Civil society in a meeting with the minister of aid: "Uncertainty and lack of clarity in politics"

Aid Minister Johan Forsell (M) and State Secretary Diana Janse invited civil society to get input on the aid reform agenda - which will be drawn up during the year. During the meeting, several organizations highlighted that it is unclear what the government actually means by effective aid. Photo: FUF.

Of: Alice Mutambala

During Friday met several civil society organizations Aid Minister Johan Forssell (M) and State Secretary Diana Janse for to discuss the reform agenda for the aid – to be designed under 2023. The link between trade and aid and what effective and transparent aid actually means were some of them the discussion points.  

May 5, 2023, News

Reduced aid and increased poverty: "A development heading in the wrong direction"

Agricultural aid is a low priority in Swedish aid, but the Africa Groups' secretary general, Louise Lindfors, believes that it is central to development in southern Africa. Photo: Department of foreign affairs and trade/Africa groups. Source: Flickr/Africa groups.

Of: Amanda Rossling

It is a revolutionary time for Sweden's civil society organisations. The restructuring as the Swedish government has done in aid has meant both cuts to developing countries and to civil society in Sweden.

April 12, 2023, Interview

Week 11: Debaters discuss integration and terrorist threats from IS

Foreign-born women are an overlooked resource, and change is required for this group to be integrated into the labor market. That's what debaters from the Soraya support center write in Dagens ETC. Photo: southworks. Source: Canva.

Of: Elianne Kjellman and Ellen Norman

During last week discussionhonored editorial and debate writers among other things, that foreign-born women are an untapped resource - as Sweden overlooks them in the labor market. Tthe error threat from IS and that the cuts in aid affect the development of knowledge both in Sweden and other countries has also debated.

March 20, 2023, Current debate

Week 7: Debaters criticize the aid policy and lack of support for Syria

During the week, several debaters have pointed out the difficulties in getting help to people in north-eastern Syria who have been affected by the earthquake. Photo: Begum Iman, European Union. Source: Flickr.

Of: Sidra Amir

During the past week, writers on Swedish debate and editorial pages have both directed criticism at Sweden's aid policy and at the fact that aid does not reach those in need in Syria after the earthquakes. The Swedish environmental target system has also been the subject of debate. SD's environmental policy spokesperson calls it a "resource-demanding monster", while civil servant Magnus Eriksson highlights the strengths of the system.

February 21, 2023, Current debate

Diana Janse on the government's aid policy: "To prioritize is to prioritize away"

- We have had to look at the priorities and prioritize after that, it is based on a need to find funding for Ukraine, says State Secretary Diana Janse about the government's new aid policy, which includes cuts in several areas. Photo: The Association for Development Issues (FUF).

Of: Alice Mutambala

The government's new aid policy means increased support to Ukraine, but also several reductions – including in support to the UN, information work and research. These priorities and away priorities were in focus when Diana Janse, State Secretary for International Development Cooperation, met civil society in an armchair conversation at FUF.  

January 25, 2023, News

New Swedish aid policy: Conversation with State Secretary Diana Janse

State Secretary Diana Janse

Date and time: 24 Jan, 16:30 - 18:00

To report » The aid's one percent target and the role of development cooperation have been widely discussed recently. At the same time, we see the importance of short- and long-term support worldwide as a result of the consequences of climate change, diminishing democratic spaces, the unimaginable lack of equality, and humanitarian disasters - even in our immediate area. Sweden got a new government last autumn. The budget bill and […]

January 11, 2023, Calendar, Seminars

Most vulnerable, least included – What can you do?

disability event

Date and time: 1 Feb, 17:00 - 19:00

Sweden's stated aid goal is to fight poverty in the world, but one of the world's largest minorities is more or less excluded from work. Among the very poorest in the world, every fifth person lives with a disability. Up to 9 out of 10 children with disabilities do not have access to education and the risk of being exposed to violence and abuse [...]

December 16, 2022, Calendar, Seminars

New foreign policy makes the future uncertain for gender equality projects in Latin America

Maja Magnusson, press officer and information officer at Svalorna Latinamerika, is concerned that reduced aid and scrapped feminist foreign policy could affect gender equality work in Latin America. Photo: Swallows Latin America.

Of: Vilma Ellemark

The new direction of Swedish foreign policy has caused concern among many organizations that work with global development issues. - We are worried about severe cuts, says Maja Magnusson, press officer and information officer at Svalorna Latin America.

December 9, 2022, Interview

This is the criticism of the government's aid and climate policy

Sweden's government, led by Ulf Kristersson (M), faces criticism for its aid and climate policy. Photo: European People's Party. Source: Flickr.

Of: Karin Sjöstrand

At the beginning of November, Sweden's government presented the new budget. Reactions have come from many quarters regarding which political changes will be implemented. Aid and climate policy have been in focus among the global issues.

December 7, 2022, Development magazine explains

Week 47: Debater on the scrapping of the one percent target: "Spiritless"

Dropping the one percent target is still the subject of debate on Swedish opinion pages. Photo: Frankie Fouganthin. Source: Wikimedia commons.

Of: Fredrik Govenius

The dropping of Sweden's one percent target for aid has been debated in several Swedish media over the past week. The protests in Iran have continued to be the subject of debate, for example when Ardalan Shekarabi (S) said that Sweden's government should tighten the sanctions against the country.

November 29, 2022, Current debate