The new aid giants (2)

Dear Colleagues

On November 15, I posted the following message ... it speaks for itself.

Peter Burgess

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Dear Colleagues

A little more than two years ago I heard Jeffrey Sachs speaking at the Forum on Africa at SIPA, Columbia University. Around the same time Tony Blair was talking about more money for Africa ... and Bono was popularizing more money for Africa.

Meanwhile, there is little or no questioning of why it is that the previous $3 trillion (an imprecise number) has done so little, and how it is that these funds were ineffective.

I have tried to challenge the aid establishment to figure out how to use the available money 10 times as effectively ... as a first step ... and then to ask for more money when it is clear that the money is being used effectively. But of course, this is not going to happen. The aid establishment is quite happy with the status quo, and would be a lot more happy if the fund flows into the situation were to expand significantly.

Bottom line ... the aid establishment is doing everything it can be get more money flowing into the sector ... and the issues of transparency and accountability ... and performance metrics are off the table.

Some of us do not like this ... and we are going to win.

Sincerely

Peter Burgess.