Image from the new IFPRI book Millions Fed: see below

THE FY2011 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET AND US DEVELOPMENT POLICY:

Secretary Clinton will appear before the full House Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a hearing on the FY2011 International Affairs Budget and “Promoting Security through Diplomacy and Development,” on February 25.

Aid advocates seem happy with the international affairs budget request, which proposes an increase of 2.8 percent over fiscal 2010, including supplemental funding. See a summary of the international affairs budget request in the Global Washington blog.

The Initiative for Global Development has a new Policy Update on its website, which includes a paper written by IGD on the Business Case for Foreign Aid Reform.  It also includes a letter written to Jim Jones and Larry Summers (co-chairs of the Presidential Study Directive on US Global Development Policy) recommending greater coherence between trade and aid policy.  

The US is a strong player back on the map, according to the Ethiopian Review.

The United States is missing its opportunity to get in on the clean energy gold rush, while other countries seize the opportunity.

HAITI:

Why Not Do for Haiti Now What We’ve Already Done for Africa? Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) recently introduced legislation to improve opportunities for Haiti to export to the United States. However, the proposals being floated so far do not address the fundamental problem and still lack long-term recovery ambitions.

Most experts say Haiti’s history as an aid recipient has made it a poster child for how not to administer development assistance. So it is not surprising that ordinary Haitians would be cynical about the prospects of post-earthquake aid being substantially different from the past. Despite an estimated nine billion dollars in aid over the years, Haiti remains near the bottom of global poverty and development indexes.

NGOs Ask USAID: What About Non-Haiti Programs? The UN has expressed concern that the donor community–particularly the US– has forgotten about other crises and is only focused on Haiti.

AFRICA:

Kenya has lost out on more than $270 million in funding for HIV and malaria treatment from the Global Fund on Aids, TB and Malaria.

Sudanese officials met with representatives of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss $36 billion of debt relief and the possible cancellation of sanctions against Sudan.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT NEWS:

Global Washington member Agros International was featured in CATALYST Design Magazine.  This article features a case study of Agros’ work in Central America, and it shows how Agros’ development model embodies the principles of a sustainable, holistic, and strategic solution to poverty.

Developing country debt loads are becoming unsustainable due to IMF and World Bank lending, and this looks like déjà vu all over again.

Millions Fed is a new book recently released by IFPRI (the International Food Policy Research Institute), which examines successes in agricultural development over the past 50 years.  This book offers a counterpoint to criticisms of green revolution-type development programs, such as the Gates Foundation’s agricultural development program.

Happy Lunar New year to all of you.  I hope that you have been able to enjoy the beautiful early spring.

We at Global Washington are extremely busy with starting our programming this month for 2010.   In order for us to continue to do a great job as a membership organization , I would like to ask you to please take a few minutes to fill out our survey.   This survey is designed to help us provide you with programs, events, and services that best fulfill your organization’s needs.
This feedback directly influences Global Washington’s strategic development agenda, and helps us identify and prioritize program and service support currently lacking in our global development community. Member organizations are greatly encouraged to give us some feedback about our work.

If you are not already a member, we are still eager to hear your thoughts on how we can engage you.  Plus, one individual who fills out our survey will  receive FREE REGISTRATION AT OUR 2010 CONFERENCE, and three individuals will receive a $30 gift certificate to Theo Chocolate!  The survey will be open through March 3rd, 2010.

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

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We have launched a new feature on our website- a legislative index.  It is a catalogue of global development-related legislation in the 111th Congress broken into nine categories, including Foreign Aid Reform, Global Health, Global Education, Climate Change, and Women’s Empowerment and Human Rights.  Our legislative index provides links to the official bill summary/status, one-sentence summaries of selected bills, a list of WA state cosponsors, and links to news articles and blogs where available.  Visit the Global Washington legislative index on our website.

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The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VIDI) celebrated a milestone achievement last October when it was awarded a $500,000 USAID grant to build the first U.S.-sponsored cancer clinic, research and medical-training facility in Africa.  In partnership with the Uganda Cancer Institute—Uganda’s lone cancer clinic—the new facility will be located in Kampala, on the campus of Mulago Hospital and Makerere University, one of Africa’s oldest and most reputable academic institutions.

The importance of this accomplishment goes well beyond what this new facility can do for Uganda, a country burdened with one of the highest cancer rates in the world.  With a team of top international oncologists and infectious disease experts, including co-directors of the Uganda Program on Cancer and Infectious Diseases (UPCID) Dr. Corey Casper and Dr. Jackson Orem, the project is an ambitious attempt to change medical history.

With roughly 22% of the world’s cancers attributable to chronic infections, the collaboration between VIDI and the Uganda Cancer Institute could potentially lead to astounding medical breakthroughs in developing vaccines or treatments that eradicate infection-related cancers, such as Kaposi sarcoma and Burkitt lymphoma.  “Of all the different causes of cancer—genetic, environmental, infectious disease, and other causes—developing vaccines that eliminate infectious disease is what we can do something about in the paradigm of eradicating cancer,” explained Dr. Casper.In Uganda, where six out of ten of the most common cancers are caused by infectious diseases, researchers encounter unique conditions for identifying new infectious causes of cancer, potentially leading to the development of new methods for prevention and treatment.  84% of the Ugandan population is infected with HHV8, a virus that can develop into Kaposi’s sarcoma.  And Burkitt lymphoma, an extremely aggressive cancer associated with Epstein-Barr virus, is the most common form of childhood cancer in Central Africa.  The impact of cancer in Uganda is compounded by the lack of screening and early detection tools in resource-poor countries.  As a result, a cancer diagnosis is often synonymous with a death sentence.

These staggering statistics reflect the massive burden of infection-related cancers on Ugandan society, but also offer a novel opportunity for putting Uganda at the center of international cancer research and innovation benefiting not only people in the emerging countries but also in the developed world as well. Uganda has maintained a national registry of cancer patients for nearly 60 years, a valuable tool for scientists conducting population-based studies.  In addition, the Uganda Cancer Institute has a long history of collaborating with international organizations and has collected data for more than 200 studies, reflecting the country’s focus on medical research and education.

Prior to the Hutchinson Center’s collaboration with the Uganda Cancer Institute, the Institute had only one oncologist on staff, outdated equipment, and an overcrowded facility.  The partnership has already culminated in the addition of two more oncologists, with two additional physician-scientists currently participating in fellowship programs at the Hutchinson Center, and the implementation of a faculty exchange program.  The goal is to continue to train cancer-care providers and develop a world-class center for cancer treatment and research, complete with a molecular diagnostic laboratory and inpatient and outpatient care facilities.   According to Dr. Casper, “In order to make a meaningful difference in Uganda, we need to build infrastructure, offer efficient care delivery, train a cadre of cancer-care providers, improve outcomes, and raise awareness of infection-related cancers.”

Cancer kills more people than malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis combined, yet knowledge of infection-related cancers remains relatively low on the public radar.  As a result, lack of political will and public advocacy stifles funding for pathophysiology research and limits opportunities for developing prevention and treatment strategies, as well as vital diagnostic tools.

Washington State, a hub for cutting-edge global health research, is in a unique position to raise the profile of infection-related cancers.  VIDI is one of the nation’s largest infectious disease research groups, and our region’s renowned experts in infectious disease and oncology are unparalleled in the world.  Increasing awareness and visibility regarding infection-related cancers provides a powerful boost to the scientific community by engaging public interest and enhancing advocacy efforts.

To learn more about the Hutchinson Center’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VIDI) and the Uganda Cancer Institute, please follow the links below:

http://www.fhcrc.org/about/pubs/center_news/online/2009/10/Uganda.html#

http://fhcrc.org/about/ne/news/2009/10/26/uganda.html

http://med.mak.ac.ug/p.php?a=view&vID=178&p=Cancer%20Institute

For more information about the innovative work of the Uganda Program on Cancer and Infectious Diseases (UPCID), please visit:

http://www.upcid.org/

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“We are the bridge for the people of Goma”

As passionate and inspiring US directors for HEAL Africa, Judy and Richard Anderson have been part of a group that decided to help establish a US organization to support the work in Goma.  Based in Goma, Congo, on the border of Rwanda, HEAL Africa has been a beacon of light in eastern Congo for Congolese as they are confronted daily with rape, pillage, and destruction from militias engaging in regional war since the spillover of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.  In eastern Congo, particularly the northeast in Kivu and Maniema, there is still an ongoing occupation by troops from the former Rwandan army (FDLR), various militias, and the FARDC.  It’s a very complicated situation involving money, minerals and other natural resources.  The end result is that the local population keeps suffering.  Of the population of 7 million in N Kivu, 1.1 million are displaced and even more are displaced in S. Kivu.

Judy Anderson, the current executive director of HEAL Africa, grew up in the Congo spending her early years there and has many fond memories, as well as challenging moments: When Judy was about ten years old a Congolese friend of hers, Maria, failed to appear in school after their holiday break. This perplexed Judy and was told by Maria’s mother that she would no longer be attending school. Confused, Judy asked her father for an explanation and to her dismay was told that Maria’s family and a prospective groom’s family decided to marry her off. Maria’s father was worried that if Maria were to receive further education her chances of marriage would be threatened because the prospective groom only had first or second grade level education and didn’t want to marry someone with more education than he had.Judy remembers clearly that day when she was told that news and cried to her Dad “it’s not fair!”  She said, “on that day, I recognized that my life was completely different from hers: our futures would be so very different.  That was the time it really entered my consciousness–and where the differences lay.  The future, the possibilities, was defined for her by her community and they would be very different from mine.”  Ever since, Judy has tried to make a difference in opportunities girls and women have, and to show them that they could have a voice.”  That was a defining moment in Judy’s life and she was determined to see that Congolese women could have the same favorable circumstances she has had.

Judy’s husband, Richard, has been very involved in Africa since the 1970’s working with many organizations such as World Vision, World Relief Corp., and of course HEAL Africa where he was the executive director in 2006-2007, and currently works as the chief development officer.. He was attracted to HEAL Africa because he felt it was unique and liked the way it looked at “health” in its broad meaning. The vision of HEAL Africa is one in that health cannot be disjointed; it must be viewed in its totality. Health in Congo is community. Health is trust and cohesion. Richard was drawn to HEAL Africa because of this view as well as the organization’s ability to recognize that solutions are multi-dimensional, and must be defined and owned locally.

Richard recalled it was in 1994 after he helped set up aid in Goma that he first recognized a phenomenon that hate and fear in Congo transmits itself. He was changed by his experiences in Goma and came back from it with the ambition to find people of vision with aspirations for Congo and help them achieve what they see can be achieved for the people of Congo.

“It’s not just the story of the people’s horrid past,
but what they’ve stood up to do now—it’s the NOW”

Despite 16 years of instability in Goma, Judy is optimistic exactly because the people of Congo are creative, and full of hope. The young generation wants a different future.  Many are committed to making it happen.  HEAL Africa is a place where the best of the West can be offered to men and women. Due to HEAL Africa, the people of Congo have been reminded that they must not rely solely on external help to rebuild their nation. Judy and Richard’s goal is to foster community cohesion that reaches across dividers such as religions and villages. Violence, rape, and HIV cannot be solved by one group. Thus, they stress that the people of Congo must learn to trust each other in order to HEAL as a people.

“It’s exciting to know we are investing in Congo’s future leaders”

Judy states the people of eastern Congo are internally-displaced with fragmented communities. It is the goal of HEAL Africa to build a framework of trust and bring leadership together. There is ongoing training in mediation skills, assessment and critical thinking. HEAL Africa is preparing the future leaders of Congo to choose strategies that will enable them to ultimately help the poorest and weakest in their villages.

“It’s having the long-term view that will affect this generation, and the next, and the next”

Richard and Judy would be the first ones to tell you that a “cookie-cutter” approach to foreign aid will not work, but they believe shared principles and ideas can indeed apply and be coordinated on a higher level. They felt Global Washington’s annual conference is a great opportunity to learn from other organizations in their successful strategies. HEAL Africa has been successful because it is locally-based. It was begun and is run by Congolese committed to change. Programs are developed from the field, not from offices. We at Global Washington hope to learn from Judy and Richard Anderson’s experiences with HEAL Africa by creating a foundation for a Washington-based community. A community that is capable of convening organizations to ultimately create cohesion and trust much like Judy and Richard have been diligently working towards in Goma, Congo.

For more information about HEAL Africa please visit:
http://www.HEALafrica.org/cms/
Their Action in Community philosophy:
http://www.HEALafrica.org/cms/programs/action-in-community/
To contact HEAL Africa’s US office, please send an email to: info@HEALafrica.org
For a recap of Global Washington’s conference in December 7th 2009 please visit:
https://globalwa.org/?page_id=2233
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Africa Doesn’t Matter: How the West Has Failed the Poorest Continent and What We Can Do About It
By Giles Bolton (2007)

As a young idealist Giles Bolton went to Africa in the late 1990s as a British aid worker determined to do “Something Constructive” first in Kenya, then in Rwanda.  Several years later and greatly disillusioned, he quit his work and focused on answering, in an accessible manner, the important questions addressed in this book: “Is Africa’s poverty all down to corruption?  What actually happens to our aid money, and how do trade rules affect us at the checkout line?  Can the United States and other rich countries really make a difference in Africa?”

He is successful at writing a short, concise book that is easy to read and provides clear answers to his first 2 questions with very informative discussions about the reality of what happens to the money you donated to your favorite charity or, as a tax payer, you gave your government and multilateral organizations to do development work in poor countries.  The book is grounded by following the lives of two poor families, one in rural Kenya and the other in an urban setting in Democratic Republic of Congo and illustrating how their lives are, or are not, impacted by specific development and trade initiatives of western countries.  By creating a fictitious “average” sub-Saharan African country, Uzima (which means “reality” in Swahili) and placing the reader in the seat of the newly elected president of this country, he clearly illustrates the impossibility of moving the country out of extreme poverty given the lack of revenues to support government programs.

The discussion on development aid highlights the fact that less than 40 cents of every aid dollar actually reaches the intended beneficiaries in the countries to which it is sent.  The majority is spent on sustaining the “aid industry” of the charity organizations or rich countries.  The lack of a focused outcome on reducing poverty and strengthening government systems of the recipient country, means neither the tax payer donor nor the poor benefit from the current system.  The discussion of the unlevel trade rules placed before African countries (and the history of how they developed) is especially illuminating.  Extraction of unprocessed natural resources from African countries and agricultural subsidies and tariffs in Europe and the US have prevented economic development in Africa.  Subsidies hurt both consumers in the rich countries and poor famers in developing countries.  For example, “a typical British family of four was paying around $30 more than it needs to a week because of EU agricultural subsidies, through a combination of tax and higher prices at the checkout…around $1500 per year.”  Multiple studies have documented similar costs to US citizens or our subsidies and tariffs.

The 3rd question the book addresses, how can we change this situation, is not as well developed.  Bolton doesn’t address micro-credit and the empowerment of women as major success stories in economic development and an escape from extreme poverty.  He also does not discuss the potential positive outcomes on African economic development of regional government cooperation and improving trade within the African continent.  He does place emphasis on citizen and consumer action to change policy and industry practice in Western countries but ends up apologizing for unfair practices both in aid and trade by saying that they are not intentional, just unfortunate outcomes of business as usual.  For example, he says that multinational companies “are fundamentally amoral.  The power of competition means they will try and do things as cheaply and effectively as possible…it is enshrined in law in most countries that a company’s duty is to its shareholders…they need to do what’s financially best for the firm.”  It would have strengthened his case for citizen action if he had pointed out that this ideology is usually very short sighted and does not look at long term benefits to the country where a company does manufacturing, the people they employ, or the safety and quality of their products.  This ideology of “amorality” toward trade and economic development, is the reason that citizens in both rich and poor countries need to demand corporate responsibility and real outcomes from development aid.

In spite of these deficiencies, the book is well worth reading for the educational value of the discussions on aid and trade and a clear focus on the reality facing poor families and their governments in Africa.  Our Seattle RESULTS chapter sponsored a very well attended public discussion on this book in January and the engagement and discussion that ensued continued well past the official closing hour of our venue!  It helped all of us understand the magnitude and direction of the tasks involved in reforming foreign aid to end extreme poverty on the globe.

Submitted by Elinor (Ellie) Graham, a retired pediatrician, who is a local RESULTS volunteer and does health work in Liberia and El Salvador.

 

 

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• The Seattle International Foundation Announces its First Global Program Grantmaking Round of 2010 : The Seattle International Foundation is now accepting applications for its Global Program.  The goal of the Global Program is to support and foster local organizations working internationally.  The Foundation is interested in development projects in all regions of the world, although it has a special interest in Central America.  Preference will be given to organizations based in the greater Puget Sound region and organizations based outside of Washington State are not eligible.  The application deadline is March 15, 2010 and grant recipients will be announced by mid-May 2010.  Click here for more information.
• Global Washington is Looking for a Part-Time Paid Intern, 5-8 Hours/Week: Are you tech savy and abound with creative social media strategies?  If so, then we would love to discuss a paid internship.  The Social Media Intern position is responsible for the strategic development and on-going implementation of social media communications for Global Washington.  This position’s primary goal is to effectively connect Global Washington community members and promote Global Washington’s activities, framed within its mission and values.  Email peter@globalwa.org for further info
• Arasu Named Associate Vice President for International Programs and Chief International Officer: Prema Arasu has been named associate vice president for international programs and chief international officer at Washington State University.  She is currently associate vice provost, Office of International Affairs at North Carolina State University, as well as the director, Global Health Initiative, and professor, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine.  John Gardner, vice president for economic development and global engagement, said “I am very pleased that Dr. Arasu has agreed to lead international programs at Washington State University.  Her extensive background in international affairs and focus on interdisciplinary scholarship makes her uniquely suited to not only build on existing strengths in IP, but also to foster even greater collaboration around issues of clean technology, sustainable development and global health.”  Click here to learn more about Prema Arasu.

• DATE CHANGE FOR GLOBAL SOCIAL BOWLING EVENT AT THE GARAGE: Please note that the year’s first Global Social has been changed from March 3rd to March 17th. Is the competitive spirit alive in you and your organization?  Do you consider yourself a better bowler than your global development counterparts?  Well, now is the chance to prove it!  For one night, Global Washington has decided to set aside our day job so that our members can ‘duke it out’ in the bowling alley.  Join us to network and bowl with members from small and large non-profits, educational institutions, philanthropy and businesses who all share something in common: our passion for development issues on the local, national and global level. We are pleased to partner with the GARAGE on First Hill to bring you 2010’s first Global Social.  Come out to connect and form bowling teams around YOUR shared region or YOUR shared issue while thinking of ways you can collaborate to overcome common challenges.  Click here for more information.

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Click here to see a full list of international development events on the Global Washington’s calendar. Upcoming events include:

• February 19: Service in Action Seminar Series 2009-2010: From Fear to Fun: Fundraising Basics to New Innovations
• February 20: Feminization of Labor in Southeast Asia: How Girls Feed Families, Stay Healthy and Cope with Exploitation
• February 22: “Malaria Control Beyond 2010”
• February 25: Celebrate International Washington at the Governor’s Mansion
• February26: Americans for UNFPA Luncheon for the Health and Dignity of Women
• March 5: “Mining and Indigenous Rights: The Struggle for Self-Determination in Guatemala”
• March 11: 2010 Leadership Legacy Awards
• March 17: Global Social Member Meet Up at the GARAGE
• March 18: Seeing Ourselves in “The Other” – Life Lessons From the Rwanda Genocide

Please submit your events to our calendar!

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In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, an enormous international effort was launched to rebuild and relieve the many humanitarian demands resulting from the earthquake. So far, “the international aid effort is failing to meet the earliest goals pronounced by the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon” according to the New York Times’ Neil MacFarquhar.

In his article “Haiti Is Again a Canvas for Approaches to Aid,” MacFarquhar examines the different methods of effective foreign aid and solutions to some of the problems in effecting sustainable development. This article raises some questions as to how to develop and implement an effective aid system: Who should oversee development efforts, foreign governments and NGOs or the local government? To what extent should foreign governments be involved in directing the flow of foreign aid? What areas of development should receive priority over the rest?

Along these lines, Global Washington has drawn on the international development expertise of our supporters from the academic, non-profit, philanthropic and business communities to develop four principles of aid effectiveness that would address the problems of the current foreign aid system:

1. Transparency and Accountability: to make information on strategy, goals and spending easily available to U.S. taxpayers and international beneficiaries, thereby increasing accountability.

2. Consolidation and Coordination: to make sure efforts are not duplicative and are able to meet articulated goals as well as ensure non-aid policies, such as diplomacy, defense and trade, complement aid goals.

3. Local Ownership: to ensure that aid aligns with local priorities, builds local capacity and promotes local economies.

4. Targeting: to direct aid at reducing poverty, especially in the world’s poorest countries

These four principles, if implemented as part of a framework for reform, would combine to strengthen the foreign aid system, making it both more effective and more efficient. To learn more these principles and our recommendations for foreign aid reform, please visit our website to read our white paper here.

This month, President Obama submitted his $3.8 trillion Fiscal Year 2011 Budget request to Congress. Representing just 1.4% of the total FY 2011 Budget, the International Affairs Budget request stands at $58.5 billion. This request would be a $6.1 billion increase over the enacted International Affairs Budget of FY 2010.  While this budget request reflects an overall increase, not all programs and accounts would receive more funding.

Some of the programs and accounts that would receive increased funding from FY 2010 levels include Global Health and Child Survival ($680 million), Climate Investment Funds ($260 million), the Millennium Challenge Corporation ($170 million), the Economic Support Fund ($1.47 billion), and the Peace Corps ($46 million). Most notable among these is the $1.47 billion increase for the Economic Support Fund, all of which going to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Several programs have been slated for cuts from FY 2010 funding levels, including the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria ($50 million); Migration and Refugee Assistance ($80 million); and non-UN Peacekeeping Operations ($46 million). The U.S. contributions to International Organizations and Programs would also receive a cut, specifically reducing contributions to the UNDP ($26 million), UNICEF ($4 million), and UNFPA ($5 million).

The FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request also represents a shift in the U.S. Government’s funding priorities for foreign aid. In an attempt to shift focus from a military endeavor to a civilian-led, humanitarian mission, this budget request calls for a $3.6 billion increase for the three Frontline States, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Apart from these Frontline States, three other areas of foreign aid receive priority in the FY 2011 Budget: food security, health, and climate change. The Budget would devote $1.4 billion to fight climate change, which is divided into the three pillars of Adaptation ($334 million), Clean Energy ($710 million), and Sustainable Landscapes ($347 million).  The U.S. has also committed to provide a share of a $30 billion global financing operation for adaptation and mitigation over the next three years, which is a major part of the Copenhagen Accord agreed to in December.  It is not clear what budget resources will be used to meet this commitment.

Over the next three years, the U.S. has committed to providing $3.5 billion to food security programs as part of an attempt to drastically reduce hunger worldwide. This budget would also mark the introduction of the Global Health Initiative, focused on fighting the spread of infectious diseases, increased nutrition and family planning services, as well as decreasing child and maternal mortality rates. To this end, the U.S. would invest $63 billion over the next six years.

For a more complete and in depth analysis of the Fiscal Year 2011 International Affairs Budget request, please visit the US Global Leadership Coalition, and Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network.

Ashesi University College:

Sarah Murray writes for the Financial Times about Ashesi and its impact in Ghana. Ashesi’s Founder, Patrick Awuah sought a way he could contribute to nation-building efforts in his home country, Ghana and across Africa. He started Ashesi, Ghana’s first liberal arts college which is educating students to be ethical and entrepreneurial leaders.

Goldman Sachs continues to choose Ashesi students. This year, four of the five students selected from Ghana to participate in the Goldman Sachs, London spring internship program are Ashesi students.  This will be the fifth year in a row that Ashesi students have won the opportunity to intern with one of the world’s largest investment banks—Goldman Sachs.

Washington State University:

Ripple Effect Changes Lives in Africa. WSU launched a philanthropic website that may be the first of its kind developed by a college or university. Designed to provide direct aid to impoverished citizens in Malawi, Africa, Ripple Effect lets students, alumni and interested contributors of all ages and abilities leverage WSU’s agricultural, engineering, veterinary science and economic development research and worldwide outreach with gifts ranging from $16 to tens of thousands.

WSU sees continued record enrollment of international students. Washington State University has experienced a 39% increase in overall international student enrollment from spring 2007 to spring 2010. Currently, 5.8% of students enrolled at WSU are international students. There are 1,440 international students this spring semester, a record surpassing last year’s enrollment of 1227 students.

Prema Arasu has been named associate vice president for international programs and chief international officer at Washington State University. “WSU’s strategic priorities in clean technologies, health, food and agriculture, align strongly with our state, national and global concerns of today.” Arasu will have administrative oversight responsibility for education abroad, international student recruitment, international students and scholars, international research and development activities, intensive language training and recruitment, and the global studies degree program.

University of Washington:

UW ranks seventh nationally in students studying abroad. The UW is seventh in the nation among doctoral institutions in how many students it sends on study abroad programs. The UW is also ranked fourth in the nation in the number of students who participate in long-term study abroad programs (a full academic year).

Rural Development Institute:

March 11: International Women’s Day Luncheon, “Women Feed the World.” This year’s theme — Women Feed the World — will address the critical role that land plays for women, who do 60-80 percent of the farming in the developing world, yet own less than 2 percent of the world’s land. The event will feature keynoter Catherine Bertini, Former Chief Executive, United Nations World Food Programme, World Food Prize Laureate, 2003, and Professor of Public Administration, Syracuse University.

BRIDGES to Understanding:

Bridges will be at the World Languages Day conference in Seattle: Friday, March 5, 2010.

Global Visionaries:

Saturday, May 8, 2010: Global Visionaries Annual Auction and Celebration! Supporting the 2010 Gala Auction “Fiesta de Guatemala” will give Global Visionaries’ the opportunity to expand local and international programs and affect the lives of 230 children and future leaders.

Other Global Education News:

Ghana to Host 7^th Africa Investment Forum. The Forum will bring investors and projects together which will support the economic growth required to enable African countries realize their aspirations and prosper in the emerging global economy of the 21st century.

Americans chase internships abroad as a gateway to work. With available jobs at record lows in the U.S., and a business world that is increasingly global, more Americans are seeking overseas internships and other resume builders than ever before, experts say. The number of people traveling abroad for internships from 2000 through 2008 doubled, from 6,950 to 13,658, based on a survey of about 1,500 educational institutions, according to the Institute of International Education.

Students find ways to study abroad despite costs. While some college study abroad programs are suffering from the financial downturn, local students are still finding ways to make their dreams come true of traveling internationally to further their education.

2010 Global Leader Dinner Featuring Rick Steves. OneWorld Now to feature travel guru and TV host Rick Steves at the 6th Annual OneWorld Now! Global Leader Dinner.

CHINA & THE WORLD EXPO:

The World Expo in Shanghai is “the Olympic Games of economics, culture and technology”

China’s Expo pavilion opens to the world
China welcomed international visitors as it marked the completion of the China pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

Middle class protestors march over World Expo threat to Shanghai homes
Almost 1,000 people in Shanghai have marched furiously on Beijing to protest against being thrown out of their homes ahead of the World Expo.  

China warns Obama not to meet Dalai Lama
China has warned that ties with the US would be undermined if US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama.

MIDDLE-EAST:

USAID Unveils New Yemen Strategy
The U.S. Agency for International Development will now target youth employment, education, health care, decentralized governance, agriculture and support for marginalized groups under its new strategy for Yemen. The agency has launched its two new flagship programs for Yemen, which separately deal with community livelihoods and national governance.

Yemen Aid Efforts Suffer Funding Shortage
Lack of funding is hampering United Nations aid efforts for some 250,000 internally displaced Yemenis. The U.N. Refugee Agency has received only 3 percent of its USD35.6 million appeal, while the World Food Program already took a loan of USD4 million from its own resources to support its Yemen programs.

US Helps Create Jobs in Pakistan
The U.S. Agency for International Development is helping create employment opportunities in Pakistan, as it forged a memorandum of understanding with Motorola Pakistan, Sarhad University and Techaccess. The initiative, Daily Times reports, is expected to generate more than 100 job opportunities in the next four years.

HAITI:

World Bank Lauds Switzerland Effort to Return Haiti Stolen Assets
The World Bank has commended the efforts of Switzerland to return to Haiti millions of dollars worth of stolen assets held by the family of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in Swiss banks. It said the money could be used for post-earthquake reconstruction projects and development programs.

Bill Clinton Vows to Speed Up Haiti Aid Delivery
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has vowed to expedite aid delivery to quake victims in Haiti as the international community scrambled to provide food and shelter to an estimated 1 million people in need of relief in the devastated nation. On a visit to Port-au-Prince Feb. 6, the newly appointed international aid coordinator for Haiti also apologized for delays in bringing help to those in need.

AFRICA:

EAC, Microsoft Partner for East Africa Digital Development
The East African Community and Microsoft Corp. have inked a deal for the development of digital technology in East Africa, IT News Africa reports. Under the agreement, Microsoft will assist EAC in exploring how information and communication technology can help address the region’s most pressing development challenges.

Starbucks Helps Fight AIDS in Africa
International coffee chain Starbucks launched its All-You-Need-is-Love campaign that seeks to mobilize funding for combating AIDS in Africa, according to Aid Watch. The coffee giant gives a portion of its sales to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Violence Deters Humanitarian Operations in Congo, UN Says
The United Nations has warned that armed attacks at refugee camps in Congo are interrupting humanitarian operations there, UPI reports. The attack, which killed three people, sought to recruit men to the Rwandan Hutu rebel group. There are about 1.3 million internally displaced people in Congo’s conflict-ravaged Kivu provinces.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT NEWS:

New MCC chief Daniel Johannes discusses plans for 2010 in an interview with devex.

At least 55 countries have submitted climate mitigation plans, in compliance with the Copenhagen Accord.
23 of these are developing countries, including China, which said it would “endeavor to lower its CO2 emmissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent.”

Senator Lugar in a speech to the Society for International Development,
discussed the need for a “unity of purpose,” where the whole government works together on development outcomes.  This is an important step towards better coordination of U.S. foreign aid policy.

Drop in U.S. aid hits democracy efforts in Ukraine.
Declining U.S. financial support poses threats to Ukraine’s fledgling democracy, The Washington Post reports. The drop in aid has prompted independent Ukrainian exit poll groups to decrease the number of districts they cover, leading to survey results that are at variance with other surveys. The decline, according to the newspaper, can be attributed to “Ukraine fatigue” or the increasing intolerance of the West with political infighting in the former Soviet republic.

We at Global Washington are excited to announce a new feature on our website; a legislative index. This index is a collection of select global development-related legislation from the 111th Congress. For the convenience of browsing the many bills related to development, we have broken the index into nine categories including Foreign Aid Reform, Global Health, Global Education, Climate Change, and Women’s Empowerment and Human Rights. Our legislative index provides links to the official bill summary and current status, one-sentence summaries of selected bills, a list of WA state cosponsors where applicable, and links to news articles and blogs where available. We have also included a section devoted to new and exciting legislation related to global development. Please visit the Global Washington legislative index on our website here.

Global Education News Clips:

To help keep you updated, some interesting global education news stories have been compiled below.  We hope this regular global ed blog helps you to stay on top of hot, new trends!

The Wall Street Journal published an article discussing the study abroad experience, the cost of programs, as well as the pros and cons.

As reported by the Association of International Educators, on January 26, 2009, the U.S. Senate voted to reject Sen. Coburn’s (R-Okla.) amendment to H.J. Res. 45 that would have rescinded $120 billion in federal funding across all agencies.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) reports that it has created an emergency grants program to help students from Haiti on U.S. campuses whose home country support has been seriously affected by the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Take advantage of the many resources offered by EducationUSA!  EducationUSA “represents over 450 advising centers in 170 countries dedicated to providing accurate, unbiased and comprehensive information about accredited U.S. higher education institutions.”

How has the financial crisis affected study abroad?  Read here for a report published by the Forum on Education Abroad.

Check back soon for a compilation of the latest international education news!

Yemen :  Following a failed attempt to blow up Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day, government officials from around the world met in London to coordinate international efforts to provide assistance to Yemen. Yemen is considered a terrorist hot spot, and is now in the global spotlight.  Officials are concerned about the growing Al Qaeda presence, and are considering using development assistance to thwart its efforts.

Hillary Clinton urges Yemen to ‘take ownership’ of its problems

Yemen Vows Better Use of Aid as Donors Focus on Al-Qaeda Fight

Yemen clashes continue, ceasefire offer rejected

House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs holds hearing– Yemen on the Brink: Implications for U.S. Policy

World Economic Forum:  The World Economic Forum (WEF) is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and was incorporated as a foundation in 1971 under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Government. It is best known for its annual meeting in Davos and gathers intellectuals in addition to top leaders in business and international politics to discuss the most critical issues facing the world including health and the environment. The WEF is not-for-profit, non-partisan, and tied to no national interests.

Surprisingly both the bankers and politicians, who agree on pretty well nothing else, are all thinking globally for the future.

“There will be no return to ‘business as usual.’ . . . More intrusive regulation of the financial system is now inevitable.”

Leaders in Davos Admit Drop in Trust.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced at World Economic Forum in Switzerland that they will donate $10 billion over the next 10 years in the field of vaccine research and distribution.

Brazil’s Silva chastised wealthy nations for triggering the global financial crisis, for not doing enough to help the globe’s poor and for failing to redress historic wrongs.

For more World Economic Forum updates refer to their web site at:

http://www.weforum.org/en/index.htm

Haiti:

High-Level Haiti Commentary Touches on Foreign Assistance Reform Themes

Our foreign aid system is broken with our assistance programs fragmented across roughly 25 government departments and agencies.

The president will call for a three-year freeze on some categories of federal spending, excluding the military and homeland security, foreign aid, Social Security and more.

Americans detained in Haiti were ‘trying to rescue children’

Other News from Around the World:

States renew vows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Senators Kerry and Lugar introduced a bill to authorize the State Department and make changes in U.S. foreign relations policy- including to increase the capacity of USAID and improve on its accountability.  This would be the first authorization of the State Department in many years.

African summit hears world ignoring Somalia crisis

US Arms Sales to Taiwan Latest Hit to Sino-American Ties

Land reform in Africa is not simple- many people have benefited from it, but it has also stirred up more conflict in some cases.

Thanks to Global Washington intern Luke Mohr for compiling this Policy News Roundup.

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address, after one year in office.  As expected, he discussed healthcare reform, the economic recovery, and national security.  He also went into great detail on the need to create more jobs in this country, and how we can do that through investing in green technology innovations, and expanding trade.

International development does not typically get much attention in a state of the union address.   President Obama did not give significantly more space to development than usual, but he did a nice job of articulating why the United States must continue to help people in faraway lands.  It’s not just about security, or preventing the spread of disease- we do it because it is right. 

We do it because it is right.  This sentiment could be the opening paragraph to a national development strategy, which could improve U.S. foreign assistance greatly.  We need a national development strategy that strongly articulates the U.S. vision and goals for foreign assistance – without it, we’re just shooting out money and programs and ideas from different U.S. government agencies to countries around the world, without any idea to bind it all together, without any way to even check that they meet U.S. goals.  Many of these programs and policies work, but sometimes they are in conflict with each other, and some of them really are just shots in the dark.  We need more coordination, and it has to start with a national strategy.

Here is the excerpt from President Obama’s speech that addresses global engagement:

“That’s the leadership that we are providing –- engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people. We’re working through the G20 to sustain a lasting global recovery.  We’re working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science and education and innovation.  We have gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against climate change. We’re helping developing countries to feed themselves, and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS.  And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease -– a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad.

As we have for over 60 years, America takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores.  But we also do it because it is right.  That’s why, as we meet here tonight, over 10,000 Americans are working with many nations to help the people of Haiti recover and rebuild.  That’s why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in Afghanistan; why we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of Iran; why we advocate for the young man denied a job by corruption in Guinea.  For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity.”