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   Summary 8 (10-16 July)


FOLLOWING IS A MACHINE TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL IN FRENCH. IT HAS BEEN EDITED FOR MISTRANSLATION ONLY. THE ORIGINAL IN FRENCH IS AVAILABLE ON THIS WEB SITE AT: <http://www.ue-acp.org/fr/forum/syntheses/synt8.html>

KEY WORDS: PROGRESS OF THE DEBATE

* * Title: Summary 8 (10-16 July) Putting actors at the heart of the European cooperation: Proposals " to leave the fool's bargain of cooperation actors"; to give back its meaning to partnership: " for a new deontology of continued support to social movements" * *

by: Anne SIMON <anne.simon@skynet.be>
<http://www.ue-acp.org/fr/forum/presentations/simon.html>

°°° Abstract:
Participants propose complementary considerations that position actors concretely at the heart of the European cooperation. Starting from interactions between development agents (operators) and recipients, one proposes as a principle to recognize and to encourage the local knowledge, motors of development dynamics. Others expose a form of contract and of control, of identification of actors' systems in which the beneficiary is a proxy. The sharing / transfer of responsibility on the guarantee of the good execution of the project is a means to leave " the fool's bargain of cooperation actors" that quarters the local actor in a role of passive "spectator." °°°



Conditions for a true partnership.

So that the UE/ACP cooperation gains a character of true partnership, the two parties must share common visions and objectives, difficult when the one that receives complies to desires of the one that gives. It would be necessary to think about the following question: the one that is materially rich can he receive something of the one that is materially poor? Difficult, if the universal value is money and wealth. If one recognizes the other forms of wealth, with mutual humility and respect, then the acceptance of the reciprocity and the partnership are possible.

As regards to the implementation: To get out of the relation "partner-owner" resulting from exclusive bilateral relations, supposes that organizations or recipients should multiply the number of their partners. Of their sides, the current support structures must think about a " deontology of the continued support of social movements. Agencies of aid must also change.

1. Putting actors at the heart of the European cooperation

Michel Ansay makes reference to a work of R. Chamber " Us and them : finding a new paradigm for professionnals in sustainable development ". R. Chamber notes an ambiguousness in relations between development agents who think to bring "the" solution and recipients that are perceived falsely as being "a major part of the problem". R Chamber develops the thesis according to which it is necessary on the contrary to take in consideration the local knowledge. These have to not be reduced to a static appearance rooted in the past. They testify instead to a capacity of continual adaptation. They constitute therefore "the announcement of another development" and must be taken in account in foundations of cooperation.

Thierry Lassalle focuses on ways to come out of what he names " fool's bargain of cooperation actors". He explains that this fool's bargain comes from the fact that lessors have need of guarantees of control of the subsidy use that they bestow.

Of their point of view, "operators" (mediators of which spoke Etienne Tasse) are more able to lead operations undertaking some important financial volumes than ACP actors. The operator with the experience becomes even more effective while the local actor is only a "spectator" with no responsibility for the operation.

Doing the same analysis for farmers' organizations (POs – Producers' Organizations), Denis Pesche concludes that " formulas where the POs become the sponsor are to be developed". It is then them that select, draw up contracts. To succeed it is also necessary that agencies of aid change (to allow them to listen, to understand, to respect the time of partners).

In order to " to organize all around the local actor", Thierry Lassalle proposes:

  • To include processes of cooperation in the national legislation. The local actors must have a legal personality, and to assume the responsibility of contracts of which they are signatory. Controls must be ensured locally by private audit structures. The public opinion involved by the action and funds that are involved, can play a role of control also. The transparency and information on the past arrangements are therefore necessary.
  • To make sure there is consultation of all actors of the network to which belongs the main actor. The identification of the institutional network and the role of each must be part of the phase of preparation of the program therefore.
  • That the operator's role becomes a role of facilitation, and that this one is not anymore the " owner of the project " instead being the only guarantor of the execution of the project.

2. Conditions for a true partnership

René Segbenou, analyze conditions of a true partnership between Europe and the ACP countries, which are not gathered for the meantime.

First of all, it is necessary that the two parties have a shared vision of development and common objectives. In the current situation, the one that receives doesn't have another alternative that to accept what one proposes him. This appearance of partnership is convenient for everybody.

Then, two parties must share a common attitude of acceptance of values of the other. For the meantime, what is involved is "a single value: money or the material wealth". Those that are in the material wealth can they receive from those that are in the poverty? If one accepts this, real reciprocity becomes possible.

Finally, the development as an "overall progress of humankind" requires a common support of all parties in presence.

The partnership has two requirements that are mutual respect and humility.

It is on these conditions only that one will be able to manage the flows of material and non material goods in confidence.

At the level of the implementation, Denis Pesche informs us of key elements of a recent seminar of the World Bank on the backing of farmers' organizations that marks, it seems to him, an inflection of the way of thinking the partnership (farmers' organizations of the south and organisms of support and lessors from the north). The current supports are still too often centered on the technical learning and little on the strategic programming capacities.

To come out of the classic tools such as the project, " it is necessary to think about a new deontology of continued support of social movements". This one could concern the investment of farmers' organizations in places of dialogue, the opening and the access to quality information. It could conduct to avoid "owner- partners" and the often asymmetrical two-way partnership (through the diversification of partners).



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