Georges Ainmelk | Ottawa University (original) (raw)
Address: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
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Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva
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Papers by Georges Ainmelk
In 2000, the United Nations launched the MDGs campaign which was meant to provide a common framew... more In 2000, the United Nations launched the MDGs campaign which was meant to provide a common framework for global development. Although perceived as a positive initiative, these Goals became a general recipe that international donors could follow, safe in the knowledge that they would not be harming recipients by doing so. Recent studies debated whether MDGs could even be attained by the end of 2015, given a mix of "good policies and financial resources." 1 The debate on aid lands on a very specific context in the Palestinian Territories, which have been under Israeli Occupation since the end of the Six Day War in June 1967. The Territories, indeed cannot be said to exercise the prerogatives and hold the responsibilities that define a state-like entity. According to OECD's 2015 list of 50 fragile states, with populations living on less than US$1.25 per day, 2 Palestine is not even a fragile state. It is a 'non-state' occupied entity, with no political or economic sovereignty. It is the victim of Israeli colonial ambitions and of donor neglect of its national aspirations to independence. Reasons for making Switzerland the focus of research Both the Palestinian economic and socio-political background as well as generic Swiss foreign aid have always been high-interest topics. However, they do not seem to be adequately represented in literature. Although Switzerland finds itself at the heart of the development paradigm in terms of hosting global institutions, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and aid donors, the current literature does not adequately cover Swiss aid. The same cannot be said about Palestinian development. Here, the literature is well-balanced, varied and responds to a multitude of research questions. This has also resulted in a great deal of research to be undertaken in this respect. Apart from its neutrality, Switzerland is also the host to many financial organizations. Some of these institutions are also active in the areas of international development and foreign aid. Although the Swiss Confederation is in a position to benefit from their technical expertise and contribute to
This research examines the gap between the socio-political and economic reality of Palestine, und... more This research examines the gap between the socio-political and economic reality of Palestine, under Israeli Occupation, and the perceptions, assumptions and limitations of small aid donors like Switzerland in a colonial context. It looks at how global and Swiss aid is formulated and dispensed to fragile ‘non-states’ like Palestine. My thesis found that aid in general is ineffective, with Swiss aid in particular being modest, lacking robustness and failing to respond to the colonial context that prevents Palestine from profiting the most from international aid. In addition, Swiss aid is afflicted by many shortcomings that have been identified by contemporary research: a large part of aid is tied; consultations with local partners are limited, excluding, by and large, civil society; and time constraints are such that current programs are generally designed on a relatively short-term basis.
In 2000, the United Nations launched the MDGs campaign which was meant to provide a common framew... more In 2000, the United Nations launched the MDGs campaign which was meant to provide a common framework for global development. Although perceived as a positive initiative, these Goals became a general recipe that international donors could follow, safe in the knowledge that they would not be harming recipients by doing so. Recent studies debated whether MDGs could even be attained by the end of 2015, given a mix of "good policies and financial resources." 1 The debate on aid lands on a very specific context in the Palestinian Territories, which have been under Israeli Occupation since the end of the Six Day War in June 1967. The Territories, indeed cannot be said to exercise the prerogatives and hold the responsibilities that define a state-like entity. According to OECD's 2015 list of 50 fragile states, with populations living on less than US$1.25 per day, 2 Palestine is not even a fragile state. It is a 'non-state' occupied entity, with no political or economic sovereignty. It is the victim of Israeli colonial ambitions and of donor neglect of its national aspirations to independence. Reasons for making Switzerland the focus of research Both the Palestinian economic and socio-political background as well as generic Swiss foreign aid have always been high-interest topics. However, they do not seem to be adequately represented in literature. Although Switzerland finds itself at the heart of the development paradigm in terms of hosting global institutions, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and aid donors, the current literature does not adequately cover Swiss aid. The same cannot be said about Palestinian development. Here, the literature is well-balanced, varied and responds to a multitude of research questions. This has also resulted in a great deal of research to be undertaken in this respect. Apart from its neutrality, Switzerland is also the host to many financial organizations. Some of these institutions are also active in the areas of international development and foreign aid. Although the Swiss Confederation is in a position to benefit from their technical expertise and contribute to
This research examines the gap between the socio-political and economic reality of Palestine, und... more This research examines the gap between the socio-political and economic reality of Palestine, under Israeli Occupation, and the perceptions, assumptions and limitations of small aid donors like Switzerland in a colonial context. It looks at how global and Swiss aid is formulated and dispensed to fragile ‘non-states’ like Palestine. My thesis found that aid in general is ineffective, with Swiss aid in particular being modest, lacking robustness and failing to respond to the colonial context that prevents Palestine from profiting the most from international aid. In addition, Swiss aid is afflicted by many shortcomings that have been identified by contemporary research: a large part of aid is tied; consultations with local partners are limited, excluding, by and large, civil society; and time constraints are such that current programs are generally designed on a relatively short-term basis.