| Nowadays, everything is money, nothing is free. A | | | | aggressive attacks on their own citizens and their |
| person cannot proper in today's free market without | | | | enemies, which increase political domination and |
| having financial assets. Most activities of these days | | | | totalitarian regimes. For example, Rwanda, Angola, |
| are embedded to trade, as such; free trade impacts | | | | Somalia, Sudan and Congo are among many recipient |
| every aspects of life. Although societies have traded | | | | nations that experienced devastated impacts. |
| for thousands of years, the last 35 years is an | | | | The last form of foreign aid is development aid. It is |
| explosion in international trade. In 1970, the value of | | | | the most talked-about and controversial one |
| world export of goods and services amounted to 0.4 | | | | compared to the other two. Development aid intends |
| trillion dollars, which is about a quarter of world | | | | to improve livelihood of people in poor countries by |
| output. Globalists believe the recent multinational | | | | eradicating absolute poverty through Millennium |
| trade agreements and technological advances that | | | | Development Goals (MDGs), building good governance |
| reduce time and cost of transportation have actual | | | | through democratization, encouraging participatory |
| resulted to economic growth and prosperity, and the | | | | initiatives through Non Governmental Organizations |
| overall development of all nations around the world. | | | | (NGOs), preserving human rights by enforcing |
| They are pratically right, but ethically wrong. | | | | activism, establishing global partnership through |
| The free market economy of recent days has | | | | solidarity and volunteerism, and eliminating inequality |
| increased inequality between developed and | | | | through fair redistribution of the scarce resources |
| underdeveloped countries, donor and recipient | | | | effectively and efficiently. |
| nations, rich and poor people, men and women, | | | | Indeed, there are unnecessary human suffering in |
| dominant and subordinated groups, etc. Since the | | | | third world countries that requires the attention and |
| relationship between aid donor and recipient nations | | | | assistance of rich nations. For example, Children's lives |
| depends upon the radical interest of profit | | | | could be saved with less than a dollar malaria |
| maximization, most poor countries tend to rely | | | | treatment cost if aid money is well managed without |
| heavily on the support of rich countries in order to | | | | corruption and allocation inefficiency. For instead, a |
| implement development programs. Most of the | | | | total of more 20 billion dollars is being sent every |
| development projects are directly influenced by the | | | | year to Africa by official aid agencies around the |
| donor's interest such that they do not account for | | | | world but millions of children in Africa have lost lives |
| values of recipient nations. | | | | from a preventable and curable disease like malaria |
| Most donor nations use foreign aid as a vehicle to | | | | because the money intended for them are being |
| reach their private interests; they do not care about | | | | misused and mismanaged by corrupt and |
| improving environmental quality and building a | | | | incompetent leaders. Development aid to Africa |
| sustainable development. For instead, a lot of the aid | | | | would have made a difference if it was directed for |
| money meant for the most desperate people in | | | | intended purposes. |
| Africa is not being spent with accountability. | | | | The United States (U.S) alone has spent more than |
| Therefore, it is important to analyze the nature of | | | | 60 billion dollars in development aid to Africa within |
| free trade and development aid by identifying who | | | | the past 45 years. Donor nations like U.S are kept |
| loses and who gains in it. As most scholars would | | | | pouring aid money without making pertinent changes |
| agree, rich people are obviously getting richer at the | | | | to development policies on the ground although most |
| expenses of poor people as have capital to invest | | | | of the annual development reports are showing more |
| and power to utilize in a completive market. | | | | failure than success. One would wonder as to |
| Consequently, the gap between poor and rich people | | | | whether the donors are really walking to walk |
| has widened today than ever before. Therefore, | | | | whenever they promise to alleviate poverty and |
| development aid is increasing exploitation, domination | | | | increase economic growth by assisting poor countries. |
| and distortion of economic, social and political | | | | It is obvious that the relationship between donors |
| relationship throughout the world because it benefits | | | | and recipients is not about sustainable development |
| donor nations and ruling elites in recipient countries at | | | | at all but it is all about business. Donor nations engage |
| the expense of the poor people in rural areas. | | | | in providing aid money because they want to |
| There are couples of misconceptions about aid that | | | | maintain their business relationship with the recipient |
| need to be clarified. First of all, aid is not free. It is a | | | | nations so that they can exploit valuable natural |
| soft loan with a concessional rate that is given by | | | | resources. For example, the relationship between U.S |
| self-centered donors to corrupt recipient | | | | and Sierra Leona is all about economic interests. The |
| governments. Secondly, aid money is being first | | | | U.S gains more money by providing aid money to |
| spent in donor nations before it reaches recipient | | | | Sierra Leona where it explore and import diamonds. |
| nations. For example, the Canadian aid to Africa is | | | | Furthermore, development funds are given in the |
| first spent in Canada on Canadian food suppliers, | | | | hands of corrupt ruling elites in poor countries who |
| contractors, drug companies, and many others. It is | | | | care about nothing other than their personal interests. |
| clear that donor nations benefit from aid more than | | | | Besides, the elites are members of well-off urban |
| recipient nations. | | | | communities. Hence, they are not the legitimate |
| Foreign aid is channelled through individuals, private | | | | people to request and receive aid money because |
| business organizations, and public aid agencies. There | | | | they do not need help. Besides, they have little |
| are three forms of aid; humanitarian, military and | | | | knowledge about the needs of poor rural population. |
| development aid. Humanitarian aid is the only one that | | | | For example, some aid money is requested to |
| benefits recipients more than donors. It is intended to | | | | purchase trackers for agricultural development |
| alleviate human suffering, save lives, protect human | | | | although the poor people do not even know how to |
| dignity and preserve future. Since this kind of aid is | | | | drive truckers. They only use only simple tools such |
| being sent during international emergence such as | | | | as hoes and Pagers for cultivating food crops for |
| famine, drought, epidemics, etc. Thus, it is effective, | | | | survival. Thus, they need to have the freedom to |
| efficient and transparent through news media as it | | | | design and deliver development programs relevant to |
| flows in the form of logistical relief like food items, | | | | their issues. |
| tents, etc, but not in money form. For example, the | | | | Since most governments of poor countries are more |
| aid to Haiti is humanitarian aid that intends to make | | | | centralized, the preliminary development goals should |
| immediate results. | | | | be decentralizing feudal power by organizing local |
| The second form of foreign aid is military aid. Military | | | | communities to take charge and destiny of their |
| aid to developing countries has created wars, social | | | | localities. Decentralized government can make decision |
| unrest, corruption, and state terrorism. This kind of | | | | making process democratic and inclusive where |
| aid is sent by mostly western allies of recipient | | | | marginalized groups and communities can have voice. |
| nations in third world. It flows in the form of either | | | | Once this is successfully achieved, and then a |
| equipments like guns or money to purchase them. | | | | participatory development can be instated so that |
| Most recipient nations of such aid tend to use it for | | | | everyone will have part to play. |