Blog

Lessons in Foreign Aid Reform from Haiti

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.

FY 2011 International Affairs Budget Request

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.

Global Education News Clips

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.