All published articles in this category.
Of: Jan Bjerninger
It is important to have a critical debate about development aid, but today's discussions are based too much on preconceived notions and snapshots. The failures of development aid must be acknowledged but also discussed, says Jan Bjerninger, who is currently working on a new book.
March 4, 2013, Debate
In a debate article earlier this week, Sida's Director General Charlotte Petri Gornitzka wrote that Swedish "gift aid" in middle-income countries such as Iraq, Bolivia, Colombia and Guatemala is not necessarily needed. At a public inquiry on Twitter and Facebook, Gornitzka now explains what she meant by the term.
March 1, 2013, Debate
Of: David Scott
REPLY There are several reasons to question the motives behind Sida's proposal to phase out aid to Bolivia, Colombia and Guatemala - that aid is not cost-effective and can be more useful in other countries. The phasing out threatens to destroy the Latin American trust in Sweden that has been built up over decades, writes David Scott, who previously evaluated aid to Guatemala on behalf of the now defunct evaluation authority Sadev.
February 28, 2013, Debate
Of: Bo Forsberg, Elizabeth Dahlin, Erik Lysén, Leif Zetterlund, May Britt Theory, Niclas Lindgren, Peter K Sjogren and Sofia Walan
The government's silence in relation to the major development and humanitarian needs in Sudan is unsustainable. When Sweden's voice for support for a peaceful development is most needed, both political will and a clear direction seem to be lacking. This is deeply worrying. The government should present a strategy for how continued Swedish support for Sudan should be designed to contribute to long-term peace and development in the country and throughout the region, according to representatives of Diakonia, International Aid Services, the Christian Peace Movement, Life & Peace Institute, Operation 1325, PMU, Save the Children and the Church of Sweden
February 25, 2013, Debate
Since the bourgeois government came to power in 2006, there has been a positive development on the development assistance front, writes Henrik G Ehrenberg, chairman of KIC and vice chairman of the idea institute Civitas. At the same time, there is still a lot to do. The development assistance has a turnover of SEK 31 billion in 2013. What the money is used for should be given greater interest from the bourgeoisie.
February 12, 2013, Debate
Of: Inge Gerremo and Linley Chiwona-Karltun
Malawi's agriculture was recently described as a success story but is now facing problems again. How could it go so wrong? Could a female President of the African Union and a female President of Malawi make a difference in the fight against hunger and poverty and the need to achieve more equal living conditions? This is the question of Linley Chiwona-Karltun and Inge Gerremo, who are both active at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
February 4, 2013, Debate
Of: Tom Alberts
Tom Alberts, an economist and development assistance consultant, believes that development assistance money should be distributed directly to mothers in developing countries. This would not only lead to a larger share of the money being used to safeguard the needs of the family, but also to increase the position of women in society.
January 15, 2013, Debate
Of: Måns Nilsson
Within the UN, work is underway to develop new sustainability goals and the new goals that will replace the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. To avoid the recurrence of previous negotiation failures, there must be a common and long-term development perspective with a clear agenda in addition to poverty reduction, writes Måns Nilsson, SEI Research Director
January 8, 2013, Debate
Of: Inge Gerremo
Bo Kjellén was for many years an environmental ambassador for Sweden and made important contributions in the international environmental negotiations, not least in connection with the Rio Conference in 1992. After retiring, he wrote the book A New Diplomacy for Sustainable Development, about his experiences and views on it. international negotiation work. The book is now more relevant than ever to understand the multilateral negotiating game on environmental issues, says Inge Gerremo
December 26, 2012, Debate
As part of the worldwide project Why Poverty , SVT broadcasts a series of documentaries about poverty in the world. The aim is to initiate a global conversation on the issue of poverty and the first film undeniably raises questions: How come complications in pregnancy and childbirth are still the most common cause of death among young women in developing countries? More resources for maternity care are of the utmost importance. But if we are to reduce maternal mortality, girls and women must be given the power to decide for themselves if and when they want to become pregnant. It requires a change in society's attitudes that extends far beyond the walls of the delivery room, writes Plan Sweden's Secretary General Anna Hägg-Sjöquist.
November 25, 2012, Debate