Keep up the Good Work

In an article for the Washington Times, former senator Dr. Bill Frist praises the efforts of the United States to fight measles, malaria, and AIDS throughout Africa. Although there has been success in these areas, however, Dr. Frist urges readers that there are serious issues which are being overlooked. Easily treatable pneumonia and diarrhea are taking the lives of countless newborns and young children.

"If 12,500 children were to die each day of preventable and readily treatable causes here at home, we would treat it as a national emergency. African children - who perish at that distressing pace - deserve a similarly determined and urgent response from their governments and the international community. Simply put, it is the right thing to do. We cannot continue to allow one of every seven African children to die when it is so readily within our reach to prevent those deaths. "

Dr. Frist urges American as well as African leaders to step up and do more to combat this issue. Specifically, he proposes that leaders at next month's G-8 Summit "declare that no country with a credible and accountable plan for newborn, child and maternal health should be thwarted for lack of donor resources. "

Source: Washington Times

Pope Tells Leaders to Take Action

Next week, leaders from around the world will be gathering in New York for a two-day U.N. summit to discuss the financial crisis. In his weekly address, Pope Benedict urged the leaders "to transform the crisis into an opportunity for greater attention to the dignity of every human and a fairer distribution of power and resources." It is unacceptable that so many people are starving throughout the world, he said, and it is the responsibility of developed countries to provide the proper assistance for them.

Source: Reuters

World Food Prize Announcement Ceremony 2009

"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. This morning, one billion people around the world woke up hungry. Tonight, they will go to sleep hungry. Today, in a village in Niger, a woman will walk for miles in search of water to irrigate crops that are parched by drought. Today, in Haiti, a farmer’s surplus fruit will go to waste because he has no way to store it or to bring it to market. Today, in Congo, a family will flee a conflict that has left their farms and fields fallow. And today, in a schoolhouse in Bangladesh, children will struggle to learn because their bodies are struggling to survive on insufficient nutrition.

The effects of chronic hunger cannot be overstated. Hunger is not only a physical condition, it is a drain on economic development, a threat to global security, a barrier to health and education, and a trap for the millions of people worldwide who work from sunup to sundown every single day but can barely produce enough food to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. Most of all, hunger belies our planet’s bounty. It challenges our common humanity and resolve. We do have the resources to give every person in the world the tools they need to feed themselves and their children.

So the question is not whether we can end hunger, it’s whether we will.

The Obama Administration is committed to providing leadership in developing a new global approach to hunger. For too long, our primary response has been to send emergency aid when the crisis is at its worst. This saves lives, but it doesn't address hunger’s root causes. It is, at best, a short-term fix."

- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Read the full speech here.

Don't Eliminate Aid; Make it More Effective.

Geoffrey York uses the example of a recent Canadian-funded water project in Malawi to discuss the issue of effective aid. Since there is a lot of controversy going on currently with Dambisa Moyo's book, he argues that aid will never truly be stopped, so our task should be to focus on how to make it more effective rather than trying to eliminate it altogether as Moyo argues. The project in Malawi has been successful in providing clean water for people, but for its $13 million price tag, York says that it should have seen better results. A lot of the newly installed water taps worked well for the first year, but in the second year less than half of them functioned properly. In order for this situation to have been avoided, there should have been better training of the villagers and more communication between the decision makers and the workers in the field who were to respond to any issues with the water taps. Read the full article here.

W.H.O. Report

A New York Times editorial summarizes the most recent report by the World Health Organization. Although some health statistics are looking better, there are still too many people dying from easily preventable causes. The problem is not a lack of knowledge on how to treat measles, malaria, and other deadly diseases; there are many effective treatments available. The problem is that many cannot afford to get the proper treatment. "Wealthy countries promised nearly a decade ago to help the world’s poorest to emerge from the deepest poverty. This is the wrong time to stop."
Source: NY Times

The Impact of Aid

Dambisa Moyo's book about decreasing foreign aid has caused a stir that people are still arguing about. Jeffrey Sachs tackles the topic in a recent article, highlighting the many instances in which foreign aid has in fact been beneficial to a country's overall economic success. In an interesting twist, he compares the scholarships Moyo received for her studies and the money needed for a child to receive a malaria net. He challenges his readers to reconsider aid- if we eliminate it, where would we draw the line?

"Of course, most Americans know little about the many crucially successful aid efforts, because Moyo, Easterly, and others lump all kinds of programs - the good and the bad - into one big undifferentiated mass, rather than helping people to understand what is working and how it can be expanded, and what is not working, and should therefore be cut back. Nor do Americans hear that many poor countries graduate from the need for aid over time, precisely because aid programs help to spur economic growth and successfully prepare countries to tackle future priorities. US aid to India for increased food production in the 1960s paved the way for India's growth takeoff afterwards. There are countless other examples in which countries have benefited from aid and then graduated, including Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Israel, and others. Egypt is on that path today, and Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, and others will be as well if both donors and recipients carry forward with a sensible assistance strategies.

Out of every $100 of US national income, our government currently provides the grand sum of 5 cents in aid to all of Africa. Out of that same $100, we have found around $10 for the stimulus package and bank bailouts and another $5 for the military. It is not wonderful that what has caught the public's eye are proposals to cut today's 5 cents to 4 or 3 cents or perhaps zero."

Read the full article here.

Making Maternal Health a Priority

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently went on a trip through West Africa where he was that one of the deadliest threats to human life is giving birth. The cost of proper health care and the lack of funds for many pregnant women results in the shockingly high mortality rate of 10% when it comes to pregnancy-related deaths.

"It’s pretty clear that if men were dying at these rates, the United Nations Security Council would be holding urgent consultations, and a country such as this would appoint a minister of paternal mortality. Yet half-a-million women die annually from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth without attracting much interest because the victims are typically among the most voiceless people in the world: impoverished, rural, uneducated and female."

Kristof goes on to narrate the story of Mariama, a 21-year old woman who died on the hospital bed in the maternity ward due to preventable complications, right in front of his eyes. The Newborn, Child, and Mother Survival Act could potentially prevent this tragic situation from happening to countless women. Unfortunately, people are not paying too much attention to it.

Read the full article here, and make sure you call your congressional leaders in support of this bill.

Albright and Powell on Foreign Aid

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article by former secretaries of state Madeleine K. Albright and Colin Powell about the importance of foreign aid. Commending President Obama on his efforts towards improving aid, they encouraged foreign assistance especially in the midst of an economic struggle.

"Our country's economic health and security are inextricably linked to the prosperity and security of the rest of the world. The current economic crisis brings with it a strong temptation to turn inward and focus on the pain we are experiencing here at home. But pulling back from global engagement is not an option. Stability and prosperity go hand in hand, and neither is possible in the presence of widespread and extreme poverty."

Source: Wall Street Journal

Improving US Development Assistance

In an article for Politico, former Senator George McGovern states that development assistance is the key to making sustainable economic growth possible. He points out the importance of giving aid to help countries defeat hunger and poverty.

"By directing U.S. aid to countries with sound policies and to programs advancing agricultural development and education, the right conditions are beginning to take root toward ending hunger. We see the U.S. government accomplish this through several programs and priorities. To generate an even greater impact in the fight against poverty and hunger, a more effective, collaborative and coordinated effort across these various agencies and goals is absolutely essential. At a time of severe economic crisis, investing U.S. development dollars toward these effective outcomes is a sustainable strategy to create a world free from hunger and poverty. Let us support the new administration in remaking foreign aid with greater accountability."

Source: Politico

Farmers Need Help to Make a Profit

In Uganda, farmers are not asking for bailouts; most don't even know what the G-20 summit is. The only thing they ask for is a fair chance in the global market. For many, the issue is a lack of demand, which results in the farmers being pressured to sell their crops quickly for a low price to middle men who then re-sell it for a big profit. An easy solution would be to give these farmers secure storage areas where they could keep their crops, and find buyers who would pay more reasonable prices. As global financial institutions focus on bailing out huge companies, they need to step back and pay attention to the needs of the individuals in the agricultural sector.
Source: The Christian Science Monitor

The Effectiveness of Aid

In a recent article by the Washington Post, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia talks talks about the effectiveness of aid in Africa, and how it has helped several countries combat poverty. Africa has been making significant progress over the past few years, and further development assistance from rich countries would help advance the progress.

"The citizens and leaders of donor nations should recognize how important their assistance has been to the new leadership in Africa and how appreciative most Africans are for this partnership. Critics say that African economies are shrinking, that poverty is rising and that failing aid is the culprit. But this argument is at least a decade out of date. Africa's turnaround is real, the evidence indisputable. Africans themselves have been the key to this reversal, but more effective aid has played an important role. Reducing aid would slow private-sector growth, stall poverty reduction, and undermine peace and stability in countries that are struggling to become part of the global economy.

It would be a cruel irony if, just as Africa began to succeed, its prospects were cut short by a crisis beyond its control. Strong action by African governments and robust support from the international community can keep Africa's recovery on track. Both should continue to do their part."

Full article here.

Critique of Dead Aid

Dambisa Moyo's recently published book, Dead Aid, has been sparking a lot of controversy. Some people agree with her point of view that international aid does more harm than good, while others argue against it. The ONE campaign has taken it upon themselves to analyze the book and put together a counter-argument to Moyo's claims. Foreign aid is not perfect, but contrary to Moyo's opinion, it will help people get out of poverty if done correctly. Read the full text analyzing Dead Aid here.

The Urgent Need to Help Poor Countries

According to a New York Times editorial, the only thing worse than the economic situation in the U.S. and Europe is the economic situation in developing countries. Unfortunately, many people do not realize this as major news networks around the world are highlighting the financial crises in the wealthy nations. Although everybody around the globe is being affected, it is the poor countries that do not have the resources to bail out their failing economies. They need outside help, and developed countries should waste no time providing it.
Source: NY Times

Saving Lives Does Not Require Great Sacrifices

In an inspiring article, Peter Singer describes the psychology behind giving money to help children living in poverty. His argument is that nobody would stand by and watch a helpless child drown in a pool. At the same time, many people do nothing as children around the world are dying from diseases such as diarrhea, something that is easily preventable. Psychologists label this the bystander effect: a person is more likely to help when they are the only one around able to do so, and people are less likely to help when they see others around them not helping. According to Singer, people's unwillingness to help these children is mostly due to the fact that they believe they won't really have an impact, when this is in fact untrue.

Singer suggests levels of donation that Americans could give without having to make any drastic sacrifices: "They begin at 1% of income for 90% of American taxpayers, rising to 5% for those earning above $105,000 a year, and gradually increasing until they peak at 33.3% for those earning more than $10 million a year. That would raise more than $500 billion a year—more than double a U.N. estimate of what it would take to cut world poverty in half."

Source: Newsweek

What Should be Discussed at the G20 Summit

With the G20 summit drawing near, United Nations Development Programme's MDGs adviser Eveline Herfkens presents her opinion of what should be discussed during the April 2 meeting. The main problem, as she sees it, is that "the world lacks an effective system of global governance" as a result of three major deficits. First is the compliance deficit; country leaders agreeing on certain commitments, and quickly breaking them within just a few months. Then there is the coherence deficit; countries taking opposing positions on various issues rather than acting collaboratively to solve those issues. Finally, there is the triple democratic deficit; the lack of voice of poor countries, of people in general, and of poor people in developing countries in particular. As a result of these issues combined with the current economic crisis, "Africa might be robbed of its one chance in a generation to make real progress," says Herfkens.

"Unless we start addressing the three deficits of global governance immediately, the present crises will result not only in missing the lofty promises of the Millennium Development Goals, but set back development for decades to come."

Full article here.

Keeping MDGs a Realistic Priority

As the global economy continues to spiral downwards, there is no shortage of critics to say that the Millennium Development Goals are too ambitious. Many have come to the conclusion that the current financial crisis makes the MDGs completely unrealistic. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rosa Migiro, on the other hand, refuses to accept this mindset. "The MDGs were supposed to have a focused road map towards achieving sustainable development and they shouldn't be reset," said Migiro. "If anything, they need to be reaffirmed, re-emphasized, because this is a time of crisis and at a time of crisis there really is a risk of people starting to re-prioritize." Migiro demonstrates a mentality that's crucial for the acheivement of the goals.
Source: Reuters

Effective Aid

Last month, an online article outlining Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo's argument against foreign aid received a lot of feedback from readers. A few weeks later, Savio Carvalho, Uganda country director for aid agency Oxfam GB, wrote a response with his opposing point of view. According to Carvalho, foreign aid can help Africa escape poverty, if done correctly. Governments, aid agencies, and the United Nations need to ensure that all aid is well thought-out and pre-planned. A major argument against aid is that governments of impoverished countries are often corrupt, and the money does not go where it is most needed. Ceasing aid, however, will not improve governance. Instead, Carvahlo says, civil society should be nourished and aid should be used to help fight the corruption.

"Having lived and worked in east Africa, I have witnessed the positive effects of aid. But done badly, it can be very limiting and even has the potential to create more harm. To avoid this, it must be provided within an enabling environment in which it is used as a catalyst for change and not as an end in itself. Governments must show leadership through an accountable system," says Carvahlo.
Source: Reuters

A Step Backwards from the MDGs?

According to international development secretary Douglas Alexander, the current financial crisis could push back by three years the global advancement towards the Millennium Development Goals. Research from the Department for International Development also gives a grim forecast, predicting that another 90 million people will be pushed under the poverty line by the end of next year. Alexander's proposed solutions include the creation of a "rapid response fund" to help the world's most vulnerable people and a "global poverty alert" to update people about the effects of the crisis on poverty. Alexander also believes that the World Bank should increase and speed up foreign aid payments.
Source: The Guardian

Triple Win from One Financial Package

Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University has written an article for Nature online journal, concerning his view of the current economic crisis. In his opinion, the G20 meeting in April could be a critical turning point. He suggests that they set aside $25 billion for funding African sustainable investments, and another $25 billion for low-income countries in other regions. Compared to the trillions of dollars to be discussed for bailing out wealthier countries, this request seems reasonable.

"A financial package from the G20 — a forum of cooperation among 20 large economies — to support sustainable energy, land and water use in the poorest countries could provide a 'triple win'. It could lead to stimulus for richer countries, development for poorer countries and environmental sustainability for all," says Sachs.
Source: Nature

Billion-Dollar Bonuses to Those Who Need it Least

John W. McArthur, Chief Executive of The Millennium Promise, published a letter in the Financial Times last month comparing the $4 billion bonuses for Merryl Lynch employees to the $5 billion total aid budget for sub-Saharan Africa in 2008. Emphasizing his stance on the issue of foreign aid, he commented;

"Let us not forget these numbers the next time we are told there is no money left to support the poorest people on the planet. In a time of trillion-dollar deficits and $900bn stimulus packages, $4bn may seem like rounding error. But when considered against the money we spend to support the world's poorest people, it simply makes no sense."
Source: Financial Times