U.S. Diplomacy in the Americas: A Conversation with the Diplomatic Corps

The Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Thomas A. Shannon, led a meeting of the Ambassadors to the Western Hemispheric nations at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He opened by welcoming all the Ambassadors and other guests and explained that the meeting was being held to examine the context of American diplomacy and assess how the hemisphere has changed in the past 8 years.

The majority of the meeting was spent in a question and answer period during which the audience could submit questions to the Ambassadors. The first question was directed to Ambassador Wilkins, from Canada with a request to assess the strengths of the U.S. Canada partnership. Ambassador Wilkins, who made a name for himself when he declared “Bonjour, y’all” in his first meeting as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, declared that the relationship is as strong as ever. Canada is the U.S.’s largest trading partner and they are excited about the incoming Obama administration.

Ambassador Sanderson from Haiti was asked about the UN peacekeeping force there, to which he affirmed the success of the ongoing operation. She asserted that part of its success was due to the fact that 70% of the forces come from Latin American countries, and is led by Brazilian forces. She affirmed that the forces have increased security in the area as well as played an important role in recovery from environmental disasters. They have been training a police force that will be able to maintain security in the country.

Many of the Ambassadors commented on the increased competitiveness within the diplomatic world when recognizing Asia’s increasing influence. Many also addressed the issues of environmental sustainability in the tropical areas as well as the human prosperity difficulties arising from the current economic crisis. The Ambassadors agreed that the global economic situation reaffirmed the interconnectedness of the world, which in turn reinforces the need for global cooperation.

Date: December 5, 2008
Sponsor: U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Location: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Hall of Flags
Attended by: Emily Riff

The Business of Urban Transformation

The Private Sector and Urban Development

Who could’ve imagined Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, India with a population of 1 million people would be the next gold mine for investment? CHF International, TCG International, and Woodrow Wilson Center’s Comparative Urban Studies Project see the potential, and with this vision they seek to transform urban poverty into a fast growing, productive center for the private sector to invest in and develop. Over the years, urban poverty has been overshadowed by rural development within the international community, but the outstanding growth of the urban population in Indian cities, where 62 million people now live in slums, has companies and foundations creating new projects to help the population improve their living conditions in these shanty towns.

At the event, CHF International’s Senior VP, presented the new program called SCALE-UP (Slum Communities Achieving Livable Environments with Urban Partners Program). This project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, enables the urban poor to have a meaningful voice in the planning and implementation of slum improvement programs bridging the gap between the local needs of the slum inhabitants and municipal governments.

A great example of this capital investment is LabourNet, an innovative entity which seeks to link the informal sector with the private, attracting blue collar workers in slums to jobs in the city through web and cellular technology. The mission of the company is to provide slum dwellers access to information and technology to improve their living conditions.

The panel discussed many ways the private sector and businesses could benefit from this micro-investing for both short term and long term gains while developing slums and improving sanitary and general living conditions.

Date: October 29th, 2008
Location: The Woodrow Wilson Center
Attended by: Cristina Lopez

Good News From Kosovo

In their historic visit to the United States, Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci proudly detailed the benchmarks achieved by the new republic since declaring independence in February 2008. The former Yugoslav entity and UN transitional protectorate can now usher in with dignity a peaceful and prosperous century following conflict throughout the 1990’s. Although there are many challenges affronting the young nation in achieving universal recognition both leaders remain optimistic for the bright future of Kosovo. On July 22, the couple met with some of Washington’s brightest at CSIS to present their triumphs, setbacks and concerns.

President Sejdiu began the event by stressing the importance of crafting a “peaceful definition” of Kosovo to help garner international support and respect for the new nation. Its new constitution, Sejdiu insists, will push Kosovo in this direction. Just approved in June, this charter is strongly based on both the principles guiding other democratic constitutions and Athisaari’s comprehensive proposal to create a decentralized and multi-ethnic society. The new constitution strikes a balance between offering Kosovo Albanians independence and granting Bosnian Serbs extensive rights, a compromise which will further the nation’s agenda of fostering privileged relations with Serbia. Although Sejdiu speaks sanguinely of Kosovo’s progress, he is quick to list road blocks from Russian and Serb forces.

Even though many opportunities await the new nation, its future as a democratic and peaceful republic will be hugely dependent on coordinated international efforts and investments. To ensure the success of collaborations, Prime Minister Thaci stressed the importance of combating the perception that Kosovo’s government is corrupt. His proposal: accounting for all internationally pledged money to rebuild the nation, and strengthening the position of the Serb minority both in government and civil society. Only then will Kosovo receive the aide and guidance it needs to strengthen its economy and make a smoother transition into self-dependence.

There are serious obstacles facing new leaders, such as the looming fear of dissent in Northern Kosovo; but President Sejdiu assures that his presidency has the determination to settle them both peacefully and diplomatically. With heightened support from individual nations as well as membership in international bodies like the World Bank on the horizon, both Sejdiu and Thaci believe that Kosovo’s progress will surpass all initial expectations.

Sponsor: CSIS
Date: July 22, 2008
Time: 10-11 am
Representative Attending: Elizabeth Caniano

The Future of Foreign Assistance

As many in the Washington, DC policy community look ahead to the reforms and changes that accompany a presidential election, a major point of contention is the future of U.S. foreign assistance. A recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee hearing investigated the current state of foreign assistance, and heard expert opinions on the path that foreign assistance should follow in the future. Senator Daniel K. Akaka of Hawaii and Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio presided over the hearing.

The first witness to testify at the hearing was Mr. Richard L. Greene, Deputy Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance at the U.S. Department of State. He offered candid answers to Senator Voinovich and Senator Akaka’s inquiries into the convoluted foreign aid system. Mr. Greene spoke of current efforts for reform within the State Department, citing improvements such as the new Director of Foreign Assistance position. He clarified that reforms have focused mainly on actions that do not require legislation, especially improving communication and cooperation between State and USAID. Congress and the State Department are also often at odds over funding. Uncertainty over Congress's appropriations can delay projects overseas and prevent the State department from distributing much-needed foreign aid. Greene also answered questions about USAID's practice of contracting outside groups, and suggested that increased staffing at USAID would remedy this situation.

The second panel of expert witnesses consisted of Mr. Leo Hindery, Vice Chairman of the Commission on Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People Around the Globe; Dr. Gordon Adams, Distinguished Fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center; Ms. Anne C .Richards, Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy of the International Rescue Committee; Mr. Samuel A. Worthington, President & CEO of InterAction; and Dr. Gerald Hyman, Senior Advisor and President of the Hills Program on Governance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. These experts took a range of positions on the direction that U.S. foreign assistance should follow in the future. Worthington, a staunch advocate of creating a separate cabinet-level Department of Development Assistance, feels that such action is the only way to increase coordination of foreign assistance on the ground. Mr. Hindery also championed this plan as a way to decrease bureaucracy in the American foreign aid system. Conversely, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Adams argued that separating development from defense and diplomacy is not only impossible but would not significantly streamline operations. Ann Richardson proposed what she referred to as a "hybrid model", calling for a new directorate for foreign operations at the National Security Center, and a stronger USAID that still falls under the State Department.

Senator Voinovich promised that the Subcommittee will continue to investigate foreign assistance reform, and compile their information by the time the next President takes office. During the pivotal first months of the new presidency, America's new leader will use these investigations to guide his policy on foreign assistance.

Read the Member Statements and Witnesses Testimony

Sponsor: Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Affairs
Date: July 31, 2008
Time: 2-4:30 pm
Representative Attending: Kate Lonergan

OCHA and InterAction Collaborate to Ensure Success of UN Missions

Creating the most talented and diversified pool of potential UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators (RCs and HCs) is the task ahead for Mr. Mark Prasopa-Plaizier, Manager of the Humanitarian Coordinators Pool for OCHA. On July 28 he met with members of InterAction’s Humanitarian Partnership working group to identify the reasons fueling OCHA’s inability to attract the best potential candidates and to brainstorm solutions to ensure to ensure the success of all UN humanitarian missions.

Mr. Prasopa-Plaizier began by identifying setbacks in recruiting the most qualified candidates for HC and RC positions. At the heart of the issue is the reluctance of both UN agencies and NGOs to release their best personnel go, as they invest heavily in staff retention and management programs. Consequently, those entering the pool are neither the brightest nor most experienced. Past and current recruitment programs have found much difficulty in creating a diverse pool of applicants, as nearly all are middle-aged Scandinavian men.. He also notes obstacles rooted in the subjective evaluation process that grants much sway to the personal biases of reviewers.

So how can we ensure that the most qualified people are holding these extremely important and influential positions? And how can we assure that they are well trained before assuming them? Mr. Prasopa-Plaizier suggests the following changes:
-Increasing recruitment from NGOs.
-Heightening advertisement of HC and RC positions in UN agencies other than UNDP and UNHCR.
-Designing an inclusive application giving a full appraisal of candidates.
-Recruiting and utilizing a large, diversified candidate database.
-Making a detailed career development track for HC/ RC positions.
-Detailing the career and personal benefits of HC/ RC positions.
-Regionalizing staff to encourage local sustainability and involvement.
-Developing a program to ease the transition of former HC/RCs back into the UN and NGO systems.
-Providing hopeful applicants with mentorship and shadowing with HC/RCs.
-Structuring an inter-exchange with UN and NGOs.

HCs and RCs are key drivers in international development. If talented, they can set conflict and post-conflict areas on a sustainable path to recovery and growth; however, if only satisfactory, they can stagnate and even obstruct progress in anguished nations. To ensure that those holding these positions are among the world’s most elite leaders and negotiators, we must enforce Mr. Prasopa-Plazier’s changes.


Sponsor: InterAction
Date: July 28, 2009
Time: 9-10.30 am
Representative Attending: Elizabeth Caniano

Peace and Stability Operations: What the Experts Think

The Better World Campaign and the Henry L. Stimson Center sponsored three expert panelists including William Durch, Gayle Smith and Gordon Adams who each provided insightful commentary on their views regarding peace and stability operation overseas.

William Durch, who is the Senior Associate and co-Director of the Future of Peace Operations at the Stimson Center and has an extensive career in Disarmament and International Affairs, stressed the need for peace to be self regulated. Durch claimed that it is possible for countries currently in conflict (such as the Democratic Republic of Congo) to provide self-regulated peace, however the constant barrier is a lack of peace enforcers. In the eyes of the international community, this is a role UN Peacekeepers should play. However, without the full support of the Security Council and local government, the Peace Keepers are not even able to defend themselves. Such is the case in Darfur, which Durch labeled as a “dangerous place for United States and United Nations Peace Keeping Forces” mainly due to under-staffing and lack of support from the local government. While we can not control the support of the local government, Durch does point out that a large part of the under-staffing is due to lack of funding. The consistently late payments made to the UN have a detrimental affect on its operations. Although some may argue that independent governments (such as the US) can fill in where the UN falls short, the UN has “a broader political legitimacy and greater reach into the private sector” making it the most likely to succeed in peace keeping operations (Durch).

Gordon Adams, Director of the Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense Project at Stimson, agreed with Durch, providing a series of suggestions that he feels the US should implement in order to assist in the international goals to sustain peace. Adams pointed out that the majority of the issues require more than just the US government’s input, and that there is a large network of institutions, both public and private, that the US should be working with. Adams also pointed out that while Darfur and the DRC are current “hot spots” the world should not lose sight of other situations for fear that the US will fall into fighting the “last-post-war” and rely on ad hoc responses, when in reality we need to fight preventatively. Adams also stressed the need for cooperation within the US government, suggesting that the responsibilities of international peace need to be carefully divided between the Department of Defense, USAID, and other governmental departments.

Finally, Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Co-Chair of the ENOUGH Project, provided eye-witness analysis of current and past peace issues in Africa based on her extensive journalism experience in the area. Smith stressed that in situations such as the DRC, peace keeping operations are not sufficient, and in Darfur, peace keeping operations are set up to do things and provide support beyond their capacity. Smith criticized the government of being short-sighted, and lacking comprehension regarding the necessities to provide international security. Smith also said that the peace keeping operations need to re-focus on preventing crisis, rather than reacting, managing trends that give rise to crisis, and transitional periods that extend past two years. Finally, Smith offered her theory that security needs to be addressed in three lenses: physical, economic, and human dignity.

Adams and Smith seemed to agree with Durch’s recommendations for the next administration. Durch proclaimed that in order for the US to achieve the kind of security it needs, the incoming administration needs to cooperate with the UN by affirming common goals, offering financial and technological support, military assistance, and peace keeping contributions. Until this is accomplished, the US will continue to fall behind in security, as it is no longer unilaterally achievable.

Sponsor: Better World Campaign and the Henry L. Stimson Center
Date: 7/29/08
Representative: Daria Willis

A New Time and Age for European Diaspora Communites

In a world that is increasingly borderless, the role and sway of Diaspora communities has never been greater. Leaders of three unique Diaspora organizations gathered at the Washington, DC Chapter of the Society for International Development June 27 to speak of immigration trends from their respective nations and to describe the focus and influence of their policies.

Like many Diaspora Communities, The National Albanian American Council promotes peace, democratic values, human rights and economic development. It distinguishes itself from other organizations centered on Balkan reconstruction by serving as the unofficial embassy for Kosovo in Washington and the Albanian voice in the US capital. Executive director Avni Mustafaj highlighted the council’s success in fighting gender inequality by providing leadership training for Balkan women. Diaspora communities, argued Mr. Mustafaj, want to earn respect from all arenas without having to compromise their goals and dominion.

Garnering both American and European support for economic and government reforms in the Republic of Moldova is at the heart of The Moldova Foundation. Thanks in part to its internet-based news service, the foundation tells the Moldovan story in an international arena and consequently further defines the question of Moldovan identity. According to its President Vlad Spanu, the Moldova Foundation differs from other Diaspora Communities because members are mainly US citizens who support civil society in Moldova, not removed patriots.

Like Mr. Spanu, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation President Nadia McConnell insists that her organization is not your typical Diaspora community: many key players are US citizens and its efforts are regionally bipartisan and do not play favorites to specific cities or ethnic groups. Additionally, the US Ukraine Foundation keeps communication lines open between Ukraine and the US to facilitate “[peace building] and prosperity through shared democratic values.”

When asked to assess the future of their “Diaspora communities” in the US, panelists gave very different predictions. Mr. Mustafaj perceives an increased role of Diaspora communities in the coming years; however, he is also a little weary of this heightened presence, as the nostalgia uniting Diaspora members can easily bread extremist practices. Because his organization is quite young, Mr. Spanu explains that the only direction the Moldova Foundation can go is up. Ms. McConnell noted that she is both optimistic and pessimistic for the fate of all Diaspora communities. Despite their distinct forecasts, it is safe to say that all three leaders are making great strides in encouraging both domestic and international collaborations, and perhaps more importantly, translating the voice of the people to an unfamiliar audience.

Hosting Institute: SID-Washington: Europe and Eurasia Workgroup
Date: 27 June 2008
Time: 12-1.30 PM
Representative Attending: Elizabeth Caniano

Modernizing Foreign Assistance

Representatives from a cross-section of NGO’s, including the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (M-FAN), InterAction, and the International Center for Research on Women, convened at Women Thrive Worldwide July 21 to discuss foreign assistance reform. Participants at this month’s ‘Gender, Poverty and Foreign Working Group Meeting’ agreed that a new Foreign Assistance Act must be enacted to ensure that men and women receive equal benefits from US development assistance and that the US policy is firmly committed to UNDP’s Millennium Development Goal of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Participants harmonized that today’s foreign assistance program is too outdated to effectively address current challenges. They collectively insisted that US principles for foreign assistance must be restructured and clearly redefined before any steps can be taken to modernization. To ensure that reform efforts are both dynamic and lasting, it is also necessary to distinguish them from national security interests (as it is commonly misconceived that they are one in the same). Only after giving these principles a long overdue facelift can US foreign assistance programs evolve to meet today’s global challenges. M-FAN describes four priority actions for modernizing U.S. foreign assistance:

1. Develop ONE national strategy for global development.
2. Reach a “grand bargain” between the President and Congress to enact an all-encompassing Foreign Assistance Act.
3.Create a Cabinet-level Department for Global Development to improve organizational capacity and to strengthen monitoring and evaluation
4. Increase funding for foreign assistance and heighten its accountability.

To elevate global development issues to a higher level of national priority, the organizational structures of US foreign assistance must become stronger and more collaborative. Additionally, the US government must invest in this heightened priority interest with sufficient and flexible resources.

Although members of the Gender, Poverty and Foreign Assistance Working Group represent a wide array of interests, their unified support of these principles and priorities allows them to leave their personal agendas at the door and to unite in hopes of broadening this campaign. August’s group meeting to discuss the particulars of the proposed Foreign Assistance Act seems promising, given the camaraderie among members and their commitment to making the Millennium Development Goal of women’s empowerment reality and to furthering development efforts in Washington.

Sponsor: Women Thrive Worldwide
Date: 21 July 2008
Time: 3-4 PM
Representative Attending: Elizabeth Caniano

The Critical Link Between Development Aid and National Security

The Millennium Challenge Corporation along with the Center for Strategic and International Studies sponsored three diverse panelists to convey their opinions regarding "the critical link between development aid and national security.” These panelists included Dr. Stephen Brent, chair of the Department of Economics at the National Defense University, Jennifer Cooke, co-director of the Africa Program at CSIS, and Sherri Kraham, Deputy Vice President at MCC.

All three panelists agreed that development is the future of national security. However, each had their own opinions on ways to pursue development. According to Dr. Brent, the best option the US has is to increase United States Agency for International Development employees. Brent reminded us that at the time of the Vietnam war, and at its creation, USAID had more than 11,000 employees,7,000 of which were placed in Vietnam. Currently the USAID has a little over 1,000 employees spread out in dozens of countries. An ideal outcome, according to Dr. Brent, would be for Congress to fund the restoration of USAID. Moreover, Dr. Brent stressed the need for the development and military departments to re-unite their efforts, rather than work against each other (a phenomenon that began following the Cold War).

CSIS representative Jennifer Cooke agreed with Dr. Brent, stating that the government needs to be a united front. Yet, Cooke believes it will take more than the restoration of USAID to achieve national security. Cooke is a strong believer in the 3 legged approach to national security, stressing the need for defense, diplomacy, and development in order to reach an acceptable level of national security. Cooke also stressed that many of the current failed states, specifically in Africa, are due to lack of governance, not lack of diplomacy or defense. From her view, the next step should be peacekeeping training in Africa, so that regions become self-sustaining.

Sherri Kraham, Deputy VP of MCC, offered a completely different perspective. MCC, as an organization, financially supports the development of democratic governments who meet criteria that categorizes them as "on the brink of security". MCC does not address the issues of failed or fragile states. According to Kraham, they feel they support the defense, diplomacy and development through multiplying and encouraging democratic states. Thus completely avoiding the issue of military training.

While all three representatives provided key aspects of national security, they are incomplete without each other. This is a fundamental point that all three panelists failed to mention. In the end, if MCC continues on its path, and the key points that Dr. Brent and Cooke stressed, then achieving national security is in fact, just around the corner.

Sponsors: Millennium Challenge Corporation
Center For Strategic and International Studies
Date: 7/21/08
Representative: Daria Willis

UN Fights Terror With Law

On Friday July 11th Alistair Millar, director of the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, in conjunction with Mike Smith, Executive Director of Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate provided their thoughts on the multiple successes of counterterrorism efforts over the past 30 years. According to Smith, while the United Nations has outwardly acknowledged the rising issue of terrorism for more than 30 years, the debates regarding the urgency of terrorism ended on 9-11. The global impact of the terrorist attack, in conjunction with its close proximity to the UN Delegate’s annual assembly (which happened to be taking place during 9-11) led to the global rejection of terrorism is a legitimate form of foreign policy.

It took the catastrophic events of 9-11 for the UN to launch resolution 1373, otherwise known as CTED. Smith described resolution 1373 as a “security council legislation for the world,” which is fairly accurate considering it requires counties to criminalize terrorism, strengthen their legal intelligence, uphold borders, and extradite felons. Many countries had commenced counter-terrorism efforts prior to this CTED mandate and the UN “stamp” further exemplifies the global norm that the use of terrorism is unacceptable. The value of this UN “stamp” enables states states to work together, provides a greater authoritative influence, and promotes international collaboration on expertise and intelligence. An example of these capabilities is the international policing force: Interpol. Currently, Interpol projects a list of lost and stolen passport numbers and ID’s all over the globe in order to help countries uphold their borders and prevent the migration of criminals.

In addition to its intimidation factors and border assistance, the UN mandate compiles profiles of each country, and their strengths and weaknesses regarding counterterrorism initiatives. To do so, CTED, along with committee members from Interpol, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and other UN affiliations, creates a Task Force that visits each country and meets with leaders in order to asses their needs. With the consent from each country, they will then ask “donor” countries (such as the US) to assist the countries in need by donating technology or information.

While CTED demonstrates the world’s ability to cooperate, and has faced little resistance in their efforts, there are still some shortcomings. For instance, until this year, CTED had only visited 3rd world countries, thus spurring international complaints of discrimination. CTED also faces issues regarding the limitations Human Rights present when attempting to enforce counterterrorism laws. Finally, there are inefficiency issues and CTED faces the possibility of attacks as it struggles to create a profile for every country.

Currently CTED is making a few changes in order to address these concerns and increase efficiency. They recently visited Australia, thus breaking their previous trend of exclusive third world country visits. CTED has also revamped its visits to be custom-designed and country-specific as oppose to the previously performed general, comprehensive visits. It is clear that CTED is a pioneer in global anti-terrorism, however it has a long way to go and risks failure at the expense of inefficiency.


Sponsors: Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation
Date: 7/11/08
Representative: Daria Willis

Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Finance

The speakers included Mildred Callear, the COO of the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund, Harold Rosen, Founder of the Grassroots Business Initiative, and John Simon, Senior Vice President of Overseas Private Investor Corporation.

As Washington DC popularizes foreign assistance through continued overseas micro-financing, these three speakers described the key changes that need to take place, and the initiatives their companies are implementing in order to be more effective. According to Mildred Callear, the key change that SEAF implemented is an increased level of management depth. Callear noted that in many cases, companies will lend money to entrepreneurs overseas without any continuous contact or management. SEAF, which split from Care in 1996, focuses on continuous levels of management with each of their accounts. This tactic, referred to as In House Business Assistance, walks borrowers through marketing strategies, operations assistance, additional financing, and finance collection. This creates a relationship where SEAF acts more as a parent organization, not just a lender.

Harold Rosen started the Grassroots Business Initiative because of his theories on proper lending strategies. Rosen stated that too often business will simply loan an entrepreneur a lump sum and expect them to pay it back in 6 months. However, in order to effectively empower the poor as producers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, lenders need to provide sustained monetary donations, and take the risk of investing more than just “dribbles of cash” (Rosen).

Overseas Private Investor Corporation, an offspring of USAID, has also made a shift towards development promotion. While struggling with its image during that 90s, John Simon claims that the company made a shift back to its original intent in 2003. OPIC is currently focusing on providing dept, loan guarantees and political risk insurance in order to encourage Small and Medium Enterprise Companies in the US to invest in development overseas. Currently, 87% of OPIC’s business is with American SME’s attempting to invest overseas (Simon).

While these three companies are on different levels of establishment, and success, all three stress the importance of maintained contact and assistance when lending money to entrepreneurs over seas. Additionally, all three see this as the solution to sustainable development because it benefits both the lenders as well as the borrowers. With the United Nations Development Program’s recent launch of the Growing Inclusive Market Report, and the presentations by Callear, Rosen and Simon, it has become clear that Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Financing has become the preferred method to help developing countries to reach financial stability during the emerging era of Globalization.

Sponsor: Society for International Development, DC
Date: 7/10/08
Time: 12pm
Representative: Daria Willis

Resettled Refugees Remember Those Left Behind

June 20, 2008 marked the eight annual World Refugee Day, a bittersweet day of remembrance for the over 11 million refugees and 26 million internally displaced people. It is unfortunate, recalled numerous presenters, that this day must be celebrated, but it is fortunate to hear the hopeful and inspiring stories of refugees who have ameliorated their lives and to hear of the countless volunteers who dedicate their efforts to assisting them. Protection for refugees and for those who serve them was the theme of this year’s event led by UNHCR's Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone. He stressed the need to respect the human rights of refugees and volunteers.

A diverse myriad of speakers paid homage to the plights of refugees from four countries: Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan and Burma. NPR correspondent Deborah Amos anecdotally recalled her meetings with Iraq refugees and the challenged which affront them living in urban refugee settlements throughout Syria and Afghanistan. Sad stories of Sudanese refugees were recounted by Daoud Hari, whose memoirs are vividly depicted in his book The Translator. After losing much of her family in Afghanistan, The Other Side of the Sky author Farah Ahmedithanked the UNHCR for resettling her and her mother in the US. Joining her was Thimothy Ju, a young refugee from Myanmar whose recent journey from camps in Thailand to a home in Texas was documented in the MTV show True Life: I’m Coming to America. Although they all endured different experiences, they were united in their gratitude from the good works of the UN and their remembrance of those left behind. Poignantly stoic and blindly hopeful, their stories captivated the thousands in the crowds and depicted the triumph of the human spirit amidst unbelievable adversity.

This sad yet triumphant celebration concluded with the presentation of the Humanitarian of the Year Award, awarded to Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng. Born in Sudan, he relocated to Egypt and later to Great Britain, where he developed his skill and passion for basketball. He is an instrumental partner in the UNHCR’s Ninemillion Campaign that aims to bring education and sport programs to the world’s nine million child refuges by 2010. Deng donates $50 to Ninemillion for every basket he scores and encourages people around the world to follow his example. Deng delivered a heart-warming speech that placed his basketball career second to his job as a humanitarian and volunteer. The joy and exhilaration from giving a helping hand far succeeds the thrills of any championship ring.

Sponsors: The National Geographic Society and the UNHCR
Date: June 20, 2008
Time: 12-1 p.m.
Representative: Elizabeth Caniano

Is Militarization Undermining U.S. Foreign Policy Goals?

International development experts and policy makers, from non-profit offices to think tanks to Capitol Hill, are concerned about the United States' attitude towards foreign assistance. In recent years, the military has taken an increasingly large role in development issues that can be addressed by civilian federal agencies. Dr. Gordon Adams, an American University professor and Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, Joy Olson of the Washington Office on Latin America, and Mark Malan of Refugees International discussed these important development issues at a forum sponsored by the Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping.

Dr. Gordon Adams argues that the United States must move away from military-based foreign assistance and instead focus on civilian solutions. He contends that the best way to strengthen civilian involvement in foreign affairs is to integrate the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with the State Department. Strengthening USAID in such a manner would allow the two agencies to work together and build off each other's resources. This process would require the State Department to acknowledge the development aspects of many of the programs in which they’re involved, and to fully understand all the capabilities of their colleagues at USAID. This mutual awareness will enable the two agencies to collaborate on problems and devise both short and long term solutions. Adams also suggested that the State Department create a second Deputy Secretary of State to focus specifically on foreign assistance. Others at the forum disagreed and argued that the US’ foreign assistance problems will only be remedied by the formation of a new cabinet-level agency focused on development. However, Dr. Adams advised the audience not to dismiss the current system before attempting to reform it. He urged those who desire foreign policy reform to capitalize on the opportunity for change at the beginning of a new presidential administration by focusing on immediately strengthening the current resources and structures.


Joy Olson spoke about increased militarization in Latin America, which dates back to a 1989 congressional ruling that the U.S. military shares responsibility in monitoring and fighting drug trafficking. The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is a division of the Department of Defense responsible for Latin America and the Caribbean, often takes charge of problems that can be solved through civilian channels. However, civilian solutions are often more effective for the transnational, public security problems that many Latin American countries face. Ms. Olsen used the prevalence of youth gang violence to illustrate the effectiveness of civilian solutions. A military approach to this problem might involve increased policing and military action against youth gangs. However, a more successful response might entail community support and after-school programs that address the core causes of gang violence and provide a self-sustaining solution.

Despite her sentiment that U.S. foreign assistance in Latin American should depend less on military action, Ms. Olson was optimistic. She recommended that Congress continue to restructure SOUTHCOM, and move away from military-focused solutions by appointing a civilian to lead the department. She emphasized that in order to decrease militarization in U.S. foreign policy, Congress should strive for effective solutions even if they require a step away from the way things are traditionally done.

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Sponsor: The Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping
Date: May 29, 2008
Time: 10am – 11am
Representative Attending: Kate Lonergan