Unconditional cash transfers are “the most radical form of localization,” former U.K. development minister Rory Stewart said Wednesday.
But right now, he said, little development money is given away in cash — largely because those who hold power in the sector feel threatened by it.
Stewart is currently a special adviser to GiveDirectly, an NGO that advocates for unconditional cash transfers, and previously served as its president. He said that only around 3% of development spending is currently in the form of cash assistance.