The word 'aid' has fallen out of favour. These days rich countries are far more likely to engage in 'development co-operation'. Jonathan Glennie has examined the texts of declarations over the past six years and has found that, whereas in the Paris declaration of 2005 the word 'aid' was used 57 times and 'co-operation' used twice, in the draft Busan declaration of July 2011 'aid' is used only 6 times, whereas 'co-operation' is used 41 times.
The word 'aid' feels old-fashioned these days, says Glennie, since it suggests a 'rich donor- poor recipient' relationship. These days donors want to emphasise collaboration and working together.
Jonathan Glennie's piece is in The Guardian today. Read it here.
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