ABSTRACT
A short summary of what we know about traditional aid’s shortcomings is provided to set the stage for exploring why the aid industry has been slow to change. It is argued that the realization of a different approach to foreign support for development must first contend with systemic factors within the current system that are wittingly or unwittingly resistant to the kind of change needed. Tensions between traditional aid practices and the cause of strengthening democratic norms are likewise defined in order to paint a more complete picture of those factors that must be accounted for in redefining foreign roles in development. New insights into paternalism, organizational behavior/group dynamics, and the emerging “decolonize development” movement are also included for this purpose.
