Applied ethics and allocation of foreign aid: disparity in pretensions and practice

Abstract

We explore the applied ethics of development aid and humanitarian assistance, and juxtapose these with claimed objectives and factors that influence the choice of recipients. Despite some diversity among donors, ethical considerations appear not to be a prominent factor for allocation of aid. Although recipients’ need is not entirely ignored, donors’ self‐interest and herd behaviour, and recipients’ merits and voting in the United Nations, play crucial roles in allocation decisions. Likely to be shunned are complex emergencies and fragile states, the overlapping settings for action of development and humanitarian aid. Donors should take to heart and put into practice that allocation of aid is an ethical endeavour that should rest on proper needs assessment, established objectives and adopted agreements.

Donor dilemmas in a fragile state: NGO-ization of community healthcare in Guinea-Bissau

“…Donors truly face a dilemma in a situation of state fragility, but there is now an increased emphasis on donor engagement in the world's poorest and most fragile states Thiele 2014, 2015;Dietrich 2016Dietrich , 2013. Research has shown that avoidance to support fragile states may contribute to increased instability in countries otherwise judged to be unworthy of aid (Einarsdóttir and Gunnlaugsson 2016;McGillvray 2006;Nielsen et al 2011). Einarsdóttir and Gunnlaugsson (2016) argue that the merit-based allocation of aid ignores the dire conditions of populations suffering both from bad governance and the non-engagement of donors.…”

“…Research has shown that avoidance to support fragile states may contribute to increased instability in countries otherwise judged to be unworthy of aid (Einarsdóttir and Gunnlaugsson 2016;McGillvray 2006;Nielsen et al 2011). Einarsdóttir and Gunnlaugsson (2016) argue that the merit-based allocation of aid ignores the dire conditions of populations suffering both from bad governance and the non-engagement of donors. Allocation of aid is therefore an ethical endeavor that should first of all be need-based.…”

“…Community Health Workers (CHWs) received training in first aid and treatment of the most common diseases, in addition to preventive activities such as health education and vaccinations. Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) were trained in antenatal care, how to assist women to give birth and how to identify risk pregnancies in need of referral to health centres (Baldursdóttir 2018;Einarsdóttir and Gunnlaugsson 2009;and Gunnlaugsson 2007).…”

Audit as confession: The instrumentalisation of ethics for management control

“…At a global level, development aid is typically framed as technical and financial assistance given by wealthier nations to those with development challenges. Such apparently noble intent sits at odds with aid's links to geopolitical and national self-interest (Einarsdóttir and Gunnlaugsson, 2016;Williams, 2012). Larger global questions, such as how much aid should go to whom, paradigms of radical redistribution (Singer, 1972) or global public investment (Glennie, 2020) and its distorting effects on the will to help are marginalised (Cowen and Shenton, 1996;Duffield, 2007;Fassin and Gomme, 2012;Gasper, 2012;Hickel, 2018;Uvin, 1992).…”

Kuvait mint arab donor segélyezési motivációi

“…Ugyanakkor a donorok stratégiai és politikai érdekei sokszor fontosabbak, mint a recipiens ország gazdasági igényei (Alesina-Dollar, 1998;Younas, 2008), így sokkal inkább a gyarmati múlt és a politikai szövetség befolyásolja a segélyek elosztását, mint a recipiens ország társadalmi háttere (Einarsdottir-Gunnlaugsson, 2016). A donorország politikája és saját belföldi -gazdasági, társadalmi -helyzete szintén hatással lehet a segélyek elosztására (Round-Odedokun, 2004;Chong-Gradstein, 2008).…”