Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa book club questions

1. 1.

   Moyo distinguishes between humanitarian aid and development aid. Does that distinction hold up in practice, or do the two categories bleed into each other?

2. 2.

   Her argument assumes that aid undermines state accountability. Can you think of countries where large aid inflows coexisted with improved governance? What explains those cases?

3. 3.

   Moyo says African countries should issue bonds on international markets. What would have to be true about those markets for that to work as a development strategy?

4. 4.

   If aid creates dependency, why do recipient governments keep asking for it? What does that tell us about who benefits inside those countries?

5. 5.

   She argues that Chinese investment in Africa is preferable to Western aid. What does that comparison assume about what 'better' means for development?

6. 6.

   The book targets multilateral development aid but not NGO or emergency aid. Where would you draw the line, and on what basis?

7. 7.

   Is the five-year phase-out timeline a genuine policy proposal or a rhetorical device to force a conversation? Does it matter which?

8. 8.

   What would it look like to hold Western aid agencies accountable for outcomes the way she wants recipient governments held accountable?

9. 9.

   Moyo is from Zambia, trained at Oxford and Harvard, and worked at Goldman Sachs. How does her background shape her argument, and does it undercut or strengthen it?

10. 10.

    Her alternative relies on private capital flows. What happens to the poorest countries that cannot attract investment regardless of their policies?

11. 11.

    Is it coherent to argue simultaneously that aid undermines democracy and that aid recipients should unilaterally decide to refuse it?

12. 12.

    How would you evaluate Moyo's argument in light of what happened to countries that did liberalize and court private capital in the 1990s?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.