The Guardian: Aid can help to eliminate inequality by 2030 — if five key lessons are heeded
Diana Good, chair of the Mary Ward Settlement

“…[In order to eliminate inequality and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we] need to learn lessons from past successes and failures, concentrate on the most vulnerable people, and be realistic about what can actually be done with interim stepping stones. … I have seen aid do immense good. But we need to look behind the figures and the aspirations and ask how aid is planned and delivered. … There are five key lessons I learned. … Identify people’s real needs and engage them in the process throughout. … Programs need to be long term to have an enduring impact. … Set realistic targets that are tailored to tackle the specific problem. … There tends to be too much compartmentalization, when what is needed is real engagement across different sectors and donors. … [E]vidence needs to be scrutinized and action taken before it’s too late…” (9/14).