1. Q&A Session

The East Asia Institute organized a roundtable meeting on March 22nd to seek strategies for enhancing the effective use of foreign aid to promote democracy and human rights. The event featured two speakers, Julia Leininger from the German Institute of Development and Sustainability, and Helena Bjuremalm from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The roundtable revolved around understanding international cooperation and humanitarian aid strategies of foreign organizations. Korean participants including Hye Young Chang (Professor, Chung-Ang University), Jae Kwang Han (Chairperson, People’s Initiatives for Development Alternative), Jung In Jo (Professor, Sookmyung Women’s University), Dongtaek Kim (Professor, Sogang University), Donghyun Lee (Director General, KOICA), Jung Sub Shin (Assistant Professor, Soongsil University), Hyung Du Choi (Member of the 21st National Assembly, People Power Party), Hye Yeong Jang (Member of the 21st National Assembly, Justice Party), Yong Sun Lee (Member of the 21st National Assembly, Democratic Party), Jung Kim (Professor, University of North Korean Studies), Taekyoon Kim (Professor, Seoul National University), Sook Jong Lee (Senior Fellow, East Asia Institute) primarily focused on South Korea’s need to adopt foreign aid policies that promote democracy and peace in the world, as it is the only nation to have successfully transformed from an aid recipient to an aid donor. The discussants explored various measures that South Korea could take to become a responsible state in promoting democratic development in other countries, given its unique experiences and perspectives.

2. Consolidating Democracy Aid Narratives and the "Do No Democratic Harm" Principle

Julia Leininger, the Lead of the Research Department at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability, argues that promoting and consolidating democracy is now more critical than ever amidst the current wave of authoritarianism. Although democracy support since 2010 has resulted in positive impacts on the institutionalization of democracy, Leininger stresses the need to introduce the "prohibition of harm to democracy" principle to prevent aid from providing substantial funds to authoritarian governments. Further, she explains the significance of developing a strong narrative to support democracy aid and introduces three potential building blocks for such a narrative. These include: 1) emphasizing the intrinsic value of democracy, 2) highlighting the role of democracy in promoting sustainable development, and 3) strengthening transnational solidarity among individuals who support democracy.

3. Lessons from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Advice on Democracy Support

Helena Bjuremalm, the Deputy Head of the Democracy Unit at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), explains SIDA's approach to supporting democracy by prioritizing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in 45 of its guiding strategies. Bjuremalm stresses the importance of engaging partners at various levels, with a specific focus on media development, women's rights, and youth political participation. Regarding the promotion of women's political participation, representation, and influence, Bjuremalm suggests viewing political parties as gatekeepers and concentrating on changing party structures instead of individual members.