Clinton Provides New(?) Vision for Development

 

Some have questioned the commitment of the Obama Administration to international development, especially since the Administrator of USAID has been one of the last political appointments to be filled.

However, this week marks a significant shift in attention on development by the White House. On Wed, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton laid out her plan for a reform of the U.S.’ international development efforts. The next day, the new USAID administrator Rajiv Shah, was sworn in and committed to making aid more effective by focusing on measurable results.

While neither speech gave many specifics, there were some pretty powerful highlights, especially from Clinton’s speech: 

“Because development is indispensable, it does demand a new approach suited for the times in which we find ourselves.”

She made the distinct (long-overdue) connection between development and security:

We cannot stop terrorism or defeat the ideologies of violent extremism when hundreds of millions of young people see a future with no jobs, no hope, and no way ever to catch up to the developed world...

We cannot advance democracy and human rights when hunger and poverty threaten to undermine the good governance and rule of law needed to make rights real.

Amazingly enough, she also emphasized the sustainable good principles that we advocate for when she described the need for investment, over hand-outs:

Through aid, we supply what is needed to the people who need it-be it sacks of rice, cartons of medicines, or millions of dollars to fill a budget shortfall. But through investment, we seek to break the cycle of dependence that aid can create by helping countries build their own   institutions and their own capacity to deliver essential services. Aid chases need; investment chases opportunity.

This is not to say that the United States is abandoning aid.  It is still a vital tool, especially as an   emergency response. But through strategic investments in programs like the Millennium Challenge Corporation, we hope to one day put ourselves out of the aid business, because countries will no longer need this kind of help.

Sound familiar?

NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof also pointed out that Clinton focused on investing in women and girls and consulting with local countries, instead of dictating to these countries.

In the end, while these ideas are not new, if they are implemented more effectively now, foreign aid could actually be reformed for the better. As they say, the proof will be in the pudding!

You can watch the speech here. And read the full text here.

 

Posted By (Stephen Donahoe) on Jan 08, 2010 12:00 AM CST
categories: Advocacy  Aid  Current Affairs  Development  Hunger  Poverty  Politics 

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