Soviet economic and technical cooperation with developing countries: The Turkish case.
This is a study of Soviet relations with developing countries up to the mid-1980s. The focus of the research is on the Soviet development assistance programme, or 'economic and technical cooperation' as it is called in the Soviet Union. Cooperation has been used to build over 2,000 industrial and agricultural enterprises in over eighty countries. In most developing countries, economic and technical cooperation is the major form which the Soviet presence takes. The Soviet Union's main way of combating what it sees as the negative effects of trade, private investment and aid from the West is economic and technical cooperation. With the central belief that true political independence and the ability to overcome backwardness does not come while economic dependence still exists, the Soviet Union has sought to build up the economies of developing countries through economic and technical cooperation. The stated goals of this programme have been: to create and develop the economic, scientific and technical potential of the emerging nations, to expand equal and mutually beneficial relations on a stable and long-term basis, and to help the young countries to overcome backwardness and develop without any form of dependence, exploitation or interference in their internal affairs regardless of their social and state system. Soviet cooperation, it is claimed, offers a positive alternative to Western assistance because, unlike the West, the Soviet Union's goal is to increase the independence of developing countries. The intention of this study is to 'go inside' Soviet development cooperation and, with particular reference to one case, that of Turkey, to analyse and evaluate its actual performance. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Soviet assistance and why do developing countries choose cooperation with the Soviet Union instead of involvement with the West. Does Soviet development cooperation at the factory level match the claims that are made. What is the quality of Soviet economic and technical cooperation as it is judged within enterprises in which it is used. Is development cooperation extended without demanding in return economic, political or military concessions. Does the Soviet Union meet the needs of individual developing countries in terms of their own specified development goals. Or, as an external supplier of technological and economic resources, does it impose its own goals. Soviet cooperation is also compared to Western involvement. The issues addressed in this study are discussed in depth in the Soviet literature both at the theoretical level and at the policy level. The claims made in this literature are central to this research. A major aim is to test empirically explicit Soviet claims against actual practice. In addition to measuring Soviet behaviour against the standards set-out in the Soviet development literature, actual practice is also measured against: 1.) the demands of the South as expressed in the UN Code of Conduct on the Transfer of Technology, 2.) the development objectives of the case study country, and 3.) 'sound' practice as discussed in the Western technology and development literature.
Malawi: Making Effective Use of Aid Resources
SUMMARY Malawi is perceived by many donors as a ‘virtuous case’ and a relatively effective user of aid. Although many of these perceptions date from the economic boom of the 1970s, performance in recovery from balance of payment difficulties has also been impressive as aid has shifted towards programme lending with linked policy reforms and away from new projects. This article considers these claims and reviews the effectiveness of donors' sectoral interventions, particularly in transport, agriculture and in technical assistance, scrutinises the ‘institutional destruction’ argument relating to donor proliferation; and analyses how conflicts over policy are resolved. It concludes by identifying the key factors from Malawi's experience with donors. SOMMAIRE Malawi: L'utilisation des resources de l'aide d'une maniere efficace Le Malawi est considere par plusieurs donneurs comme un ‘exemple vertueux’, qui utilise l'aide d'une maniere efficace, relative aux autres pays recevants. Ces perceptions datent surtout de la periode de haute conjoncture des annees 70s. Les efforts de redressement de la balance des paiements, ont egalement ete impressionants. Ceci a ete accompagne d'une reorientation, des emprunts pour des nouveaux projets vers des emprunts pour des programmes, accompagnes d'une reformulation des politiques. Cet article examine ces arguments, ainsi que l'efficacite des interventions sectoriels des donneurs, surtout en ce qui a trait au transport a l'agriculture et a l'assistance technique. L'argument de la ‘destruction des institutions’, lie a la proliferation des donneurs est scrute, et une analyse de la maniere de resoudre des conflits de politique est donnee. L'article conclut en identifiant les facteurs‐cles de la pratique du Malawi et de ses rapports avec les pays donneurs. RESUMEN Malawi: hacienda uso efectivo de los recursos de la ayuda Malawi es considerado por muchos donantes como un ‘caso virtuoso’ y un usuario relativamente efectivo de la ayuda. Aunque muchas de estas percepciones se originaron en el boom economico de la decada de 1970, el comportamiento en la recuperacion de las dificultades de la balanza de pagos ha sido tambien impresionante, desde que la ayuda se modifico hacia programas de credito relacionados con politicas reformistas y desvinculados de nuevos proyectos. Este articulo considera estas opiniones y revisa la efectividad de las intervenciones sectoriales de los donantes, particularmente en transporte, agricultura y asistencia tecnica, examina minuciosamente el argumento de la ‘destruccion institucional’ adjudicada a la proliferacion de donantes y analiza como son resueltos los conflictos sobre politicas. Concluye identificando los factores claves de la experiencia de Malawi con los donantes.
Taphonomy of Isisfordia duncani specimens from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) portion of the Winton Formation, Isisford, central-west Queensland
Taphonomic analysis of fossil material can benefit from including the results of actualistic decay experiments. This is crucial in determining the autochthony or allochthony of fossils of juvenile and adult Isisfordia duncani, a basal eusuchian from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) distal-fluvial-deltaic lower Winton Formation near Isisford. The taphonomic characteristics of the I. duncani fossils were documented using a combination of traditional taphonomic analysis alongside already published actualistic decay data from juvenile Crocodylus porosus carcasses. We found that the I. duncani holotype, paratypes and referred specimens show little signs of weathering and no signs of abrasion. Disarticulated skeletal elements are often found in close proximity to the rest of the otherwise articulated skeleton. The isolated and disarticulated skeletal elements identified, commonly cranial, maxillary and mandibular elements, are typical of lag deposits. The holotype QM F36211 and paratype QM F34642 were classified as autochthonous, and the remaining I. duncani paratypes and referred specimens are parautochthonous. We propose that I. duncani inhabited upper and lower delta plains near the Eromanga Sea in life. Their carcasses were buried in sediment-laden floodwaters in delta plain overbank and distributary channel deposits. Future studies should refer to I. duncani as a brackish water tolerant species.