University for a Night Recommendations
National Development and International Assistance - What's Working, What's Not Working?

The last decade has been a period of mixed progress in development. On the one hand, great strides have been made - for example, food production per capita has increased 25%, and there have been substantial improvements in literacy and child health. On the other hand, global inequality has increased, with the poorest fifth of the world's population having just one percent of the world's GDP. Moreover, foreign aid has not achieved its potential, with recent studies finding that aid is effective only when recipient countries establish a suitable policy framework. New action is needed.
 

Focus international development assistance on creating local ownership of development. By more directly involving local citizens, civil society organizations, national governments and businesses, foreign aid agencies can increase local ownership. In the process, substantial local resources can be mobilized. Local ownership can ensure that development programs most effectively address local needs. Aid agencies need to accelerate their use of these methodologies and develop explicit programs for national governments to improve their capacity in this area as well. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• Centre for Community Studies, Action & Development (Ghana)
• DESCO (Peru)
• Fundación Vamos (Mexico)
• Institute for Development Research
• Mpambo-The African Multiversity (Uganda)
• OECD Development Assistance Committee
• Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (Zimbabwe)
• Society for Participatory Research in Asia (India)
• United Nations Foundation

Tie debt relief to development action. Too often international debt relief efforts have contributed to cuts in social spending as nations attempt to restore macroeconomic balance. A condition of international support for debt relief should be prohibition of cutting spending on education, health and family planning work. At the same time, some of the resources freed up by debt relief should be applied by developing country governments and civil society to social problems. Taking advantage of debt conversion to establish local funds for social development is a useful approach. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• Episcopal Church
• Jubilee 2000 International Movement
• Oxfam International
• Mozambican Debt Group
• Results, Inc.
• Third Word Network
• US Catholic Conference
• World Bank.

Expand use of information technology in ways that promote partnership and benefit the poor. Use of technologies such as the internet through libraries, schools and community centers can dramatically broaden access to information in poor and remote areas. This can not only improve the day-to-day life of people in those regions but also help inject more diverse perspectives into public policy dialogue by giving citizens from poor or remote places greater voice. Distance education using such new media should be promoted to strengthen human capital in poorer countries and regions. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• Cisco Systems
• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Germany)
• International Development Research Centre (Canada)
• Fundação Roberto Marinho (Brazil)
• Institute for Global Communications
• LaNeta (Mexico)
• Lucent Technologies
• PeopLINK
• Telefonica Foundation.

Create international support mechanisms for micro- and small businesses, especially those run by women. The microcredit "revolution" is demonstrating the efficacy of broadening access to capital for even the smallest of entrepreneurs. Greater sharing of experience among the many actors in this field - from small microcredit providers to global actors such as the international financial institutions and multinational banks - could further increase the impact of the microcredit approach. Similarly, efforts should be made to coordinate and expand support to provide better access to national and international markets for small business people. These might includetechnicalassistance, clearinghouses and financing. Governments must design macroeconomic and trade policies that benefit small and micro-businesses. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• ACCION
• Bankers Trust
• Citigroup
• Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest
• FIE (Bolivia)
• Grameen Bank (Bangladesh)
• Monsanto
• SEEP Network
• Women's World Banking.

Articulate explicit links between human rights, environment and development. These are integrally related needs but too often institutions working on one act independently of institutions working on the others. Incorporating consideration for human rights into all development and environment programs has great potential for impact. The targets of advocacy about human rights should be broadened to include not only academicians and intellectual elites but also business leaders and the general public. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• Abraham Fund
• American Express
• Arias Foundation (Costa Rica)
• BP-Amoco
• Centre for Science and Development (India)
• Conservation International
• Earth Council
• Instituto de Ação Cultural (Brazil)
• International Institute for Environment and Development (United Kingdom)
• International Insitute for Sustainable Development (Canada)
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation
• Open Society Institute
• The Samuel Family Foundation.