Re-Framing Foreign Aid History and Politics: From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to the COVID-19 Outbreak

This book examines the growing impact of State Funded Aid on international relations, particularly after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the bipolar system. It develops an original approach that puts Donors and Recipients on the same level and examines the political dynamics of their relationship. Aid is reconceptualized to include any transaction on favorable terms between these two parties, regardless of the object of that Aid. The book identifies ten major trends that have shaped the dynamics of the relationship between Donors and Recipients over the past few decades and traces the impact that State Funded Aid has had on the international system. It argues that Donors have had greater political interests than Recipients and takes a fresh and original look at Aid as an instrument of Power Politics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 150 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate interplay of state-funded aid and international relations, particularly in the aftermath of the Berlin Wall's collapse and the end of the bipolar system. It offers a multi-faceted analysis that encompasses conceptual, historical, and political dimensions, aiming to understand the growing impact of aid on global affairs.

To explore aid as a burgeoning tool of foreign policy, the book adopts an innovative approach by placing donors and recipients on an equal footing and examining the political dynamics between them. The focus shifts from solely examining the needs addressed by aid interventions to exploring the underlying political motivations of both parties. Aid is redefined to encompass any mutually beneficial transaction, regardless of the specific object of assistance.

This analytical framework is applied to a range of historical cases, spanning from the post-conflict transitions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia in the 1990s to the medical aid provided to Italy and Russia's vaccine diplomacy to the Republic of San Marino during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this comprehensive analysis, the book identifies ten significant trends that have shaped the dynamics of the relationship between donors and recipients over the past few decades. Moreover, it traces the broader impact of state-funded aid on the international system.

By asserting that, overall, donors hold greater political interests than recipients, the book offers a novel and original perspective on aid as a vehicle of power politics. It holds immense interest for students, scholars, and practitioners of foreign aid and foreign policy, as well as anyone seeking to understand the profound effects of the global pandemic on these fields.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367641825