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

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solves the entire problem. Over the years new keywords, such as concerned
participation. ownership, sustainability and now in the past few years partnership,
have been introduced to point out this fact. In the preparatory
work leading up to the new Swedish Africa policy “A new partnership” a
number of interesting studies were launched on how to improve the dialogue
between the parties to create ‘real partnership’.
This dialogue, on which one so heavy relies and put so much faith in,
what does it look like in reality? Who are actually dialoguing? How is it
prepared for? The EGDI hopes to contribute to the understanding of this
very important feature of development co-operation. There is particular
need for studies on the subject; a topic which is policy relevant for development
co-operation. The proposed approach would be to allow actors in the
field of development co-operation to present their own account of how
they experience the dialogue, in its widest meaning. In other words, it would
provide them with an opportunity to tell their own story.
An anthology with essays based on such an approach should become more
accessible to a wider audience, and not only to specialists and researchers. As
a possible second phase a more analytical paper might be produced partly
based on empirical evidence from the collection of papers to this book.
Thus, the intention is to produce a book targeting all that work in development
co-operation, or have an interest in this field.
The idea is to invite people with long experience of working with development
aid inside and outside donor and recipient agencies to present their
very personal reflections and ideas about dialogue on some 10 pages. The
contributors should have a rather free hand to approach the subject they
think is most relevant. Below follows, however, some observations that might
be taken into account:
The great change in scope and content of the aid relationship both over
time and within the aid package of today, from low level technical assistance
to budget and sector support and policy dialogue;
The contradictions between assistance for humanitarian and development
purposes;
The contradictions between state-to-state relationships and assistance via
private enterprises and NGOs;
The tension between aid objectives such as poverty alleviation, gender
equality, etc. and the way in which aid implementers actually live and act.
Credibility in the dialogue process is also related to individual coherence.
Professionalism in this area is based on personal attitudes and values, and
the ability to carry them across to the dialogue partner;
The increasing importance of economic and political reform as conditions
for aid; and
Questions such as aid dependence, ownership, partnership, good governance,
good performers etc.