Reposting this strong piece on #GlobalDevelopment as part of the “Re-imaging development” theme in the 04/2024 issue of D&C magazine (available as a free pdf download, pages 22-23: www.dandc.eu/en/archiv…)

#BabaGJallow makes the point that development plans, while aimed at improving living standards, frequently prioritize securing international funds over meeting the real needs of the population. Projects not aligned with local necessities do little to address the challenges faced by communities, leading to resources being misallocated and debts accumulating without tangible benefits.

#WayForward: Shift from fund-centric to community-driven development strategies. By promoting economic and political literacy through education and civil society, the odds that projects will truly benefit those in need and contribute to sustainable progress can be greatly increased. Plus: “Donor institutions should back off from the tailor-made, policy-centred development guidelines that are drafted in their capital cities and are motivated both by geopolitical interests and profit motives.”

What seems counterintuitive in the framing of “ownership” is just the flip side of what #Nobel #Laureate #AngusDeaton described: “Aid agencies, whose rhetoric claims to support those citizens and especially the poor, have their own interests, constituencies, and finances back home, which must get priority when push comes to shove, while in the recipient country their activities can be (and are) gamed by recipient governments.”

#GlobalDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment