On the terms of the recipient? Norwegian sports development aid to Tanzania in the 1980s

Abstract

This article discusses the donor–recipient1 relationship in a sports development aid context, and identifies potential dilemmas occurring when aiming to give aid on the recipient’s terms. Using the case of the Norwegian sports development aid project Sport for All, it is argued that the Norwegian Confederation of Sports was clearly in control of the project throughout its various phases, and thus a contradiction between the discourse of equality and the actual practice was evident. It is demonstrated in the article that donor–recipient relationships are power relationships that are complex and unclear to the involved parties, and shown that the Confederation’s role is shaped through a web of power relationships. The article questions the assumption that civil society organizations such as the Norwegian Confederation are more apt to provide aid on equal terms than government agencies. Keywords: civil society organization, development aid, power, sports