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.
With uprisings in the Arab world, soaring gas prices and persistent unemployment, it seems unlikely that global health would show up anywhere on President Obama’s radar this month. And yet with our child vaccines campaign in full swing (featuring a petition asking the president to support funding for new life-saving vaccines), we have two new reasons this month to feel encouraged that the president gets the importance of our work on these issues in a very personal way.
First, we noticed an announcement by Africare that they had completed a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project in Ghana, thanks to generous funding by a little-known donor named Barack Obama. As it turns out — apparently without much fanfare — President Obama used some of his Nobel Peace Prize money to fund new waterpoints (wells and boreholes), the rehabilitation of non-functional waterpoints, school latrines and a community-led behavior change campaign.
If you caught the president’s State of the Union address a couple of nights ago, you’d know a big part of his vision for America was focused on innovation and competitiveness. “Our success in this new and changing world,” Obama said, “will require reform, responsibility, and innovation.” He presented a bold plan to create jobs and grow our economy through reformed education, more efficient government and investment in science and technology. It was an inspiring speech that called upon Americans to “do big things.”
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
But this talk isn’t new. Throughout government, we’ve been seeing a lot of these principles put in practice by many agencies and programs, including those working on foreign assistance. The State Department, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have all put a premium on becoming more efficient, effective and transparent in their support for poor nations and are embracing innovative ideas to save money and make a bigger impact.
Last night’s State of the Union gave us the opportunity to hear from our president as he addressed the administration’s priorities for the upcoming year. While as expected, he focused on domestic concerns, we were pleased that President Obama reiterated America’s commitment to helping those in need around the world by stating, “Around the globe, we are standing with those who take responsibility, helping farmers grow more food; supporting doctors who care for the sick; and combating the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity.”
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
ONE has been working with this administration and Congress to do just what the president discussed. We have been advocating for the enactment of agriculture programs that will allow farmers to feed their families and communities. We have worked to create programs to provide health care and basic vaccines to those without it. And just last year, we were able to pass a new law to require companies in the extractives industry — like oil and gas — to list payments they make to foreign governments in an attempt to end the corruption in these governments.
We were also pleased that the president mentioned the United States’ support for the people of Tunis and Sudan — two countries that are experiencing upheavals in their governments. The administration’s strong support for these African nations sends a signal to their citizens and the rest of the world that the US is behind them.
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
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.
