Gathered in this collection are research essays along the themes of aid and militarism, of development cooperation and conflict and fragility. These articles contain case studies from various regions of Asia that illustrate the relationship between aid on the one hand, and development projects and militarism on the other. All are written in a style that is reader-friendly, as befits the importance and urgency of their content.

This collection is part of the necessary and continuing task of evaluating the concrete effects of aid on people and communities in the grassroots, as well as on the environment. For while aid has the potential to help in bringing about sustainable development and addressing the root causes of conflicts and fragility, it has time and again been used in ways that are contrary to these objectives.