All published articles in this category.
Of: Karin Gregow
In an increasingly fierce battle for the world's natural resources, the EU is using trade agreements to secure the supply of raw materials. The EU's hunt for cheap natural resources risks locking African countries in the raw material trap and slowing down industrialization in Africa. Sweden must work to ensure that trade agreements between the EU and Africa benefit African development.
March 8, 2012, Debate
Of: Bertil Odén
Without budget support, Sweden refrains from important opportunities to contribute to the positive effects that evaluations show that the form of support has when it is not overloaded with too many short-term requirements. At the same time, the criteria for budget support cannot be quantified without unreasonable simplifications - for example, where is the approved level of adequate democracy and respect for human rights? Instead of giving up, the Minister for Development Aid should explain what results have actually been achieved and simplify the regulations, writes Bertil Odén.
February 28, 2012, Debate
Of: Göran Hyden
In the pursuit of measurable results, the recipient countries are considered gigantic laboratories. Evaluations commissioned by aid bureaucrats are of little use. A more holistic perspective is needed, but neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor Sida has the capacity for this. An advisory committee of researchers is a way forward, writes Göran Hydén, professor emeritus and development aid researcher.
February 21, 2012, Debate
Of: Göran Hyden
If the statement from the high-level meeting in Busan is fulfilled in practice, multilateral donors will have greater influence over development assistance and the exercise of political power, rather than expertise, will determine the results achieved. More politicized assistance at the expense of technical know-how raises questions about Sida's future. It writes Göran Hydén, researcher and consultant.
December 22, 2011, Debate
Aid to European countries is not aimed at combating poverty and should therefore be discontinued. It writes Lars-Erik Birgegård, consultant with long experience of development assistance.
December 13, 2011, Debate
Of: Olof Hesselmark
With its investment in subsidies, fertilizers and seeds for poor farmers, Malawi has shown that hunger and poverty can be combated effectively if only the will exists. The Western world's view that subsidies disrupt the market and that fertilizers lead to eutrophication is not true in Africa because the increased production goes to self-sufficiency and that the fertilizers do not have to be concentrated as much as in Europe. That is the opinion of Olof Hesselmark, a retired economist and computer scientist.
December 6, 2011, Debate
Of: Lisa Roman
REPLY Joakim Stymne paints a very positive picture of the government's reforms of development aid and Fredrik Segerfeldt interprets development aid research too ideologically. Sida has been underdeveloped in terms of follow-up and analysis of results, while Minister for Development Aid Gunilla Carlsson's mistrust of the aid's implementers has hampered constructive improvements. What is missing is a management culture that systematically takes advantage of knowledge. That is the opinion of Lisa Román, freelance writer and former head of Sida's unit for development analysis.
October 17, 2011, Debate
Of: Joakim Stymne
In just a few years, Aid Minister Gunilla Carlsson (M) has successfully challenged dominant special interests in the aid debate and pushed through the biggest aid policy reforms ever. What made this possible and what has it resulted in? Joakim Stymne, former State Secretary for International Development Cooperation, believes that significant improvements have been made but that we cannot expect aid to create growth.
October 10, 2011, Debate
Of: Olof Hesselmark
Most people believe that development assistance activities should be conducted in an efficient manner, so that as much of the resources as possible reach the recipients. With regard to the EU's management of consulting services, there is a long way to go before this desire is met. This is the opinion of the debater Olof Hesselmark, who here talks about his experiences as a consultant in the development assistance industry.
September 28, 2011, Debate
Of: Bertil Odén
This summer, there has been a debate about the fact that write-offs of overdue but unpaid loans to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo will reduce the development assistance budget by the corresponding amount, in this case just over SEK XNUMX billion. How did this reduction in the development aid budget actually go? Bertil Odén leaves here his picture of the step-by-step transformation.
August 24, 2011, Debate