A Policy Primer On Foreign Aid, And Not Just For Congress
U.S. foreign assistance is not only a critical piece of U.S. foreign policy – it is important for millions of the world’s most poor and vulnerable striving to improve their lives. That’s why it’s crucial that we understand what works and what should be prioritized. These decisions must come from individuals who are engaged with the issues, have decades of experience, and possess personal knowledge of the challenges.
The expertise of leading NGOs comes together in InterAction’s latest Foreign Assistance Briefing Book, a relevant and timely resource created for the 113th Congress and the Obama administration as they make decisions with significant implications for the United States and the world.
InterAction and our members are putting the briefing book in the hands of every member of Congress and key members of the Obama administration, as we do every two years. But it is particularly important this year. Nearly 100 members of the House and Senate were sworn in to Congress for the first time in January, and that means nearly one-fifth of Congress is new. In addition, there are at least 270 members in Congress who started after “game-changing initiatives” such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), according to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.
But this is not just a resource for U.S. officials and their staffers. Researchers, students, thought leaders, journalists, advocates and others working in the fields of international development and humanitarian assistance can benefit from the briefing book too.
The 37 policy briefs, drafted by InterAction staff and our NGO members, include recommendations that fall under three broad topics: international development, aid effectiveness and humanitarian action. They include:
- The U.S. military’s expanding role in foreign assistance
- The impact of legal restrictions on humanitarian action
- Women as the key to global progress
- Expanding opportunities for youth
- The Lord’s Resistance Army-affected areas of Central Africa
- Shaping global development goals after 2015
- Aid effectiveness in fragile states
Check out the full list of topics. These briefs, quick and informative resources, are meant to be shared and circulated – whether you’re on the ground or on Capitol Hill, in a classroom or in a newsroom. We can do more, and do it better, if we are smart about it. And this is a good place to start.
By Erin Stock, the Online Communications Coordinator at InterAction.
