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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

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 grassroots. Therefore, a rethinking of temporal and disciplinary 'fault lines' in development politics as well as in development studies is essential.

Suggested Citation

  • Kohnert, Dirk, 2015. "Donor’s double talk undermines African agency: Comparative study of civic agency in Burkina Faso and Togo," EconStor Conference Papers 120921, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:esconf:120921
    Note: Accepted conference paper: Conference: The fabrication of public action in countries « under an aid regime » APAD 2015 International Conference, Cotonou, 17-20 November 2015, At Cotonou, Benin Republic, West Africa
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    References listed on IDEAS

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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

    Keywords

    ODA; democratization; civil society; civic agency; aid-darlings; autocratic regimes; Burkina Faso; Togo; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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