Join our online discussions on the future of aid
The DSA are convening a series of discussions around aid. The events are online and open to all: researchers, practitioners, students and especially those from aid recipient countries who would like to be part of a discussion on the future of aid. The next event is 29 April on UK aid: where do we go from here. See below for more details.
What next for a broken aid system?
Recent upheavals in aid programmes have had devastating consequences for vulnerable populations worldwide. As well as attracting widespread denunciation, such disruptions have prompted critical reflections on the aid system as a whole. While some critics point towards inefficiencies within aid agencies, others question the geopolitical motivations that drive and shape foreign aid provision. So, at a time when scholars and practitioners are actively debating the effectiveness and equity of aid delivery, could these dramatic changes serve as a catalyst for reform? In the long term, how can we move beyond an international aid system controlled by global North states? This panel discussion will explore whether the current crisis presents an opportunity to build a more resilient, just, and sustainable aid system – one that is less susceptible to political shifts and funding volatility.
This event is in partnership with the Global Development Institute, at the University of Manchester. Date: 8 April 2025.
Panellists: Nicola Banks, Global Development Institute; Divine Fuh, University of Cape Town; Nick Jepson, Global Development Institute; Sue Roberts, University of Kentucky; Bright Simons, ODI. Moderator: Peter Sutoris, University of Leeds.
Resources and reading from our panel:
- Reimagining Development: Bold Directions Towards a Thriving World. By Peter Sutoris and Uma Pradhan. Can development remake itself for today’s world? To do so, it must shed its colonial baggage, embrace diverse voices and prioritise genuine sustainability.
Towards a ‘Development Humanities’: widening the multi-disciplinary field of development studies. By David Lewis. - Ethically scaling up interventions in educational development: a case for collaborative multi-sited ethnographic research. By Peter Sutoris.
- Transforming funding landscapes to benefit communities. By Nicola Banks.
- What’s wrong with our aid system? By Nicola Banks.
- Navigating the Governance Gap in Global Development Finance: Lessons from Ghana by Bright Simons.
- Why the crisis in global aid is bigger than Trump. By Bright Simons.
- ODI’s landing page for the future of aid
- The Future of Aid LinkedIn group
- Development Capital: USAID and the Rise of Development Contractors. By Susan Roberts.
- What can make a better aid system? By Paul Gilbert
UK aid: where do we go from here?
After more than a decade of Conservative leadership many were looking to Labour for a fresh direction for UK international development. But the announcement of a dramatic cut to aid signals the end of the UK as a development superpower.
- Was this something the development community should have foreseen?
- What can realistically be done to limit the damage?
- What will UK aid really look like against this new budget?
- And is there a chance for anything good to come out of this new approach to international development?
Join our panel of aid watchers and political experts to discuss the future for UK aid under Labour.
This event is in partnership with the International Development Department, at the University of Birmingham.
Date: 29 April 2025. 12 noon UK.
Panellists: Tamsyn Barton, Trustee IDS, CGD; and Expert Panel member for the InterAmerican Development Bank; Romilly Greenhill, Bond; Russell Hargrave, Politico; Chris Lyon, University of Birmingham. Moderator: David Hudson, University of Birmingham