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Donor’s double talk undermines African agency : Comparative study of civic agency in Burkina Faso and Togo

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  • Kohnert, Dirk

    (GIGA - German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg)

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Despite a long-standing controversy about aid-effectiveness in general and the impact of aid-dependency on governance in particular, little is known on the effect of donors policies on civic agency for democratization in aid dependent autocratic regimes. In this study it is argued that the long-term effects of double-talk of donors, who openly promote democracy and freedom but covertly follow overriding hidden interest, are a neglected source of failure of civic protest and democratic revolutions in autocratic regimes. The differing outcome of ‘democratic revolutions’ in Togo and Burkina Faso – both ‘aid darlings’ for decades - serves to substantiate this thesis. A systematic and holistic consideration is necessary for an unbiased evaluation of the hidden adverse impact of aid on collective action at the grass-roots. Therefore, a rethinking of temporal and disciplinary ‘fault lines’ in development politics as well as in development studies is essential. --------------------------- RÉSUMÉ: Le double langage des bailleurs sape la responsabilité civique africaine contre des régimes autocrates: Étude comparative au Burkina Faso et au Togo : En dépit d'une longue controverse à propos de l’ efficacité de l'aide en général et de l'impact de la dépendance à l'égard de l’aide sur la gouvernance en particulier, on en sait peu sur l'effet à long-terme des politiques des bailleurs sur la capacité civique d’agir en faveur de la démocratisation des régimes autocrates dépendants de l’aide. Dans cette étude, notre hypothèse est que le double langage des bailleurs de fonds qui met ouvertement en avant la démocratie et la liberté mais suit secrètement des intérêts plus déterminants/lucratifs , est une source négligée de l'échec des protestations de la société civile et des révolutions démocratiques au sein des régimes autocratiques africains. Les différents résultats des «révolutions démocratiques» au Togo et au Burkina Faso – les deux «chouchous des bailleurs» ces dernières décennies – confirment cette hypothèse. Une évaluation de l'impact latent de l'aide sur l'action collective au niveau local n’est possible que par une approche systématique et complète de la situation . Ainsi, un réexamen des lignes de faille au cours du temps et disciplinaires tant au niveau des politiques de développement que dans les études sur le développement s’avère essentiel.

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  • Kohnert, Dirk, 2019. "Donor’s double talk undermines African agency : Comparative study of civic agency in Burkina Faso and Togo," AfricArxiv gesvy, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:africa:gesvy
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/gesvy
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    Cited by:

    1. Dirk Kohnert, 2018. "Trump's tariff impact on Africa and the ambiguous role of African agency," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(157), pages 451-466, July.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • F54 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - Colonialism; Imperialism; Postcolonialism
    • F68 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Policy
    • N47 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Africa; Oceania
    • N97 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Africa; Oceania
    • O21 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Planning Models; Planning Policy
    • O35 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Social Innovation
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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