International solidarity, a concept in rocking

Development cooperation must focus more on global justice and lead to human security and disarmament and reduce gaps between North and South, according to the Foreign Affairs Committee for the Feminist Initiative.

Of: Jaime Gomez, Jaime Gomez et al., Maria Persson, Mats Ekenger and Saga Tullgren

For the first time in over two decades, there are now alarming reports of growing gaps in the world. The one percent target should therefore, contrary to where the Moderates believe, remain. Development cooperation must focus more on global justice and lead to human security and disarmament and reduce gaps between North and South, according to the Foreign Affairs Committee for the Feminist Initiative.

May 5, 2021, Debate

It is not time to back down with aid

The state budget

Of: Frida Hjärtman

Recently, the financing of development assistance has been a current theme in both Sweden and the world. On 13 April, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published statistics showing that Sweden takes the lead in the development assistance phase with 1,14% of GNI for 2020. Thus, Sweden is the largest donor in the world in percentage terms. At the same time, the one percent target is being debated at home by, among others, SD and the Moderates, who want to reduce development assistance. Own domestic problems are weighed against the global goals and the fact that Sweden is one of the world's most well-developed countries, in the question of whether it is reasonable for Sweden to be the world's most generous donor.

May 4, 2021, Chronicle

Is the general perception of Swedish development assistance realistic?

Photo: TLC Jonhson, Flickr

Of: Melanie Alphonse

Sweden has dedicated its development aid budget to fighting poverty and creating better conditions for people living in poverty to change their lives. I have heard of people who think that the development assistance budget goes to corrupt countries, but what is the general perception of development assistance in Sweden?

April 13, 2021, Chronicle

Swedish development cooperation in Asia and the Pacific one year after the outbreak of the pandemic

Khun Anchana Heemmina heads the civil society organization Duay Jai Group in Thailand. Covid-19 has had major consequences for vulnerable groups in Asia and the Pacific. Photo: Anchana Heemmina

Of: Sofia Karlsson

More than a year has now passed since the covid-19 pandemic broke out. Utvecklingsmagasinet has met Åsa Hedén, head of the development section at the Swedish embassy in Bangkok, to hear how their work in the region has been affected by the pandemic and what they have learned a year later.

April 7, 2021, Interview

Concluding remarks: Wastefulness does not lift anyone out of poverty

Of: Andreas Celan and John Manders

In a reply to my article (FUF 26/2) about the many shortcomings of development assistance, SSU's chairman Pavlos Cavelier Bizas writes that Swedish development assistance is needed more than ever and that the 1% target must be defended. A goal that is almost to be regarded as a holy cow in Swedish political debate. Leaving this principle that the development assistance budget should be designed as a predetermined share of the state budget unchallenged is at best wasteful and at worst directly counterproductive to achieving the goals the development assistance is intended to meet, say Andreas Celan and John Manders from the Moderate Youth Association.

March 23, 2021, Debate

Reply: Swedish aid is needed more than ever

Of: Pavlos Cavelier Bizas

MUF Uppsala County's second vice chairman Andreas Celan argues that the Swedish development assistance budget needs to be reduced with reference to the fact that the money is not used efficiently and goes to corruption. We at SSU are of a different opinion: the development assistance budget should not be reduced and the 1% target should be defended, writes Pavlos Cavelier Bizas, chairman of SSU Uppland.

March 18, 2021, Debate

Reduce the development assistance budget and follow up on taxpayers' money

Of: Andreas Celan

Several cases of failed aid projects show that Sida cannot ensure that the aid money goes where it is supposed to. For this reason, the development assistance budget should be reduced and a larger part of the development assistance money will go to making the necessary investments in Sweden, says Andreas Celan, the Moderate Youth Association in Uppsala.

February 26, 2021, Debate

Corruption complicates development cooperation in DR Congo

Joachim Beijmo, Head of Development Aid at the Swedish Embassy in Kinshasa.

Of: Anna Mattsson

Sweden is one of the world's largest donors to the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the high level of corruption in the country affects development cooperation. Utvecklingsmagasinet has interviewed Joachim Beijmo, head of development assistance at the Swedish embassy in Kinshasa.

February 11, 2021, Interview

Increased support for food production is vital

Jamia Salimo: It's expensive to be poor. People in poor countries are forced to spend most of their income on food, and yet it is not enough. Farmer Jamia Salimo in Mozambique has just bought soap, salt and cooking oil. Photo: Edson Artur.

Of: Anna Tibblin and Eva Åberg

More people are at risk of starvation than of Covid-19 globally. The world is facing the worst hunger crisis in 50 years - at the same time, only 2,6 percent of Swedish aid goes to agriculture in poor countries. In order to avoid a hunger pandemic, and in general to succeed in achieving the UN's sustainability goal of eradicating world hunger, we must increase our agricultural aid and support for sustainable food production.

January 29, 2021, Debate