Blog Moderator's blog

Providing malnourished children with a potato-soy mix ration rather than the traditional corn-soy blend achieved similar health results, according to a study published in the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development.

Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) today unveiled the Global Partnerships Act of 2011 (GPA) at the American Enterprise Institute, his wholesale proposal for reforming U.S. foreign assistance to more effectively and efficiently meet 21st century challenges.

Want to build a strong statewide coalition of nonprofits, businesses, academic institutions and governmental agencies focused on global development?  If so, talk to Bookda Ghesir, executive director of Global Washington, and Carol Welch, senior program manager for Policy and Advocacy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Over the last decade, the landscape that NGOs use to communicate with their constituents has shifted dramatically. Instead of organizations and the media being “gatekeepers” and deciding what the public hears, today everyone is at the microphone thanks to social media. But how do you measure your impact? Heather Holdridge, Fenton Communications’ vice president for digital in their D.C. office, and Victoria Marzilli, new media specialist for Oxfam America, examined this issue in an engaging panel at InterAction’s Forum.

The Thursday luncheon plenary---Tough Times, Good Times--Staying Honest with Donors and the Public---began with the presentation of InterAction's annual Excellence Award for International Reporting to Josh Rogin of Foreign Policy magazine and its daily "The Cable" blog. Rogin writes regularly about relief and development issues. 

During some brief remarks, Rogin said that NGOs need to continue their work in international development because it provides essential care to communities in developing countries.

At this Thursday afternoon panel, Marian Spivey-Estrada of the American Red Cross, Stephen Davenport of Development Gateway, Melissa Bator of the University of California Santa Barbara, and moderator Andrew Schroeder of Direct Relief International offered insights into data sharing as a tool for NGO coordination, collaboration and transparency.

The workshop discussed the benefits that can derive from data sharing and standardization while also exploring some of the challenges that prevent NGOs from maximizing participation.

InterAction’s Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Working Group hosted a panel, Cost Benefit Analysis Tools: Proving the Benefit of Disaster Risk Reduction Programs, to discuss tools for measuring the cost versus the benefit of DRR activities and programs and to share experiences of how these tools are used in the field, specifically in Nepal, Vietnam and El Salvador.

The panel on Humanitarian Leadership was moderated by Joel Charny (Vice President, Humanitarian Policy & Practice, InterAction) and was comprised of experts JohnMitchell (Director, ALNAP), Mia Beers  (Senior Humanitarian Policy Advisor, USAID/OFDA), Nan Buzzard (Senior Director of International Response & Programs, American Red Cross), and Claire Messina (Senior Coordinator, HLCU, OCHA).

The current budget crisis has sparked increased interest in the U.S. budget process. InterAction hosted a timely workshop Thursday morning, “Federal Budget Process 101,” to educate participants about the basics of the budget process. Ken Forsberg, senior legislative manager at InterAction, led a thorough discussion of the process, while the panelists—Khushali Shah, managing director in the Office of the Director of U.S.

This morning marked the 18^th Annual Commission on the Advancement of Women (CAW) Breakfast Plenary, cosponsored with the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC). The plenary, titled “Movers and Shakers: Advancing Women, Advancing Rights, Advancing Business,” focused on why and how the private sector and development banks are making greater investments in gender equality and women’s empowerment.