NEWS & EVENTS

Historically, religious missionary activity has been related to hardships, cultural disruption and social upheaval for communities all over the world.  Some are sceptical of ideologies and values being presented as intrinsically linked with material wealth. Some...

Challenges NGOs face in maintaining faithfulness to their primary goal of poverty alleviation include:Differences in pay and lifestyles between international and local workers can result in local inflation and economies dependant on the aid industry dollar.Opting for...

Fundraising costsHow much does an NGO spend on fundraising compared to program spending?A US-based organisation, Smart Givers, has set a standard for the NGOs it accredits, with at least 70% of the organisation's annual expenses going towards program activity and not...

Grassroots Development targets disadvantaged groups through small, locally based projects. The overall aim is to empower people to become self-reliant through projects that take into account their specific environment and needs. These projects usually involve training...

There are a limited number of ongoing forums for government and NGO policy dialogue. The Committee for Development Cooperation (CDC) is a joint consultative body drawing representatives from NGOs, AusAID and the Australian Council for International Development...

Some common characteristics of NGOs according to Ball and Dunn[1] are: They are formed voluntarily; They are independent of government; They are not for private profit or gain; and Their principal is to improve the circumstances and prospects of disadvantaged...

Social and environmental impacts of projectsThe ability of MDBs to mobilise sufficient funds for large-scale ‘development’ projects is often cited as one of their key advantages. However, their involvement in promoting, funding and implementing large-scale...

Undemocratic decision-making Multilateral development banks have been criticised for being undemocratic due to the disproportionate power and influence wealthier member countries have in decision-making. Since voting power is weighted according to the financial...

These include:conditions attached to loans, programs and projectsundemocratic decision-making structures and processes bureaucratic structuressocial and environmental impacts of projectsConditionalityA long-standing issue surrounding aid from multilateral development...

The structure of other multilateral organisations particularly the United Nations agencies is different to that of the World Bank and ADB. Many of the main agencies involved in multilateral aid such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food...

Firstly, multilateral development banks (MDBs) are the largest source of development finance in the world. According to the Bank Information Center, MDBs typically lend $30 to $40 billion dollars a year to low and middle income countries.[1]Secondly, MDBs also...

A multilateral organisation is an international organisation whose membership is made up of member governments, who collectively govern the organisation and are its primary source of funds. The OECD estimates that in 2008 around 40% of ODA or nearly US$50 billion from...

International research has shown that the tying of aid is costlier and less effective than untied aid.[1] The tying of aid is a practice which privileges Australian companies and national priorities in the aid program. Aid is tied in three ways: nationally-tied...

Corporate involvement in aidA major concern of Australia’s aid program is that it favours commercial interests in aid delivery.  The commercialisation of aid often results in “Boomerang Aid”- aid which ends up funding private Australian...

Issues to watch out for in the aid programAiding Australia's national interestAiding GovernanceTechnical AssistanceSecurity interests in aidAiding climate changeCommercial interests in aid   Next page Last updated 14 November 2010    

Whilst Denmark does not give much more aid than Australia in terms of dollar amounts, as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI), Denmark’s spending of 0.88% of GNI is almost 3 times that of Australia.[1] Denmark is also one of only five countries to achieve...

Aid figures alone do not tell us much about the quality of our aid program or even the true quantity of government aid.According to international research the practice of inflating aid figures is a common problem in the international donor community.  Australia...

 Australia’s policy of prioritising its national interests means that aid does not always reflect the priorities and needs of recipient countries and communities. This also creates a dramatic power imbalance between Australia and aid recipient countries....