Rethink, please!
On the occasion of the end of the Second World War 75 years ago, Janpeter Schilling takes a look at current conflicts in the world and calls for a rethink on how to prevent and overcome them. He makes four key recommendations for action.
Firstly, we need to rethink the distribution of expenditure: Preventing armed conflicts is easier and cheaper than resolving them. We therefore need a two percent target for development cooperation.
Secondly, there needs to be a rethink in development cooperation: away from the watering can and towards targeted cooperation with countries that are already particularly affected by crises, wars and climate impacts, and countries where this is foreseeable.
Thirdly, the current focus of development policy on economic development must be replaced by the goal of reducing economic and social inequality in the respective countries and strengthening institutions that can help to manage crises without violence.
Fourthly, social problems in developing countries cannot be solved by German technology. A new high-tech well will not solve tensions over the control & distribution of water. Every measure must be carefully and sensitively embedded in the local social fabric.
Rethink, please!
On the occasion of the end of the Second World War 75 years ago, Janpeter Schilling takes a look at current conflicts in the world and calls for a rethink on how to prevent and overcome them. He makes four key recommendations for action.
Firstly, we need to rethink the distribution of expenditure: Preventing armed conflicts is easier and cheaper than resolving them. We therefore need a two percent target for development cooperation.
Secondly, there needs to be a rethink in development cooperation: away from the watering can and towards targeted cooperation with countries that are already particularly affected by crises, wars and climate impacts, and countries where this is foreseeable.
Thirdly, the current focus of development policy on economic development must be replaced by the goal of reducing economic and social inequality in the respective countries and strengthening institutions that can help to manage crises without violence.
Fourthly, social problems in developing countries cannot be solved by German technology. A new high-tech well will not solve tensions over the control & distribution of water. Every measure must be carefully and sensitively embedded in the local social fabric.