Paper short abstract:

Efforts in international aid have been understood as, at least partly, driven by the 'desire to help'. We argue that this has left a potentially key motivation out of sight: the search for a 'personal connection'. These intertwined strands help explain people's engagement in assisting others.

Paper long abstract:

Efforts in international aid and development have often been understood and portrayed as, at least partly, driven by the 'desire to help'. In this paper, we argue that this view has left a potentially key motivation out of sight: the search for a connection by those supporting development efforts. These desired connections are often sought with people separated by geographical distance, who are thus considered 'other' from those providing assistance.

We do not claim that this search for connections is all-encompassing, or the only key to understanding aid. We propose, though, that much of development literature has so far failed to recognise its relevance, and the potential implications it has. There has been a partial recognition of the importance of relationships for how aid works, for the shaping of policy, and its implementation (Eyben 2006). Rather than social relations being merely instrumental to successful aid practice, we suggest that at the same time, providing assistance to others can be a vehicle that facilitates the making of these desired relations. This is illustrated through two case studies in which the 'search for connection' is clearly evident as a driver alongside the 'desire to help'. These are supporters of micro-lending though kiva.org and those who engage in small, private projects which could be described as 'citizen aid'. We argue that it would be judicious to consider the desire to help and the desire to connect as intertwined strands that help explain people's engagement in assisting others.