Author Archive

Building Schools Can Transform a Nation

New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof recently highlighted the ongoing debate over the balance of funding the United States is spending on the war in Afghanistan.  While military programs remain the overwhelming proportion of U.S. funding, Kristof observed that “education can actually transform a nation.”
Funding for twenty schools in Afghanistan, Kristof noted, would cost the [...]

How Foreign Aid Helps Haiti

On January 12th, the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti was devastated by a 7.0-Mw earthquake, and in the aftermath the international community—led by the United States in particular—rushed to Haitians’ aid with food and water, medical services, and reconstruction teams.
Now, 6 months later, it is evident that, although much remains to be done, our foreign [...]

State Department’s ‘Conversations with America’

On Friday morning, the State Department hosted a discussion on the Obama Administration’s outreach to Muslim communities across the world between Steven Clemons of the New America Foundation and Farah Pandith, the Department’s Special Representative on the issue.

InterAction Recommendations on the MDGs

U.S. Global Leadership Coalition member InterAction recently unveiled a series of recommendations for the White House to reaffirm its commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the President develops his precise plan of action in the run up to his presentation at the September MDG Summit, InterAction has underscored several initiatives that offer [...]

What the President’s National Export Initiative Means for Economic Security

The President’s $58.8 billion International Affairs Budget request has a major role to play in how effective the United States can be in bolstering exports and competing in the global marketplace.

Exports to Developing Countries Boost U.S. Economy

“Exports to Developing Countries Boost U.S. Economy”
by Chris Policinski
Roll Call:  June 30, 2010

This weekend, business leaders, heads of state, journalists and leading thinkers will be gathering in South Africa for events of the utmost importance for both the U.S. and the developing world. No, not the World Cup, but the 2010 Global Forum, convened by [...]

Rajiv Shah at CSIS

Yesterday, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the President’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) and the steps USAID is taking to ensure not only its successful impact, but also its efficiency and long term-viability.  In order to improve health-care quality and access in poor and rural communities, [...]

G20 Not Meeting Its Commitments: Jubilee USA

As the G8/G20 Summit in Ontario, Canada, approaches, a new report released by the Jubilee USA Network assigns the Group of 20 nations a grade of ‘D’ in keeping its commitments to poor countries.
The G20, which represents 85% of the global economy, has fallen short of its pledges for funding international development, according to the [...]

This Just In: Rajiv Shah at the National Press Club

This past Friday at the National Press Club, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah laid out his hopes for the transformation of USAID into a stronger, more entrepreneurial and cooperative agency, one better able to meet the modern challenges that require the United States to play a bigger role in international development. Emphasizing that “America’s greatest security [...]

Melinda Gates Announces $1.5 Billion in New Development Funding

Last week at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual Women Deliver Conference, Melinda Gates announced new funding for maternal and child health improvement in the developing world and urged the United States and other governments to join her in doing so.
In her speech, she declared that over the next 5 years the Foundation will [...]