Gross National Generosity (GNG)

GNG was the outcome of scrutinizing the approaches of Australia, France, Japan and China to ODA from the perspectives of aid policy makers in three Pacific Island Countries (PICs), Vanuatu, Tonga, and Kiribati. The research revealed new discoveries within donor-recipient relationships through exploring the concepts of Priority, Disbursement, Dependency and Leverage. By utilizing theoretical applications of Development (Dependency) theory, Common Pool Resources (Eleanor Ostrom), Schismogenesis (Gregory Bateson) and Gift Giving theory (Marcel Mauss) in his research, Dr. Funaki critically analyzed and interpreted the characteristics of each donor nation’s approaches to ODA. Leverage was validated as being the most successful tool used by the three PICs to influence both Priority and Disbursement of aid. However, the research demonstrates that uniqueness of leverage capabilities found in each PIC, and differences in policy interest of donor nations generate destructive competitions among both donor nations and recipient countries.

In addition, the research identifies that the cultural value of "reciprocity" in the PICs are absolutely crucial to “dignity” that works differently from the current system ODA operate. Further, the study showed that adapting to the relationship motivation of reciprocity alleviates the Disbursement and Priority control held by donor nations, thus averting the expected destruction outcome for recipient countries using their own capabilities as Leverage for aid flow. 

With the goal of rethinking donor-recipient relationships, the research resulted in the proposal of Gross National Generosity (GNG), a philosophy for a dignified Pacific to enrich the world. It is a sustainable development framework designed to articulate what ODA receiving countries could contribute to the SDGs (Global Needs) from what they possess, and at the same time preserve these global resources for future generations. The paper concludes with the insight that traditional donor nations approach ODA as transactional yet only acknowledge a one-way relationship. On the other hand, the PICs view ODA as an unreciprocated gift. Traditional donor nations have not, in fact, structured the delivery of ODA around the expectation of reciprocation from recipient countries. Consequently, natural resources, political favors, etc. that are provided by the PICs to traditional ODA donor nations are not perceived as reciprocation for aid provided. GNG proposes re-shaping the development framework such that contributions made by the PICs to donor nations are perceived as equal in value to the ODA received in order to remedy this omission. Shaping development as a contribution creates a route for recipient countries to actively participate in global discussions with dignity through the value of their contribution while still corresponding to the original relationship established by donor nations for ODA. In doing so, GNG will contribute to improving global prosperity through the recognition of Pacific knowledge, adding the concept of “well-giving” as a new value for society to the already existing global understanding of “well-being.”

The concepts of “well-being” and “well-giving” both relate to development, but operate according to different motivations. “Well-being” underpins a welfare state of existence as the motivational drive to develop is based on evaluation of one’s own condition. Concentrating on one’s own welfare (well-being) unintentionally creates a state of existence shaped around self-interests. However, due to differences in the value systems of various countries and differences in their capacities for development, the “well-being” approach contributes to imbalance in the donor-recipient relationship. On the other hand, the idea behind “well-giving” is to prioritize giving in one’s state of existence, thus including the interests of others as part of the motivation for development. Well-giving promotes coexistence and unity despite different value systems and development capacities as both donor and recipient countries would take the good of others into consideration when creating their development initiatives. In this way well-giving has the potential to rebalance the donor-recipient relationship. It is a philosophy for a dignified Pacific to enrich the world through transformation of self-perceptions by re-articulating what PICs can offer from their resources and achievements to enrich the world. 

The Dignified Pacific Initiative recognized the challenges that when the notion of reciprocity is not fulfilled, Dignity is hurt. The initiative seeks to examine the spheres or areas that could be promoted to heighten this sense of value and dignity. We are looking to derive these spheres from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as these SDGs are the guides to what the world prioritizes and values to find connections of what the PICs could offer. One of the ideas of GNG is to integrate the strategic development framework of PICs as contributions while at the same time these contributions takes the role of reciprocity. 

The philosophy of this initiative is calling for a paradigm shift from the current ODA philosophy of “helping them to help themselves” as this approach leads to what has become referred to as “Official Dependency Assistance.” Instead, this initiative is requesting to revisit the humanity found within "helping them to help others” (helping each other), rooted on the Pacific notions of gift-giving and balanced relationships. This new shift could lead to regulating of development priorities intended for PICs and developing countries from delivering foreign aid as a political tool for “exchange” (give and take), to discovering the potentials of providing foreign aid as “reciprocity” (give, receive and give back) where the dignity of the giver and the receiver are maintained.

From a macro perspective, this initiative is inviting OECD and global governance organizations to reconsider the concepts for ODA to be outlined as contributions to global prosperity in order to find ways for nations to stay united even when foreign policies are self-interested. This vision anticipates wealthy nations to continue providing impact contributions to promote the well giving of developing countries through advance technology and finance, while developing countries including the PICs to improve the quality of their well giving through the moral significance of their GNG. The quicker we realize that we depend on each other’s resources to live, the better we manage our own resources for a shared future that is more sustainable and prosperous.

The potential categories proposed to be tested for articulation of GNG consists of:

The potential categories proposed to be tested for articulation of GNG consist of the followings: