Africa beyond aid

Proceedings of two international conferences held under the joint auspices of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), and The Brenthurst Foundation. Published by the Brenthurst Foundation (www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org). Johannesburg, January 2008

Foreword

Aid seeds to build internal capacity. However, it can produce a set of negative incentives, including rent-seeking, crowding out of private investments, and an unrealistic faith that international actors will always provide development aid.

Instead of focusing on increasing aid flows to developing countries, the donor community should consider strategies to reduce dependency on aid.

For some international donors, aid seems to be an excuse not to make tough domestic concessions on trade policy. Similarly, African leaders might not consider it necessary to put sufficient effort into promoting free trade, since they believe that their path to survival and development depends on aid.

Although aid may promote the concept of ownership in the countries receiving it, it can distort, and even undermine, the idea of shared accountability of the executive and legislative branches. For instance, parliaments are often excluded from decisions on the distribution and channelling of funds, and therefore lack the ability to hold governments accountable.Furthermore, when establishing aid strategies, a distinction should be made between aid as a tool for development and governance, and aid as an instrument of foreign policy. Some countries, such as Russia and China, use aid mainly as a means of leverage in foreign policy, and challenge the Western approach of development aid. This gives rise to controversial questions about the relationship between democracy, development and stability.

A sustainable development partnership with Africa should be based on a shared or comparable value system based on joint interest. The rule of law, good governance, and a value-orientated pluralistic party system is basic to an enabling environment for development. Without these, economic growth and political stability will not be sustainable.For many reasons, aid is not solving Africa’s development problems. Democratic transition should alleviate poverty, but it will not necessarily lead to sustained growth in the short-term. Sustainable growth can only occur with a massive increase in jobs.

Africa beyond aid is a joint initiative of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), and the Brenthurst Foundation. It is a forum for development experts from all over the world to share their views on a variety of subjects relating to the efficacy of aid in Africa. (...)

Gerhard Wahlers
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Head International Cooperation and
Deputy Secretary General

Links to Documents

New Aid Thinking
The Brenthurst Foundation Disscussion Paper 2006/4
(pdf-document)

Africa Beyond Aid II
The Brenthurst Foundation Disscussion Paper 2007/5
(Proceedings of the Conference in Brussels, June 2007)
(pdf-document)