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From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

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5 THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM AIDThe aid optimist:Jeffrey Sachs(The End of <strong>Poverty</strong>)StrengthsA powerful piece of aidadvocacy that counteractsthe unwarrantedpessimism oftensurrounding the aiddebate.Sachs himself is anextraordinary ambassador:fervent, inspiring,hyperactive, and tireless.Advocates repair of theaid machinery:National poverty strategiesdeveloped byrecipient governmentsidentifying investmentsand financial needs <strong>to</strong>meet the MDGs.Co-ordination amongdonors <strong>to</strong> meet financialneeds.Grants, not loans.Long-term, predictableaid.Decentralisation ofinvestment decisions.Emphasises basic technologiesand interventionsthat have worked ina variety of contexts.Tackles head-on some ofthe anti-aid argumentson corruption, pastfailure, authoritariangovernments, andculture.The aid pessimist:William Easterly(White Man’s Burden)Suspicious of the ‘It’s up<strong>to</strong> us’ view that sees aidas a way for the richcountries <strong>to</strong> singlehandedlyend poverty inpoor ones.Stresses the need fordonors <strong>to</strong> be madeaccountable <strong>to</strong> aidrecipients.Identifies the importanceof incentive systems indetermining thebehaviour of aid andgovernment officials.Rightly dismisses <strong>to</strong>pdownstructural adjustment,shock therapy, andconditionality (Easterlywas a World Bankinsider).The detail of his argument,in contrast with theoverall message (and thetitle), argues for ‘betteraid’ rather than ‘no aid’,and sets out some goodideas for how <strong>to</strong> achieveit.Has a strong sense of theindigenous creativity indeveloping countries thatcan trigger development.Good complement <strong>to</strong>Sachs in advocatingservices and technologiesbeyond thebasics.Paul Collier(The Bot<strong>to</strong>m Billion)On aid, positioned somewherebetween Sachsand Easterly, but leaning<strong>to</strong>wards Easterly on aidscepticism.Good discussion of whenand when not <strong>to</strong> give aidand whether <strong>to</strong> do so inthe form of finance ortechnical assistance.Strongest on the linksbetween conflict anddevelopment, includingthe case for militaryintervention in casessuch as Sierra Leone,and the need <strong>to</strong> be muchmorecreative about seizingmoments of post-conflictreconstruction <strong>to</strong> helpcountries escape frompoverty.Also very convincing onthe special problems(and limited solutions) ofAfrica’s landlockedcountries.361

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