Examining the Role of Economic Actors in Post-war Reintegration Processes: Case of Sierra Leone.

This paper examines post-conflict peacebuilding activities in Sierra Leone by critically looking at the role of economic actors in the reintegration process of its post-war Disarmament Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) initiative. The civil war that lasted for 11 years in Sierra Leone, put doubts on the national governments ability to effectively provide both victims and perpetuators, the necessary protection and assistance needed to fully assume responsibilities within the communities. Because of this, poverty was further entrenched, thereby increasing the countries susceptibility to return to conflict. Though reintegration processes are continuous, integrative and involve exhaustive budgetary commitments, the process, in Sierra Leone was short-termed, not well coordinated and took time to begin delivering. With the United Nations, World Bank and the weak national government leading the process, financing was often insufficient or late, in combination with the lack of a coherent planning strategy; all these factors contributed to lapses in socio-economic profiling, skills and vocational training and spread disillusionment and resentment among ex-combatants and victims. Using content analysis, the paper argues that, post-war countries need active, equitable and profitable economic sectors if they are to graduate from conflict and from post-conflict aid-dependency. Moreover, as social contracts and corporate social responsibility to communities they govern and operate in, economic actors must create enabling environments and, generate jobs to support legitimate local capacities. The utility of this paper lies in the idea that for any post-conflict country to attain long-term social and economic development, reintegration programme design and activities, must holistically incorporate critical economic actors.

The Construction of States and Societies in the Sahel

Today, there is a threatening divide between state and societies in Sahelian countries. Societies have become increasingly diversified and are permeated by growing divisions. In contrast, the states are relatively standardized. They are partly a legacy of the colonial legacy of the despotic state, but they also developed some original traits—for example, a very specific bureaucratic culture and a quasi-private monopolization by a business-oriented political elite. In a context of aid dependency and elite capture, Sahelian states are today confronted with widespread distrust on the part of their citizens and a serious crisis in relation to the delivery of state services. The social divide, the bias of development aid, the weakness of the political elites, and the failure of electoral democracy have paved the way for the rise of anti-Western and anti-state Islamic fundamentalism, and for politico-religious and politico-ethnic entrepreneurs.

Foreign Aid, Debt, Tax Revenue and Government Spending in South Asia: A Panel Analysis

Purpose: Over the years, tax revenue, foreign aid, and debt play a prominent role in finance the South Asian countries’ government spending. Thus, this paper aims to analyze the effects of foreign aid, debt, and tax revenue on government spending in South Asia. Methodology: The study considers six south Asian countries over 25 years from 1990-2014. The panel data method is used to analyze the impact of explanatory variables on the dependent variable. Findings: From the empirical analysis, it is found that foreign aid, tax revenue, and total debt have a positive impact on government spending. It indicates that when these variables increase, government spending also grows significantly. However, a higher interest rate ebbs the volume of receiving debt among the sampled countries. Originality: Under this circumstance, this paper advocate that rational use of tax revenue may abate the aid dependency and debt burden in South Asian countries.

Responding to funding scarcity: governance challenges in Swedish and South African development partnerships

Purpose In the context of the general funding scarcity in the nonprofit sector, this paper aims to inquire into the governance challenges facing nonprofit aid organizations in a donor–recipient partner relationship. In particular, the authors focus on the challenges of commercial diversification as the espoused alternative to aid-funding. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was deployed to collect and analyze data collected from interviews conducted in three case organizations in an aid development partnership. Findings The various responses at the organizational level are presented as well as analyses of the inter-organizational aspects. All organizations have responded strategically to reductions in funding from state/government and other aid sources by attempting to diversify commercially yet at the same time maintain dependency on aid-funding. This entailed tensions between the logics of the market and mission. These tensions are manifest not only within the organizations but also in the relations between them. Originality/value Analyses of the twin-track strategies have highlighted that maintaining aid dependency and resource diversification have different and conflicting relational prerequisites and require diverse and conflicting internal capabilities. The paper develops a conceptual framework for capturing the governance challenges of this strategic dilemma and concludes that the choices of pursuing continued aid-funding and seeking new commercial opportunities are invariably mutually exclusive.

The Dynamics of Foreign Aid Trends and Patterns Among Low- Income Countries in Africa

Research background: Foreign aid flows to Africa mostly the Low-Income Countries (LICs) have increased drastically since 2000. Increasing aid flows are expected to stimulate economic growth that can release resources towards enabling LICs to reduce aid dependency. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to discuss the dynamics of bilateral aid trends and patterns among 27 LICs in Africa during 2000–2017. The main question this study tries to answer is: how have aid sources, compositions and dependency changed in LICs? Research methodology: The study employs a descriptive analysis technique to analyses bilateral aid flows to LICs in Africa from 50 donors during 2000–2017. Results: Total net aid flows to LICs increased by 1.5 times during 2000–2017 and were predominantly in the form of grants (92.7%). The study found a shift of sectoral aid allocations from the economic and productive sectors towards the social sector. Net aid as a share of GDP increased almost two-fold; implying an increasing trend of aid dependency in several LICs. Novelty: This study tries to present a full account of bilateral aid flows both from Traditional Donors (TDs) and Non-Traditional Donors (NTDs), unlike many earlier studies that have focused on TDs.

The Making of Zimbabwe’s Currency and Economic Crisis: International Financial Architecture, Nationalism, and Economic Policies 1980–2000

This chapter examines the making of Zimbabwe’s currency and economic crisis from a historical perspective. It suggests that colonial legacies played an important role, together with the connections forged through the international financial architecture. Both these factors should be considered in examining why the country continues to face sustained economic crisis. Although the chapter acknowledges the importance of local political factors that many scholars have examined, it provides an alternative perspective that stresses a neglected aspect in the study of the Zimbabwean crisis. Attention must be given to the importance of inherited models and discourses of economic management and the ways in which they have been embedded into the fabric of economic administration. The chapter interrogates these influences, focusing in particular on the role of the System of National Income accounting in Zimbabwe’s descent into debt and aid dependency. It argues that these factors should be included in explanations of the multilayered political and economic crisis that Zimbabwe has been facing for the past two decades.