Aid on the Edge of Chaos: Rethinking International Cooperation in a Complex World

471 Pages·2014·3.422 MB·English

by  Ben Ramalingam

PRAISE FOR AID ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS
‘Thismasterfulbookrepresentsanimportantsteptowardschangingourinsti-
tutions and organizations: a shift away from outmoded, one-size-fits-all, top-
downplanningandtowardsresponsiveandadaptiveinnovation.Ifthatwereto
happenininternationaldevelopmentalone,theeffectscouldbeprofound—but
as Ramalingam implies, this needs to be a part of a much broader change in
political and economic thinking. Ramalingam skillfully draws upon a diverse
bodyofideasandresearchtodeliveravitalmessageforaidandbeyond.’
PhilipBall,authorofCriticalMass,WinneroftheAventisRoyalSocietyBook
oftheYearandConsultantEditor,Nature
‘Aid on the Edge of Chaos will change the way you think about development.
Drawing on the latest scientific research into complex adaptive systems, Ben
Ramalingam shows that simplifications about economic and social change are
notonlymisleading,theyarepotentiallydamaging.Thisisessentialreadingfor
anyone who wants to think seriously about how development happens, and
aboutwhatcanbedonetoaccelerateit.Thisisoneofthemostimportantbooks
youwillreadaboutdevelopment.’
Owen Barder, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development and former
Director,DepartmentforInternationalDevelopment
‘Alleviatingdeepandpersistentpoverty,andcreatingshared,sustainablepros-
perityisoneofthegreatchallengesofourcentury.BenRamalingam’sthought-
provokingand highlyreadablebookre-framesthedebateonaidanddevelop-
ment. Drawing on both leading-edge thinking and practical experience from
the field, Aid on the Edge of Chaos challenges the existing aid paradigm and
points the way towards a genuinely new approach—a new approach that is
urgentlyneeded.’
EricBeinhocker,ExecutiveDirector,InstituteforNewEconomicThinkingat
the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford and author of The Origin of
Wealth
‘Ben Ramalingam’s tour de force of a book provides an unorthodox and
fascinating insight into today’s global aid sector: its current practices and
sometimesfaultytheoriesofaction.Beyondthecriticismitmanagestoexplore
severalavenuesonhowtounlockthemostobstructiveproblemsthatarefacing
thesector.Borrowingfromscientificfieldsgenerallyignoredbytheaidindustry,
BenRamalingamalsoopensupnewperspectivesonpossiblehumanitarianand
developmentfutures.ThisbookisavitalsourceofinspirationfortheICRCand
fortheaidcommunityasawhole.’
Yves Daccord, Director General, International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC)
‘We are all on this small planet together. Ultimately, our fates cannot be
separated. In a broad ranging discussion of our global ‘network of mutuality’,
BenRamalingamexpertlyshowshowthoseinthewealthiercountriescanbest
helptheseverelydisadvantagedinthistimeofmassivechangeanddislocation.
Marrying science, policy and practice with a deep moral conscience, this
importantbookpointstoafuturethatweshouldallbeworkingtowards.’
PeterDoherty,NobelLaureate,Medicine
‘Inthisimportantbook,BenRamalingamconvincinglyshowswhytransform-
ationalchangeissobadlyneededinforeignaid,andwhereitmightcomefrom.
In clear and elegant prose, he presents a critique of the status quo, clear
explanations of alternative mindsets and ideas, and inspiring stories of innov-
ation from around the world. The result is a book that is a must read for all
leaders who are—regardless of sector—finding themselves having to navigate
insteadofignorecomplexity.Awonderfulendeavour.’
Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management, London Business School, author of
Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces, and Organisations Buzz with
Energy—andOthersDon’t
‘Bybringingtogetheradeepknowledgeofboththeaidbusinessandcomplexity
theory, Ramalingam shows the insights that come from crossing disciplinary
boundaries. This well-written and thought-provoking book is an important
contributiontoredesigningaidforamessy,complexworld.’
DuncanGreen,SeniorStrategicAdvisor,Oxfam
‘Ben Ramalingam is a leading champion of the adaptive, scientific, trial-and-
errorthinkingthattheaidindustrybadlyneeds—we’vebeeneagerlyawaiting
thisbook.’
TimHarford,authorofTheUndercoverEconomistStrikesBackandAdapt
‘This excellent book does three important things. It provides an informative
tourofthereductionistthinkingandover-simplisticapproachesthatcharacter-
ise so much current development policy and practice. It draws on the ideas of
complexadaptivesystemsresearchtoshowthatsuchflawsareneitherinevitable
norincurable.Anditpresentsaseriesofpowerfulcasesofhowthesenewideas
arebeginningtomakearealdifferencetothewaywethinkaboutandworkin
aid.Amust-readforanyoneinterestedindevelopment,itscurrentdiscontents,
anditsfuturepotential.’
Ricardo Haussmann, former Chief Economist, Inter-American Development
Bank and Director of the Centre for International Development, Harvard
University
‘Thisisasuperbbook,boldlyfacinginthisageofglobalizationthecomplexity
of aid to developing countries. Ben Ramalingam presents lucid exposition and
insightful analysis, derived from hundreds of interviews, empirically tested
studies,andreal-lifeepisodes.Hisfindingsmakeacompellingcasetotransform
aid,fromthe“externalpush”ofunrealisticpanaceasto“internalcatalysis”that
can help recipient societies evolve their own future. Impressive and inspiring,
thisworkisdestinedtobecomea21stcenturyclassic.’
DudleyHerschbach,NobelLaureate,Chemistry
‘Well written and challenging, Ramalingam pushes his reader to question
traditional wisdoms, navigate different disciplines, and value the import of
localexperience.Muchneeded.’
NoreenaHertz,authorofEyesWideOpen:HowtoMakeSmartDecisionsina
ConfusingWorldandTheSilentTakeover
‘Aid of the Edge of Chaos is a masterful synthesis of complexity science and the
latest thinking about aid and development. Withbeautifully clear writing and
stories,BenRamalingamusescomplexityconceptstorevealthedeepreasonsfor
why aid sometimes works—and sometimes doesn’t. Scholars, practitioners,
policymakersandstudentswillallbenefitconsiderablyfromreadingthisbook.’
ThomasHomer-Dixon,Director,WaterlooInstituteforComplexityandInnov-
ation,authorofTheUpsideofDown
‘AidontheEdgeofChaosisanimportantandinsightfulbook,aworkoforiginal
and well documented scholarship that is also highly accessible. Fresh thoughts
andnewideasbubbleonvirtuallyeverypage.Ramalingamsetsoutachallenge
toresearchersandpractitionersininternationalcooperationtorethinkourbasic
assumptions and act in ways that are more attuned to the real world in all its
complexities.Thisisonetoreadandreread.’
SirRichardJolly,formerAssistantSecretaryGeneral,UnitedNations
‘Thisbookisessentialreadingnotonlyforthosecommittedtomakingaidmore
effective, but also for those interested more generally in complex systems
thinking. It shows the limitations and dangers of simplistic, prescriptive
approaches to the highly interconnected, nonlinear systems that characterize
so many real-world problems. Far from being a pessimistic funeral march,
Ramalingam’s wide-ranging and scholarly discourse provides many inspiring
examplesofhowcomplexitytheorycanbeputtopracticalandmeaningfuluse,
andlaysoutahopefulpathforward.’
SimonLevin,MoffatProfessorofEcology,PrincetonUniversity
‘Foreignaidtopoorcountrieshashadacheckeredhistory,inpartbecausewell-
intentioned aid agencies sometimes oversimplify the problems they need to
solve. Ben Ramalingam’s book makes the good case that the growing field of
complexadaptivesystemscanhelppreventsucherrorsfrombeingrepeated.’
EricMaskin,NobelLaureate,Economics
‘This brilliant book will energise the struggle to make big government, big
money and big aid sensitive to contexts, humble about what they can achieve,
and sophisticated about the connectedness of things. It won’t make simple
panaceas anyless attractive.But it pointsthe waytoa common sensefar more
appropriatetothe21stcenturyworld.’
GeoffMulgan,ChiefExecutive,NESTA
‘This is a well-written and original book which has implications for policy
makingfarbeyonditsimmediatefocusofaidanddevelopment.BenRamalin-
gam seamlessly combines practical experience, policy relevance and scientific
expertise.AidontheEdgeofChaosdeservesaverywideaudience.’
PaulOrmerod,authorofDeathofEconomicsandPositiveLinking
‘Thisisaterrific,stimulatingbookthatshouldbeamust-readforbothpolicy-
makersaroundtheworldandthegeneralpublicalike.BenRamalingamclearly
and engagingly shows how the use of complex adaptive systems thinking can
significantly strengthen and enhance the impacts and effectiveness of global
foreign aid. His ground breaking work will hopefully pave the way for many
moresucheffortsinthefuture.’
JerrySabloff,President,SantaFeInstitute
‘Aid on the Edge of Chaos is a magnificent piece of work, highly readable
notwithstanding the complex topics it deals with, and a major contribution to
the debate about how to rethink and improve the way we deliver aid world-
wide...IfullyendorseBenRamalingam’scallformorecatalyticapproachesto
aid,thatempowerandenablelocalcommunitiestofindanddeveloptheirown
answers,whichareinkeepingwiththerichness,interconnectednessandintri-
cacyoftheirlives.’
SirNickYoung,ChiefExecutiveOfficer,BritishRedCross
‘AidontheEdgeofChaosprovidesaviewofdevelopmentthatisbreathtakingly
more realistic, more humble, more contemporary, more informed and more
dynamic than the dreary library of concepts it upends. Ben Ramalingam is
catapultingdevelopmentthinkingintothe21stcentury—readthisbookandbe
changed.’
Andrew Zolli, Executive Director, Pop Tech and Author of Resilience: Why
ThingsBounceBack
A E
ID ON THE DGE
C
OF HAOS
rethinking international
cooperation in a complex world
ben ramalingam
1
3
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ToMum,forvalues;toNaomi,forbeliefandinspiration;andtoKoby,forjoy.
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PREFACE: GLOBALIZATION,
DEVELOPMENT, AND COMPLEXITY
The Globalization of Vulnerability
I am sitting on an open terrace overlooking paddy fields, sketching the land-
scapeinagrubbynotebook.Thevistaisoneofriceterracesdelicatelycontoured
with the undulating hillsides, gently flowing rivers, diligently maintained
tributaries, and myriad shades of green. Here and there, tiered buildings rise
elegantlyfrom the tallwavinggrass. As the sunmoves, each paddy shimmers,
likeindividualfacetsofajewelslowlyturninginthelight,givingthelandscape
a magical, otherworldly feel. It is one of those views that makes you want to
‘burstintospontaneousapplause’.1
I’m here in Bali to better understand how this picture-postcard-beautiful,
thousand-year-old farming system has somehow, miraculously, survived the
vagaries of human nature and the disruptions of history. My experience so far
has been a rather incongruous one. I have spent most of my time with small-
holder farmers and agricultural experts. This has involved visiting numerous
farms and plots of land, traipsing along hand-hewn irrigation channels on the
edge of paddy fields, past water storage facilities and small temples. I have
interviewed quite a few people, asking them to describe their lives and liveli-
hoods,howtheymakedecisions,andhowtheycooperate,andwhy.Icloseevery
interviewwiththesamequestion,aboutthefactorsthatsustainorthreatenthe
resilienceoftheBalinesefarmingsystemandwayoflife.Thepreviousday,one
of the interviewees had given a particularly memorable answer to the threats.
Raising two fingers, he counted one off and said, ‘One, globalization.’ Then,
countingofftheotherfinger,‘Also,two,development.’
Today my time has been time spent accompanying a high-level delegation
from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), including its new director-general, on a motorcade through the
jungles. The delegation is here to review an application for World Heritage
Status for the unique social–ecological system that covers much of the central
region of Bali, centred on the island’s indigenous agricultural methods. The
experienceisastarkandattimessurrealcontrasttothepreviousdays’activities:
movingaroundtheislandinthewakeofhighpraiseandgarlands.