By Sam Daley-Harris

The deed is done.  On May 5^th the appellate division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court agreed that the Bangladesh Bank, the nation’s central bank, was justified in firing Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus from his post as Managing Director of Grameen Bank, the institution he founded more than three decades ago.  Prof. Yunus’ lead lawyer, Dr. Kamal Hossain, one of Bangladesh’s most distinguished attorneys and a drafter of the nation’s constitution, was scarcely able to hide his disgust at the Appellate Division order, when he said: “I [apparently] have to take admission to university again to newly learn the constitutional laws of the 21st century.”

The dismissal is not the lone action of one government institution but is part of a premeditated campaign that starts at the highest level with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  Their reason for sacking Prof. Yunus?  He’s “too old.”  Never mind that the 70-year-old Yunus maintains a rigorous schedule or that the Finance Minister, another key player in the sacking, at 77 is somehow not “too old” for that post.  Their excuse would be laughable if it were not for the calamitous impact it portends.  What makes the decision to remove Prof. Yunus so disgraceful is not that he would be out of a job – any university in the world would welcome him with open arms as a visiting professor.  No, the atrocity here is the fact that the independence and integrity of one of the world’s premier poverty fighting institutions is now at grave risk.  Grameen Bank, an extraordinary institution with more than 8 million microcredit borrowers that took 35 years to build, could be destroyed in a matter of months by incompetent government action.

The government’s action cannot honestly be in response to accusations by a Danish documentary maker about an improper transfer of Norwegian aid funds more than a dozen years ago, because both the Norwegian government and Bangladesh’s own review committee have found that Grameen did nothing wrong.  It cannot be due to the documentary maker’s charge of excessive interest rates, because Microfinance Transparency and the government’s own review committee found Grameen has the lowest interest rates in the country.  Instead, most observers see this as an inexcusable political vendetta by the Prime Minister against Prof. Yunus, stemming from his short-lived attempt to start a political party in 2007.

Consider these groundbreaking innovations that Prof. Yunus’ poverty-fighting laboratory has brought to the world and what could be lost in the future from his unwarranted ouster:

• In 1976 he made loans of less than US$1 each to 42 desperately poor Bangladeshis to start or build tiny businesses – and the microcredit revolution was born.  It has made its way all around the world.  While others have seen microfinance as a way to make big money for investors, Prof. Yunus has never once diverted from his original intent to empower the poor.
• In 1997 Grameen Phone Ladies started bringing cell phone technology to remote villagers throughout Bangladesh—providing the dual benefit of creating jobs and increasing communications, which enhanced others’ work.
• Grameen Shakti, an energy firm, has installed more than a half-million solar home systems and sold more than a quarter-million improved cooking stoves.
• In a joint venture with Danone, the yogurt maker headquartered in France, Grameen Danone is bringing low-cost fortified yogurt to malnourished children throughout the country – and creating a business opportunity for the poor women who sell it.
• College scholarships and loans have gone to 180,000 students. Most remarkably, in almost all of the cases, these are the children of illiterate parents who have had the help of Grameen Bank in breaking the bonds of intergenerational illiteracy.

A government that so rashly and ruthlessly ousts this innovative and transformational leader cannot likely be trusted to continue his revolutionary work.

But the deed is done.  Here is a sample of the visionary voice that Bangladesh has likely lost in this despicable government act.  Reflecting on the 1997 Microcredit Summit Prof. Yunus wrote: “In teaching economics I learned about money, and now as head of a bank I lend money.  The success of our venture lies in how many crumpled bank bills our once starving members now have in their hands. But the microcredit movement, which is built around, and for, and with money, ironically, is at its heart, at its deepest root not about money at all.  It is about helping each person to achieve his or her fullest potential.  It is not about cash capital, it is about human capital.  Money is merely a tool that unlocks human dreams and helps even the poorest and most unfortunate people on this planet achieve dignity, respect, and meaning in their lives.”

Sam Daley-Harris is Founder of the Microcredit Summit Campaign which seeks to reach 175 million poorest families with microloans www.microcreditsummit.org and of RESULTS which seeks to create the political will to end poverty www.results.org.

Giving small loans to the working poor as an answer to poverty has had huge appeal to people of all political persuasions, and it proved especially popular in Seattle, where at least 20 different organizations support microlending.

Now some are saying that its merits have been oversold.

“Microfinance got romanticized,” says Rick Beckett, CEO of Global Partnerships, a Seattle nonprofit that funds microloans and other services for the poor in Latin America. “We have to own the fact that we fell in love with it.”

“That story, as cool as it is, is just not true,” he says. “A $100 loan does not change the world.”

Beckett and other experts in microfinance met here last week to take stock of a crisis that is shaking the worldwide microlending movement to its core. The discussion was hosted by the group Global Washington.

After growing at a red-hot pace over the last decade, institutions in India that provide credit to poor borrowers now find themselves facing new regulations that have brought the industry to a halt and encouraged widespread default.

Nowhere was the growth as fast as in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where profit-driven lenders seeking higher returns competed for borrowers, who often juggled multiple loans.

One Indian company funded in part by Seattle backers, SKS Microfinance, went public last summer and generated millions for its wealthy investors.

Making so much money on the poor became politically difficult, says David Roodman, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., who participated in the discussion.

The core problem was fast growth, Roodman says. “It sounded a lot like the mortgage crisis here.”

Microcredit also has taken off in other parts of the world, with varying degrees of risk. Roodman suggests establishing a credit bureau to collect and share information on the financial obligations of microcreditors would help create a culture of restraint. And growth financed by savings deposits rather than outside investors provides much more stability.

While microcredit does give people more control over their finances, there’s no proof that it has alleviated poverty, he says. In the U.S. what reduced poverty most was industrialization.

But microlenders’ networks of village credit provide one of the very few ways to reach hundreds of millions of poor people, Beckett argues. They can serve as distribution channels for other things, such as health education or technical assistance for farming. One of the organizations his group funds is Pro Mujer, which combines loans with low-cost health services for women.

Peter Bladin, former vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based Grameen Foundation, says that when small loans help parents improve their incomes, the next generations tend to be better off. He calls microfinance “one of the best tools for development ever devised.”

Roodman, eager to dispel what he called another misconception about the industry, says microfinance can’t claim the only reason it targets women is to empower them.

Another big reason is that women “were found to be more reliable when it came to repayment,” he says, which made the work of bankers easier. “They didn’t argue as much as men.”

It’s uncertain how the crisis in India will be resolved, but with the field of microfinance in flux, supporters will have to strive for measurable results and clear social benefits, participants concluded.

Chris Wolff, a senior director at ACCION International, says one lesson is to just listen to clients.

Loans may not be “the only thing they want, need or say they benefit from,” he says. “Let’s get better at what they really need and what their lives demand of them.”

Microloan Crisis Prompts Questions
The Seattle Times |  Kristi Heim | May 14, 2011

On Monday over seventy five people gathered at St. Mark’s Cathedral to hear an expert panel speak about the global implications of India’s micro-credit crisis.  Among the panelists were David Roodman, a senior fellow at The Center for Global Development Rick Beckett, president and CEO of Global Partnerships, Chris Wolff, senior director at accion international and Peter Bladin, executive vice president at the Grameen Foundation.  Prior to the event, Global Washington members working in micro-finance gathered for a private round table discussion to examine what their organizations could learn from this crisis.

The event kicked off with a fifteen-minute crash coursegiven by David about what had happened to cause the micro-finance crisis in the India.  He explained, that the region of Andhra Pradesh had been experiencing a very high rate of growth in micro-finance for the past twenty years or so.  Among micro-finance providers was Sks, a large MFI that went public at the end of last summer.  The organization was founded by Vikram Akula, whom was previously valued at an astounding 90 million dollars.  These big numbers hit the papers and showed how much money was being made off of the backs of the poor, which created some negative back lash towards micro-finance.

Roodman said: “there were many causes from global warming to political parties but I do think the main problem was fast growth, credit just became too easy.”  He went onto say: “should we blame profiteering for what happened in India?  My answer is no” In addition to high growth, Roodman seemed to think investors needed to take more accountability for the bubbles that were being created by this oversees capital.

Roodman explained three main notions that surround micro-finance.  Firstly, he expressed the idea of micro-finance as helping people escape poverty.  When describing this notion he boldly stated “we don’t have evidence it reduces poverty.” The second notion he described was micro-finance as freedom.  Here, Roodman brought up several fantastic examples from the book: Portfolios of the Poor which he used to make the point that “poor people don’t have perfect financial services,” such as health insurance.  Therefore micro-finance can be one more tool that helps the poor in the times that they are not able to cover their expenses.  The final point he made was the idea of micro-finance as industry building.  Here he gave the famous example of the Grameen Bank, which has created thousands of jobs and improved the industry in Bangladesh. From this overview, the discussion was then opened up to the panel of people that represented micro-finance practitioners to see what their interpretation of Roodman’s thoughts were.

Beckett embellished on Roodman’s point about the bubble saying: “it is not only the amount of capital, it is the nature of the capital” that we need to pay attention to when looking at investments in micro-finance.  While Wolff highlighted that we need to use this event in India as a learning experience, he said we must all ask the question:” How can we use this situation to be better, to be more client focused?”  Bladin hinted that profit may have played a role in the problems in India when he said: “you’ve got to have the double bottom line and measure how you are reaching the people there.” Ultimately, while most panellists seemed to agree with Roodman’s points, there was a lot of discussion about how to further expand these lessons all the way from India to the MFIs operating in Seattle.

One of the few points of contention seemed to be whether micro-finance had truly made an impact or not.  While Beckett acknowledged that micro-finance may not be perfect, he said: “One of the great challenges in global development is there are very few ways of reaching 100’s of thousands of people. Micro-finance does this so it has the ability to serve as a sustainable channel for other things…. There just aren’t that many things that do that.”  Others brought up the point that while there was no evidence that micro-finance was actually pulling people out of poverty; there was also not evidence to the contrary.  Overall there seemed to be a consensus that regardless of the result of these studies, micro-finance had succeeded in making poverty more liveable, so this form of development is at least providing a short-term solution. “There is a piece of this that is important for us to own, that MF got romanticised…and we fell in love with it” said Beckett.  Everyone seemed to agree that recent events in India were an opportunity to see some grounding realities in the world of micro-finance, but not to fall out of love with the field entirely.

To read more about the event please visit the KPLU Humanosphere recent posting.

“Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…”[1]

“Can the cellphone help end global poverty?”[2]

Amidst such buzz around technology’s role in global poverty and human rights, Kentaro Toyama provided a poignant presentation on the myths of technology in international development to Global Washington members on Friday, May 6, 2011. Following the presentation was a lively discussion between Toyama and the audience, comprised primarily of Global Washington members with theoretical and field expertise in this area.

A visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and former co-founder of Microsoft Research India, where he designed electronic technology for international development, Toyama intimately understands technology’s role in supporting poverty alleviation work. Throughout the presentation, he stressed that “technology magnifies intent and capacity” and cautions against looking to technology, in and of itself, as a solution to global poverty.

Toyama’s presentation focused on countering seven myths regarding technology in international development.

Myth #1: Technology undoes the rich getting richer.

Toyama began with a question to the audience that went something like, “you and a poor Ugandan rural farmer are each given an e-mail account and asked to raise as much money for the charity of your choice. Who would be able to raise more money?” The room indicated that they would be able to raise more funds due to various reasons, from the relative affluence of their friends to their computer literacy skills to their education in articulating written concepts.  And thus began Toyama’s presentation, highlighting that even with identical technology, other capacities and systems have to be addressed to gain equality.

Myth #2: Hardware and software are a one-time cost

Toyama reminded Global Washington members that the average American mid-size corporation spends approximately $7,000 per year on their IT budget. Thus, hardware and software are NOT a one-time cost. In contrast, there is a need to continue to invest in technology.

Myth #3: Needs translate to business models

Using the fact that Google does not make a profit from YouTube and Google Maps – services that we might consider quite useful in our lives – Toyama illustrated that people don’t always pay for needs.

Myth #4: Automated is cheaper and better

Toyama highlights problems with full automation, particularly in the developing world: cost, literacy, lack of technological familiarity and errors within technology. 

Myth #5: Information is the bottleneck

In the developed world, and even more so in the developing world, time, effort, basic needs and a host of other priorities get in the way of obtaining all of the information that’s available. For example, just because a person has access to the Internet, and thus educational resources, does not mean that person can and will obtain a full education.

Myth #6: Technology’s impact is only positive

Because “technology magnifies positive and negative intent,” technology may have positive as well as negative effects. For example, technology can easily further the negative effects of gender inequality, abuse and child prostitution.

Myth #7: Technology X will save the world

Contrary to popular belief at the time of their invention, radio, TV, landline telephones and PCs have yet to save the world. In fact, in places where we would most desire to see technology make positive change, we don’t see this change because other key systems are missing: physical, social, financial and digital infrastructure.

So, how do we use technology successfully in global development work?

Toyama offered recommendations for successful use of technology, which include:

• Apply technology to existing social trends or institutions, which are already making an impact.
• Focus on nurturing human “intent and capacity.”
• The human component to any technology is critical.

Global Washington members dug deeper asking about and commenting on their work in community readiness for technology, successes and failures in technology, public-private partnership models and the role of education.

Global Washington’s mission is to convene, advocate, and strengthen the international development sector in Washington State, with an emphasis on the sectors of Global Health, Global Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Poverty Alleviation.  In this role, Global Washington brings together its members and the community to discuss critical global topics. Consider two upcoming events focused on technology and global development: Mobiles in Development on June 16 and the Dark Side of ICCT on July 14.

by Bridgette Greenhaw

What do the Zambian economy and a volcano eruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo have in common?

Apparently nothing. However at Global Washington there is a regular combination of cultures and information sharing taking place where people, creativity, and cross-cutting ideas can come together and make the most unlikely connections. On Thursday, April, 28, 2011, Global Washington hosted Mr. Alfred Chioza is the Deputy Ambassador of Zambia in Washington D.C and Maisha Soul, a musical group from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Zambian government’s efforts and results in creating attractive economic investments frameworks, as well as the country’s successes in economic development were mentioned by the speaker.  The audience was invited to invest in agriculture, water resources, raw materials extractions, mining, tourism, health and education. Many participants at the event mentioned that they visited Zambia before and were already working in these areas or are planning to in the future.

Maisha Soul is a band from the Democratic Republic of whose name means “soul of life”. They sang a number of songs in a mix of Swahili, English, and French. The message of the music written and performed by the four young brothers is a call for peace, promotion of brotherhood, equality, human rights, and freedom. The group was formed in 2002 after the volcanic eruption in Goma, when many people from Congo, including the performers, were in refugee camps. By that time they became a voice of hope in the middle of despair their country has struggled with for decades. The group was sponsored by HEALAfrica, a member organization of Global Washington.

Global Washington’s mission to convene, advocate, and strengthen the international development sector here in the state, with an emphasis on the sectors of Global Health, Global Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Poverty Alleviation.  As numerous international visitors come to Seattle to meet with businesses, policy makers, and educational institutions, Global Washington supports its members in organizing events like this to make the visitors accessible to the community of NGO’s, foundations, and individuals dedicated to all aspects of global development.

Liuba Ceban

Liuba.ceban@gmail.com

Over 750 people packed into Town Hall on Apr. 26^th to hear journalist Tom Paulson grill four experts in global development.  The goal was to discuss everything from “can charity create change” to “what does global health really mean” as said by Paulson.  Panellists included Christopher Elias, the president and CEO of PATH; William Foege, a Senior medical advisor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Wendy Johnson, Director for Health Alliance International; and Joseph Whinney, founder and CEO of Theo Chocolate.

As Paulson pointed out, Seattle is not going to save the world singlehandedly, but as he said “it is a hub of a region that has become do-gooder central.”  In addition to this Seattle has become known for global health and is a city that provides opportunity for collaboration within this sector.  Many Global Washington members were present at the event, which was fitting since the topics discussed revolved around re-examining global development.

The presence of Theo Chocolate in a discussion primarily about global health is evidence that there are powerful intersections both between the different sectors of global development and also between development work and the business world. As Paulson and the panellists emphasized during the discussion, you cannot discuss health without discussing poverty as the two are integrally connected.  These points of intersection are central to Global Washington’s work as we bring together diverse players in development to facilitate greater innovation and collaboration. We hope that discussions like this one continue shed light on how we can effectively utilize the enthusiasm and resources in Washington to create sustainable global change.

Some of the responses to the questions were particularly relevant to Global Washington members are seen below.

Paulson: So what is Global Health?

“The world is divided into things that are broken and things that are fixed; global health is fixing things that are broken,” said Foege.  The conversation later broadened to include the other panellists. “There has been a shift in perspective from ‘global health is someone else’s problem’, to ‘this is a problem that we all deal with’” said Elias.  He said that this change came from three things: first, that trade and travel shrank the world; second, that there was a need to address inequalities; and third, that we have moved into understanding systems.

“Technology almost always plays a role, but almost never in isolation” said Elias.  He expanded on this statement saying that to have an effect on global health, we need technology with behaviour change.  Wendy Johnson, in a truly academic approach, brought up the theory behind these two techniques, explaining the concept of the “magic bullet” and “social justice.” “We like to ignore the tension” between these two methods she said, giving the example of malaria.  While Johnson was more critical of our progress in moving towards the social justice approach (she was not convinced that it had happened yet), she did seem optimistic that Seattle organizations were in support of this transformation.  At one point, she even quoted Elias in a former lecture where he said “you can’t perform a c-section with a cell phone,” thereby showing the agreement across the industry that behaviour change is as important as technology.  Though there was not much controversy between the panellists over the questions Paulson posed, the discussion did strike a sensitive chord in the hearts of the audience as it turned to our relationship with poverty.

Paulson: Why are we so comfortable with poverty?

“We have to tolerate poverty because we all benefit from it,” responded Foege.   He explained that everything in our lives comes at a cheaper cost as a direct result of poverty.  Johnson said that we must remember our bias in development discussions as coming from a position of privilege.  She brought up the point that Seattle is one of the whitest cities in the country as evidence of this privilege.  “Until we find the right leaders, poverty will continue to be a problem because we are all so invested in it,” summed up Foege.

Paulson: Isn’t the cheapest option always going to win out?

Not necessarily. According to Whinney, “the idea of social responsibility is an integrated approach,” he said.  He gave the example of the BBC documentary that came out ten years ago depicting the abysmal conditions for those working on coco farms. Initially this got large chocolate companies on board with paying farmers more he explained, but: “the needle hasn’t moved.” The needle he was referring to is a measurement of the change of salary that people are working in.  “The idea of CSR has to move the needle and there must be transparency,” he said.

Later, Paulson brought up difficulty in raising awareness while also addressing the problems that a development organization may be having in achieving their goals.  Elias gave the example of the Global Fund, which had some corruption issues with their TB fund a few years ago.  While this corruption became news, “the story that did not get told was that the Global Fund’s increased accountability measures was what discovered the issue.  To me this was a story of success,” Elias said.

Paulson: Why are so many young people getting involved in development and what would you say to them?

Simply put by Whinney answer to the first question was: “we all want to do something with our lives.” Elias explained that there are more jobs now then there were when he came through the system but that “the demand outstrips the supply.” He said that what is missing for an applicant now is that first experience.  People need time to go abroad, volunteer and work with programs directly, but that “students are carrying too much debt” to do so.  In regards to paid opportunities, Elias said that there is a difficulty in finding funds for paid internships.” He also mentioned that PATH gets hundreds of inquiries about these positions, which are not available, which made the future for graduates look slightly bleak.

Later, questions expanded to include the audience, whom asked several questions about our right to work on global health when our own healthcare is lacking.  Johnson gave a great quote by Lila Watson, which said: “if you have come to help me you are wasting your time.  But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine then let us work together.” An audience that would question their own perspective, in a city that shows such collaboration between sectors is proof that this is the approach we are hoping to follow.

Clear Path Launches Large-Scale Ramp Project in Afghanistan

When more than 800,000 Afghans are severely disabled, it’s easy to see why there’s a drastic need for schools, hospitals, government buildings and places of worship to be made accessible to them.

But people with disabilities in Afghanistan have suffered from a nearly universal lack of access to these and other important buildings and facilities. The Afghanistan Central Office of Statistics has estimated that 98 percent of all buildings cannot be entered by wheelchair.

This past year, Clear Path International launched a pilot project to alter this situation by constructing high-quality ramps at key locations throughout the country applying best practices established in the industry. Clear Path is a nonprofit organization that assists victims of landmines and other explosives, and others disabled or displaced by armed conflict in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan.

Not only are the projects performing a critical service for this vulnerable segment of Afghanistan’s population, they also are helping to establish good will between the United States and Afghan leaders at a time when that relationship has been severely stressed. CPI programs in Afghanistan are funded by the U.S. Department of State Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRA).

“We’ve had two different reports that the Ulema (Council of Mullahs and Imams in Afghanistan) has specifically mentioned the work of CPI at the Eid Gah Mosque, as well as commented positively in general on the role of Americans bringing accessibility changes at this very high-profile religious site,” said CPI Program Manager Matthew Rodieck. “One of the leaders of the Ulema, a double-amputee martyr and former Mujahedin commander, was especially complimentary.”

Eid Gah Mosque in Kabul is one of the highest profile mosques in Afghanistan and is where VIPs regularly worship and hold funeral prayers of martyrs. CPI through its Afghan partner organization, Accessibility Organization for Afghan Disabled (AOAD), built three ramps complete with handrails. In Kabul, CPI and AOAD also constructed three ramps at the Antoni Infectious Disease Hospital, an important referral site for tertiary care and the only facility of its kind in the country.

In Kapisa Province, north of Kabul, Afghan Amputee Bicyclists for Rehabilitation and Recreation (AABRAR) developed and implemented access ramps at several diverse sites. These included the main mosque of the capital city, which became the only physically accessible mosque in the entire province, the Ministry of Information and Culture, and the Ministry of Education. Several public schools throughout the rural community were also ramp sites in the AABRAR project, each selected based on feedback from local authorities about their priorities.

In Balkh Province, in the north of Afghanistan, Afghan Landmine Survivor Organization (ALSO) constructed access ramps at several educational settings across Mazar-i Sharif, the main city of Balkh. The sites selected included co-educational elementary schools, boys’ high schools, girls’ high schools, and the Balkh University making it one of the few institutions of higher learning in the entire country with accessible buildings.

Going forward, CPI hopes to build nearly 600 ramps at 350 sites throughout Afghanistan. The $660,000 project funded by WRA will involve the same three partner organizations. A key component of the ramp project is to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, said Rodieck. “Awareness is quite low; there’s not much sensitivity.”

That awareness campaign also will make its way into the classroom at Kabul Technical University’s Engineering School where CPI hopes it will result in some practical solutions. “We want to engage the entire faculty on physical accessibility design,” Rodieck said. “We want to advocate on a more institutional level that the curriculum become more realistic.”

For more information about this project, contact Matthew Rocieck at matthew@cpi.org.

Welcome to the April 2011 issue of the Global Washington newsletter. If you would like to contact us directly, please email us.

IN THIS ISSUE

• Note from our Executive Director
• Featured Story: New Staff member at Global Washington
• Featured Organization: Pre-vent: Healthcare for Women and Children 
Interview with Robin Jafari
• Changemaker: Young People and Development: Sammie Rayner, Founder and Executive Director at Lumana Credit
• Welcome New Members
• Book Review – The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
• Announcements
• Global Washington Events
• Other Events

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings and happy spring to all of you,

We have been very busy at Global Washington. We have started the process of planning for our Annual Conference, which will again be hosted by Microsoft and will take place on their campus on October 31^st and November 1^st. We are also planning a statewide summit on international education for Nov 18^th to be hosted by Seattle University. Our members are meeting and working to develop a strategy for both convenings. Let me know if you are interested in joining either of these groups.

I hope that you have had a chance to participate in some of our programming. We continue to bring to you thought leaders like David Roodman, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development, who will be here in early May to bring us the most recent dialogue about the microfinance  industry. We are also looking forward to hearing from leaders like Dean Karlan, Professor of Economics at Yale University, whose research focuses on microeconomic issues relating to public policies and poverty.

We are proud of the caliber of the speakers we are bringing to Seattle to connect with our members.  As we continue to do this work, we appreciate your involvement, support, and membership.

Thank you to all of you for the very important work you are doing around the world and I look forward to seeing you at our events,

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

Featured Story

New Staff member at Global Washington

Greetings! I am so pleased to have recently joined the Global Washington team in order to increase our reach and visibility within the community and to deepen our connection to all of Global Washington’s members. With both current and new members I will be focused on hearing from you to ensure we are doing our best to strengthen, advocate, and educate on behalf of the international development sector in Washington State. Over the next couple of months I will be creating opportunities to meet you and your organization and to personally learn about your organization’s mission, current work, and plans for the future and how that connects with Global Washington and the larger development community.

Please contact me at kate@globalwa.org if you have any questions, otherwise I look forward to meeting you soon!

Best Regards,

Kate Lorenzen

Back to Top

Featured Organization

Pre-vent: Healthcare for Women and Children 
Interview with Robin Jafari

“Doing good comes from doing right,” says Dr. Robin Jafari. 2 years ago, Dr. Jafari and his wife Jodi, a neonatal nurse, founded Pre-vent, a nonprofit organization that helps women and children in need. Pre-vent promotes and supports maternal, newborn and child global health programs in developing countries through patient education, behavior change, workforce training and innovation. Pre-vent’s vision “is a world in which equitable and affordable access to preventive health education and services help protect vulnerable populations by focusing on sustainable innovations that have meaningful and measurable impact in lowering the incidence of maternal and child morbidity and mortality.”

Dr. Jafari was inspired by the message that Ban Ki-Moon, current Secretary General of the United Nations, presented during his convocation speech at the University of Washington.  He called for action and challenged everyone to do what they could to alleviate the challenges facing the global health community: “Don’t wait until you are asked to act, go ahead, be proactive and do some good.  The sick and vulnerable people need you right now.”

“I believe that access to gender neutral healthcare is a fundamental human right of every woman and child and I strive to make this possible for as many people as I can. Bringing attention and funding for making sure that stillbirths are counted in vital health records has huge ramifications in the physical and emotional well being of mothers around the globe. At Pre-vent, we intend to make that happen,” Dr. Jafari explains.

Pre-vent creates sustainable impact, reversing the trends in maternal and child illness and death through the implementation of programs that are inexpensive, sustainable and scalable in countries of greatest need such as Ethiopia, Uganda and Guatemala. In Uganda, Pre-vent Maternal Emergency Medication Kits containing life saving essential priority medications recommended by WHO will be distributed to community health centers in a program that save lives at birth with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health. These innovative kits that have unit dosing with easy instructions are used for post-partum hemorrhage, severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia as well as maternal sepsis. Together, these three easily treatable conditions account for over 90% of maternal deaths, but regrettably most community health centers don’t have many of these readily available medications.  Pre-vent is working on a similar Neonatal Emergency Medication Kit.

Pre-vent reaps many benefits by being located in Washington State such as the joyful philanthropic spirit that permeates here allows for opportunities for collaboration and partnerships with great institutions of giving, teaching, and research. “Not only is this part of the Pacific Northwest very beautiful, but Seattle is also becoming the global focus for maternal child health and charitable giving thanks to Melinda Gates. We are aware of the impact that Global Health can have on Washington State economic development; not only on technologic innovation, but also on human resource development and job creation,” Dr. Jafari explains.

Pre-vent is interested in collaborating with other organizations in Washington State such as I-TECH, IHME, University of Washington’s Schools of Nursing, Global Health, and Ob/Gyn and Pediatrics, as well as with Seattle Children’s Hospital, and PATH.

Creating and maintaining the sustainability of a non-profit does not happen without many challenges, but the rewards of helping your fellow human beings makes up for it.

“The first time I went to an HIV/AIDS care and treatment center in Ethiopia I was overwhelmed with emotion and could not control my tears as a result of seeing so many young, innocent, and beautiful children with HIV,” said Dr. Jafari. “The staff there told me that they frequently break down as well and cry in private. That was a strange experience for me because in my private practice I always kept my composure no matter what the situation was and was able to intervene directly.”

Dr. Jafari’s central message was one of encouragement because people can truly make a difference: compassionate and contagious philanthropy is the answer because “I am and I can. And so can you.”

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Changemaker

Young People and Development: Sammie Rayner, Founder and Executive Director at Lumana Credit

At the young age of 23, Sammie Rayner has already founded Lumana, a non-profit that is working to “alleviate poverty in rural communities through education and entrepreneurship.”

Rayner says she became interested in development through a “sudden turn of events” when she was enrolled in the University of Washington School of business.  “I was in business school and realizing that I didn’t want a corporate career,” said Sammie.  Then, in her junior year, Dr. Mohammed Yunus came to speak, and having read his book her interest in micro-finance grew.

This passion for development lead to a trip to Ghana.  Sammie was with a group that had been working on some small-scale NGO projects.  It was there that she worked with Chief Dr Samuel Adjorlolo, whom she mentions as one of her role models.  When describing the Chief, Sammie reflects: “you see a lot of local chiefs that don’t invest as much in their community, so seeing him, his approach, and his ability to collaborate is incredible.”

Through this partnership, Sammie began a pilot project in the village in Ghana.  Using only 5000 dollars, which she raised through a fundraiser, and in a time span of only two months, the program was able to serve 30 entrepreneurs.  While running this pilot program, Sammie started working with a group of motivated young people on the concept of creating a microfinance institution to serve this community.  This collaboration between young people in development and local level partnerships, ultimately led to the creation of Lumana.

Although the organization has only been in existence since 2009, they have already given out loans to close to 250 borrowers in Ghana.  While Lumana uses the group-lending model, there is a heavy emphasis on individual education.  All borrowers must undergo upfront training, which teaches basic information about finances.  “We don’t want anyone going through the program who doesn’t understand what an interest rate or debt is.” Additionally, once the loan has been given, financial literacy classes continue.  “These classes mainly promote savings planning but also include marketing and business information,” said Sammie.

There are two primary criteria considered when someone applies for a loan with Lumana: “That you have a reasonable business goal, and you that they fit in the progress out of poverty index created by the Grameen Foundation.” This allows Lumana to ensure that they are serving clients that will help achieve their mission of poverty alleviation through entrepreneurship.  Sammie cites these clients’ success as one of her biggest accomplishments.  It is the everyday things like “hearing about Florence, who working towards purchasing her design machine and being almost three fourths of the way there.”

When asked if the global micro-finance crisis had negatively impacted Lumana, Sammie replied that it had not.  In fact “we have not really been effected by the crisis, although it has made many donors and investors cautious about microfinance. After examining our organization and the many others around the world practicing safe microfinance, they are able to see how we are different and continue to support the organizations like ours who are client focused in our approach.”  Because the borrower always comes first in the Lumana model, they are holding off expansion at least through this year. While they have looked into partnerships in Kenya, South Africa and Zambia, developing a concrete program before growth is important to the organization.  “We really wanted to make sure we had a solid foundation and are not loosing the importance of what we are doing,” Sammie said.  Some day the organization hopes to be financially independent, but has maintained a very clear position that they are putting the people first, so this may take some time.  Already, Lumana is able to pay their three local staff in Ghana off of the profit their lending generates, so they are well on their way to financial sustainability.

In addition to providing micro-finance Lumana also had a fellowship program to get young people involved in development.  So far this fellowship has sent 21 young people from four countries to Ghana. This summer they plan to send four more and the fellowship program is evolving every year. The program includes language courses and the fellows have access to translators.  The language is especially important as only 10% of the Lumana clients speak English, and there are thirteen local languages in Ghana. Sammie explained that this is actually why a lot of people choose to donate to Lumana, because of the youth involvement.  The organization’s funding is 85% from individuals, so young people appear to be stimulating microfinance funding.  Besides the fellowship program, Lumana is also partnering with Seattle University to give students more hands on experience.  Currently, Lumana is helping to create curriculum for the global poverty class.  During this class, Lumana will guest lecture, help to structure a project, and ultimately select a few students to go to Ghana.

When asked what advice she would give to young people getting involved in development, Sammie said that she would recommend: “getting over the young person complex and recognizing that you can do something.” For her, this happened when she realized that she had the ability to raise $5000 and that money had the ability to really affect change for a community.

Sammie is the embodiment of inspiration and youth involvement in development.  Not only has she created an innovative micro-finance organization that has served three villages in Ghana, she has also invigorated this interest in other young people.  Mentorship is a role that Sammie will continue alongside her development goals.  In her own words: “no matter what I am doing I think that I will constantly engage with young people.”

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Welcome New Members

Global Washington would like to welcome its newest members!  Please take some time to familiarize yourself with these organizations that are doing wonderful work in the state of Washington. Consider what opportunities there might be for collaboration and support. Together we are creating a unified voice for the development sector in the state and are working to build a equitable and prosperous world.

The YMCA of Greater Seattle

The YMCA of Greater Seattle is an inclusive organization of men, women and children with a shared commitment to nurture the potential of youth, promote healthy living and foster social responsibility. The Seattle Y supports strengthening the global community through: International youth and young adult exchange, service learning and cross-cultural education; Community Engagement of immigrant and newcomer populations; and Movement Strengthening  by Increasing the capacity of Ys in developing countries to be self-sustaining.

Etta Projects

The people of Montero, Bolivia and its environs know what they need. Our work is to facilitate and help communities find the pathways to sustainable and realistic answers to have those needs met. We’re a lean, practical organization whose donated dollars and energy go straight to improve health and support projects that provide clean water, nutritious food, education and income generation.

Global Helps Network

Global Helps Network exists to facilitate the adoption of villages among “developing countries” by churches and organizations in America.  To assist the village leadership in their development socially, economically & spiritually, with a special emphasis on the “Untouchables (or Dalits) of India”.

West African Vocational Schools

West African Vocational Schools is a Christian, Seattle-based nonprofit that teaches job skills to people in Guinea-Bissau, one of the smallest and poorest countries in the world, empowering local leaders in Guinea-Bissau and giving them practical skills that translate into jobs. At its school in the city of Canchungo, more than 150 students take courses in sewing, computer basics, English and auto mechanics.

Schools for Salone

Schools for Salone is a non-profit organization committed to helping Sierra Leoneans rebuild the many rural schools destroyed during their country’s ten year long civil war that ended in 2002. The organization seeks to revitalize communities, empower children and ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for families, communities, and future generations.

Clay for Earth

Clay for Earth serves as a symposium of sustainable solutions that have been proven practical, bringing together the brightest ideas developed through worldwide efforts. Many of the world’s most innovative ideas have taken years to develop. They offer practical solutions to poverty and community degradation. Many of these applications remain relatively unknown.

Individuals

• Joe Staiano
• Aze Malawo

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Book Review

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

By William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 2009

Imagine growing up in a world of magic where witches and wizards lay traps in the forest. Magic lions and hyenas wander villages at night.  All pose special dangers to children.  You play games with your two best friends, learn to hunt and build traps for animals.  You attend primary school and your parents are able to support a large family with limited resources. As you get older, you start to take apart radios, figure out how they operate and fix them.    You have dreams of being a scientist. Then the sudden death of an uncle results in the failure of a family business and your family’s economic circumstances rapidly decline. This tragedy is compounded by weather that destroys farm crops throughout the region.  Plans of going to secondary school are derailed when your parents are unable to raise the $80 to pay school fees.

Welcome to the world of William Kamkwamba in a village in northern Malawi.  This is his true story, as told by William with the assistance of Bryan Mealer (a former Associated press foreign correspondent) in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. It tells how, out of this disaster, a young teen following his intuition and inventiveness creates, with the help of cast off materials and a few library books about generating electricity, an amazing home made windmill.  His neighbors think he is crazy but eventually view him as a local hero when his windmill provides electricity to his home and water to the village.

The heart-warming tale of persistence and eventual success is set within a severe famine in 2002.  It provides a harrowing view of how poor peasant farm families can easily slide into profound destitution with no safety net or government support.   And, it details how a family copes with dwindling food supplies as they go from 3 meals a day to one meal a day, then to fewer spoonfuls of food for each person at that one meal.  The authors also outline the larger political and social forces that allow famines to occur and spread to impact thousands who starve and die.

William’s ultimate success is a product of his own determination and confidence in himself.  But, William doesn’t succeed in isolation, he succeeds because others see his determination and provide support.  He is helped by friends around the globe who learn of his invention and who mentor him to further his education and communicate his story.  Perhaps the greatest gift of this engaging book is the story of how we are all interconnected.  Perhaps one of the most effective forms of “foreign aid” is for people with ideas and energy in wealthy countries to support people like William in poor countries who are working to solve their own problems and lift their families and friends out of poverty.  And, most importantly to help young people like William realize their own dreams and develop into leaders within their countries.  William sums these sentiments up eloquently at the end of the book when he writes:

“We must encourage those still struggling to keep moving forward.  My fellow students and I talk about creating a new kind of Africa, a place of leaders instead of victims, a home of innovation rather than charity.  I hope this story finds its way to our brothers and sisters out there who are trying to elevate them selves and their communities, but who may feel discouraged by their poor situation.  I want them to know they’re not alone. By working together, we can help remove this burden of bad luck from their backs, just as I did, and use it to build a better future.”

Read this inspiring short book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, and attend a public book club and discussion on Thursday, May 12^th, , 6:30 PM at the Life Enrichment Bookstore (LEMS) in Columbia City (5023 Rainier Ave S)  The program is sponsored by the Seattle chapter of RESULTS (www.results.org, dedicated to creating the political will to end poverty and hunger) .  For further information, contact Ellie Graham at elinoragraham@me.com.

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Announcements

The University of Washington is hosting a discussion on the impact of global business

University of Washington’s  Global Business Center, NetImpact, and the Global Business Association are presenting a panel discussion on “New Direction in Global Business: What does it take to make REAL change?”  The discussion will take place on May 3^rd at 6:00pm in Kane Hall 210 on the UW campus and will feature responsible business thought leaders discussing the new role of business in providing lasting positive impact on societies and the environment.  The panelists will discuss what it takes to educate our future entrepreneurs, leaders and managers. Panelists include:

• Joyce Lavalle, former Sr. VP of Marketing, InterfaceFLOR
• Steve Lippman, Director, Environmental Engagement Strategy, Microsoft Citizenship
• Carol Sanford, author The Responsible Business

To register, please visit http://www.foster.washington.edu/news/pages/eventdetails.aspx?id=d6af0fdc-ff95-4040-9041-0ad92379dad9&startDate=20110503 or contact wrenmc@uw.edu for more information.

Author of Conversations with Power visiting Seattle

Brian Michael Till, author, columnist and Research Fellow at the New American Foundation, will be in Seattle discussing his new book Conversations with Power; What Great Presidents and Prime Ministers Can Teach Us about Leadership at a community event at St. Mark’s Cathedral on May 20^th, at 7pm. The book is a compilation of Till’s conversations with world leaders whom he set out to interview as a new college graduate at the beginning his career. Conversations with Power includes insights from Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Vaclav Havel, Mikhail Gorbachev, and others.

• Date: Friday, May 20, 2011
• Time: 7 P.M.
• Location: St. Mark’s Cathedral
• 1245 10th Ave. East
• Seattle, Washington 98102-4398
• 206-323-0300

Global Washington Focus Groups—Please join us!

We are planning to implement four Focus Groups in the beginning of May to discuss sectors of international development as an important first step to gather member input toward the process of developing Affinity Groups. We hope a focused and engaging conversation will lead us to potential objectives and expected outcomes for working together in more defined groups.

The four proposed Focus Groups will be regarding:

• Economic Development and Poverty Alleviation
• Environmental Sustainability: Climate, Water, Environment and Agriculture
• Global Health
• Small NOG’s Operational and Programmatic Needs

NOTE:  Another sector of international development that many Global Washington members are active in is Education and Global Engagement. This sector has already been convening as the Global Education Affinity Group.

We recognize that most of your organizations have important work in a number of these sectors, but we are asking you to offer your expertise to only one for now to help contribute to a group discussion that will lead to actionable items for a working group later.

Let us know if you are interested! Please contact our new Membership and Program Coordinator, Kate Lorenzen at kate@globalwa.org or by phone at 206-547-9392 for proposed dates and times.

Human Rights Symposium “from Seattle to the World” taking place on May 2^nd

The University of Washington is presenting “From Seattle to the World,” a symposium on human rights, featuring keynote Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International. Other presenters include James Bible, President of NAACP of Seattle & King County; Pramila Jayapal, Founder/Executive director of OneAmerica; and Magdaleno Rose-Avila, Globa Justice Leader and Activist.

The Symposium will take place at the University of Washington in Kane Hall Room 220 on May 2^nd from 6:00-7:30 and will be followed by a reception celebration.

Committee For Children Is Hiring In Seattle

Committee for Children is a dynamic nonprofit recognized internationally as a leader in developing research-based violence prevention and social and emotional educational curricula. CFC is currently looking for an International Partnership Manager, a Fund Development and Advocacy Strategist, and a Design Intern. For more information or to apply, please visit: http://www.cfchildren.org/about/jobs/

Zambian Ambassador Visits Seattle

At 4:00pm on the 28th, Global Washington is hosting a roundtable discussion with Zambian Deputy Ambassador Mr. Alfred Chioza accompanied by Mr. Willie Ndembela (Economic) Counsellor. The discussion will be followed by special music from Maisha Soul, a musical group from the DR Congo. For more information or to register, visit the Global Washington website. Ambassador Sheila Siwela was originally scheduled to conduct this discussion and sends her apologies that she can no longer attend.

Global Partnerships Receives Significant Investment From FMO

The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) recently  announced an investment of $4.4 billion in Global Partnership’s Social Investment Fund, a fund which loans capital to microfinance institutions in Latin America. GP’s fund targets organizations that reach those that most need credit, particularly the rural poor. Most of these organizations provide other services beyond loans, making the work more impactful. We congratulate Global Partnership and FMO on this important collaboration, which will help provide quality financial services to underserved populations.

For more information, please visit: http://www.globalpartnerships.org/sections/newsinfo/newsinfo_nr_GP_fmo_investment.htm

The Global Helps Network Hosts Sister Church Seminar

The Global Helps Network is hosting a seminar for local church leaders and other interested parties to learn more about working for and among the poorest of the poor in India. The seminar will present particular opportunities for service for the Western church. Each partnership is unique and may include the teaching and training of leadership teams of the fledgling congregations, not only in Biblical topics like preaching, and running a church, but practical topics as well, like economic development skills, financial management, village healthcare and advocacy issues. For more information or to register, please visit: http://www.globalhelpsnetwork.org/Seminars.html

Seattle University and Esperanza International Present Perspectives on Global Citizenship Conference

Perspectives on Global Citizenship:  Cultivating Transformative Change through Cross Cultural Service

take place on May 7th, from 9:00 to 5:30 at Seattle University. Conference objectives include:

• Develop leadership skills
• Learn best practices from leaders in the service-learning field
• Focus on building partnerships with host communities
• Create quality service programs
• Promote long-term commitment to solidarity, public service and global engagement

The costs is $15 per participant and $10 for students. Visit www.esperanzaint.org/service-conference for session descriptions or to register.

CityClub Annual Meeting to feature a discussion about regional governance

CityClub’s annual meeting on May 4^th is titled “A Regional Governance Conversation” and will feature Phillip Chicola, Consul General of the United States of America in Vancouver and Denis Stevens, Consul General of Canada in Seattle. The discussion will be moderated by Steve Scher of KUOW 94.9 FM.

The meeting will take place at the Washington Athletic Club (1325 6th Avenue, Seattle). Registration starts at 11:30am and the lunch of program are from 12:15 to 1:30pm.

Visit www.SeattleCityClub.org to register or call 206-682-7395.

RESULTS hosts public book club and panel on The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

On May 12th from 6:30-8:30pm at Life Enrichment Bookstore, RESULTS Seattle is hosting a panel discussion on The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Byran Mealer. The book is the story of a 14-year-old boy living in rural Malawi. For more details about this book, please see our the “Book Review” section of this newsletter.

When: May 12, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Life Enrichment Bookstore, Columbia city
5023 Rainier Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98118
Contact: Ellie Graham (elinoragraham@me.com or 206-721-0141) for more information

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Global Washington Events:

Thursday, April 28

Roundtable with Zambian Ambassador from Washington D.C. with special music from Maisha Soul

Friday, May 6

Myths of Technology for International Development

Global Washington Member Social

Monday, May 9

The Global Implications of India’s Microcredit Crisis

Monday, May 16

Evaluation Workshop with Innovations for Poverty Action

More Than Good Intentions: Book Discussion

Tuesday, May 17

Evaluation Workshop with Innovations for Poverty Action

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Other Events:

Wednesday, April 27

“Future Role for the U.S. in Meeting Global Challenges”

Thursday, April 28

Business and Investment Opportunities in Africa

Exploring Humanitarian Law Workshop for Educators

Tuesday, May 3

New Directions in Global Business: What does it take to make REAL change?

Wednesday, May 4

Cityclub Annual Meeting: A Regional Governance Conversation – Washington & British Columbia

Thursday, May 5

World Affairs Council Spokane: Humanitarian Aid: A Practitioner’s Perspective

Saturday, May 7

Perspectives on Global Citizenship: Cultivating Transformative Change through Cross Cultural Service

Wednesday, May 11

Liberia Peacebuilder Initiative (LPI) Launch Event!

Friday, May 13

Be the Spark: Keynote Address – Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Monday, May 16

Songea’s Kids: Hope Village Night

Friday, May 20

Sister Church Partnership…The Seminar

“Conversations With Power” Community book event

Thursday, June 2

Trade Development Alliance: 20th Anniversary Dinner

Friday, June 10

The Vietnamese Friendship Association Third Annual Benefit Dinner “Planting Roots, Shaping Futures”

Monday, June 13

Woodland Park Zoo – Travel for Teachers in Summer 2011 – Borneo, Primate Conservation

Seattle BioMed hosts Passport to Global Health Celebration

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As a member organization for the global development sector in the state of Washington, we urge you to speak out against further cuts to the national budget for diplomacy and foreign assistance.  Every day our members are tirelessly devoting their energy and resources to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. We hear their stories about positive changes they have seen—villages accessing clean water, poor women starting their own businesses, children exploring the world through quality education, people receiving simple vaccinations for deadly but preventable diseases. Positive change does not happen by accident. Yet, even simple solutions make a difference. A five dollar mosquito net may be all that is necessary to prevent a child from contracting malaria. It cost $100 million to eradicate smallpox—only a fraction of $1.3 billion that we now save annually thanks to the elimination of the disease.

Our members have experienced firsthand the difference that thoughtful and deliberate investment can make in addressing global problems. That is why most of our members support continued funding for poverty alleviation and global health. Because they are already doing all they can, but more help is still needed. Because these dollars DO make a difference. Because reduced funding means 370,000 people will not be able to get tested and treated for TB. Because continued funding will allow us to virtually eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015. Because investment in global development creates a more stable and prosperous world for everyone.

In the U.S., we have a voice in how we want our tax dollars to be spent. Global Washington’s Board President and Washington State representatives Adam Smith and Jim McDermott have submitted an op-ed to the Seattle Times expressing their support for these programs. Other influential thought leaders have also gone on record in support of continued funding for international development, including  Senator John Kerry ; former Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe;  Richard Stearns, President of the Christian relief and development organization, World Vision; and countless others from the development sector and beyond. Will you do the same? Let your elected representatives know that even in a difficult economic climate, you still support programs that help the most vulnerable in the world.

Sample text to use when contacting your representative:

I am writing to request that you protect the International Affairs Budget, and the investments in programs to help keep our country safe and grow our economy here at home. I recognize the very real budget constraints facing our nation and Washington and the difficult funding decisions you face.  As you grapple with these constraints, however, I urge you to ensure a strong and effective International Affairs Budget and to oppose deep cuts to these programs. 

Now is not the time to diminish or abandon America’s leadership around the world – or to cut programs that save money and lives by preventing conflict and instability from developing in the first place. As you know, a small investment in International Affairs programs builds more stable, democratic societies overseas and keeps us safe in the long run. There is strong bipartisan support for the International Affairs Budget, and broad support here in Washington, including the business, military, and faith communities.

We need your continued support to save these programs from deep cuts. I urge you to ensure a strong and effective International Affairs Budget in FY2011 and FY2012. As you know, these programs are essential to building a more stable, peaceful and prosperous world.

Links:

• Find your Congressional representative
• Read the op-ed
• An in-depth analysis of how the budget was cut (from U.S. Global Leadership Coalition).

Special to The Times

WITH our country facing mounting debt, and the federal budget standoff nearly bringing the government to a halt earlier this month, some voices in Congress are clamoring to toss foreign assistance on the chopping block.

While an 11th-hour compromise on spending for the rest of 2011 trimmed foreign aid back to 2010 levels (about $8.4 billion below the president’s request), the budget debate has only just begun.

Last Thursday, Rep. Paul Ryan’s proposal for FY2012 hit the House floor. Along with massive cuts to domestic programs, Ryan’s long-term plan would cut international affairs and foreign assistance by 29 percent in 2012 and 44 percent by 2016.

Cuts to diplomacy and foreign assistance are creating less controversy than domestic cuts such as the changes to Medicare and Medicaid laid out by Rep. Ryan. However, there are widespread misconceptions about how much of the budget is actually devoted to international investment and about the true benefits of these programs.

Foreign aid is far from wasteful spending: Dollars spent abroad help maintain America’s economic and political leadership, as well as support our vital national-security interests. These programs have amplified benefits for global stability through contributions to poverty alleviation, health and disease prevention, and infrastructure-building worldwide.

A recent poll reveals many Americans believe that international development makes up 25 percent of the budget, when in reality it is currently only 1 percent. This amount is in danger of being slashed even further by Ryan’s funding proposal. Such cuts to an already minor segment of our spending will do nothing to address the current deficit. Here is a small sample of what they will do, according to many experts:

• Take away access to tuberculosis treatment and testing for 370,000 people worldwide.
• Halt progress in AIDS education and prevention, including access to lifesaving medications that would have eliminated mother-to-child HIV transmission by 2015
• Diminish our ability to effectively conduct disaster-response activities such as our assistance efforts in Japan.

The long-term cost of the proposed cuts is unreasonably high, and not just for those whose lives will be directly affected. Remember, it cost $100 million to eliminate smallpox on the planet, but now saves the world $1.3 billion annually.

Investment in foreign aid is an investment in global relationships and our shared financial future. As developing nations become more prosperous, they will become less dependent on assistance, and Americans will benefit from our established relationships with these emerging markets. Washington state — the fourth-largest U.S. exporter in 2009 — would reap significant economic benefits from such opportunities.

Foreign assistance is the first line of our national defense, making us safer by stabilizing volatile nations. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates emphasized, “development is a lot cheaper than sending soldiers.”

Further, Gen. David Petraeus has praised development programs and expressed concern that “levels of funding for our State Department and USAID partners will not sufficiently enable them to build on the hard-fought security achievements of our men and women in uniform.”

Many of our nation’s leading development organizations are based here in Washington, and as the state’s elected officials and business leaders, we support the vibrant global-development sector in our community. We have advocated strongly for the maintenance of the current foreign-assistance appropriations and today we ask you to join in supporting this critical work.

Let your elected representatives and community know that you support crucial investments in our safety, economic interests and long-term prosperity. Our budget challenges are immense, but ultimately, we cannot reduce foreign aid without considering the greater cost in global poverty and instability such cuts would produce, now and for future generations.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, represents Washington’s 9th Congressional District; U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, represents the 7th District; Bill Clapp is founder of Global Washington and Seattle International Foundation.

U.S. Foreign Aid Is Not A Luxury But A Critical Investment In Global Stability
Adam Smith, Jim McDermott and Bill Clapp | The Seattle Times | April 17