Comments on: Why is there so much politics behind aid? http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/ aka Ishtar News Sat, 10 May 2008 02:15:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: » Blog statistics so far… Esther Garvi: aka Ishtar News http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-106 » Blog statistics so far… Esther Garvi: aka Ishtar News Mon, 24 Mar 2008 04:11:52 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-106 [...] 1.  Why is there so much politics behind aid? [...] […] 1.  Why is there so much politics behind aid? […]

]]> By: Sissels trivialiteter i hverdagen » Jeg anbefaler en post og en blogg - Fredrikstad og Niger http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-73 Sissels trivialiteter i hverdagen » Jeg anbefaler en post og en blogg - Fredrikstad og Niger Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:44:01 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-73 [...] til sammen. Hun skriver om familien, om venner, om forskningen, om dyrene - ja om livet. Hun skrev også en post om TV2-dokumentaren hun deltok i. Dette er en blogg som er verd å følge. Det er den første bloggen jeg virkelig vil anbefale i [...] […] til sammen. Hun skriver om familien, om venner, om forskningen, om dyrene - ja om livet. Hun skrev også en post om TV2-dokumentaren hun deltok i. Dette er en blogg som er verd å følge. Det er den første bloggen jeg virkelig vil anbefale i […]

]]> By: Esther Garvi: aka Ishtar News http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-65 Esther Garvi: aka Ishtar News Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:13:19 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-65 [...] Garvi in Uncategorized A few days ago, Swedish anthropologist Björn Dönell responded to my post Why is there so much politics behind aid? His comment concerns the nomads, and roughly translates to: Hello there - I was dealing with Niger [...] […] Garvi in Uncategorized A few days ago, Swedish anthropologist Björn Dönell responded to my post Why is there so much politics behind aid? His comment concerns the nomads, and roughly translates to: Hello there - I was dealing with Niger […]

]]> By: Esther Garvi http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-48 Esther Garvi Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:17:30 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-48 Dear Björn, I will respond to your comment in a post of its own. Greetings, Esther Dear Björn,

I will respond to your comment in a post of its own.

Greetings, Esther

]]> By: björn dönell http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-47 björn dönell Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:48:52 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-47 Hallå där jag höll på med Niger då 2005 o vi pratades vid. har 20 års erfarenhet av tahouaområdet Hos ett flertalet nomader var 2005 det värsta året sen 1984-86. men fokus har legar på fel område. so pls do some research you as well *S* det var katastrof o den var väntad - det enda jag ber dig att bara uttala dig om det område du bor i - tänk på Nigers yta. jag blev varnad redan i februari mars när gräshopporna hade varit där. Sen kan du ha rätt i din kritik av de stora NGO:s men de facto så förlorade månganomader stora delar av sina hjordar. det var ett katastrof år inte ett vanligt missväxt år i de delar jag känner till - Kolla på Oxfam oxå vad de skriver - men när det gäller MSF så är jag ytterst kritisk - de vann på den här krisen inte människorna i Niger. men kris var det utan tvivel med vänlig hälsning Björn Dönell Hallå där jag höll på med Niger då 2005 o vi pratades vid. har 20 års erfarenhet av tahouaområdet
Hos ett flertalet nomader var 2005 det värsta året sen 1984-86. men fokus har legar på fel område. so pls do some research you as well *S*
det var katastrof o den var väntad - det enda jag ber dig att bara uttala dig om det område du bor i - tänk på Nigers yta. jag blev varnad redan i februari mars när gräshopporna hade varit där. Sen kan du ha rätt i din kritik av de stora NGO:s men de facto så förlorade månganomader stora delar av sina hjordar.
det var ett katastrof år inte ett vanligt missväxt år i de delar jag känner till - Kolla på Oxfam oxå vad de skriver - men när det gäller MSF så är jag ytterst kritisk - de vann på den här krisen inte människorna i Niger. men kris var det utan tvivel med vänlig hälsning Björn Dönell

]]> By: Szavanna http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-39 Szavanna Sun, 09 Mar 2008 07:06:09 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-39 Hi there Ishtar & Loomnie and Tauratinzwe, I think all of us have been wondering about this topic. In fact I am taking a break from too much active projects when it comes to the OpenCafe because I am a bit overwhelmed with the politics part. The OpenCafe's 3 years work I had the opportunity to see how the NGO world works and I need to take a long break and see how we can operate completely outside these lines of politics and "aid culture". The idea of the cafe is that everyone that visits realises the potential within themselves and also the responsibility that they have for their own lives and stop expecting someone else to "take over". No matter which part of the world - I think these problems are similar in a way - and the answers are not so simple. Politics is here to stay - and I think it's up to us to simply do things differently whenever possible and go beyond the politics part. Hi there Ishtar & Loomnie and Tauratinzwe,

I think all of us have been wondering about this topic. In fact I am taking a break from too much active projects when it comes to the OpenCafe because I am a bit overwhelmed with the politics part.

The OpenCafe’s 3 years work I had the opportunity to see how the NGO world works and I need to take a long break and see how we can operate completely outside these lines of politics and “aid culture”.

The idea of the cafe is that everyone that visits realises the potential within themselves and also the responsibility that they have for their own lives and stop expecting someone else to “take over”.

No matter which part of the world - I think these problems are similar in a way - and the answers are not so simple. Politics is here to stay - and I think it’s up to us to simply do things differently whenever possible and go beyond the politics part.

]]> By: Loomnie http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-38 Loomnie Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:09:26 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-38 Sorry Ishtar, it is all politics. You hit it right on the head with the 'shoulds'. Yes, it should be about running the aid machine out of business, and yes, it should be about seeing improvements in the lives of people. But we know so well that it is not that way. I am so tired of these aid debates... but it is such a strong part of major development debates that it just keeps coming up even when you think you have made your peace with it. @Tauratinzwe Yea, you are absolutely right. Sorry Ishtar, it is all politics. You hit it right on the head with the ’shoulds’. Yes, it should be about running the aid machine out of business, and yes, it should be about seeing improvements in the lives of people. But we know so well that it is not that way. I am so tired of these aid debates… but it is such a strong part of major development debates that it just keeps coming up even when you think you have made your peace with it.

@Tauratinzwe
Yea, you are absolutely right.

]]> By: Tauratinzwe http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-37 Tauratinzwe Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:57:35 +0000 http://esthergarvi.com/2008/03/07/why-is-there-so-much-politics-behind-aid/#comment-37 One thing I learned during my years in Africa is that much aid is as much for the benefit of the donor country as for the receiving country. Many of the aid dollars do not go in the form of actual cash to be used for agreed projects, but come in the form of products from the donor country which must be sold in the receiving country to raise the money that can then be used for the projects (after everyone in power takes his cut). Businesses in the donor country make a profit, the donor country gets credit for being generous, well placed people in the receiving country get a handsome profit and MAYBE a little bit of good is done for the local people who have had little say in the whole process and will have no sense of ownership of the project which is necessary for long term success of the project. Yes, it's all politics. ;-(( One thing I learned during my years in Africa is that much aid is as much for the benefit of the donor country as for the receiving country.

Many of the aid dollars do not go in the form of actual cash to be used for agreed projects, but come in the form of products from the donor country which must be sold in the receiving country to raise the money that can then be used for the projects (after everyone in power takes his cut). Businesses in the donor country make a profit, the donor country gets credit for being generous, well placed people in the receiving country get a handsome profit and MAYBE a little bit of good is done for the local people who have had little say in the whole process and will have no sense of ownership of the project which is necessary for long term success of the project.

Yes, it’s all politics. ;-((

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