MFAN Co-Chair David Beckmann, World Food Prize laureate and President of Bread for the World, has a new piece on foreign assistance reform, offering two steps President Obama should take now to put the U.S. on a path to more efficient, effective aid — the same two action steps listed in MFAN’s Open Letter, published yesterday. The op-ed first appeared in The Huffington Post, but find full text of the piece after the jump:
Posts Tagged ‘Foreign Assistance Act’
MFAN Statement: More than 200 Endorsers Agree that Aid Reform is Within Reach
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
August 5, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – This statement is delivered on behalf of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) by Co-Chairs David Beckmann and George Ingram:
Forty days after President Obama pledged to issue a new development policy “in the near future” – and with no word yet on when it will be released – MFAN, joined by more than 200 partner organizations and individuals, has published an Open Letter urging the President to show much-needed leadership to reform foreign assistance and strengthen America’s commitment to global development. The letter, published in today’s issue of Politico, urges President Obama to:
- Create America’s first-ever Global Development Strategy – which is referenced in the leaked Presidential Study Directive draft, “A New Way Forward on Global Development”; and
- Partner with Congress to rewrite the outdated Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, a working draft of which House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman recently released.
We applaud the steps taken by the Obama Administration thus far to elevate development as a pillar of U.S. foreign policy, which will help us do a better job of reducing poverty and spurring economic growth worldwide. But these efforts, including initiatives such as Feed the Future and the Global Health Initiative, will not reach their full potential unless our country has an overarching Global Development Strategy.
“The volume and variety of signatories – from NGOs, think tanks, and corporations to former U.S. government officials and private-sector leaders – indicates the widespread support and urgent need for the President to take definitive action toward reforming our foreign assistance system,” said Co-Chair George Ingram. “We must have a Global Development Strategy to clearly state what we are trying to achieve, how different actors within the U.S. government will contribute to that mission, and who will be in charge of – and accountable for – achieving results. Likewise, the Cold War-era Foreign Assistance Act no longer provides a realistic and understandable framework for the U.S. foreign assistance system, and the President must be engaged with Congress in a collaborative effort to rewrite the legislation. The stakes – for U.S. national interests and for the health, prosperity, and stability of the developing world – are too high for continued inaction.”
The Open Letter is the centerpiece of our Reform Within Reach campaign, which is also focused on sharing development success stories and educating the American public about the important role U.S. development efforts play in our national security. Individuals can still sign on to our Open Letter by clicking here.
200 + Signatories on MFAN’s Open Letter
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
MFAN’s Open Letter to the President on the U.S. Commitment to Global Development will be featured in a print ad this Thursday and you don’t want to miss it. Thanks to your hard work and dedicated efforts, we garnered an unprecedented amount of support for reforming U.S. development from businesses, NGOs, think tanks, prominent individuals, and implementing partners. Our hope is that the broad and diverse collection of signatories will demonstrate to President Obama and policymakers in Washington that wide, far-reaching support exists for the creation of America’s first-ever Global Development Strategy and a rewrite of the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act.
On behalf of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, thank you to the following organizations and individuals who endorsed MFAN’s Open Letter to President Obama:
130+ Businesses, NGOs, Think Tanks, and Individuals Sign MFAN’s Open Letter
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
With the deadline fast approaching, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is happy to report that over 130 organizations and individuals have endorsed the Open Letter to the President on the U.S. Commitment to Global Development. We look forward to sharing the Open Letter with the community in the coming days.
Just to name a few of the signatories:
Alliance to End Hunger
Better World Campaign
Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty
Devex
International Housing Coalition
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Truman National Security Project
You can still sign the Open Letter on our website or take a few steps listed below to help us spread the word on this important call to action:
- Circulate the Open Letter
- Download a badge for your Facebook, MySpace, or other profile to show you support more effective foreign aid and get your network to sign the letter
- Tweet: “I signed a letter urging Pres Obama to increase U.S. foreign aid’s impact. YOUR TURN!http://bit.ly/12FBms #ReformWithinReach”
MFAN Principal and InterAction CEO Talks about Reform Within Reach
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Yesterday, Inter Press Service (IPS) posted an interview with MFAN Principal and InterAction CEO and President Sam Worthington. IPS’s Aprille Muscara spoke with Worthington about the role of NGOs in providing emergency relief and long-term reconstruction in Haiti and how foreign assistance reform will lead to more effective development. Worthington mentioned InterAction’s work as a Partner of MFAN, specifically citing the Reform Within Reach campaign, and outlined the principle steps for reform MFAN has been advocating for since its inception. He also provided a clear definition of country ownership. Read an excerpt from his interview after the jump and be sure to read the full interview:
