Whether aid works has been a great subject of debate amongst people in and out of the aids circle. For all the problems that aid has been criticized for, we cannot ignore the positive (sometimes life-changing) impact that aid has made on the poor.
One of the greatest physics superstars and a ex-instructor at MIT, Walter Lewin is know for his famous motto: "physics works!". Here I want to show you the living proof that says it out loud that aid works! Although it is no magic bullet as some would wish it to be, just like every other practical solution to problems in a world rife with complexities:
http://www.one.org/livingproof/en/
T2, it should be "whether" not "weather." Just saying b/c you want to improve your comm. skills.
ReplyDeleteThere is a good book that I never read from the Center for Global Development (GCD) called "Millions Saved" documenting the millions of people alive today due to aid. I don't think that point is even debated anymore--everyone including Easterly and Moyo admit aid for health works and shouldn't be ended.
The irony is that when people talk about aid working or not they aren't talking about whether it saves children's lives or makes people happy--they're talking about whether it increases GDP. Why? I have no idea--its kind of like asking whether taking penicillin irregularly will cure cancer. It doesn't but no one should have expected it to.
Oh yeah, all the posts are actually drafts. I should do the save and post.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that is true. But I feel the discussion on GDP really does miss the point. I personally find the amazing part of aid is it can increase the quality of life even when GDP stays the same for certain poor countries. I think there are 10-20 countries in Africa that has seen an increase in life expectancy despite their non-changing GDP or decreasing GDP. I don't think aid is the single reason for that. But I think it definitely played a big part. It would be interesting to find out what exactly is the role in aid in this phenomenon.