“New Day, New Way” launches aid reform on the Hill
June 10th, 2008 at 12:36 pm | posted by Porter.McConnell_Oxfam
Today on the Hill, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network presented “New Day, New Way: U.S. Foreign Assistance for the 21st Century”, an incredible consensus document on foreign aid reform signed by a powerful group of thought leaders and foreign aid practitioners. There to make opening remarks were Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and the Network’s co-chairs Steve Radelet of the Center for Global Development and Gayle Smith of the Center for American Progress. Oxfam America president Raymond C. Offenheiser, one of the document’s signatories, was also there to represent the Network.
Oxfam takes no U.S. public funding—our support comes from American citizens and organizations who care about global poverty. But Oxfam witnesses, on a daily basis, the best and worst of U.S. foreign assistance. We work directly with the end-users of U.S. foreign assistance, both poor people and their governments. Overwhelmingly, they feel that U.S. foreign aid, as currently designed, is failing. Government after government has told Oxfam that while they appreciate American generosity, U.S. foreign aid creates more headaches for them than aid from any other donor. NGOs tell us that U.S. foreign aid is the most burdensome to administrate.
As a result, it is unable to help poor people achieve real lasting change in their communities and in their lives.
We need to change our approaches on the ground. Specifically, U.S. foreign aid must do more to put poor countries and poor people in control of their own future. True partnership means ceding a measure of control, something that is hard for Washington to do. It is the difference between charity and investment.
Congress has begun this process, and we hope there will be more events this year, to highlight the issues and educate our political leaders and the public. We believe that the American people want our political leaders to take action to reform foreign aid, and we and our partners are working to mobilize that public support.
That’s where ONE members come in. To learn more about the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network or what Oxfam is doing to make foreign aid all that it can be, click here
-Porter McConnell, Oxfam America’s Aid Reform Team
June 10th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Hey Porter, thanks so much for the first update from this forum. We value your ideas & input in the ONE Blog as Oxfam is one of the STELLAR partner organizations of ONE and has been essential in the movement to end extreme poverty for decades.
I completely agree with your statement:
“We need to change our approaches on the ground. Specifically, U.S. foreign aid must do more to put poor countries and poor people in control of their own future. True partnership means ceding a measure of control, something that is hard for Washington to do. It is the difference between charity and investment.”
To this end, I hope this forum is a success in redirecting U.S. foreign assistance into more NGO activities in the poorest parts of the world. It simply makes sense.
But, I must stress ONE idea: without the re-authorization of PEPFAR, millions of people who would otherwise be around to partake in the fruits of Oxfam’s hark work on their behalf will simply be gone - no longer living because they are not able to get the medications that they need to keep them alive & productive.
So while all of you discuss alternatives to the present ways in which U.S. foreign assistance is currently distributed, I highly urge you and the others there from ONE to STAND UP & VOICE YOUR SUPPORT OF PEPFAR and attempt to garner the support of the Senators there to this action.
It simply makes not a lot of sense to discuss alternatives to current U.S. foreign assistance
distribution if millions of people will not be alive to benefit from it.
ALWAYS FOREVER, ONE - debbie
www.mpwn-uganda.org
June 13th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I’d surprise chunk wasn’t at raspberries,