD countries’ budgets, and that it contributes to global development in the interest of all.
“Why are we giving £1bn aid to India? A nation with three times as many billionaires as we have (and its own space programme)”
Daily Mail headline, 15 February 2011 www.dailymail.co.uk
“America should not go further into debt so we can pass the cash over to some other country that can’t pay its bills. It is a disgrace that we spend billions of dollars helping other countries build schools, roads, bridges, hospitals and military, while those very things in America are falling into disrepair for lack of funding.”
“While Africa and many other parts of the planet have lagged in terms of income growth, they have also seen historically unprecedented improvement in health and education, gender equality, security, and human rights. And muchmaligned governments and aid agencies have played an important role in that progress.”
Charles Kenny, Getting Better: Why Global Development Is Succeeding, Basic Books, 2011
Brad Carter, letter to Lincoln Journal Star, 22 July 2011 “While development co-operation is only part of the solution, it plays a catalytic and indispensable role in supporting poverty eradication, social protection, economic growth and sustainable development.” “Busan Partnership for Effect Development Co-operation”, 1 December 2011
© Karen Struthers, 2011. Used under licence from Shutterstock.com
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