After 70 Years We Continue to Struggle To Make Aid Work

by Mike Smith · 2009-09-30 15:06:00 UTC
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The Millennium Development Goals of 2005 identified international development goals essential to reducing extreme poverty. Amongst them: sprayed nets to deal with Malaria, more vitamin A, and stressing the importance of contour terracing to address soil erosion. A 1938 Africa Research survey pointed out similar needs: mosquito nets, a deficiency of vitamin A, and the beneficial effect of terracing. Quite simply, problems identified over 70 years ago have yet to be dealt with.

The paper highlights the continuing problems, explaining how the aid effort to Africa has surged, contrasting various approach to providing aid — whether it's "saving" or "one step at a time" sort of approaches. William Easterly, the paper's author, identifies a series of aid ideas and concepts that come in and out of fashion, returning once we've forgetting the disappointing experience the previous time around. The eventual conclusion? Sustained surges in GDP have been homegrown, largely haven't come from outside sources and intervention.

[Photo credit: tim brauhn]

Mike Smith
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