Author: Oyvind Eggen, Kjell Roland.

A major realignment is going on in the world economy, one that fundamentally changes the basis for Western aid. Over time, Western Aid has become more complex, more paternalistic, and less useful to poor countries committed to poverty alleviation. Once a helping hand to other countries' development, it has transformed into a tool for the large-scale transformation of states and societies according to Western models. Aid can accelerate the fight against poverty, but only if Western donors are willing to reconsider their own role in development and in reinventing the concept. If not, poor countries may increasingly challenge and reject Western aid, that comes with hidden goals of transforming the recipients according to Western blueprints.