The Emergence of Aid from the Mid-Twentieth Century

Aid and Development

In this course, Dr Nilima Gulrajani (Overseas Development Institute) explores global aid and its relationship to development. In the first lecture, we consider the emergence of the modern global aid system from mid-twentieth century. In the second lecture, we think about states’ motivations for giving aid and the proliferation of aid providers from the global south. In the third lecture, we look at how aid is defined, focusing especially on the Development Assistance Committee’s definition of Overseas Development Assistance. Next, we focus on aid effectiveness and the debate between aid radicals, who argue that aid should be discontinued, and aid reformers who seek to improve the aid system. In the fifth lecture, we look at aid reform. In the sixth and final lecture, we consider UK aid policy and the global rise of aid nationalism.

The Emergence of Aid from the Mid-Twentieth Century

In this lecture, we think about the emergence of modern global aid from the mid-twentieth century, focusing in particular on: (i) Harry S. Truman’s 1949 inaugural address and its role in the establishment of the modern aid system; (ii) the emergence of a hierarchy of nations between developed donors and developing recipients, and the impact of this idea on the way global aid is structured; (iii) Truman’s motivations for promoting overseas aid, including its role in the projection of US power and the fight against Communism.