Debating aid in Belgium : the road from colonialism to emancipation

Belgian development aid was initially driven by self-interest. Over the last fifteen years it has made a more resolute effort to genuinely contribute to development. Belgium began its development aid effort after the Congo declared its independence from the country in 1960. A large portion of this aid went to Belgium’s former colonies of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. In more general terms, some Belgian companies saw aid as a way of making large-scale projects easier to sell abroad – a kind of export subsidy. During the late 1990s, the Belgian aid effort was reviewed. In 1999, after almost 40... Mehr ...