Although President Obama did not mention our issues during the State of the Union last Tuesday, he did discuss and defend foreign aidduring his Google+ Hangout session this week, which aimed to give Americans a chance to personally ask him about his policies and administration through social media.
A homeless veteran in Boston asked President Obama why the US should be spending so much on foreign aid when so many Americans are hurting at home. Obama responded, “We only spend about 1 percent of our budget on foreign aid. But it pays off in a lot of ways.” It goes toward helping countries improve their economies and prevent famine, avoiding “some military crisis somewhere down the road that could be even more expensive.”
He goes on to say, “So, aside from it being the right thing to do, as a very wealthy country… it’s also important to make sure that people understand this is part of our overall security strategy.”
Listen to his quote here:
ONE members were asked last week to vote on a question on the beginning of the end of AIDS from ONE member and University of Florida student Liz, but it was not chosen for Obama’s Google+ event. We will continue to keep HIV/AIDS on the president’s radar at events like this one and beyond.
In case you missed ONE and (RED)’s World AIDS Day event on Twitter earlier today, you can watch a recorded video of our event in the player below. President Obama made a bold commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, former President George W. Bush and President Jakaya Kikwete joined us from Tanzania, and President Bill Clinton brainstormed real solutions to the AIDS epidemic.
Note that the event starts at 16:20:
In addition, here’s a recap of our World AIDS Day conversation on social media:
As you all saw (either in person or via YouTube), President Obama commemorated World AIDS Day this morning by stepping up America’s commitment to the fight against AIDS, both domestically and internationally. In addition to his broad rhetoric on the importance — and feasibility — of ending AIDS, he made a number of specific commitments. The US will:
With all the excitement going on this week at the UN Meetings, the launch of the Open Government Partnership, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the World Bank–IMF Annual Meetings, you may have missed that this week is the one year anniversary since President Obama released the first ever Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) on Global Development!
Just as a refresher for those who haven’t heard much about it since then, we first reported last year that the PPD was an exciting move by the administration to elevate development as a key pillar of America’s foreign policy (along with diplomacy and defense), and that laid out clear goals and objectives for US foreign assistance. These goals were meant to direct all agencies across the US government that implement foreign assistance funding to orient around a common purpose and better coordinate to achieve sustainable development impact.
Today, President Obama gave his first address to the UN General Assembly today, focusing on the pursuit of peace in an imperfect world. His speech touched on the highlights of the year, including South Sudan’s independence, the Ivory Coast’s landmark election, the famine in the Horn of Africa and HIV/AIDS. Perhaps the most moving part of his speech is when he said, in plain English, “Peace is hard.” Read the full speech, watch it in the player above, or read some of our favorite excerpts here:
I just finished listening to the first White House Twitter Townhall — and guess what I heard? President Obama talk about the importance of smart aid! But don’t take it from me. Read what he had to say for yourself:
UPDATE: Here are 3 questions we came up with to ask President Obama at tomorrow’s town hall. Please tweet whichever you like best, and hopefully the White House will answer! Tune in tomorrow at 2 PM ET live on Twitter:
@townhall How does economic growth in #Africa impact growth at home? #AskObama
@townhall Why does intl development matter in tough econ environment? #AskObama
@townhall How can trade, agric, health R&D for #Africa also benefit the US? #AskObama
I love to take short afternoon walks. My favorite route? A stroll down 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There’s always lots of photo-flashing tourists, sign-waving protesters and Blackberry-carrying workers to check out in front of the White House gates.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
