Understanding the Current Development Aid System and the Feasibility and Sustainability of Decolonizing it: A case study of Botswana

Sammanfattning

The concept of decolonizing aid entails shifting power and resource delegation from Western donors to recipient countries with the objective of addressing historical inequalities and fostering development that is contextually grounded in the recipients’ countries' benefit. This thesis combines a qualitative policy analysis and an empirical case study analysis to ensure a comprehensive analysis of developmental aid dynamics and outcomes. Key findings demonstrate that to foster the reduction of dependency and decolonize aid, Botswana has moved beyond a paternalistic western dominated approach and embraced indigenous knowledge systems, anti-corruption policies, traditional tribal government systems, national development plans, and locally led initiatives. These findings are representative of an alternative approach to oppose perpetuating Western-dominated development paradigms and encourage a decolonized development paradigm. This implies that rethinking foreign development aid should respect the autonomy and cultural integrity of the Global South, while addressing structural inequalities in global governance, to achieve a more conducive development paradigm.