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New organization to combine power of digital technology to end poverty with robust networks of women’s self-help groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America
WASHINGTON October 25, 2016 — Grameen Foundation and Freedom from Hunger, two global leaders in the fight to end poverty, announced today that they are joining forces to form a single unified global organization.
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Rena Singer was the featured speaker at Global Washington’s October 12 Executive Director Roundtable.
“The ultimate goal of communication is to facilitate a change in behavior rather than merely to disseminate information.” Easier said than done. But after six years as Landesa’s Global Communications Director and a long journalistic career, Rena Singer started her own strategic communications consulting agency and now stresses that often. She mentioned it on October 12 while leading Global Washington’s latest Executive Director Roundtable.
Singer connects brain science, communication and culture. Knowing how to best grab an audience’s attention means understanding the science behind the inner workings of the brain. Singer cited The Narrative Project in her presentation. The Narrative Project interviewed over 1,000 people in the US, UK, France and Germany. They wanted to know if attitudes regarding global development were negative or positive, generally speaking. They asked questions like, “Do poor countries tend to stay poor?” and “Over the past 20 years has foreign aid made a difference?” Over 70% of respondents answered negatively. Singer went on to share tips on how to challenge and reverse this inherent cynicism, and promote optimism within the global development sector. Continue Reading
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Welcome to the October 2016 issue of the Global Washington newsletter.
Fifteen years ago, I had the privilege of meeting economist and Nobel Laurette Amartya Sen. His rights-based approach to global development, the idea that a person’s quality of life should be measured by rights and freedoms rather than economic wealth, fundamentally changed my thinking. I see this approach in practice with several GlobalWA member organizations, most prominently in those that fight for human rights globally. We’re spotlighting several in this month’s newsletter.
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the 2016 Global Philanthropy Guide and Member Directory. In partnership with Seattle Foundation and Seattle International Foundation, the guide spotlights ten GlobalWA members who received funding from Seattle Foundation’s Global GiveTogether, and also includes a full member directory of the 165 organizations that are working to improve lives in developing countries. An online version of the guide can be found here.
I hope you will help celebrate the vibrant community of global development champions we have in our state by learning more in the articles below, browsing the profiles in our Global Philanthropy Guide, and joining us at our annual conference on December 8. Conference details and tickets are available here.
Kristen Dailey
Executive Director
Would you like to have a print copy of the GlobalWA Member Directory?
By Amanda Pain
Christian Bastiansen/IRC
According to Amnesty International, which monitors 160 countries and territories, in 2015 there were 113 countries that arbitrarily restricted freedom of expression; 30 countries that illegally forced refugees to return to their home countries; armed groups committed abuses in 36 countries; 61 countries locked up prisoners of conscience; 122 countries tortured or ill-treated people; war crimes were carried out in 19 countries; and 55 percent of monitored countries conducted unfair trails. While there has been progress made addressing human rights violations, atrocities still occur far too often.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the basis for international human rights law today. Created by the United Nations in its 1948 General Assembly, the UDHR spelled out in its 30 articles the basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all human beings should enjoy, and requires all member governments to uphold these fundamental rights.
UDHR is the foundation for over 80 international human rights treaties and declarations, as well as regional and domestic laws established to enforce human rights. Of the 160 UN member States, each one has ratified one of the nine core international human rights treaties, and 80 percent have ratified four or more. The first two treaties were adopted in 1966 with one concerning civil and political rights, and the other economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR). ESCR includes basic human needs such as healthcare, education, clean water and access to food. Other treaties established the rights of children, the elimination of racial and gender discrimination, as well as the abolishment of torture.
When a country signs a human rights treaty, it assumes the responsibility of creating legislation to uphold those rights. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has a mandate to promote and protect human rights. It assists governments in enforcing human rights laws and treaties via technical training in the administration of justice, legislative reform and the electoral process. When domestic legislation fails to address human rights violations, the UN Human Rights Council, created in 2006, reviews the violations and make recommendations which may include addressing those violations at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Considered a last resort to seek justice for human rights abuses, the ICC, created in 2002 and located at The Hague, will review war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity (large scale attacks against civilian populations) and crimes of aggression (armed forces of one State against the sovereignty or independence of another State). From 2002 to present, The ICC has opened investigations in 10 countries and has issued three verdicts.
In 2013, UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon launched the Human Rights Up Front initiative with the goal of ensuring the UN system takes early and effective action to prevent and respond to large-scale violations of human rights. Large advocacy organizations such as Amnesty International and Human’s Rights Watch monitor human rights abuses and advance the protection of people’s rights all over the world. Global Washington members are also doing their part to advocate for human rights and bring about justice.
iLEAP’s programs are centered around learning themes of social innovation and leadership and balance personal inquiry and reflection with social action and collaboration. An emphasis on relationship-building and hands-on learning connects participants with influential leaders and innovative organizations from a wide range of sectors including: global health, social media, environmental conservation, youth leadership, sustainable agriculture, human rights, technology and education. iLEAP programs are designed to inspire personal growth, deepen a sense of vocation, spark creativity, advance professional development and lead to social transformation.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of people, forced to flee violence and persecution, are welcomed by the people of the United States into the safety and freedom of America. These individuals have survived against incredible odds. The IRC works with government bodies, civil society actors, and local volunteers to help them translate their past experiences into assets that are valuable to their new communities. In Seattle and other offices across the country, the IRC helps them to rebuild their lives.
OutRight Action International is a leading international human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of people who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. OutRight Action International strengthens the capacity of the LGBT human rights movement worldwide to effectively conduct documentation of LGBT human rights violations and engages in human rights advocacy with partners around the globe.
One of the biggest challenges of working in Myanmar is the lack of trust created by five decades of military rule, in which the law was used as a weapon of control. Lawyers often have limited education, and are not respected in a system in which corruption is not just an add-on, but the very oil that makes the wheels turn. Partners Asia assists local groups in their efforts to fight back and bring fairness back to the justice system. The Rule of Law program works to build capacity and support reform advocacy through both smaller more flexible “action grants” and larger organizational grants, particularly to communities in ethnic and rural areas. In its first two years, the program provided 126 grants to 85 organization.
Seattle International Foundation
Seattle International Foundation (SIF) supports worldwide poverty alleviation efforts through grant-making and other activities, with a strategic focus on Mexico and Central America. SIF was founded in 2008 as a supporting organization to Seattle Foundation for the purpose of increasing and enhancing international philanthropy and development from the Pacific Northwest. In addition to grant-making, SIF convenes and partners with organizations from the non-profit, philanthropic, government, and private sectors to address root causes of poverty by piloting and advocating for innovative approaches to improving lives. Since 2008, SIF has granted more than $19 million to 188 high impact organizations in 68 countries, including $11 million in grants to Central America.
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to advance the rule of law around the world. Effective rule of law reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of peace, equity and opportunity – underpinning development, accountable government and respect for fundamental rights. The WJP engages citizens and leaders from across the globe and from multiple work disciplines to advance the rule of law and seeks to increase public awareness about the foundational importance of rule of law, stimulate policy reforms, and develop practical programs at the community level.
Vista Hermosa Foundation (VHF) was established by Ralph and Cheryl Broetje in 1990 to carry out the mission of “bearing fruit that will last.” In addition to supporting local education programs in the Vista Hermosa community, VHF invests in the development of holistic, sustainable communities in East Africa, India, Haiti, Mexico and the U.S. They focus on community-based initiatives that are people-focused and locally-led. Rather than address needs through projects or inputs, VHF seeks to nurture mindset change. As people are able to embrace their own sense of worth, purpose and agency, build trusting, supportive relationships with those around them, and see available resources differently, they are empowered to affect change in their own lives.
By Amanda Pain
WJP Chief Research Officer Alejandro Ponce provides highlights of the Rule of Law Index results, measuring how well countries adhere to their own laws.
The World Justice Project works to create a more level playing field, starting with the system of laws that determine people’s access to opportunity and equity. “Rule of law” is defined as a system with four universal principles: government, private entities and individuals must be held accountable; laws must be clear, public and equitable; laws must be administered fairly and efficiently; and justice must be delivered by competent and ethical individuals who have the resources to protect their communities.
“Rule of law is broader than human rights,” explained Radha Friedman, Director of Programs for World Justice Project (WJP), a nonprofit located in Washington, D.C. and Seattle, WA. “If the four principles of rule of law are in place in a society, then your human rights should be protected.”
WJP was founded in 2006 by William Neukom, former president of the American Bar Association and general counsel at Microsoft. “(Neukom) realized that not enough people understood the rule of law, how it impacted them and how to become agents of change,” said Friedman. Neukom founded WJP based on two premises: the rule of law is the foundation of peace, opportunity and equity in society; and multidisciplinary collaboration is the most effective way to advance the rule of law. “Traditionally, laws are viewed as the domain of lawyers, judges and police. But issues of safety, governance and justice affect everyone. WJP provides platforms for everyone to come together and generate solutions.”
WJP’s work focuses on three overarching goals: encouraging government reform, either directly or indirectly; inspiring and catalyzing people to create programs on the ground globally that enhance the rule of law; and increasing the understanding and importance of rule of law.
WJP convenes diverse leaders in Senegal to examine Senegal’s scores in the WJP Rule of Law Index.
Friedman explained that the multidisciplinary approach is important because effective rule of law helps reduce corruption, improve public health, enhance education, lift people out of poverty and protect them from injustice. To be most effective, educators, religious leaders, health professionals, business and community leaders all need to come together.
One of the WJP’s first goals was to find a way to measure the rule of law in each country. With the help of a Rule of Law Research Consortium, comprised of scholars from multiple fields producing research on how rule of law affects society, WJP developed the Rule of Law Index, which measures how the rule of law is actually experienced by average citizens in a country. In its first iteration, the index published data for six countries. An updated index will be released online this week, including data from 113 countries. In 2015, WJP also released the Open Government Index, which takes a more detailed look at one of the factors its indicators in the Rule of Law Index.
Friedman explained that, based on data from the Rule of Law Index, WJP holds engagement activities to encourage people to utilize the data for change. One of these activities is convening groups of multidisciplinary actors globally at the World Justice Forum. WJP also holds regional gatherings and recently started working at a country level to address rule of law issues locally. For example, WJP convened community leaders in Malawi — from local grassroots NGOs to the country’s president Joyce Banda — to examine Malawi’s scores in the Rule of Law Index and explore opportunities to improve. The convening inspired a local project, which WJP supported, to harmonize informal and formal justice systems in the country. To date, WJP has convened local leaders in Tunisia, Malawi, Senegal and Indonesia to discuss rule of law issues specific to those countries and design solutions.
WJP grantees “The Peacetones” are teaching musicians how to protect their intellectual property rights in Haiti, Sierra Leone, Brazil, and Kenya.
Another engagement activity is WJP’s World Justice Challenge which grants funding to nontraditional leaders worldwide that are strengthening rule of law. WJP has funded 90 experimental pilot programs in 61 countries, and provided over $1 million in seed grants. Each year, WJP funds approximately 10 new programs to improve justice, led by unorthodox leaders including engineers, athletes, and musicians. “This can be a challenge because, when our grantees are leading a project that may be critical of the government, they can experience a lot of barriers, resistance, and slow progress,” Friedman explained. “Funders don’t usually invest in new ideas or unlikely leaders, so a lot of our grantees tell us that WJP’s seed grant gave them the credibility to seek additional funding.”
“Unlike other organizations that may be better known, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, WJP’s theory of change is not about shaming and blaming governments for not following laws,” said Friedman. “Change does not happen the same way in every country. WJP is trying to contribute impartial data for public discourse so local people can in turn take action.”
World Justice Project will launch its 2016 Rule of Law Index on October 20th, 2016 in cooperation with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Please contact Matt Harman at mharman@worldjusticeproject.org for more information.
By Amanda Pain
While working as a community organizer for an organization in Philadelphia, Jessica Stern learned an important lesson: no matter how isolated you feel, you can find community anywhere. When the organization utilized international human rights law to advocate for homeless women occupying abandoned buildings in the city, the group found a landless peasant movement in Brazil that was working in similar fashion. Stern, currently Executive Director of OutRight Action International, said being part of this collaboration changed her life.
“I learned that, even if you don’t have community right around you, if you are willing to look far and wide you will always find a friend,” explained Stern. “For isolated LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning) communities, it is important to be able to access community anywhere it’s available to you. That’s what we do at OutRight — connect grassroots organizations to resources.”
After her experience in Philadelphia, Stern found herself drawn to human rights advocacy work. In 2000, she received the Ralph J. Bunche Human Rights Fellowship at Amnesty International USA where she researched domestic human rights abuses experienced by the LGBTQ community. In 2004, Stern became the first researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW) to focus solely on LGBTQ human rights abuses. She explained that it was difficult work because mainstream human rights organizations paid little attention to LGBTQ issues up to that point. Her work involved persuading the LGBTQ community to trust HRW to take on their issues, and changing the internal culture at HRW to more deeply commit to and advocate for the LGBTQ community.
Mainstream human rights organizations haven’t always helped when it comes to awareness of LGBTIQ human rights abuses. OutRight, established in 1990 as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), was created in part to encourage Amnesty International to include LGBTQ human rights abuses in its platform. “OutRight was among the first to take on these larger organizations and demand they recognize LGBTQ rights,” explained Stern. “You can’t get governments to understand the concept of universality of human rights if the advocates themselves don’t include everyone. Thankfully, we and many others in the movement have been successful in changing mainstream organizations’ discourse.”
Stern has served as OutRight’s Executive Director since 2012 and has already accomplished several of her goals. She grew the budget by 100%, raised funds to have a second full-time staff member working at the UN (OutRight is the only LGBTIQ organization in the world focused on UN headquarters), and acquired consultative status for OutRight with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the UN. In its 25-year history, OutRight has helped increase the number of LGBTIQ community organizations and brought them together to advocate for LGBTIQ rights; helped produce open dialogue with governments to discuss LGBTIQ rights, laws and public policy; and helped produce a normative shift in international human rights discourse.
“I have worked in mainstream organizations and they trained me well,” said Stern. “But any vulnerable group needs their community members speaking for them, and not routed through an organization that is not wholly committed to their issues. I have been very grateful to come to work for OutRight, an organization led by LGBTIQ people with the single-minded focus of advocating for the rights of LGBTIQ people around the world.”
Stern’s next goal for OutRight is to develop a Research Action Task Force. “One of the struggles we have is producing credible data that reflects our community’s reality,” explained Stern. She wants her team to gather data on human rights violations and discrimination towards LGBTIQ people to help influence public policy in every country. “The idea is to go from micro research projects that we and our partners have been doing, and start aggregating that data at the global level,” she said. “I hope this will be my legacy at OutRight. By contributing to knowledge production, we will have a clearer picture of the problems that our community faces.” Stern is able to tackle this project because a private donor has pledged to match funds that OutRight raises over a four-year period.
While Stern’s work has allowed her to travel all over the world investigating human rights violations, the country that has influenced her the most is Iraq. “I’ve traveled to Iraq multiple times and, when I first went in 2013, I couldn’t find LGBTIQ organizations or any organizations advocating for LGBTIQ rights,” Stern explained. “Over the years, I have seen the most amazing development in Iraq with LGBTIQ community members organizing and advocating for themselves. Watching them find their footing as a movement is the greatest thing in the world to witness.”
Stern is optimistic about the future of LGBTIQ rights. “I have been doing this work for 15 years, and every year we experience bigger setbacks than I thought possible, and more progress than I could have dreamt of,” she said. Like many NGO leaders, her ultimate goal is to put herself out of business, but she knows there is still much work to be done. “In my lifetime, I know I will see major progress, we already have,” Stern exclaimed. “If I can tell you that I know about LGBTIQ organizing in Iraq, I am telling you that I think anything is possible.”
Please welcome our newest Global Washington members. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with their work and consider opportunities for support and collaboration!
Lane Powell PC
With approximately 200 attorneys in offices located in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Tacoma, Washington; Anchorage, Alaska; and London, England, Lane Powell is thoroughly versed in the industries of the Pacific Northwest as well as the legal issues that face clients on a regional, national and international level. www.lanepowell.com
SSG Advisors
SSG Advisors is a global team of international development and impact investment professionals that harnesses the power of collaboration to enable communities, companies and governments to drive market-based solutions to global challenges. ssg-advisors.com
Oct 19: World Affairs Council // YPIN October Networking with YLAI, HANDS, and Landesa Fellows
Oct 19-21: Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce // Regional Leadership Conference
Oct 20: One by One // Night Out for Fistula
Oct 21: Mona Foundation // Annual Gala Celebration
Oct 25: PeaceTrees Vietnam // 21st Anniversary Luncheon
Oct 27: Sahar // Empowering Afghan Girls with Technology
Oct 28: Trade Development Alliance // The Future of Work
Oct 29: Women’s Enterprises International // Harambee
Nov 3: Pilgrim Africa // Annual Gala Dinner
Nov 3: Shoreline Community College // Reckoning with The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte
Nov 5: Mission Africa // 10th Anniversary Celebration
Nov 5: Bo M. Karlsson Foundation // Celebrate Women Fundraiser
Nov 5: NPH USA // Gala Dinner & Auction
Nov 7: Trade Development Alliance // Women in Leadership: A Global Perspective
Nov 12: Water 1st International // Give Water Give Life
Highlighted Positions
Bookkeeper, Etta Project
Investment Associate, Capria
Private Sector Engagement Group Lead, VillageReach
For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/job-board/
October 20: Happy Hour with Friends of GlobalWA, Humanosphere and World Affairs Council
December 8: Global Washington’s 8th Annual Conference
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By Jonathan Papoulidis, World Vision
A view of the convoy as Major General Robert Mood, head of the newly established U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria, leads a delegation to the Khalidiyyeh neighborhood of Homs to meet opposition members. Governments and donors must take a transformational resilience approach to Syria’s refugee crisis. Photo by: Nadine Kaddoura / United Nations
The Syrian crisis has shaken an entire region and been at the epicenter of a global displacement crisis for the past five years. This crisis has turned some 20 million children, families and communities into refugees and 40 million into internally displaced persons within their own countries, according to UNHCR.
The humanitarian community has been under massive strain to deal with this global crisis. The cracks of this strain are evident in a string of significantly under-resourced humanitarian appeals across fragile states, including Syria and the regional response.
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By Bill Clapp, co-founder of Global Washington and Seattle International Foundation
and Dan O’Neill, co-founder of Mercy Corps
More than 65 million people today, more than one out of every hundred on the planet, are on the run as refugees or otherwise displaced from their homes and communities. More than half are children.
These are stunning numbers, representing a refugee crisis the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since World War II. But this crisis also represents an opportunity for all of us living in comparative safety and wealth to take actions that truly embody our values and responsibilities as global citizens.
Read more at Humanosphere.
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On September 29 at the Global Washington office, The Trust for the Americas hosted a discussion with Seattle-area companies and nonprofits with the goal of getting feedback and generating new ideas from a diverse group of leaders. Represented at the meeting were PwC, Tableau, Morgan Stanley, Mass Mutual, Waldron, Catalyst Innovators Group, Benaroya Company, World Vision, UW Bothell and New Majority Consulting.
The Trust for the Americas’ Chief Executive Officer, Linda Eddleman, and Director of Programs, Maria Liliana Mor, led the conversation. A Washington, D.C.-based organization, The Trust for the Americas has programs in 19 different countries stretching across central and southern America. Their programs primarily focus on providing technology and education to youth with physical disabilities. Their newest project is an extension of their Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technologies in the Americas program (POETA), and is being launched in Mexico, Jamaica and Colombia where The Trust and Microsoft have continued their long-standing partnership to create technology hubs. These hubs were modeled after technology centers at MIT and designed for physically disabled youth to have a space to push their technological understanding further and produce new inventions. Continue Reading
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On September 14, Global Washington hosted a panel discussion on mass migration and its effect on our world. Resat Kasaba, Director, Stanley D. Golub Chair of International Studies for UW’s Jackson School moderated the panel. Participants included Anne Peterson, Senior Vice President of Global Programs for Americares; Jonathan Scanlon, Senior Advocacy Advisor for Oxfam America; and Nicky Smith, Executive Director of IRC Seattle. The speakers addressed their leadership in regards to the crisis, and how their organizations are tackling the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Continue Reading
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Welcome to the September 2016 issue of the Global Washington newsletter.
In 2015, 65.3 million people around the world were displaced. This is greater than the combined population of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While Syrians represent the largest percentage of those displaced, numerous others are fleeing war and fragile civil societies in South Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Ukraine and Central African Republic, in addition to thousands more fleeing poverty and violence in Central America. Countries lacking strong civil societies, termed “fragile states,” are home to 43 percent of the global population.
This is a global crisis. It will be top of mind for world leaders when they gather this month at the United Nations General Assembly. In addition, President Obama has called for a White House Summit on Refugees to address the myriad of political, social and economic issues associated with mass migration. Political leadership is an essential part of the solution.
NetHope
Several Global Washington members are on the front lines of the refugee crisis, addressing its root causes. We will be raising the profile of members who work on this issue and providing a “Seattle response” to world leaders gathering in New York and D.C. Please join us on September 14 along with experts from the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam America and Americares for a timely discussion on this topic. I hope you will read on to learn more, attend tomorrow’s event, and add your voice as we tackle this global crisis.
Kristen Dailey
Executive Director
Is your organization putting on a big event this fall? Gala? Luncheon? Annual dinner? Tell us about it! We’d love to help spread the word.
By Amanda Pain
Medical Teams International
Every minute, 24 people are forced to leave their homes. While large numbers, such as 65.3 million people displaced worldwide in 2015, can often be hard to comprehend, 24 people equals a group of co-workers, friends or classmates. Now imagine 24 people displaced every minute of every day, and every day of every year. That is the magnitude of the current migration crisis, and it is a problem unseen since the Second World War.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the breakdown of 65.3 million displaced persons in 2015 equals 40.8 million internally displaced persons, 21.3 million refugees and 3.2 million asylum seekers. There were 12.4 million people newly displaced in 2015, and 10 million were stateless. The forcibly displaced population today is larger than the total population of the United Kingdom. If those displaced all lived in one country, that country would rank 21st globally by population. And half are children who are often forced to migrate alone.
A majority of those displaced, 86 percent, are from low and middle-income countries and are close to conflict. More than half, 54 percent, are from either Syria, Afghanistan or Somalia. What causes this mass migration? Sometimes it’s natural disasters, which have affected 218 million people over the last two decades. Often people face extreme war and conflict, which drives 80 percent of humanitarian need. Fragile states are home to 43 percent of the global population, 76 percent of whom live in extreme poverty. Two-thirds of the countries considered to be fragile states did not meet Millennium Development Goal 1, which aimed to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. If these states cannot reduce conflict and build good governance by 2030, 62 percent of the people living in fragile states will be living on less than $1.25 a day.
One example of a fragile state is Syria, which has been in conflict since 2011. At the end of 2015, 13.5 million people were in need of humanitarian aid, including 6.5 million people who were internally displaced. This ongoing crisis, which has caused so many to flee, has had devastating effects on the Syrian people. Life expectancy has been slashed by more than 20 years, school attendance has dropped by 50 percent, and the country’s economy has contracted by 40 percent.
Countries housing displaced persons are struggling to cope with the influx of people. In 2015, over 1 million crossed into Europe, with 90 percent heading to Turkey, Pakistan or Lebanon. Turkey alone hosted 2.54 million refugees in 2015. According to the International Organization of Migration, 1 million migrants traveled by sea in 2015, and nearly 35,000 by land. Since 2000, 46,000 people have died migrating, with 10,400 of those dying in 2014 and 2015 alone. While aid has increased over the past three years, reaching $28 billion in 2015, the United Nations (UN) was unable to meet 45 percent of country appeals for assistance last year.
In May 2016, UN Secretariat General Ban Ki-Moon hosted the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey to address how to best reduce refugee and migrant suffering and improve aid delivery. Out of this summit came the Grand Bargain (GB), which pledges to increase funding to local organizations from the current 2 percent to 25 percent by 2020. In addition, the GB is asking donors for more flexibility on where humanitarian aid dollars go, and in turn aid agencies will be more transparent with how donation dollars are spent. Ban Ki-Moon has also ordered the Summit for Refugees and Migrants to take place this month to bring together heads of state and create a blueprint for a better-coordinated international response to the migration crisis.
Parallel to the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, President Barack Obama will host a Leader’s Summit on Refugees. During this September summit, states will commit to broaden and deepen their commitment to funding UN humanitarian appeals, expand resettlement and other legal channels for humanitarian admissions, and facilitate refugee inclusion and self-reliance. Meanwhile, several Global Washington members are focused on the 24 people being displaced every minute, and continue to provide humanitarian aid to those 65.3 million people displaced worldwide.
As families search for safety across the Middle East and Europe, the global Red Cross network is providing vital humanitarian assistance to those in need. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are serving tens of thousands of migrants and refugees, including along the Mediterranean and Western Balkans migratory routes in countries of origin, transit and arrival. This critical assistance includes the distribution of food, water, hygiene kits, baby supplies, clothing and first aid kits. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are also providing medical care and first aid, shelter and psychosocial support. Additionally, migrants who have been separated from their family members have been receiving assistance from the Red Cross Restoring Family Links program to reconnect with their loves ones.
Among its current programs, Americares is helping vulnerable people caught in the Syria conflict, refugee communities in Jordan, families negotiating the border crisis in the United States, and people in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon who have difficulty accessing health services. By providing support to local partners in these communities, Americares is helping refugees and others access critical health care. In Syria, aid from the organization includes more than $7 million in medicine and supplies and support including staff salaries for health facilities that have been targeted by violence. With medicine for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, Americares continues to collaborate with partners in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon, to help them meet the health needs of vulnerable populations. On the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, Americares has supplied a structure where families can safely spend the night and access health care after an often lengthy and dangerous journey from Central America. Nearly 10,000 people have used the facility so far.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of people, forced to flee violence and persecution, are welcomed by the people of the United States into the safety and freedom of America. These individuals have survived against incredible odds. The IRC works with government bodies, civil society actors, and local volunteers to help them translate their past experiences into assets that are valuable to their new communities. In Seattle and other offices across the country, the IRC helps them to rebuild their lives.
Along with national governments, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other NGOs and funding partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medical Teams International is responding to mass migration/refugees fleeing conflict and disaster with healthcare service and support in Uganda, Lebanon, Greece, and soon Turkey and Tanzania. With a sudden, recent surge in violence in South Sudan, close to 90,000 more refugees are fleeing to camps in Uganda adding to the 300,000 refugees already being served in Uganda. With over 700 Ugandan healthcare staff, Medical Teams is the UNHCR preferred healthcare provider. Medical Teams’ work includes health intake for all incoming refugees, triage, direct healthcare as needed, WASH, Maternal Child and Newborn Health services, nutrition supplementation and work to treat and prevent malaria, and cholera. Over 85% of new refugees are women and children.
Powered by the belief that a better world is possible, Mercy Corps partners to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. This means not only delivering lifesaving assistance like food, water or shelter increasingly through cash, but also tackling root causes like communal tensions and hatred, discrimination, gender inequity, social exclusion, lack of opportunity and how life-shaping decisions are taken by power-holders. It means meeting today’s urgent needs while investing in a more resilient tomorrow. Mercy Corps strives to innovate for greater impact, and they understand that communities are the best agents of their own change and local markets are the best engines of long-term recovery. Today, Mercy Corps’ staff of nearly 5,000 is reaching about 30 million people in more than 40 countries around the world.
NetHope is an organization that convenes the world’s largest international non-profit organizations (NGOs) and technology giants to help tackle global challenges. NetHope, a 49-member organization, is a catalyst for productive innovation and problem solving in humanitarian crises and conservation work. NetHope is currently engaged in providing Wi-Fi to refugees fleeing persecution, conflict and famine.
RenegAID Innovative Disaster Relief
RenegAID develops educational materials to help people understand catastrophe trauma and learn the differences between everyday language and the language of survival and regeneration. Disaster policies, procedures and plans are cognitively developed prior to a catastrophe. The language of survival and regeneration is not a cognitive language, but rather a language spoken by survivors within disaster. RenegAID advocates for those who speak the language of survival and regeneration, and believes their leadership is key to overcoming the difficulty that aid organizations face in scaling up and delivering timely relief. The catastrophic mass migration our world is currently experiencing cannot be managed using procedures mitigated in past disasters or written in less confusing times. This catastrophe can only be managed by appreciating the existence of two distinct languages and the indispensable leadership from survivors themselves.
Sixty-five million children around the world are on the move – running from conflict, poverty and extreme weather, looking for a better life and a place to call home. They are among the most vulnerable people on earth – children on the edge. UNICEF is working on the ground to ensure that programs and policies in response to the migration crisis put the rights and needs of all children first. It is also working to expand humanitarian services wherever they are needed on refugee routes, including providing water and age-appropriate food, and establishing child-friendly spaces, where children can play and benefit from psychosocial support, and women can rest and take care of their babies. At the same time, millions of children are still caught in situations of conflict, natural disaster, poverty and underdevelopment – the main root causes of the crisis – and UNICEF remains committed to supporting sustainable solutions where they are needed most.
World Vision has worked in the majority of the world’s fragile states for over three decades to support the most vulnerable children and communities. Since the start of the Syria crisis, World Vision has helped more than 2 million children and adults in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and now Serbia. In addition to meeting urgent relief needs, the organization works in the world’s broken places on the root causes of fragility that perpetuate extreme poverty and drive conflict and forced migration. From places like Syria and Iraq, to Afghanistan, Somalia and South Sudan, World Vision partners with communities, governments and generous donors to provide food, clean water, child protection, education, jobs and health support. They work for lasting change in the lives of children and the poorest, in the hardest places. Read the recent article from World Vision International’s President and the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator on reducing humanitarian needs in fragile states.
By Amanda Pain
Mercy Corps has helped women in the small village of Jijiga, Ethiopia begin processing milk locally. It is now a higher quality, improving incomes for pastoralists and their families.
Credit: Sean Sheridan for Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps has been delivering humanitarian aid and rebuilding communities since 1979. Michael Bowers, Vice President of Humanitarian Leadership and Response for the Portland-based NGO, believes the mission to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities, has been instrumental in guiding the organization to success.
“We let our mission guide us,” Bowers explained. “A lot of organizations go through mission drift, but our mission is a living will of what we need to accomplish. It has steered us well and kept us steady.”
Mercy Corps, which was co-founded by Global Washington board member Dan O’Neill as Save the Refugees Fund, was started to address the needs of Cambodian refugees after the genocide under the Khmer Rouge. In 1982, the organization began addressing long-term development needs, in addition to delivering emergency relief. Bowers explained that balancing immediate needs with development needs is more of an art than a science. “When we enter a country during an emergency, our strategy is to address both immediate needs such as health, water and shelter, as well as looking at the long term development possibilities,” he said. “Often those development needs have been chronic, and were pre-existing to any disaster or conflict.”
A Mercy Corps team member on the island of Lesvos, Greece shows a map to a group of refugees to help them navigate their location.
Credit: Karine Aigner for Mercy Corps
Bowers admits that it is not always easy to work on immediate and long term needs simultaneously, because donor funding is sometimes only for six to twelve months. “At times there is more public outcry and giving toward large crises, such as the Nepal earthquake in 2015,” he said. “But you can’t do development work in only 12 months.” Mercy Corps advocates for areas that need longer-term aid such as countries experiencing drought and famine (like East Africa), or countries in decades of conflict and violence (like Afghanistan). “We advocate for both funding and structural changes to how the U.S. and foreign governments administer aid,” explained Bowers. “We also advocate for appropriate investment in peacemaking and conflict mitigation activities. The more we engage fragile countries, the more we can reduce poverty and violence.”
One major challenge when responding to a crisis is reaching the affected country quickly. Mercy Corps works in more than 40 different countries today, and 90 percent of its staff is local to the country where aid is being delivered. In times of natural disaster, the organization must be prepared for known high hazard areas, such as countries in Asia that are prone to typhoons and earthquakes. In conflict situations, Mercy Corps often has to negotiate access with combatants and hostile governments to deliver aid. “Whenever possible, we try to be on the ground engaging communities before a conflict occurs. But in a conflict situation, things get complicated fast,” said Bowers. There are, what he called, “black zones” — places like Libya, Northeast Nigeria and Syria, or areas that Mercy Corps has difficulty reaching due to extreme violence that often leads to distrust of foreign NGOs by local people. “Getting into areas of crisis is about being very resilient and trying to work through every operational challenge to deliver aid to those who need it.”
Bowers explained that, during its 37-year history, Mercy Corps has learned that for every year of war/conflict, it takes seven years for a country to recover. Additionally, Mercy Corps has learned unless the root cause of a conflict is resolved, violence will continue to reemerge and the country will remain fragile. Bowers described unstable countries as having unequal distribution of resources. “The sustaining factors of a healthy and peaceful society require that grievances are addressed fairly, there is good governance and an equal opportunity for economic growth,” he said.
A Mercy Corps team member prepares emergency kits to distribute in Kathmandu, Nepal following the devastating earthquake in April 2015.
Credit: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps will focus on a number of areas over the next fiscal year, including continuing to be prepared and responding quickly to complex crises; conducting research to provide evidence to international leaders that investment in conflict mediation and peace building at the forefront is cost saving when compared to costs post-disaster or conflict; and educating leaders and the public on the importance of emergency response and assistant fragile states. “There are so many movements towards withdrawal,” said Bowers. “We want to make sure citizens understand that Mercy Corps wants to prevent more failed states, and wants to stop those states from turning into large breeding grounds for violence that is exported.”
Bowers believes that Mercy Corps has remained resilient while working in some of the world’s toughest places and has responded quickly to changing environments. He also is proud that Mercy Corps works so closely with local communities and is constantly looking for innovative solutions to problems. “We have to change, we can’t be static,” he explained. “We can’t just assume we know it all. We must continue to be thoughtful and innovative in our work. We know what we do well and we are humble. That is our recipe for success.”
By Amanda Pain
Humanitarian crises are on the rise and there are more displaced people today than at any time since World War II. Nicky Smith, Executive Director of International Rescue Committee (IRC) Seattle, is no stranger to these growing crises. As a humanitarian aid worker she responded to the Rwandan Genocide, the Liberian Civil Wars, and worked in Afghanistan during Taliban rule. And those are only a few of the challenges Smith experienced firsthand.
“In this work you witness a lot of really intense situations,” Smith explained. “I always said to myself that, if at any point this becomes normal or I feel numb to this, I have to stop the work immediately.”
Smith, who grew up in a British family, admits to having an unusual background. She was raised by her mother who grew up in East Africa, and her military father. The two owned a business together in Uganda. “I have always had Africa in my life between my mother’s family and my parents’ business,” Smith recalls. “I also went to boarding school, so I’ve been around international people my entire life.”
Always interested in public service, Smith decided to take a year off before college to volunteer abroad. She joined a gap year program with Project Trust where she worked at a boarding school for deaf children in Cairo, Egypt. While there, she started volunteering to help African refugees prepare for their resettlement interviews. “I became close friends with some of the refugees, some of whom were my age,” said Smith. “It really stuck me that I had essentially won the birth lottery. The difference in our circumstances was just that I was born in the United Kingdom as opposed to Eritrea, Somalia or Sudan.”
Her year in Egypt, Smith explained, was life-changing. She decided not to attend college and instead started working in international development. Her first job was with Project Trust, managing programs in Uganda. “I will never forget this,” Smith says of the experience. “I was sitting in a camp in Mbarara, Uganda in April of 1994 when the people there started telling me about this thing that was happening across the border in Rwanda – and that thing was the Rwandan Genocide.” Smith describes this as a seismic moment in her life. She decided she needed to go to Rwanda and would shift from development work to humanitarian work.
Once in Rwanda, Smith worked for Children’s Aid Direct (formerly Feed the Children). Living in the city of Butare, she was working to reunite children who had been separated from their parents while fleeing the country. “We had incredibly young children who had been separated from their families. Some of them were babies,” said Smith. “It was a very intense time in Rwanda and a steep learning curve for me, but I knew this was absolutely the work I wanted to do and that it was my calling.”
After leaving Rwanda, Smith went to work for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) where she experienced Afghanistan for the first time. Women’s rights issues aside, Smith explained that Afghanistan is her favorite country to work in because the people are so kind. She was there for over three years and recalls once walking through a refugee camp and experiencing Afghan kindness. This camp was in terrible condition — no latrines, hardly any food and the people were desperate. Smith said she remembers feeling faint when an Afghan woman pulled her into a tent to give her food and water. “That story to me represents Afghan people,” she said. “They will literally give a stranger the last piece of bread in their house.”
Deciding she wanted to move beyond medical emergency relief, Smith left MSF and went to work for IRC where she has been for the last thirteen years. She has held a variety of roles and worked in various countries, including Sudan, Congo, Philippines, Nigeria and Iraq. She has also done advocacy and policy work for IRC in Washington, D.C.
Smith recalls her first job with IRC being the most challenging. She was sent to reopen the organization’s Liberia offices in 2003, immediately after the peace agreement was signed. “DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) can be led by the military, but in reality it is a wholly civilian exercise,” explained Smith. “In Liberia, the military took the guns away but we had to help child soldiers reacclimate to life outside the military, and get the community to embrace them. It was really challenging work.”
Smith, who now leads the IRC team in Seattle, explained that she became drawn to the IRC’s U.S. programs because she wanted to help refugees rebuild their lives here in the states. She aims to raise the profile of IRC’s work in Seattle, which in turn will help raise funds to provide more services to resettled refugees. “It feels really natural to be working in U.S. programs,” said Smith. “I have an excellent staff, 45 percent of whom are former refugees. I feel like I hit the lottery with the Seattle office.” Smith explains that her years of working abroad in conflict countries has helped her be effective in her current role.
While Smith admits that she was often scared working in conflict areas, she feels people are often misinformed about humanitarian crises. “I am saddened because I feel like our humanity is being eroded away, and our sense of outrage is diminished by the 24-hour news cycle,” Smith explained. “You get people who would never donate to conflict survivors, but then would give to survivors of natural disasters, because they can relate. People know what it is like to see their neighbor lose everything to a natural disaster, whereas war and conflict are harder for people to wrap their head around.”
Smith, who loves living in the Pacific Northwest, does not know where life may take her next. “In this work, you have to be a marathon runner and not a sprinter. I really enjoy being with IRC, and I am happy in my new role,” said Smith. “When I feel like my energy levels are not what the job needs, or I become numb and stop seeing people as human beings, then it is time for self-reflection.”
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University of Washington International and English Language Programs
UW International and English Language Programs provide a wide variety of programs for both undergraduate and graduate students to help them improve their English language skills, prepare for further study in the United States and learn about American culture, business and other subjects. ielp.uw.edu
Sept 17: The Rose International Fund for Children // A Decade of Difference
Sept 17: MED25 // MED 25 Benefit
Sept 20: RESULTS – Seattle // U.S. Poverty Free Agent Calls
Sept 21: OneWorld Now! // 2016 Global Leader Reception & Auction
Sept 22: Pangea Giving // Pangea Giving Coffee + Chat
Sept 22: Global Visionaries // Taste of Global Visionaries
Sept 28: American Red Cross // 2016 South Puget Sound Heroes Luncheon
Oct 4: Pangea Giving // The Fight Against Climate Change and Land Rights in Latin America
Oct 6: Shoreline Community College // The Iranian Nuclear Deal
Oct 8: Spreeha // Journey of Hope Fundraiser
Oct 13: Global Partnerships // 14th Annual World of Opportunity Luncheon
ICM Caseworker, International Rescue Committee
Grant Writer/Project Manager, PotaVida
Director of Development: Institutional and Principle Giving, World Justice Project
For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/job-board/
September 14: A Global Crisis: Life in Fragile States and the Effects of Mass Migration
September 20: Bringing Down the Walls: Building Networks and Strengthening Collaborations for Greater Impact
September 22: Networking Happy Hour
September 23: Executive Director Roundtable featuring CNN Hero Razia Jan
October 12: Executive Director Roundtable featuring Rena Singer
December 8: Global Washington’s 8th Annual Conference
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It’s terrifying and painful to imagine our neighborhoods and communities turning into areas where kidnappings, rapes, and looting are a constant threat. However, this scenario became a reality for Nola. Nola recounted to Medical Teams International a glimpse into what forced her to flee her home in South Sudan, “Soldiers wait outside your house leaning on a tree, and then when you go out to use the bathroom they take you away.” Nola knew her family had to escape to Uganda.
Read the full article on the Medical Teams International Blog.
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PORTLAND, Ore. – (September 2, 2016) After an extensive international search, Medical Teams International today announced the arrival of Martha Holley Newsome as their new President and CEO, replacing Jeff Pinneo who retired earlier this year.
Newsome joins Medical Teams after 20 years with World Vision International, where she led many health initiatives worldwide including serving as both the Global and Africa HIV and AIDS Director and as Health Director and National Director for World Vision Mozambique. She and her team developed a highly successful health and nutrition strategy and she has catalyzed innovation, like mobile health projects in sixteen countries. Read more (PDF)