Czech Development Aid: Comparative Analysis of Governmental and Non-governmental providers

Mgr. Klára Hovanec Pácha

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

The world has made tremendous progress in every measure of well-being–particularly over the last two centuries.The average life expectancy has dramatically improved, global per capita income has increased tenfold and life-changing technologies were introduced across all sectors. However, affluence rises heterogeneously in different regions, creating global inequality and accentuating persistent and massive poverty. According to Roser and Ortiz-Ospina (2019), “most people in the world live in poverty. 85% of the world live on less than $30 per day, two-thirds live on less than $10 per day, and every tenth person lives on less than $1.90 per day.” Coherently,the issue acquires an even broader dimension since it stands as the primary source of the majority of global challenges we face today –terrorism, illegal migration, wars, organised crime, famine and even child mortality (Kunešová et al., 2014). Thus, to ensure stability and balance in the global system,developed countries have to involve in the reduction of poverty in developing countries and integrate development aid into their foreign policy. Development aidhasbecome a noteworthyelementof Czech foreign relationsand economic diplomacy. The aid activities of Czechia, aiming to reduce poverty, improve quality of life and support sustainable development(OECD, 2021), however, come under two frameworks –being provided by the government (“official development aid”) or non-governmental organisations (“non-official development aid”). This research aspires to introduce development aid as such and to present the involvement of the Czech government and the role of Czech NGOsin this area. Studying two different methods, the research aims to compare two different ways of providing aid in Czechia and primarily questions what are the priorities and results of Czech governmental and non-governmental development aid?The first section will be dedicated to the general theory of development aid; the second sectionwill present the Czech governmental aid and its organisational arrangement; the third part will cover the Czech non-governmental aid, focusing primarily on Člověk v tísni, the biggest and most impactful Czech non-profit organization with projects all over the world; the fourth section will evaluate the observations and compare the research findings, and the final section will sum up and conclude the results.Methodology: This dissertation will utilize primarily qualitative methods of data collection. The research will be predominantly based on a literature review, including a core bibliography and coherent reports of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Člověk v tísni and other online sources serving as secondary data collection

Abstract:

The world has made tremendous progress in every measure of well-being–particularly over the last two centuries.The average life expectancy has dramatically improved, global per capita income has increased tenfold and life-changing technologies were introduced across all sectors. However, affluence rises heterogeneously in different regions, creating global inequality and accentuating persistent and massive poverty. According to Roser and Ortiz-Ospina (2019), “most people in the world live in poverty. 85% of the world live on less than $30 per day, two-thirds live on less than $10 per day, and every tenth person lives on less than $1.90 per day.” Coherently,the issue acquires an even broader dimension since it stands as the primary source of the majority of global challenges we face today –terrorism, illegal migration, wars, organised crime, famine and even child mortality (Kunešová et al., 2014). Thus, to ensure stability and balance in the global system,developed countries have to involve in the reduction of poverty in developing countries and integrate development aid into their foreign policy. Development aidhasbecome a noteworthyelementof Czech foreign relationsand economic diplomacy. The aid activities of Czechia, aiming to reduce poverty, improve quality of life and support sustainable development(OECD, 2021), however, come under two frameworks –being provided by the government (“official development aid”) or non-governmental organisations (“non-official development aid”). This research aspires to introduce development aid as such and to present the involvement of the Czech government and the role of Czech NGOsin this area. Studying two different methods, the research aims to compare two different ways of providing aid in Czechia and primarily questions what are the priorities and results of Czech governmental and non-governmental development aid?The first section will be dedicated to the general theory of development aid; the second sectionwill present the Czech governmental aid and its organisational arrangement; the third part will cover the Czech non-governmental aid, focusing primarily on Člověk v tísni, the biggest and most impactful Czech non-profit organization with projects all over the world; the fourth section will evaluate the observations and compare the research findings, and the final section will sum up and conclude the results.Methodology: This dissertation will utilize primarily qualitative methods of data collection. The research will be predominantly based on a literature review, including a core bibliography and coherent reports of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Člověk v tísni and other online sources serving as secondary data collection

Keywords

Czech Development Aid, poverty, global challenges, migration, wars, organised crime

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 3. 6. 2022

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 7. 6. 2022
• Supervisor: PhDr. Ing. Radka Havlová, Ph.D.
• Reader: Ph.D. Martina Heranová

CEVRO Institute

Bachelor programme / field:
Economics, Business, Politics / Economics, Business, Politics