Decolonising aid: a complex process of renewing international solidarity

This opinion piece by Martine Gwana Passa, Support Officer in Gret’s Scientific Department, describes a process of reflection undertaken within Gret on the subject of decolonisation.

Several approaches for thinking anew about aid and international solidarity, so that ‘our actions’ match ‘our values’.
The debate on decolonisation sheds light on the long-term effects of colonialism and western dominance that pervade various domains, including the international solidarity movement. Colonialism is defined as a system of power based on economic exploitation, political and cultural domination and the repression by the colonisers of the colonised. Arising from concepts of ‘advancement’ and ‘the civilising mission’ that belong to the colonial era, aid has been designed since the Second World War around political interests (post-Cold War alignment, structural adjustment, the fight against terrorism, etc.) and on the principle of efficiency (making use of experts, professionalisation, etc.). Post-colonial and decolonial critiques tend to see aid as paternalistic, motivated by donors’ self-interest, used by western countries as a means of maintaining their economic, political and cultural influence over recipient countries. Those working in NGOs today find themselves faced with a paradox, being both ‘victims and instigators’ of excessive bureaucracy because of their tools and methods which mirror the asymmetries of power. This is seen in the centralised decision-making of international NGOs, and in the lack of balance in partnerships between international and national organisations. Thus, the verticality of international cooperation is an illustration of the principle of hegemony, which brings to bear on local situations technocratic approaches and interpretations. This leads to a gap between the initial objectives of projects and the outcomes that are (not) achieved. This verticality takes the form of cascading subcontracts: donors > international NGOs > national NGOs > civil society organisations > local development committees, etc., meaning that power inequalities multiply along the way, and there is an increasing gap between operations and the contexts in which they are implemented.

The issue of coloniality in development cooperation was initially addressed via concepts such as neocolonialism, the racial divide in labour, North-South imperialism, and conditionality. Discussion of the concept of ‘the decolonial’ in academic and activist circles later introduced broader, more radical theoretical and political perspectives, which need to be carefully nuanced in the context of official development assistance. The subjectivity of historical narratives and epistemological choices in discussion of ‘the decolonial’ may sometimes lead to clashes between different analytical trends, which taken to their logical conclusion entail a drift towards ideological, even reactionary, incoherences, and to binary or essentialist interpretations. An approach that allows for complementarity between historical sociology¹, anti-colonialism, postcolonialism and decolonialism would enable a more nuanced and inclusive understanding, based on analysis that is both contextualised and relevant.

Rethinking the international solidarity movement requires a change of paradigm, going beyond assistance in building reciprocal partnerships between international and national actors. It requires our liberation from project mode, and from bureaucratic or management imperatives, and the transformation of ‘recipients’ into ‘active agents’ regarding public policy choices and modalities. We need to rebuild international aid based on solidarity and equality as part of a wider vision of historical justice and recognition of cultural diversity. Decolonisation thus has a determining role in the redesign of international cooperation and is a driving force towards achieving it. The call to decolonise official development assistance is more urgent than ever, so that the aid system ceases to reproduce and perpetuate the inequalities and the relationships of domination that it is trying to overcome.

A collective process, to be pursued with care!

In 2023, Gret launched a collective process of reflection on ‘Decolonising Official Development Assistance’, at the initiative of its Senegal team. Aware that attempts at decolonisation can be confused with inclusivity initiatives, or descend into ‘decolonisation washing’, Gret’s teams focused on a critical analysis of the dynamics of power, history and social and political contexts. The aim is to distinguish between ‘what falls within the provinces of coloniality, neoliberal organisational principles and societal development’.

In view of the different analytical trends in the study of colonialism – historical sociology, anticolonialism, postcolonialism, decolonialism – and the variety of views, directions of enquiry and sensitivities of its teams, Gret soon found itself asking some key questions: How can we set up a common framework of analysis? How can we approach subjects that are so sensitive and complex? How can the teams engage with different – sometimes opposing – positions on the decolonial issue? Gret’s aim is to re-examine itself through the prism of its colonial legacy, in its less well-known aspects, in order to reassess its values, its methods of action and organisation, as well as its relationship with public actors, local partners and donors.

This interdisciplinary process is enriching and exciting, combining professional and personal experiences, acts of memory, empirical approaches and popular educational methods, as well as expressions of frustration or resentment. The decolonisation of aid is a prism of possibilities, with ethical, activist, political, intellectual, scientific and personal dimensions. Our initiative has illustrated the importance of organising critical, constructive exchanges of view, clearly identifying points of disagreement, determining points of consensus and facilitating productive discussion. Every participant in this collective effort finds his or her legitimate place since – as Albert Memmi emphasised – colonisation created ‘colonisers and colonised’. The task is only just beginning. We are at the stage of identifying the many objectives that need to be given priority: studying links between colonial legacy – neoliberal principles – current organisational models and the broad geopolitical context; decode prevailing accounts of ‘the decolonial’ and their political instrumentalisation; explore continuing patterns of inequality of power, internally and between partners; set up a dialogue between what is described as ‘local’ knowledge and ‘expert’ knowledge; show respect for cultural identity; redefine the roles of the State and local actors; transform the professional tools and practices of development aid actors, etc.

A key take-away from this process within Gret is the importance of creating a safe environment for the exchange of views, since decolonisation is a divisive, even contentious, subject. It requires agreement on the rules of the game, such as active listening, acknowledging different realities and experiences, respecting confidentiality, mutual support and willingness to accept disagreement without interpreting it as a personal attack, etc. It is vital to define boundaries, too, excluding discriminatory comments and thus avoiding exclusion and isolation. Mechanisms for repair and atonement are needed in case participants feel prejudice or discomfort: collective debriefings are one such mechanism.

The main challenge of the process is to avoid interpretations tending towards conspiracy theory, with the missions or values of NGOs in danger of being reduced to neoliberal ideologies that perpetuate western dominance of the world economy, while humanitarian actors work from a humanist perspective. We must also beware of simplistic analysis setting the North against the South, or the dominators against the dominated. While NGOs and donors do tend to reproduce – often unconsciously, and despite their efforts at inclusivity – colonial frames of reference, it is very important to take a nuanced approach to analysis of the fact of colonialism, and to propose dynamic, empirical, hybrid approaches to institutional practices, ideas and principles. Coloniality does not explain all the inequalities in development aid: globalisation, often associated with neoliberalism, has also created divisions between and within countries. If the decolonial prism helps reveal aid’s malfunctioning, the complicated entanglement of past and present requires methodological care, to avoid anachronism and overinterpretation based on personal opinions.
Reflection, and the decolonisation process, are long-term undertakings, with work by teams at local level before it can be shared collectively. The process is iterative, responsive and flexible. It is facilitated by rigorous methods

1. Integrating a historical perspective into cooperation would seem essential to lift the veil on the colonial past and better understand the dynamics of the aid system as they are now.