Dialogue in Pursuit of Development - Are you looking for one of ...

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Ethical consideration and coherence
Some contributors make the point that dialogue requires not only good
orators and listeners but that their way of acting and living influences the
message. Lysén and Ringström give a number of examples where such questions
influence the dialogue. Mysliwiec also makes this point very clearly in
her presentation of the human rights issue in Cambodia. Communication is
not only about what the partners involved say, but also about how they
interact. They can use all the right words like ‘ownership’, ‘partnership’ etc.,
but if they do not act in line with their words their sincerity will be in
doubt. Lysén, for instance, points to the fact that dialogue on gender equality
demands that donors themselves act in accordance with such a policy. In
addition, the demands of the Bretton Woods Institutions on liberalisation
and a stop for agricultural and other subsidies in recipient countries were
contrary to the way influential donors like the US and EU acted. This did
not create confidence in the policies advocated. This point thus includes
everything from individual behaviour of donor representatives in the recipient
countries to major issues of donor coherence.
Conditionality
There are many and diverse views on this subject. A recent study on ownership
(Andersen, et al., 2002) defines conditionality as: “action required of
the recipient government in order to receive assistance”. The study recommends
that, in an ownership-based partnership, conditionality be split into
four categories.
Legal obligations – core conditionality. Conditions derived from legal
requirements set by donor government e.g. financial accounting.
Shared values and commitments – core conditionality e.g. focus on poverty
reduction, fulfilment of human rights etc.
Technically based conditions in conformity with scientific and technical
knowledge in projects and programmes.
Behavioural modification. Desire to induce the recipient government to
undertake political, social, economic and development strategy changes.
The first two categories – the core conditions for co-operation – are not
questioned in any contribution, as they are necessary conditions when starting
any co-operation. It is the second category, which will demand a lot of
the dialogue, and where listening and pedagogic presentation of arguments
become important qualities for the representatives. The main divider among
the contributions with regard to conditionality is the last category –
behavioural modifications.
Johnson Sirleaf shows in her article that conditionality coupled to the
structural adjustment programmes and embraced, not only by the Bretton