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Secretary of State Clinton Declares U.S. Commitment to End Global Hunger
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday made it clear that investment in agricultural productivity and the fight against hunger are priorities for the government, saying, “The issue of chronic hunger and food security is at the top of the agenda that we’re pursuing here in the State Department and in the Obama Administration,” She was speaking at the 2009 World Food Prize Awards ceremony, which honored Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, an agricultural scientist who helped develop hybrids of sorghum, a vital African crop, which are resistant to many common problems, including drought and weeds. Dr. Ejeta’s scientific advances have helped increase agricultural yields in regions most prone to food insecurity.
In her speech at the prize ceremony, Secretary Clinton spoke to the growing challenges caused by global hunger. Hunger is not merely a physical condition, she said; hunger also threatens economic productivity and global security, as well as the success of education and health programs. Hungry children, for example, struggle to concentrate in school and cannot make the most of their education. Despite the growing global number of hungry people, and the mounting difficulties caused by hunger, Secretary Clinton emphasized that with a comprehensive, long-term strategy, and donor support, it is possible for the planet to produce enough for all people to feed themselves and their families.
Secretary Clinton outlined the seven principles guiding this Administration’s effort to construct a comprehensive agriculture plan to achieve global food security and economic productivity:
- Increase agricultural productivity by improving access to quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, tools, and credit, and train farmers to use these inputs effectively.
- Stimulate the private sector by improving storage and food processing facilities, rural roads and transportation, and other infrastructure that enables farmers to get their products to market.
- Maintain natural resources so farmland remains productive in the future, including helping countries to adapt to climate change.
- Expand knowledge by investing in research and development, as well as training, cultivating the next generation of plant scientists.
- Facilitate increased trade to help farmers to sell crops domestically and internationally.
- Support policy reform and good governance which will help agriculture flourish.
- Support women and families, as 70% of the world’s farmers are women who are, to this point, largely neglected by agricultural programming.
In the near future, Secretary Clinton, President Obama, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will seek guidance from experts in the field as the administration creates a strategic agricultural initiative. Secretary Clinton stressed that agricultural development will not come from a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Secretary Clinton concluded that an international strategy is necessary to increase agricultural productivity and address global hunger, and that the U.S. has a particular opportunity to lead. “Now for us, sustainable agriculture won’t be a side project. It is a central element of our foreign policy,” she declared. She encouraged the international community to also make agriculture a priority.
This is an excellent first step towards fulfilling the administration’s commitment to address food insecurity, and increase agricultural investment and productivity. We at ONE look forward to what comes next. We will continue to track the administration’s commitment to agriculture, and encourage you to check back to the blog for updates.
-Beth Adler and Pooja Gupta
Hillary Clinton: Attacking Hunger at its Roots
The Huffington Post today is running an article by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Obama administration’s fight against global poverty. In the article Secretary Clinton outlines “7 guiding principles to support the creation of effective, sustainable farming systems in regions around the world where the current methods aren’t working.”
Check them out below, full piece here
- We will seek to increase agricultural productivity, by expanding access to quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation tools, and the credit to purchase them and training to use them.
- We will work to stimulate the private sector, by improving the storage and processing of food and improving roads and transportation so small farmers can sell the fruits of their labor at local markets.
- We are committed to maintaining natural resources, so the land can be farmed well into the future. That includes helping developing communities adapt to climate change, which has had a major effect on the world’s farms.
- We will expand knowledge and training by supporting R&D and cultivating the next generation of plant scientists.
- We will seek to increase trade so small-scale farmers can sell their crops far and wide.
- We will support policy reform and good governance, because sustainable agriculture flourishes in a clear and predictable policy and regulatory environment.
- We will support women and families. 70% of the world’s farmers are women, but most programs that offer farmers credit and training target men. This is unfair and impractical. An effective agricultural system must have incentives for those who do the work. And it must take into account the particular needs of those whose futures will shape our world: our children.
-Chris Scott
Secretary Clinton Testifies
Today in her opening statement before the Senate Appropriations Sub-Committee on Foreign Operations, Secretary Clinton made clear once again the critical need for overseas development assistance for our economic and national security. She began her testimony by stating, “When I appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee a few weeks ago with Secretary Gates, we both emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to the challenges on our nation’s agenda…urgent development needs ranging from extreme poverty to pandemic disease that have a direct impact on our own security and prosperity.”
The Secretary also reiterated the administration’s commitment to meet our goal of doubling foreign assistance by 2015, and highlighting in this year’s budget: $525 million for maternal and child health, about $1 billion for education, $1.36 billion to address food insecurity, and $4.1 billion for humanitarian assistance. The Secretary stated, “these initiatives build good will, alleviate suffering, and save lives, but they also make our country safer and our partners stronger.”
Members of the Sub-Committee present at the hearing included Senators Patrick Leahy, Judd Gregg, Arlen Specter, Kit Bond, Barbara Mikulski, Robert Bennett, and Sam Brownback.
Senator Bond talked about the need for smart power, Senator Mikulski asked about better partnering NGOs with USAID, Senator Bennett emphasized the Millennium Challenge Corporation as a model for assistance, and microenterprise as a way of helping the poor, and Senator Brownback spoke on delivering better results with food aid and micronutrients.
-Arjun Mody
Sec. Clinton discusses Africa at Inaugural Celebration
On Sunday, I attended an inaugural celebration in DC of our newly-confirmed Secretary of State. At the event, Secretary Clinton focused a portion of her speech on the disproportionate effect of poverty on women and children throughout the developing world.
Clinton said for women in the world’s poorest countries, “the glass ceiling is poverty that limits their dreams,” and reminded the crowd to resounding applause and cheers that women’s rights are human rights. In her brief remarks, she spoke of her observations traveling in Africa of women organizing in their communities and asked when we will start counting their contributions. She passionately spoke of her dedication to universal basic education and health care around the world.
The energy of the crowd suggested high hopes for the new Secretary of State who enters the office as a champion of ONE’s issues.
-Lauren Conn, ONE Regional Field Organizer
Clinton Arrives at the State Department
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just arrived at the State Department in Foggy Bottom where she addressed her staff of over a hundred. During her remarks, she commented on the Obama Administration’s plans for global development which Obama himself touched on during his inaugural address.
Here’s a clip of her comments on “defense, diplomacy, and development.” (Transcript below.)
President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address, and the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America’s national security, furthering America’s interests, and respecting and exemplifying America’s values around the world. There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development, and we are responsible for two of the three legs. We will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States, and I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America’s future.
-Chris Scott
You called, they asked, she answered.
Late last week, hundreds of ONE members called to urge Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee to ask questions about global poverty during Hillary Clinton’s Secretary of State confirmation hearing.
Some of those senators didn’t even get a chance, because Secretary-designate Clinton answered their questions before they could be asked. Her opening statement featured a long section on the two billion people worldwide living on less than $2 a day. She emphasized that the plight of the poor is “not marginal to our foreign policy but integral to accomplishing our goals.”
Opening remarks by Senator John Kerry (Massachusetts) also included a strong statement about the ongoing global hunger crisis. “The United States is uniquely situated to help the world feed itself and has the opportunities to recast its image by making the eradication of hunger a centerpiece of United States foreign policy,” he said.
In the subsequent question-and-answer period, ten out of fifteen of the Foreign Relations Committee Senators raised issues related to ONE issues, including these:
- Senator Bob Corker (Tennessee) asked about reforming and modernizing U.S. foreign aid, referring to the “maze of aid efforts that are underway” and the need for the State Department to examine and streamline these efforts.
- Senator Barbara Boxer (California) stated that “HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis — Africa, Asia, Latin America need our attention,” and went on to describe the persecution of women in the developing world.
Clinton responded with this assurance: “I want to pledge to you that as Secretary of State I view these issues as central to our foreign policy, not as adjunct or auxiliary or in any way lesser than all of the other issues that we have to confront.”
- Senator George Voinovich (Ohio) inquired about how “smart power” — (more…)
Clinton Sees Smart Power in Smart Development
(As cross-posted on the front page of the Huffington Post today.)
In her highly-anticipated confirmation hearings to be selected as the next Secretary of State yesterday, Senator Hillary Clinton articulated a bold and comprehensive vision of U.S. foreign policy for the Obama Administration. Perhaps none of her ambitions were more striking than the breadth and depth of her commitments to development as a pillar of foreign policy along with defense and diplomacy. Her testimony marks a heightened focus on development not only as an effective means to advance U.S. foreign policy and to improve America’s image in the world, but also as a critical goal in and of itself.
Echoing George Marshall, Clinton spoke of her vision of foreign policy as a tool that can and should do more than address ongoing conflicts such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. In an ever shrinking world, foreign policy must also confront a new breed of challenges such as global poverty and disease and Clinton’s remarks demonstrate an understanding of what such an engagement would require. First, she highlights the comprehensive and interconnected needs involved in truly addressing development. In echoing Obama’s own agenda, she referenced that development would encompass, amongst other things, “… eliminating the global education deficit; enhancing US leadership in the effort to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB and improving global health infrastructure; providing sustainable debt relief to developing countries; expanding prosperity through training, partnerships and expanded opportunities for small and medium enterprise; supporting developing countries in adapting to the challenges of a changing climate….” In short, she acknowledges that true development requires a multifaceted and balanced approach as articulated in the internationally agreed upon Millennium Development Goals.
Second, she acknowledges that HOW the U.S. achieves these goals is as important as WHAT it focuses on. Her testimony proposes an approach that partners with nations to ensure that the U.S. isn’t just “giving” foreign assistance but rather investing in these countries so that they can sustain their own poverty-alleviation efforts in the long-term. Lastly, she reiterated President-elect Obama’s critical commitment to double foreign assistance. This will allow the U.S. to scale up efforts that are working and invest the time and effort to modernize the whole of U.S. development programs so that all elements of the investment made by the American people are working as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Senator Clinton’s vision and leadership come at a critical time. America’s foreign policy challenges are complicated and cross cutting. The world faces a series of conflicts, challenges to democracy, financial upheaval and humanitarian threats like the food crisis. But America is also at a point where it has tested and proven the potential of development to impact those challenges. Clinton’s goal of making defense, diplomacy, and development the centerpiece of US foreign policy won’t be easy, but if the new Administration follows through on the commitments that Hillary Clinton has made, a focal point for the Obama national security doctrine will be a robust, effective, innovative development program. Of course, ensuring the success of these development priorities will require working vigorously with Congress to enact funding and legislation. The true three pillared approach highlighted yesterday is the right mix to confront these challenging times. Hillary Clinton has shown she shares Obama’s vision to make it a reality. We look forward to taking the first step with her.
-Erin Thornton, ONE Global Policy Director
Clinton’s Vision for the State Department
In addition to the clip and transcript we posted in which Senator Clinton discussed America’s role in global development, Mrs. Clinton also articulated her vision for how the State Department would function under her leadership as well as the need for increased funding. (Partial transcript below.)
I know this committee, and I hope the American public, understand that right now foreign service officers, civil service professionals, and development experts are doing work essential to our nation’s strength – whether helping American businesses make inroads in new markets; being on the other end of the phone at a United States embassy when an American citizen needs help beyond our shores; doing the delicate work of diplomacy and development with foreign governments that leads to arms control and trade agreements, peace treaties and post-conflict reconstruction, greater human rights and empowerment, broader cultural understanding and stronger alliances.
The State Department is a large, multi-dimensional organization. But it is not a placid or idle bureaucracy, as some would like to paint it. It is an outpost for American values that protects our citizens and safeguards our democratic institutions in times both turbulent and tame. State Department employees also offer a lifeline of hope and help – often the only lifeline - for people in foreign lands who are oppressed, silenced, and marginalized. Whether they are an economic officer in a large embassy, or an aid worker in the field, or a clerk in a distant consulate or a country officer working late in Washington, they do their work so that we may all live in peace and security. We must not shortchange them, or ourselves, by denying them the resources they need.
One of my first priorities is to make sure that the State Department and USAID have the resources they need, and I will be back to make the case to Congress for full funding of the President’s budget request. At the same time, I will work just as hard to make sure that we manage those resources prudently so that we fulfill our mission efficiently and effectively.
In concluding, I hope you will indulge me one final observation. Like most Americans, I never had the chance to travel widely outside our country as a child or young adult. Most of my early professional career was as a lawyer and advocate for children and who found themselves on society’s margins here at home. But during the eight years of my husband’s presidency, and then in my eight years as a Senator, I have been privileged to travel on behalf of the United States to more than 80 countries. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many world leaders. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee I’ve spent time with our military commanders, as well as our brave troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I have immersed myself in an array of military issues. I’ve spent many hours with American and non-American aid workers, businessmen and women, religious leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, students, volunteers and others who have made it their mission to help people across the world. I have also learned invaluable lessons from countless ordinary citizens in foreign capitals, small towns, and rural villages whose lives offered a glimpse into a world far removed from what many of us experience on a daily basis here in America.
-Chris Scott
Hillary Clinton’s Remarks on Global Development
Here’s a clip of Senator Clinton’s remarks on global development at her confirmation hearings which are happening now. We’ll have further policy analysis soon. (Transcript below.)
In Africa, the foreign policy objectives of the Obama administration are rooted in security, political, economic, and humanitarian interests, including: combating al Qaeda’s efforts to seek safe havens in failed states in the Horn of Africa; helping African nations to conserve their natural resources and reap fair benefits from them; stopping war in Congo; ending autocracy in Zimbabwe and human devastation in Darfur; supporting African democracies like South Africa and Ghana–which just had its second change of power in democratic elections; and working aggressively to reach the Millennium Development Goals in health, education, and economic opportunity.
Many significant problems we face challenge not just the United States, but all nations and peoples. You, Mr. Chairman, were among the first, in a growing chorus from both parties, to recognize that climate change is an unambiguous security threat. At the extreme it threatens our very existence, but well before that point, it could very well incite new wars of an old kind—over basic resources like food, water, and arable land. The world is in need of an urgent, coordinated response to climate change and, as President- Elect Obama has said, America must be a leader in developing and implementing it. We can lead abroad through participation in international efforts like the upcoming UN Copenhagen Climate Conference and a Global Energy Forum. We can lead at home by pursuing an energy policy that reduces our carbon emissions while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and gas—which will benefit the fight against climate change and enhance our economy and security.
The great statesman and general George Marshall noted that our gravest enemies are often not nations or doctrines, but “hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.” To create more friends and fewer enemies, we can’t just win wars. We must find common ground and common purpose with other peoples and nations so that together we can overcome hatred, violence, lawlessness, and despair.
The Obama administration recognizes that, even when we cannot fully agree with some governments, we share a bond of humanity with their people. By investing in that common humanity we advance our common security because we pave the way for a more peaceful, prosperous world. Mr. Chairman, you were one of the first to underscore the importance of our involvement in the global AIDS fight. And you have worked very hard on this issue for many years. Now, thanks to a variety of efforts—including President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief as well as the work of NGOs and foundations—the United States enjoys widespread support in public opinion polls in many African countries. This is true even among Muslim populations in Tanzania and Kenya, where America is seen as a leader in the fight against AIDS, malaria, and TB.
We have an opportunity to build on this success by partnering with NGOs to help expand the infrastructure of health clinics in Africa so that more people can have access to life-saving drugs, fewer mothers transmit HIV to their children, and fewer lives are lost. And we can generate even more goodwill through other kinds of social investment, by working effectively with international organizations and NGO partners to build schools and train teachers, and by ensuring that children are free from hunger and exploitation so that they can attend those schools and pursue their dreams for the future. This is why the President-Elect supports a Global Education Fund to bolster secular education around the world.
I want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of a “bottom-up” approach to ensuring that America remains a positive force in the world. The President-elect and I believe in this strongly. Investing in our common humanity through social development is not marginal to our foreign policy but integral to accomplishing our goals. Today more than two billion people worldwide live on less than $2 a day. They are facing rising food prices and widespread hunger. Calls for expanding civil and political rights in countries plagued by mass hunger and disease will fall on deaf ears unless democracy actually delivers material benefits that improve people’s lives while weeding out the corruption that too often stands in the way of progress.
Our foreign policy must reflect our deep commitment to the cause of making human rights a reality for millions of oppressed people around the world. Of particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world’s unhealthy, unschooled, unfed, and unpaid. If half of the world’s population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal, and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity will remain in serious jeopardy. We still have a long way to go and the United States must remain an unambiguous and unequivocal voice in support of women’s rights in every country, every region, on every continent.
-Chris Scott
In Casey Decides to Come Through For Us…
Greetings from Pennsylvania! The new year is here and already Pennsylvania ONE members are off and running helping to raise awareness and participate in advocacy related events for ONE! Many PA ONE members have been busy the last couple of days making calls to Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey urging him, as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, to ask Senator Hillary Clinton questions related to global poverty and disease at her confirmation hearing as Secretary of State. I have been informed by a member of Senator Casey’s staff that he would do his very best to urge the Senator to ask these questions and at the very least submit the Questions for the Record. There is still time to contact Senator Casey’s office at 202-224-6324 so please do so and please remember to log your calls at www.one.org!
Philadelphia ONE members are planning some events around Martin Luther King Day including their Annual MLK Day of Service at a recreation center on January 19th and their Annual MLK Symposium on January 24th, 2009. ONE tables will be set up and ONE member Deesha Dyer will be conducting a workshop promoting advocacy with elected officials. Please visit www.geoclan.com/mlk to register for the Symposium. The group also has plans to paint a mural in support of ONE and the Millennium Development Goals in the Spring. More to come in the near future about these exciting events on the blog!
One other highlight to mention! On February 15th, 2009 Lebanon Valley College will be hosting a ONE Sabbath Forum on campus at Miller Chapel starting at 2:00pm. The panel will consist of different faith leaders who will be asked to answer questions related to global poverty and disease and how their faith communities are responding to the emergency facing many in the developing world. The panel will be moderated by the Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, Director of Public Advocacy for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and will be captured on DVD for others to utilize as an advocacy tool. This is only the beginning of 2009 and PA ONE members have already been hitting the phones and submitting Letters to the Editor asking President Elect Obama to make extreme poverty a priority in his new administration. We’re off to a great start here in PA ….LET’S KEEP IT UP!
-Brian Sweeney, ONE Volunteer
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The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with frequent contributions from volunteers, members and partner organizations.
The ONE Blog updates readers daily with the latest in global development news and analysis and what ONE members and our partners are doing around the world to influence world leaders in the fight against global poverty.
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