“Tell them thank you.”
“Together, the costing study and price reductions open the door to scaling up and sustaining services for the 7 million people who currently lack access to HIV treatment. Providing treatment will save lives and help prevent the spread of HIV.”
So, sure, there’s no less glamorous kind of foreign aid than chilies, irrigation pumps and mud silos. But if this kind of assistance can help end famine and emergency aid, and if it can send kids to college, then let’s celebrate boring aid!
President Bill Clinton signed the African Growth and Opportunity Act into law while in office. The agreement has expanded since 2000 to include 40 countries 6 of which are among the fastest growing economies in the world.
“Countries such as the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland demonstrate that it is possible through determined leadership and smart choices to protect aid budgets. Their example must be replicated.”
“I’m sure that with technological, political and campaigning innovation combined, working as one — we can get this job done.”
American businesses seem to be only beginning to wake up to the economic potential here. Why does that matter? Because trade often benefits a country more than aid. I’m a strong supporter of foreign aid, but economic growth and jobs are ultimately the most sustainable way to raise living standards.
The transformation in these countries has been little noticed by the outside world and is too often overshadowed by negative news from other African countries. But the break from the past is clear.
Today, President Obama took another step in deepening our partnerships with the nations and peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. In signing a new Presidential Policy Directive on the region, President Obama has committed the United States to a forward-looking strategy in which we will work closely with our African partners to advance the prosperity, security, and dignity that citizens deserve.
…In order to close this gap in the short-term, donor countries must fulfill the UN’s appeal for humanitarian aid and link emergency aid with development assistance. By my back-of-the-envelope calculations, Congress has the opportunity to make changes to the Farm Bill that would allow U.S. food assistance to reach 6 million more people with the same amount of funding.
