THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, AID PROGRAM/PROJECT AND MALAWI

Essay:

THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS,
AID PROGRAM/PROJECT AND MALAWI
by Beny Trias Oktora
Master of Arts (MA) Candidate Major in International Development and Cooperation 2009
Graduate School of International Studies - Korea University

1. Introduction

By this far up to year 2009 – it means that 6 year to year 2015, we are waiting what will happen in the year 2015 when Millennium Development Goals will reach its target year in 2015. I am sure that almost everyone is doubted that by the year 2015 almost developing countries and least developed countries will attain those goals. The real challenge is in sub Saharan region. For instance, spreading of HIV/AIDS especially in Sub Saharan region has been tremendously widely proliferated. Since the medicine has not effectively recuperated yet those goals will hardly attain. The bottom line is many scholars and researchers doubted that sub Saharan region will accomplish the MDGs. As part of countries that located in sub Saharan region that have extremely serious problem, Malawi also has another extremely serious problem which is Malawi is “landlocked country”. What a double or even triple extremely serious problem carried by Malawian. Landlocked countries deal with different and difficult circumstances the most pronounced is high cost of transportation. Special condition needs special formula to deal with. Even Adam Smith has already grasped the idea that geographical condition do affect to economic development for policy purposes and institutions.

To develop this essay and also to answer systematically two questions regarding the MDGs for Malawi whether Malawi needs or not those goals in measuring their development and what another aid program and project are apposite in sustaining development in Malawi, I organize my essay as follows. Section 2, I criticize the conception of MDGs in appropriate mode. Section 3, I question whether the MDGs is guiding Malawi or not in making ways of better life. Section 4, I try to examine what sort of program and project that will help Malawi probably in the long period. I argued that strengthening on combating HIV/AIDS and establishing on real education. And also I discuss which social-political-economic development policy in broader sense that will help Malawian. I argued that in development field only is focusing on economic development not virtuous policy. It needs also considering socio-political approach in attempting development. And at the final section, I build policy recommendations that summary the answer of two main questions.

2. Criticizing the Millennium Development Goals

I propose one question to explore more for the sake of the MDGs: Is the MDGs the answer for development of those developing world? Some researcher mentioned that the MDGs are ambitious project on development that needed also extraordinary efforts. Some are doubted about how to measure achieving goals. Amir Attaran (2005) is doubted on measurement of the MDGs especially on how to measure health targets of the MDGs. Timeframe target or bound in time that has attached to the MDGs is burden for each country. It is very lucid that many factors that will affect in achieving those goals during time frame of the MDGs. The World has already experienced several crisis ranges from economic crisis, political crisis and social crisis. These events not doubted have affected positively those targets. For instance, when Southeast Asia especially Indonesia experienced financial crisis in 1997, country was devastated in social unrest, in economic downturn and also in politic crisis. No security, unemployment and no loader were the real condition at the time that affected fundamentally on the MDGs. Who will secure and conduct efforts in achieving those goals while country concentrated on solving crisis? And who will guarantee that in the future (like today happened in US: financial crisis) that crisis would not happen in the Western Europe? The Millennium Development Goals are development program that deal with human not numbers. And development is not always domain of economics at which every single object is calculated and transferred or translated into numbers. Even the methodology that is used to conduct evaluation of the MDGs found not reliable. Reddy and Heuty (2004) in Achieving The MDGs: A Critique And A Strategy, argued that existing (technocratic) approaches to identifying the best strategies for achieving the MDGs are unreliable.

To sum up this section, I found that because of the ambitious goals of the MDGs in implementing the strategy, measurement and methodology in each developing country especially in sub Saharan countries the MDGs likely failed. I argued also that the MDGs is development program that deal with human so the approaches are not rigid like numbers. Timeframe in achieving the MDGs is problematic because each country has its own characteristic in overcome problems. It would be better if each country set up its own time period in achieving the MDGs.

3. Are the MDGs guiding Malawi?

For opponents of the MDGS, obviously the answer is NO. For proponents of the MDGs, they will answer YES. Goals of development in the MDGs are nothing new in development fields. Institutionalize of development goals brought in the MDGs program are new way in order to accelerated the progress of development in developing country. Commitment of government in conducting those goals and translated in government policy are crucial step. Most developing countries in conducting government work or doing service to the public are still debatable. Government officer goodwill in conducting service to the public depend on what “benefit” generated from that sort of service. In simple word, bureaucratic government hampers development. Magalasi (2005) in People’s Report on the MDGs: The Case of Malawi, found that government institution action for attaining the MDGs are not in the right path. On the contrary, non government organizations actions are in the right path and positively correlated with the MDGs. Magalasi (2005) mentioned some international organizations for instance ActionAid, Oxfam, Care International, World Vision International, Save the Children and Water Aid that did efforts business as unusual. Many scholars suggested that cooperation between NGOs and government become essential regarding to flexibility and experiences of NGOs. Even before Malawi signed commitment of the MDGs, in 2000 Malawi formulated its country vision. Furthermore, Neville (2003) in, The Millennium Development Goals: Towards a Civil Society Perspective on Reframing Poverty Reduction Strategies in Southern Africa, mentioned that especially since the mid-1990s, Southern African civil society organizations have consistently campaigned against poverty and for policy and governance transformation towards defined social development objectives.

The new way in accelerating development in the MDGs framework made development looks new. Wrapped in United Nations program and advertised like commercial advertisement in television, the magnitude are enormous. But its content is nothing new: development. For Malawi the question is whether need or no need of the MDGs but how government deliver and bring development matter in appropriate way of their policy. At what degree they are seriously working in the sake of their people. As indicated by Magalasi (2005), Malawi government is still doing policy in development as business as usual.

4. Efforts for Malawi

As I mentioned in Introduction section, I argued that HIV/AIDS is big challenge and also big obstacles for Malawi in conducting development. I argued that Strengthening on combating HIV/AIDS is first priority. Magalasi (2005) in People’s Report on the MDGs: The Case of Malawi stated that what is needed now is for the government and stakeholders to implement the recommendations. Efforts must be concentrated on preventing new infections; and apart from preaching abstinence, the use of condoms, treatment of infections and prevention of mother-to-child transmission must be prioritized . The reason is the impact of HIV/AIDS for human is very shocking. The medicine available for HIV/AIDS now does not totally heal human. In Malawi data showed that effect of HIV/AIDS is decreasing life expectancy to only around 43. I argued that strengthening program or project in HIV/AIDS in the short and in the long run that might help Malawi. Since medicine for HIV/AIDS is still in searching, no doubted that strengthening program or project in combating HIV/AIDS might help Malawi.

The second program or project that might help Malawi is establishing real education. Real education means that Malawi should formulate not only better infrastructure in education but also better curriculum policy. Some scholars suggested two parties involvement which are donor countries and NGOs. Their roles are hoped played in order to carry check and balance function and to more utilize in partnerships relation. Considering that Malawi government is still weak in conducting public policy and also to ensure that development efforts well conducted. For long run, Malawi needs are to formulate socio-politic-economic policy that comprehensively capture both socio-politic and economic. Sen (1999) in his book Development as Freedom argued that the breath of development not always fostering economic policy and casting socio-politic policy but also how to formulate both policy simultaneously. I do agree that regardless socio-politic policy that well recognized as Lee Thesis refers to Singapore Prime Minister thoughts has inadequate evidences. In Western Europe and North America US and Canada, those wealthy countries have already established state based on the spirit of democracy and individual freedom. And their people until today enjoy individual freedom and prosperity simultaneously.

Identify sort of economic development policy that appropriate for Malawi with special geography condition is not easy task for Malawian. Combination of worse climate and landlocked are the reason why it is not easy to tackle Malawian`s obstacles. Several economic policies that might match the need of landlocked country are continuously making cooperation with their neighbor country in order to have better access to coastal. Manage their economy in discipline and efficient principles are a must because realizing that their economy is high cost economy. Controlling its population is a part of efficient policy. And practicing of good governance principles is necessarily important such as transparency and accountable.

The prominent of growth as converge to achieve development is presented by Bigsten and Abebe (2007). Their work simulation on effect of growth to achieving the MDGs relies on available data on per capita consumption expenditure and its distribution. A distribution-neutral growth scenario was compared with different pro-poor growth scenarios, where reduction in inequality was considered as one possible means of achieving MDGs. The results suggest that, with a modest but sustained growth in per capita consumption expenditure and unchanged inequality, most countries in Africa can achieve the target. If recent growth rates in per capita consumption can be sustained until 2015, more than half of the countries in our sample, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, will attain MDGs . My purpose in showing Bigsten and Abebe works (2007) is with adequate economic policy and in cooperation with socio-politic policy as evidences range from Western Europe to North America as Sen in his book Development as Freedom mentioned (not mention of India and Indonesia that both enjoyed significant of economic growth and also practicing democracy), Malawi might be able to achieve both enjoyed economic growth and individual freedom.

5. Policy Recommendations

Two questions that are proposed brought many aspects and should incorporate not only economics discipline but also social and politics discipline. The MDGs is not everything. I am shocked even IMF economist on economic perspective Rogoff (2003) in Unlocking Growth in Africa Aid For Humanitarian Purposes is Desperately Needed, But It Cannot Be The Engine Of Growth argued that it is hard to see the MDGs providing a framework for long-term growth. To begin with, consider the awkward fact that MDGs are stated as absolute goals and don’t embody any notion of trade-offs or priorities.

To sum my arguments that presented in policy recommendations as follows:

1. First priority is preventing widely spread of HIV/AIDS infection. Political will of government that Malagasi (2005) mentioned in his work is important.
2. Establishing comprehensive education policy that includes providing adequate infrastructure and excellent curriculum.
   
3. Formulating simultaneously economic policy and socio-politic policy that will perform well with evidences empirically proved in the Western Europe and North America US and Canada. As Sen argued in his book.
4. Special strategies are needed for special condition of Malawi. Comprehensive highly efficient and discipline economy and accompanied by implementing principles of good governance are necessarily implemented.

The last remark I borrow from Rodrik (2001) in Development Strategies for The Next Century, he argued that “Economic development ultimately derives from a home-grown strategy, and not from the world market. Policy makers in developing countries should avoid fads, put globalization in perspective, and focus on domestic institution building. They should have more confidence in themselves and in domestic institution building, and place less faith on the global economy and blueprints emanating there from”. Being confidences to tackle its problems with its own characteristics are indispensable.

6. References

Attaran, Amir. 2005. An Immeasurable Crisis? A Criticism of the Millennium Development Goals and Why They Cannot Be Measured. PLoS Medicine, www.plosmedicine.org. October 2005 Volume 2, Issue 10, e318.

Bigsten, Arne and Shimeles, Abebe. 2007. Can Africa Reduce Poverty by Half by 2015? Development Policy Review, 2007, 25 (2): 147-166. Journal compilation © 2007 Overseas Development Institute. Published by Blackwell Publishing, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.

Cleeve, Emmanuel. 2009. Can Sub-Saharan Africa Achieve The Millennium Development Goals? Manchester Metropolitan University United Kingdom September 2009.

Gabriel, Neville. 2003. The Millennium Development Goals: Towards a Civil Society
Perspective on Reframing Poverty Reduction Strategies in Southern Africa. Presented at the Southern Africa MDGs Forum, Johannesburg, 2 – 4 July 2003.

Gallup, John Luke and Sachs, Jeffrey D., with Mellinger, Andrew. 1999. Geography and Economic Development. CID Working Paper No. 1 March 1999 © Copyright 1999 John Luke Gallup, Jeffrey D. Sachs, Andrew Mellinger, and the President and Fellows of Harvard College Working Papers Center for International Development at Harvard University.

Harrison, Makiko, Klugman, Jeni, and Swanson, Eric. 2003. Are Poverty Reduction Strategies Undercutting the Millennium Development Goals? An Empirical Review.

Magalasi, Collins. 2005. People’s Report on the MDGs: The Case of Malawi. Malawi Economic Justice Network Prepared for Breaking with Business as Usual: Perspectives from Civil Society in the Commonwealth on the Millennium Development Goals. Commonwealth Foundation, 2005.

Radelet, Steven. 2004. Aid Effectiveness and the Millennium Development Goals. Center for Global Development Center for Global Development Working Paper #39 April 2004. Reddy,

Sanjay and Heuty, Antoine. 2004. Achieving The MDGs: A Critique And A Strategy. Dept. of Economics, Barnard College, Columbia University, sr793@columbia.edu. Public Finance Economist, Consultant, United Nations Development Programme, antoine.heuty@undp.org.

Rodrik, Dani. 2001. Development Strategies for The Next Century. Harvard University August 2001. An earlier draft of this paper was presented at the conference on "Developing Economies in the 21st Century: The Challenges to Globalization," organized by the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE), JETRO, in Chiba, Japan, January 26-27, 2000, and is forthcoming in World Bank, Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics 2000, 2001.

Rogoff, Kenneths. 2003. Unlocking Growth in Africa Aid for humanitarian purposes is desperately needed, but it cannot be the engine of growth. Finance & Development June 2003. Srinivasan, T. N. 1986. The Costs And Benefits Of Being A Small, Remote, Island, Landlocked, or Ministate Economy. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 1986.

Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development As Freedom. Anchor Book, A Division of Random House Inc. New York.