Lectures International Development Cooperation
Lecture 1 – Introduction to the course
Development cooperation is a recent phenomenon, started since WOII.
Development paradigm say something about how people think about (under)development and
change through the years. There are shifts in development paradigms for example in ’50 and ’60: end
of WOII and start of Marshall help. It was a period of post-ware reconstruction. But also try to start
development in Africa, etc.
Rostow’s 5 stages of Economic Growth shows the modernisation paradigm. With input of capital, we
can achieve a society and age of mass consumption (in ’50 was what development should look like
according to him).
Bottom left picture is about involvement in Africa, colonization (remnants). It is an illustration of
independency paradigm. Involvement of many actors. Many problems in countries in Global South
and position in World System can be explained
because of the unequal relationship with
countries in the core. Development in those
countries implied underdevelopment in other
countries (exploitation of societies and economies
in Global South).
The right picture is about involvement of the
community. Different paradigms are linked to it:
participation (from below -> so bottom-up). It is a
paradigm of alternative approaches.
Modernization was popular in ’50 and ’60,
dependency emerged in ’70, alternative
approaches emerged in ’90 and are still very
popular (involvement of community, etc.). All
kinds of paradigms that illustrate participation
from below.
Development paradigms:
- Classical/neo-classical theories:
o Modernization, polarisation, urbanization
- Radical-Dependency approaches:
o World systems theory, dependencia
- Alternative approaches:
o Freedoms of Sen, participatory development
These paradigms also shape development cooperation. You see changes trough time. You see similar
shifts in development interventions/cooperation/agendas. They are influenced by development
paradigms. So that’s why they are important.
Development paradigms form a sort of framework/context in which different scholars or other
people work together and share the same or comparable interests and broader spiritual, social,
economic and political ideas. Such as modernization, dependency, Marxism, post-colonialism, and
globalization.
The ideas, concepts, and beliefs that you and others share about religion, nationality, and other
pieces of culture are probably a big part of your individual and collective identities, but how often do
you consider where they came from or how they might change?
The collection of beliefs and concepts is what is known as a paradigm, which is a set of theories,
assumptions, and ideas that contribute to your worldview or create the framework from which you
operate every day. For example, you've probably heard the phrase 'the American way of life,' which
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,is a paradigm because it refers to a collection of beliefs and ideas about what it means to be
American. For people who find this paradigm very important, it may serve as the foundation of how
they view or interact with the world around them. This emphasizes one of the most important
purposes of a paradigm, which is that it is comprised of beliefs and ideas that form a framework to
approach and engage with other things or people.
Concepts
- Aid or development cooperation?
o We use development cooperation, but it is difficult to describe. In US the word
‘foreign aid’ is used. Cooperation resembles that there is a bilateral/equal
relationship. Aid is more a top down issue.
- Defining development
o Difficult to define development. It should have something to do with progress
(positive transformation), others say that it is a process of change (possible or
negative) and could have unintended consequences. Transformation/change in a
certain direction. There should be a positive change, but there might be all sorts of
(negative) unintended side effects.
- Post development
o Rejection of classical development paradigm.
o Appraisal of local knowledge and systems
o Critical towards dominant scientific discourses.
o It is a way of thinking about development that deserves some attention. It rejects all
kinds of classic ones. Development is a western invention. More voice should be
given to the Global South in intervention. They want global knowledge etc.
o They have a different point of departure and are therefore discussed separately.
There are many different actors involved in development.
On the right are the representors of international development NGOs. But there are many more
actors involved in development cooperation. They all use different channels to reach the people and
the funds are being received.
Development cooperation
Development cooperation is a very resent phenomenon: 1949 (but also before that moment)
Speech Truman
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, o He refers to a certain obligation of the US to support countries in the global south.
He sees it as a duty to support its allies in Africa and Latin America
There is now a very elaborate system of development cooperation and has different donors
- OECD-DAC (1961) Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD)
Development Assistance Committee (DAC)
o 30 members
o >170 recipient countries
o Certain donors do not appear on the list (China, Russia, India (is a donor and provides
development cooperation funds especially in southeast Asia), Brazil, South Africa).
That shows a certain weakness of the development cooperation. They do provides
funds, but are not in this committee. This organisation sets the rules, agendas, topics,
etc. and set up together the development cooperation. The countries which are not
part of it, are not bounded to these rules. Tight aid for example: it is conditional aid,
it is provided with certain strings to it. All members of DAC should reduce amount of
tight aid, but if you’re not a DAC member you don’t have to deal with this. So DAC is
powerful, but all sorts of other members and parties are rising nowadays.
ODA – Official Development Assistance
The DAC defines ODA as ‘those flows to countries and territories on the DAC List of ODA
Recipients and to multilateral institutions which are:
o Provided by official agencies, including state and local governments, or by executive
agencies; and
o Each transaction of which:
Is administered with the promotion of the economic development and
welfare of developing countries as its main objective; and
Is concessional in character and conveys a grant element of at least 25%
China is not a DAC member, so people say that it is not providing aid. DAC is powerful when
concerning development cooperation. They have huge databases with all kind of statistics with all
kinds of development aid.
All donors should spent 0.7% of their income on development cooperation according to the DAC. Not
all countries achieve this and some slightly cheated. Migration investments are sometimes included.
Many countries are not able to achieve this 0.7%.
Most important donors are Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan.
Most important recipient countries are in Africa, Asia, and Central America (South America less >
trend recent years is that many Latin American countries are now middle income countries so many
countries withdraw from that region and go to Central American countries). Geopolitical things are
also important here. Central America is backyard of US so they want to have influence there.
In 1979 Africa received 29% and in 2009 this was 41% of the ODA. In 2009 Asia received 18% and
Latin America 9% (mostly from the US).
It is important to distinguish different forms of aid.
- Type of aid
o Structural
o Incidental
- Aim
o Development
o Emergency / disaster relief
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, - Time span
o Long term
o Short term
- Prime focus
o Economic
o Humanitarian
- Targets
o Poor countries
o Disaster/conflict areas -> so not only poor countries (also Japan for example).
Since 1949, the face of international development cooperation changed tremendously.
Local experts are getting more important. That is a very important shift.
Motives
For example US is active in Central America to gain influence in its backyard.
At an individual, national and international level, there are different motives.
Economic motives / growth are very important. Through the years there are waves: some motives
are more important than others.
Tight aid are ways to stimulate your own economy by providing aid.
Economic growth has recently become more important.
But there are many other motives to provide aid.
Economic aid
Charity / humanitarian motives (more on an individual level)
Reputation at international scene, context, etc. Can be good for your international position
o For India this is an important motive. They strengthen their position in Asia by
providing aid in the region. Same as Brazil.
Geopolitical power
o US in Central America; Cold War and division of Africa in ’50 and ’60 between US and
USSR
Compensation
o Partly for reputation. Not only by governments but also by companies. For example
by supporting sustainable development etc.
Historical / post-colonial motives / colonial and historical relationship
o When you look at Spain they provide mostly aid to South American countries
Pure self-interest
o Sometimes war on terror has this motive, but also migration. Lot of money is
invested in all kind of project by saying that it reduces migration. Security, migration,
etc.
Religious motives
o Of course in Africa development cooperation started with the establishment of the
church. For example the shoebox for Africa in which bibles were added.
Altruism
The changing face of international development cooperation
- Economic crisis
- Critical publications: the aid critic
o At national level all sorts of problems, why are we providing development
cooperation at all?!
- Performance of aid:
o What works? How can you show that it is really helping. There is money involved
which does not directly benefit the society here so it is highly controlled.
- Emergence new actors
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