Support for the Recommendation ‘Transparency in Development Cooperation? Use Web 2.0!’

Web 2.0 technologies provide unique opportunities for Development Cooperation.
Web 2.0 is an umbrella term for ‘web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web‘. Examples of Web 2.0 are web-based communities, social-networking and video-sharing sites and blogs. This form of communication can constantly be updated by experts and anonymous users. Therefore web 2.0 is also referred to as the ‘participatory Web‘.
For Development Cooperation it entails that all stakeholders under which donors (i.e. citizens, taxpayers), implementers and most importantly beneficiaries (!!) can give and receive feedback on programmes and projects.

Since the introduction of the Governance agenda in the late nineties, countries have emphasized time and time again that transparency, accountability and participation are extremely important. If we interpret the aforementioned in the context of development cooperation, we can agree that transparency, accountability and participation with regard to AID needs to be improved as well. The participatory Web fits well to give interpretation to these goals.

Currently it is not clear how much aid goes to which sector and project. Other concerns regard reports of corruption. Participation through web 2.0 will result in increased transparency.
It will become easier to execute programmes collaboratively and duplication of efforts will become a concern of the past.

Recognizing the great advantages that web 2.0 entails, some countries in South and Latin America and the Caribbean, have already started using this tool. In Suriname it is not yet popular, but I was amazed by the advances which have been made in the Netherlands.
Therefore, dear reader, I urge you to become involved and experience modern way of channeling aid works.