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Aid must embrace social change
Indonesians
are now better fed and housed than at any time since independence sixty
years ago. International aid has contributed to that. Both Indonesia
and ideas on how best to help it have changed greatly over that time.
Early aid was based on charitable notions about feeding the poor. In
the 1960s many saw the ‘green revolution’ in agriculture as a new
saviour. Later came gradual recognition that aid programs must also
deal with the political and social environment in which they operate.
Critics often say aid fails to combat social and environmental
problems, or even exacerbates them. This edition explores some of these
ideas.
The least controversial form of aid is the humanitarian response to
emergencies, so prominent recently in Aceh. The tsunami relief
operations demonstrated the potential for aid to relieve suffering.
They also showed how dependent aid agencies are upon government
goodwill — their presence was conditional on not intervening in the
military conflict in the province. Should not aid agencies use
opportunities arising from a natural disaster to support and advocate
resolution of social conflicts?
Many aid programs are controversial because of the way they are
implemented and the inequitable distribution of benefits. Large scale
infrastructure such as roads, dams and industrial developments as well
as social service programs, often create social conflict because they
fail to consult affected communities. Economic development through
private investment and government programs may deal with poverty, but
it is unlikely to promote much social justice or equality. The
comparatively small programs of NGOs will have greatest impact when
they focus on social change and promote democratic social movements.
This may well threaten established power structures; such aid was
almost impossible to implement during the years of Suharto’s
undemocratic regime.
For many years western governments grew more inward looking and
defensive and aid programs languished. But that is now changing. The
massive global response to the tsunami, and recent calls from major
European leaders for increased aid and debt relief, suggest world
opinion is changing. To be effective any increase in aid should promote
social justice and democracy as well as reduce poverty. That means
programs must embrace new and more ambitious goals. Aid cannot be
divorced from the political process.
Bob Muntz
rmuntz@vtown.com.au
Guest editor
Bob Muntz is a member of the IRIP Board.
Inside Indonesia 84: Oct-Dec 2005
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