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After
robbing the poor countries through exploitation of natural resources,
debt requests and biased free trade, it may be fair to pay something
back to LDCs and other economically poor countries.
But
the people of the LDCs do not need aid. They need possibilities to
develop their societies. They need better co-operation with
governments, organisations and people who control technology,
knowledge and the global economic system.
For
the last four decades the rich countries have given aid with the
left hand, only to take it and more back with the right. Through the
World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund, the poor countries help the rich with cope with their
domestic expenses, such as health care, education and infrastructure
– and the ODA.
NGOs
in the South and the North are heavily criticising the above
mentioned organisations. But these organisations are put together by
several countries, and controlled by the wealthiest of these nations
– the very same countries that discuss how large a percentage of
their GDP they should spend on development assistance.
Most
of the time, various obligations follow in the wake of the ODA. In a
rather patriarchal way, Southern leaders are often told to spend the
money they get on certain products and make their plans according to
certain specifications dictated by representatives from the donor
country.
Politics
is mainly about giving off an impression of doing or wishing
something. ODA is mainly about giving off an impression of having
good intentions! Let us not be impressed by the rich white man’s
money distribution in Africa – but let us consider where that
money comes from.
The
ODA percentage should not take the focus from the truly important
matters. And ODA will never be a good and viable solution for poor
countries, but it is still a necessary evil in the present situation.
So let us hope that the ODA era is drawing to a close, and that we
can move on from this rather humiliating form of aid towards
co-operation and better possibilities for poor countries.
Commentary
in Outreach
14th of May 2001 |