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April 2006
Development Assistance & Foreign Aid |
Health, HIV/AIDS & Infectious Diseases | Humanitarian Assistance |
H1 - Policy Framework for Bilateral Foreign Aid. Implementing
Transformational Diplomacy Through Development
U.S. Agency for International Development, January 2006, 36p.
“To implement transformational diplomacy through development,
USAID has adopted a new policy framework. This policy affirms
that USAID will seek to use bilateral foreign assistance to build
toward a safer, more secure, democratic and prosperous world to
enhance our own national security. Implementing this policy will
make U.S. bilateral aid more effective and better coordinated
with other U.S. Government policies and programs. It puts countries
at the center of their own development, with bilateral foreign
aid in a supporting role.” Fulltext
H2 - Transforming U.S. Foreign Aid
McMahon, Robert
Background Q & A, Council On Foreign Relations, March
17, 2006
“U.S. foreign assistance programs played an important part in
government policy directly after World War II and through much
of the Cold War. Foreign aid levels plunged in the mid-1990s but
are now surging, fed by concerns that impoverished and failing
societies could offer breeding grounds or havens for terrorists.
But the U.S. foreign aid system is seen as increasingly unwieldy.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the current structure
"risks incoherent policies and ineffective programs"
and has announced plans to reorganize the way foreign aid programs
are coordinated. She is creating a new top State Department post
of director of foreign assistance to improve coordination of aid
strategy. But some experts say the move, which Rice includes in
a broader "transformational diplomacy" effort, does
not go far enough to address the vast number of aid programs run
by the U.S. government.” Robert McMahon is Deputy Editor with
the Council On Foreign Relations. Fulltext
H3 - Index of Global Philanthropy
Hudson Institute, Center for Global Prosperity, April 2006.
83p
The inaugural issue of the Index of Global Philanthropy documents
donations to the developing world by non-governmental U.S. groups,
businesses, foundations and individuals. It is the first comprehensive
guide to the sources and magnitude of American charity abroad,
revealing that private aid in 2004 (latest available data) —in
the form of money, volunteer time, goods, and expertise to the
developing world — was at least $71 billion — more than three
and a half times U.S. government foreign aid. The Index challenges
the outdated and incomplete measure used by the Paris-based Organisation
of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which compares
developed countries solely on the basis of their government foreign
aid. Carol Adelman, the director of the Center, says corporations
have led the way in private giving. Stephen Jordan, vice president
of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says the survey is a reflection
of the positive benefits of globalization. Fulltext
H4 - Finance: 8 of 10 Americans Support Foreign Humanitarian
Aid
Mekay, Emad
Global Information Network, April 11, 2006, p.1
“Despite a U.S. decision to halt assistance to the Palestinian
Authority and likely congressional cuts in the White House's foreign
aid requests, a majority of U.S. citizens still believe that foreign
assistance can be successful in improving their country's image
abroad and enhancing national security. U.S. foreign assistance
has been a hot issue in Washington since Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice announced plans to overhaul U.S. aid programs in January.
The debate has revolved around the size and direction of U.S.
aid, its effectiveness and the growing link between the military
and humanitarian relief. A majority preferred that their aid dollars
be distributed by U.S.-based nonprofit organizations. Only 13
percent liked the idea of giving the money to U.S. businesses
operating in the recipient country.” Emad Mekay is trade and
finance correspondent for Inter Press Service in Washington, DC.
Fulltext
H5 - Progress on Global Access to HIV Antiretroviral
Therapy. A Report on “3 by 5” and Beyond
World Health Organization (WHO) and Joint United Nations Programme
on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) March 2006, online edition
"This report describes the areas in which important progress
has been made and lessons earned, and outlines the remaining challenges
and roadblocks to treatment access. According to the authors,
the experiences described in this report demonstrate that large-scale
HIV treatment access is achievable, effective and increasingly
affordable, even in the most resource-constrained and challenging
settings. The report lists key actions that must be urgently undertaken
to increase momentum in scaling up treatment." Fulltext
H6 - The Virus Hunters
Greenfeld, Karl Taro
Foreign Policy, Mar/Apr 2006, #153, pp42-55
"When the deadly SARS virus struck China three years ago,
Beijing responded with a massive coverup. If it weren't for the
persistence of two young reporters and one doctor who had seen
enough, SARS might have killed thousands more. There's no guarantee
the world will be so lucky next time." Karl Taro Greenfeld
is the author of three books about Asia, including the newly published
China Syndrome: The True Story of the 21st Century's First Great
Epidemic from which this article is adapted. He was editor of
Time magazine's Asia edition from 2001 until 2004 and is currently
editor-at-large at Sports Illustrated. Fulltext
H7 - What's Next in the Sino-Viral War?
Greenfeld , Karl Taro
Foreign Policy, Mar/Apr 2006, #153, pp46-47
"It has been nearly two years since the last cases of SARS
were reported in China. Since then, a new affliction has risen
to take its place at the pinnacle of killer pandemics -- avian
flu. Global pandemic prevention relies on the cooperation and
openness of the nations at risk of infection. Naturally, international
health authorities are concerned about full disclosure, especially
given that China is home to 14 billion poultry and 1.3 billion
people -- 20% of the world's fowl and folk." Karl Taro
Greenfeld is the author of three books about Asia, including the
newly published China Syndrome: The True Story of the 21st Century's
First Great Epidemic from which this article is adapted. He was
editor of Time magazine's Asia edition from 2001 until 2004 and
is currently editor-at-large at Sports Illustrated. Fulltext
H8 - War on terror needs more humanitarian efforts
Ballen, Kenneth
Christian Science Monitor, March 2, 2006, v98, #66, p.9
“It is time we heed what America's military leaders are telling
us about the war on terror. Pentagon officials involved in writing
the Joint Chiefs of Staff recently released counterterrorism strategy
have acknowledged that "the American military's efforts to
aid [2004] tsunami victims in Indonesia and to assist victims
of Pakistan's [2005] earthquake did more to counter terrorist
ideology than any attack mission." […] The effects of American
aid in response to the earthquake were clear: 78 percent of Pakistanis
said that American aid to earthquake victims has made them favorable
to the US - a figure that held even among bin Laden supporters.”
Kenneth Ballen served as Counsel to the House Iran-Contra
Committee, Chief Counsel to the Senate Special Committee on Investigations
and the Speaker of the House, and is President of Terror Free
Tomorrow. Fulltext
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