Is it not time for a fundamental overhaul of the way aid is allocated?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9669203/Foreign-aid-budget-spent-on-Question-Time-for-Bangladesh.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20405140

Last week Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, announced that overseas aid to India would end by 2015.

Now we see that British aid money is being wasted in Bangladesh, and millions of pounds of UK government aid to Nigerian schools has failed to produce any major improvement in pupil learning,

[Zeuhl]

why do you think propogating and promoting British style democracy, open government and the English language and political culture in an emerging country like Bangladesh a <waste>?

[Zeuhl]

Regarding the situation in Nigeria, your link confirms:

<The UK aid goes to 10 of Nigeria's 36 states, but a Dfid spokesman responded: "This was a limited inquiry in that the team only visited 1% of schools, most of which were in only one state in Nigeria, and they did not take into account the most recent evidence of the project's progress.

"However, we will carefully review the report's recommendations and respond in due course.">

Seems a fair enough response to findings from a review with very limited parameters.

So little evidence here of a need for <a fundamental overhaul>

[New Judge]

"why do you think propogating and promoting British style democracy, open government and the English language and political culture in an emerging country like Bangladesh a <waste>?"

Because such things do not suit all countries and we have no right (or need) to try to promote our values and way of life where it may not be appreciated. And in any case isn't that almost as bad as Christian Missionaries "spreading the Gospel" which, if my memory serves me well, was not very well received in some quarters.

[Zeuhl]

I agree NJ that our systems are not always appropriate eg Iraq a country that has had, and rejected western style democracy more than once.

But Iraq is an attempt to install, whereas initiatives such as Bangla QT are demonstrations and advertisements.

Surely there is some value in people from emerging countries, if not adopting, perhaps having an admiration or at least an appreciation of our systems - hence not a <waste>

Religious Missionaries taking aid to people overseas on condition they believe in a different set of fairy stories is in a league of its own.

Unless we think western style democracy and open debate is just a massive delusion designed to manipulate the populus in the same way as religion...

now there's a thought!

[pdq1]

This aid business is getting out of hand. We even give aid to rich countries like Russia. However this aid is diverted to our NGOs in that country. It is thought they act as spies. The Russians have cottoned onto this and only recently set up restrictions.

[pdq1]

What, don't believe it?

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&ved=0CGkQFjAL&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.rian.ru%2Frussia%2F20121120%2F177597400.html&ei=xcSrUKyBM4GH0AWYq4G4Ag&usg=AFQjCNFlhg9YHegh4cKiFKDFDVagT0qUuQ&cad=rja

[LazyGun]

As I understand it, we have stopped all aid from the DfID budget sincde 2011, and it is the aid budget that the OP was referring to.

I do agree that what aid we do offer is managed to minimise waste and corruption, and should be focused in areas where there is a genuine need.

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Europe/Russian-Federation/

[youngmafbog]

The aid program does need to be looked at and we must ensure that every penny goes where it is supposed to, not to some dictators back pocket or worse.

Aid should be given with a target or a tangible achievable/objective. These should have a long term goal but short term and regular assemsments. If the project is not working it should be canned and diverted to a different one.

Personally I think the UK spends too much on overseas aid. We are not a world power anymore and we should leave it to those that are such as Brazil, Germany USA, China etc. We cannot and should not attempt to right the world.

[anotheoldgit]

Zeuhl

/// why do you think propogating and promoting British style democracy, open government and the English language and political culture in an emerging country like Bangladesh a <waste>? ///

Didn't they want to get rid of all that, back in 1947?

[Zeuhl]

So what?
Didn't the Americans "want to get rid of all that" in 1700 and whatever?

Did that stop us taking an interest in subsequent relations?