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Key Text Whose Aid? The Case of the Bolivian Elections Project

Author: Rosalind Eyben, Rosario Leon
Date: 2005
Size: 18 pages

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Summary

This book chapter explores the ambiguities of aid and its influence in national politics through a case study from Bolivia. The authors reflect on their involvement in a donor-funded civil society project to increase the participation of socially excluded groups in Bolivia’s 2002 national elections. This project highlighted the dilemmas of ‘national ownership’ amidst government objections to a programme arguably seen as a threat to the power of elites. The authors suggest that aid may be understood as a gift, problematic and ambiguous in meaning, in which relations of power are imbued with moral purpose.

In 2001, Bolivia was an exemplar of the new style of international aid relations, based on ‘partnership’ and negotiated frameworks designed to give developing country governments more authority in the management of aid. The country was among the first to adopt the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process, ensuring that government priorities would take precedence over donor-led initiatives. Yet, in spite of its successes, Bolivia’s political system was flawed. With power concentrated among elites in the capital, many groups were systematically excluded from participating in the political process. Unable to secure change through democratic means, demonstrations and strikes became increasingly common methods of seeking policy change.

Social exclusion thus became a priority issue for DFID in the run-up to the next elections. However, while the direct funding of local NGOs was not precluded in the new partnership approach, DFID’s plans would soon meet opposition from a number of fronts. The project itself revolved around the principles that:

Poverty reduction required coordinated efforts from state and society, yet donor funding patterns only widened the breach between these actors
These actors needed to gain an increased mutual comprehension of their respective roles and responsibilities through programmes openly funding both sides
NGOs were obvious partners to reach marginalised groups through voter education programmes—ensuring that every citizen had the identity card necessary for participating in the election
NGOs would be the catalyst for the activities, displaying ownership and reducing the influence of donor-led ideas

DFID secured support among donors and civil society to implement the civil society project, reflecting in their eyes a real achievement of donor coordination and broad-based civic participation. The Bolivian government, however, cried foul. Accusing DFID of breaking the principles of the negotiated development frameworks, the ministry in charge of aid coordination castigated DFID and its partner donors for undermining ‘national ownership'. Ultimately, two donors pulled out, leaving only two remaining funders to support a scaled-back project.

In spite of efforts to press for greater ‘ownership’ and country-led approaches, such disagreements demonstrate how far we still have to go in defining these terms. Donor-recipient relations are ambiguous:

Aid may be seen as a gift of patronage, becoming part of a complex local set of gift relationships and struggles for power.
On the one hand, a gift always has an intention behind it and therefore an interest, but on the other hand, if the intention is moral or sacred the gift may be considered disinterested. However, the social bond recognised by a gift can be imbued with power and even aggression.
The language of ownership and partnership seeks to emphasise the entitlement of aid recipients in an unequal relationship. Ultimately the ownership of aid remains with the donor, who may offer it but later withdraw it.

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Source: Eyben, R., and Leon, R., 2005, 'Whose Aid? The Case of the Bolivian Elections Project', in Mosse, D. and Lewis, D. (eds.), 'The Aid Effect: Giving and Governing in International Development', Pluto Press, London, UK, pp 106-125
Author: Rosalind Eyben , R.Eyben@ids.ac.uk
Organisation: Pluto Press, http://www.plutobooks.com