Foreign aid : an elite survey

Abstract: The inability of foreign aid to generate an appropriate model for development and the complexities related to Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the “Third World” are what initiated my interest to write about foreign aid. In this study I seek to further elabo-rate on this complex issue on foreign aid; does it lead to development or dependency? Within the debate, the controversy exists around aid dependency and economic growth and is fuelled by the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa has barely achieved any poverty reduction since the 1960´s. Mr. William Easterly an ex-World Bank employee represents the critical opinion to Foreign Aid. He argues that the international foreign aid programme is characterized by a westernized, patronizing and post-colonial approach, which yields dependency rather than development in today’s world of free-market economies. Foreign aid as we know it must therefore be abolished. Mr. Jeffrey Sachs Current World Bank employee and UN secretary advisor represents the supporters of foreign aid. He argues that foreign aid works efficiently and calls for the doubling of foreign aid and the need for donor countries to reach the one percent target of GDP. In this case study of foreign aid, the subject under investigation (the argumentation within the public debate) is studied through a historical perspective. Secondly a comparison will be made between the public debate and the way this issue is discussed among field workers. An interesting observation when analyzing the discussions on foreign aid efficiency in international aid programme is that the polarization witnessed in the public- or “elite” debate is not as obvious when analyzing the opinion of aid-workers. This would imply that uncertainty about aid efficiency is exaggerated in the public debate. By resolving problems of classical development theories, rather than rethinking the purpose of aid based on its positive affects, foreign aid may be robbed of its real potential.