Barack Obama

President Obama Addresses 2009 CGI

Sep 23rd, 2009 3:53 PM UTC
By Chris Scott

What a difference a year makes. Almost exactly this date a year ago, then Senator Barack Obama– along with Senator McCain– addressed the 2008 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting.

Last night President Barack Obama had a chance to address the 5th Annual CGI Meeting. He spoke powerfully about the need for greater public service both in the US and abroad, commending President Clinton’s work to establish such programs as Americorps during his presidency. He also commended President Clinton’s work post-presidency in establishing CGI.

President Obama spoke extensively about being shaped by examples of public service early in his life, most significantly his mother’s work with microloans. He went on to talk about a “transformational moment in world history” when the world is more interconnected than ever. Tools that can help and aid people can also allow people to do harm.

Today’s world, Obama explained, requires “creative collaborations and a renewed spirit of partnership.” He described Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s travels abroad– some of which we covered on the ONE Blog– as an example of his administration’s focus on reaching out to citizens and promoting greater partnership. The military and the government can work to disrupt extremist networks around the globe, Obama said, but we also need to make clear the kind of world we want to build across regions and religions.

He noted the need for historic investments in clean energy and cutting emissions, and the need for businesses and non-profits to end the threat of climate change. This line particularly stuck out to me: “Foreign assistance is not an end in itself. The purpose of aid is to create conditions where it’s no longer needed.” Development is a key part of a foreign policy strengthened not by lecturing the world but seeking great understanding– what Obama called “standing together, working together, and building together” to leave the world better than we found it.

Check out the transcript for President Obama’s remarks here and keep your eye on the ONE Blog for more updates.

-Chris Scott

Obama Just Spoke in Ghana

Jul 11th, 2009 2:55 PM UTC
By Virginia Simmons

US President Barack Obama just finished speaking in Ghana and I wanted to share a few key quotes:

I am speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia, for a Summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy, for a meeting of the world’s leading economies. And I have come here, to Ghana, for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well.

I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world – as partners with America on behalf of the future that we want for all our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility, and that is what I want to speak with you about today.

…we must first recognize a fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa’s potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.

As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I have pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa’s interest and America’s. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of aid that helps people scrape by – it is whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change.

Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop post-election violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three quarters of the country voted in the recent election – the fourth since the end of Apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person’s vote is their sacred right.

Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.

People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don’t, and that is exactly what America will do.

With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base for prosperity. The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities.

Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it is no longer needed.

Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change.

Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; and financial services that reach poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interest – for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, new markets will open for our own goods.

When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.

With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos; in Kigali and Kinshasa; in Harare and right here in Accra.

Read President Obama’s full speech after the jump.

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Dear G8,

Jul 3rd, 2009 11:46 AM UTC
By Nora Coghlan

On Tuesday, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus and the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson joined together to present the G8 with one simple request: send every child to school.

In an open letter to the leaders of the G8 countries, the group asked for the G8 to commit to launching a Global Fund for Education. The proposal comes from a pledge made by President Obama himself.

The letter reads:

We are heartened by the commitment of the United States President, Barack Obama, to provide a contribution of at least $2 billion dollars to a Global Fund for Education which would help to eliminate the global education deficit by 2015. Such a bold and ambitious plan should be endorsed by other members of the G8 through a public commitment to such an initiative, which must be launched before the end of the year with full funding. A Global Fund for Education would ensure that the funding shortfall is no longer the main impediment to progress on basic education, and moreover that those investments have the greatest impact on access to and quality of education.

Putting every child in school seems like a tall order, but history has shown that remarkable progress is possible with a combination of dedicated government investment and international support. Ethiopia, for example, was able to double its enrollment rates between 1999 and 2007, leading to a total of 3.3 million more children in school. Increased government spending on education, incentives for girls to enroll and the construction of schools in rural areas all contributed to this impressive progress. Across Africa, stories like this have resulted in 34 million more children in school since 1999.

A Global Fund for Education could help replicate successes like Ethiopia’s by helping to galvanize new momentum toward basic education and reverse the declining investment the sector by international donors. This is more vital than ever given the current global financial climate. In many countries, expenditure on sectors like health and education will be one of the first victims of stretched government budgets, and a skilled, educated workforce will be one of the key ingredients to recovery and fueling long-term economic growth.

We’ll be following the G8 closely next week, so we’ll keep you posted on any new education commitments and hopefully, a plan to launch a Global Fund for Education.

-Nora Coghlan

Obama to travel to Ghana in July

May 17th, 2009 10:10 AM UTC
By Virginia Simmons

As released from the White House yesterday, Obama will visit Accra, Ghana, on July 10 and 11. It will be his first trip to the sub-Sahara Africa as U.S. president. (His first trip to the African continent as U.S. president will be to Egypt in June.)

From the May 16 “White House Release on Upcoming Obama Travel:

“The President and Mrs. Obama will visit Accra, Ghana, from July 10 to 11. While in Ghana, the President will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues with Ghanaian President Mills. The President and Mrs. Obama look forward to strengthening the U.S. relationship with one of our most trusted partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and to highlighting the critical role that sound governance and civil society play in promoting lasting development.”

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How The President is Doing

May 14th, 2009 10:00 AM UTC
By Lisa.Fleisher

This afternoon, I watched a webcast on the global health component of President Obama’s proposed budget for 2010 hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. ONE’s Senior Director for U.S. Government Relations, Tom Hart, sat on the panel which included distinguished guests such as Zeke Emanuel from the Office of Management and Budget, Tim Westmoreland from Georgetown Law and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Allen Moore of the Stimson Center.

Here are some highlights:

Zeke Emanuel: President Obama’s commitment of $63 billion to global health over the next six years represents a major mark for what he hopes to accomplish during his Administration. The themes underlying the new Global Health Initiative indicate that health cannot be addressed one disease at a time, especially in the developing world. Thinking holistically about health means that maternal and child health, neglected tropical diseases, and health system infrastructure needs to be considered in an integrated manner parallel to interventions for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. This does not mean that priority diseases are no longer a concern of the Administration – HIV/AIDS is not disappearing off the map. Nearly 75% of the proposed 2010 budget for global health goes to PEPFAR and as the Global Health Initiative progresses, the PEPFAR program will have 70% of the total. While it is not possible to solve all health problems at once, health problems have effects on the entire system. This must be kept in mind as the response to health crises in developing countries shifts from emergency to sustainability. An inter-agency task force is meeting to discuss how best to coordinate the U.S. agenda on global health, and Congress has requested a strategic plan for PEPFAR which will be released in October.

Tim Westmoreland: This budget year is unlike any other because of the financial crisis. While the total federal budget will be approximately $3.5 trillion, a lot of this is already claimed for mandatory programs like insurance. There is about $1.2 trillion available for discretionary spending programs, and global health might be about one half of one percent of this piece of the budget pie. However, Congress has already called for significant cuts to discretionary spending, so it will be hard to find additional money for global health. The President’s budget proposal calls for growth in the resources available for global health. However, even this will fall behind the growth in diseases, and what is needed to address them. It’s the role of advocates not to accept what has been laid out and to talk about what the need is. Percentage growth over an inadequate base is not a good place to start. “Bankers aren’t censoring themselves and advocates shouldn’t either.”

Tom Hart: While the proposal is not enough, in the context of the financial crisis, President Obama’s announcement of the Global Health Initiative was welcome. Over a six year timeframe, it looks possible to achieve good progress with a more comprehensive global health approach, even though some details have yet to be fleshed out. However, it is more sobering for 2010. ONE is looking forward to working with Congress to improve the funding levels in 2010 for PEPFAR and Global Fund as well as to realize the proposals made for the coming six years. When we do this, we need to be politically shrewd and keep the discussions vibrant, and interesting. PEPFAR focused on real goals (treat 2 million people, prevent 7 million infections, and care for 10 million people infected with HIV). ONE encourages the Administration to do the same with this $63b health initiative because otherwise the funding numbers become the end in themselves. Also, the link to national security is a powerful one, and Secretary Gates has been one of the biggest advocates of this.

Allen Moore: The unique economic environment puts even more pressure than normal on increasing foreign assistance. Members of Congress and Senators have to respond to priorities of people back home – spending overseas appears as not focusing on home priorities. All these factors are exacerbated now. As Congress heads into Appropriations, it is clear there is a relatively small amount of money that will go into subcommittees. These subcommittees will pay attention to Obama’s priorities but also have their own priorities to be responsive to constituents. Advocates have to know the facts to be effective in calling for increases for global health.

-Lisa Fleisher

Brown and Obama press conferences

Apr 2nd, 2009 9:20 AM UTC
By Chris Scott

A couple hours ago British Prime Minister Gordon Brown held a global press conference at the London G20 Summit, and right now, US President Barack Obama is holding one as well (which ONE’s Virginia Simmons is currently attending.)

Here are some important excerpts from Brown and Obama’s speeches:

Brown:

This time of financial crisis is no time to walk away from our commitments to the world’s poorest. So when people are suffering – and, yet, it is within our capacity to help – we will not pass by on the other side. We remain firmly committed to meeting the millennium development goals and all of our pledges on aid. To deal with this crisis we have today asked the IMF to bring forward proposals to use the proceeds of agreed gold sales to support low income countries. So in total we have now reached agreements worth $50 billion for the poorest countries – alongside our support for a world bank vulnerability fund.

Obama:

Finally, we are protecting those who don’t always have a voice at the G-20, but who have suffered greatly in this crisis. The United States is ready to lead in this endeavor. In the coming days, I will work with Congress to provide $448 million in immediate assistance to vulnerable populations, and to double support for agricultural development to over $1 billion so that we are giving people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. We will also support the United Nations and World Bank as they coordinate the rapid assistance necessary to prevent humanitarian catastrophe. This is not just charity though. These are future markets for all countries, and future drivers of growth.

-Chris Scott