Blog 2 - Dieuwerke Luiten - August 09

Although the Dialogue meeting in Moshi is still 3 months away, preparation has started. We found out more about the participants in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, heard that Danish organisations will join us in Moshi, received the programme of the meeting and read “Southern” case studies about cooperation.

In the mean time I have also been reflecting on the nature of partnership. More and more questions are coming to my mind. As I wrote in my earlier post, it is easier to raise questions than to answer them. For some interesting and thought-provoking questions on whether true partnership between donor and recipient organisations is possible, please read the conversation between Jacqueline Verhagen, PSO, and Wangui Karanja, EASUN, about the role and influence of money in aid relationships.

It has been interesting to read the dilemma’s faced by our “Southern” counter partners in the field of cooperation with “Northern” partners. Some of the issues that came up are related to cooperation in general, irrespective of north-south relationships, while others have a clear north-south element to them.

One of the examples that came up was: To what extent should a “Northern” partner with more financial means impose organisational changes on its partners? Moreover, should a “Southern” partner accept changing the organisational set-up because it opens up more opportunities for funding? And what effects can this have?

I am really looking forward to discuss such questions in Moshi with organisations from Uganda, Kenya, Denmark and Tanzania and explore commonalities as well as differences. The programme of the meeting seems promising with time for discussion and reflection as well as practical workshops.

Dieuwerke Luiten

Dutch Council for Refugees (VluchtelingenWerk Nederland) in a personal capacity