The Netherlands development cooperation with Africa 1960-2009

This research is based on the Netherlands development cooperation with Africa between 1960 and 2009, and to ascertain how and why changes occurred in this development relationship during this period. To this end the research focused on the motivations for the Netherlands involvement in development cooperation, and how these motivations and other international and domestic factors influenced her development strategy for developing countries. Thus an analysis of the historiographical debate on development cooperation was done, in which the work of various writers, development and economic theorists, scholars and politicians were analyzed to provide a historical perspective on Dutch development cooperation as well as international development cooperation. Additionally, Dutch development policy on Africa between 1960 and 2009 was also analyzed, to show how Dutch development policies are formulated and how the various factors that motivated Dutch development cooperation, as well as the internationalization of development cooperation influenced her development strategy. This consequently influenced her development approach and a shift from multilateral to a more bilateral development relationship with African countries between 1960 and 2009. Two African countries, Tanzania and Mali were selected as a case study for this research, and an extensive research was conducted to look into the dynamics of this development relationship. To this end, data was collected from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers and the Inter-Church Organization for Development Cooperation, as well as from stakeholders in the field of Development cooperation. The result from the various data collected showed that Dutch development relationship with these countries was motivated by the various factors that have been the underpinnings of Dutch development cooperation. In addition, from the analysis of the data collected it became evident that changes in Dutch development strategy which was influenced by both domestic factors and the international context of development cooperation, consequently led to shifts in her development relationship with these countries. Furthermore, from the analysis of the data collected, it became evident that changes in Dutch development strategy had a domino effect on Dutch organizations operating in Tanzania and Mali. As changes in Dutch development strategy for developing countries, also led to changes in the development strategy of Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilliger in Tanzania and the Inter-Church Organization for Development Cooperation in Mali. However, there were differences in the development approach adopted by these organizations and that of the Dutch government embassies in these countries. For example, Stichting Nederlandse Vriwilliger employed a holistic approach in Tanzania, while the Inter-Church Organization for Development Cooperation in Mali, operated in areas where the Dutch embassy have no functional projects. In the final analysis, although the Netherlands pursued a more bilateral development relationship with developing countries, she still continued to participate in the World Bank, European Union and United Nations development initiatives for developing countries. An analysis of her cooperation with these organizations showed that between 1960 and 2009, Dutch development strategy was increasingly subjected to the development strategy of these international organizations.