Foreign AidAustralia in its Regional Context

Overview of Lesson• Review last few lessons Australia’s International Aid in Asia-Pacific• What do we do? • How? Government and NGOs• Why?• Where?• Case studies/examples• What’s wrong with aid?

Aid in the Asia-Pacific Region• What do we do?

– History- in 1980’s contributed $840 million in aid, 1990’s 1.43 billion, 2006-7 about 2.95 billion.

– A number of target area/programs/ developing and developed countries• Reduce poverty• Improve standard of living• Respond to humanitarian crises• Governance, health, education, human rights training

• How? – most done in conjunction with international partners. – Australia part of World Summit on Sustainable Development to reduce

poverty and improve standards of living (~30-40% of aid)– Major Government Organisations & Non-Government Organisations

(NGO’s)

AusAid

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrYsQHK-_yw

AusAid

USAid

UKAid

NZ Aid Programme

Reasons for giving aid in the Asia pacific region

• To improve standard of living in region– Over half worlds 1.3 billion poor are in Asia Pacific/African

region-( our aid programs may touch a mere 58 million people globally)

– Includes, sanitation, access to safe water, health care, access to education and sustainable education system, unemployment assistance, training, sickness/elderly benefits

• Economic interest- by increasing the standard of living, social justice, equity, new markets are created, trade increases and investment opportunities open up

• Australia’s standing as a middle power

Bilateral and Multilateral aid• Bilateral aid = given in partnership between

two governments (e.g. Australia and Fiji) who then work together to ensure programs are targeted to a country's priorities (~70%).

• Multilateral aid programs = aid given by several countries distributed by international organisaitons (e.g. UN; ~30%) . – generally emergency relief, refugee assistance,

large scale construction

Beneficiary Countries

• Indonesia- for economic management• Fiji- to promote stability and strengthen

services• Vanuatu- support and strengthen police and

judicial sector• East Timor- to help build independence• Burma- provide basic health services and

capacity

Case Study - Response to Natural Disaster

Indonesia - 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami– Australia-Indonesia

Partnership for Reconstruction and Development

– Largest Australia’s aid package in History: $2 billion over 5 years

– Recently helped set up tsunami early warning system in Indian Ocean, Timor Sea and Arafura Sea under UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Case Study – Longstanding Partnerships

• Papua New Guinea• Australia’s largest

benefactor of Aid • Support in sustaining

reform• Strengthening police

and judicial sectors• Promoting stability

and strengthen basic services

Case Study – Civil DisruptionSolomon Islands• In 2002-2003 Australia gave

$36.2 million to assist with economic, social and law and order problems arising from conflict.

• advancing gender equality, including improving women’s access to education and health services, ending violence against women, and creating economic and leadership opportunities for women.

NGOs

• Non-governmental organisation (NGO) – can be used as an umbrella term covering pressure groups and charities. They are independent from the government, bring citizens’ concerns to governments and provide services to try to bring about change on a range of issues.

• Pressure group – try to influence public policy in the interest of a particular cause.

• Charity – set up for the voluntary giving of money or other help to those in need.

Different Activities1. Emergency response – food aid and shelter for displaced people. Other examples include providing money and resources such as people, food, shelter, medical care for countries and people who are affected by natural disasters, conflict and epidemics.2. Long-term development work – supply of clean water, building housing, education, health care provision, micro loans, etc.3. Campaigning – educating, activating, organising, pressuring: Make Poverty History (2006).

Activity 2 – NGO StudyPick one of following NGO’s and answer questions• Anglicans Cooperating in Overseas Relief and Development (AngliCORD) • Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad (APHEDA) • Australian Red Cross (ARC) • Australian Volunteers International (AVI) • Australians Caring for Refugees (AUSTCARE) • CARE Australia (CARE) • Christian Blind Mission International (Australia) (CBMI) • Oxfam Australia (OAus) • TEAR Australia (TEAR) • The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) • UNICEF Australia (UNICEF) • World Vision Australia (WVA) • WWF-Australia

What’s wrong with aid?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvT6YKGq70