Canadian developmental assistance in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Canada has provided development cooperation funding to Southeast Asia since the 1950s, but lacked consistency over time. Aid priorities echoed wider Canadian foreign policy goals and trends in global development thought. Early stress on infrastructure and “basic needs” gave way to “civil society strengthening,” then to corporate partnerships. An early focus on aid to Malaysia shifted to Indonesia, then to Vietnam and the Philippines, and finally to democratizing Myanmar – a trend reversed since military rule. Canada was also briefly a leading donor to Timor-Leste. Government has relied heavily on non-governmental organizations to deliver aid to the region. As NGO freedom shifted into firmer government control, aid effectiveness and Canada’s reputation in the region have been harmed. A new shift within Canada’s “feminist international assistance policy” may herald a return to centering non-governmental voices. This article offers a historical overview of Canadian development assistance work in Southeast Asia. It argues that despite some success stories, changing priorities in Ottawa have hampered overall effectiveness. Canadian governments have too often undermined their own claims to seek long-term economic development through aid. Listening to civil society in Southeast Asia and stronger awareness of Southeast Asian priorities would create more effective aid outcomes.

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