Aid & development linkage

by Danielle Cave - 7 October 2010 3:17PM

The grumbles of Pacific Island NGOs are getting louder as a shift in New Zealand's aid policies sees a greater focus on economic development projects with funding cuts to civil society groups across the region. It seems NZAid's preference is that more money be channeled through New Zealand-based NGOs to provide services. AusAID has provided emergency funding to keep some Pacific Islands NGOs running until the end of the year.
This blog post asks what aid should be focused on: poor people or poor countries?
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has launched the 2010 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, with significant gains recorded by countries such as Liberia and Ghana. Others have regressed, including Guinea and Madagascar. And for the second year in a row, the Foundation has refused to award a $5 million prize for excellence in African leadership, saying they could not find a proper candidate.
The One World Trust, which aims to make global governance more accountable, launches an online accountability database for organisations conducting policy-relevant research. The database takes into account that research organisations are no longer just universities, but private companies, public institutes and non-profit think-tanks.
The Guardian asks whether digital activism is an effective medium for change. Digital and social media has certainly made waves in international diplomacy, but it seems Australia is far behind (although there is the odd glimmer of hope).