The History of Norwegian Aid: A Case for Contextualisation

Abstract

During 2002, Norwegian development co-operation celebrated its 50th anniversary—half a century after the start of the Kerala project in India. This anniversary became a state celebration, with gala performances and seminars. One of the major events was the launching of a three-volume history of Norwegian aid in early June 2003 (Norsk utviklingshjelps historie). For someone who, like me, has worked for the past 40 years with aid practice, aid methodology and aid research, this work is a rare treasure.

What makes it so unique is that the authors, all historians, put aid in its historical context, i.e., the development in the world at large. Aid is therefore not only discussed per se, but also as a part of Norwegian foreign as well as domestic policies. Also the 50-year time frame makes it possible to compare over time. Theoretical discussions are enriched by accounts from discussions in Norway (within the political fora, civil society and in the press), all exemplified by shorter and longer presentations from the real world of aid. What makes this publication so important is that it contextualises aid as one important but still small part of the relation between North and South and points at the fact that nothing is really new—most ideas have been tried out at least once in the past. It is my sincere hope that this study will help us improve the difficult relation between the actors in the aid relationship.

Keywords:

• Norwegian development co-operation
• NORAD
• the history of Norwegian aid
• Norway's relations with developing countries