The world has changed radically since the emergence of official development assistance and since the aid agency was invented. Aid is by no means the only source of financing for development in today’s world. Yet for the poorest countries, aid is a vital source of government finance.
In the lead up to 2015, when many significant financing commitments for development will be made, we will need to be smart about where and how to deploy aid, based on an understanding of how aid can be most valuable. How would you reinvent foreign aid for today’s world? How would you reach the poorest people, no matter where they live? How would you use aid alongside other resources both public and private and how would you organize the development finance system as a whole?
We are looking for the best ideas from around the world on these and other questions that will define the next generation of effective development assistance. In order to help bring attention to the need for scholarship and fresh ideas in this area, and to encourage broad participation, the Global Development Network (GDN) in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites you to submit ideas and solutions in an essay of not more than 5000 words. Select winning ideas may be promoted by GDN and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to inform the aid discourse and bring this thinking to policy makers and practitioners.
Pierre Jacquet, President, GDN says, «GDN is delighted to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the Next Horizons Essay Contest 2014. There is a need to catalyse and drive fresh thinking and solutions on questions regarding the future of aid in the context of the reflection on the post-2015 challenges of development finance. GDN will advertise and run the contest both in developed and developing countries, and will be keen to give an opportunity to the recipients of foreign aid to raise their voice in the global debate about its future.»
Up to 20 winning entries will be chosen, and receive US$ 20,000 each. An independent panel will make the final selection of the best and most potentially consequential submissions, based on criteria defined.
Submissions can be sent in English, French or Spanish.
The closing date for submission is 15 September, 2014 (14:00 hrs GMT).
For application and more information on eligibility, submission guidelines and contest details, visit www.gdn.int/nexthorizons