Learn how our Haitian partners are empowering young people to take leadership roles in ongoing earthquake recovery efforts, and how a committed group of youngsters in Wyoming doubled the impact of their spaghetti dinner fundraiser.

This report highlights three examples of Episcopal Relief & Development’s disaster response work from the past year, putting the organization’s activities in the context of different stages on the “disaster cycle.”  Episcopal Relief & Development supports local Church and ecumenical partners as they assist the most vulnerable in

Episcopal Relief & Development's 2012 Lenten Meditations are available in English and in Spanish, both in print and electronically.  Orders for print booklets should be placed with the Episcopal Media Center by February 10 for delivery by Ash Wednesday, February 22.  Online booklets and

The December 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

Today, Congress is passing and sending to the president the final conference agreement on the nine remaining spending measures for fiscal 2012.

Country ownership empowers and supports effective states and citizens to take responsibility for their own development, using local systems and resources to build capacity and create change in communities that they are committed to sustaining.

This week House and Senate appropriators inched closer toward a nine-bill omnibus spending package to complete the FY2012 appropriations process by Dec. 16, which is the date when the continuing resolution currently funding the government is set to expire. Please see the Washington Update section for more details on the end game for FY2012 appropriations.

The Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation is the outcome document of the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, held November 29 - December 1, 2011 in Busan, South Korea.

Sam Worthington's op-ed on foreign assistance, published on the day of the CNN National Security Debate on 11/22/11.

After a week of rumor and innuendo, amendments and points of order, the FY2012 Senate State, Foreign Operations (SFOps) bill appears headed for inclusion in a nine-bill omnibus that leadership will attempt to push through by mid-December.

Last Friday, we reported that the next Senate minibus would likely include the State, Foreign Operations bill, along with Financial Services and Energy-Water and that it would move to the floor sometime this week.

The FY2012 appropriations continued on a contorted path this week as House Appropriations Committee Chair Harold Rogers (R-KY) outlined his path toward completing the process and details emerged that the next Senate mini-bus will likely include the State, Foreign Operations bill, along with Financial Services and Energy—Water.

La Agencia Episcopal de Alivio y Desarrollo y el Fondo de Inspiración NetsforLife^®  se complacen en ofrecer una selección de materiales educativos en español para invitar una mayor participación en la campaña de la Iglesia Episcopal que busca apoyar la lucha contra la malaria. 

Late last week, the Obama administration announced that it has sent a “small number of U.S. military advisors” to central Africa to assist forces in the region that are pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Did you know…
… that together, InterAction members and U.S. corporations manage an estimated $19.4 billion in international development program funds?

This week, the House of Representatives cleared a short-term continuing resolution (HR 2068) that will keep the government running through November 18.

This year’s Gifts for Life catalog is filled with ways to delight those on your holiday gift list and help communities worldwide to flourish.

This week the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY2012 State, Foreign Operations bill by a 28-2 vote. The bill provided $44.6 billion in discretionary spending, with an additional $8.7 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO).

InterAction News Release: NGO alliance InterAction supports the level of 2012 funding for international affairs approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a bipartisan 28-2 vote.

Read about flood recovery in Minot, North Dakota, and athletes in Wisconsin, Hawai'i and Oregon who raised awareness and support for Episcopal Relief & Development.
 

InterAction and 129 NGOs placed an ad in Roll Call magazine this week.  The ad was an open letter to Congress, asking them to oppose the severe cuts to foreign aid proposed in the current budget.  

Members of Episcopal Relief & Development's Partners in Response team will travel to the flood-affected dioceses of Vermont and Albany, to visit impacted congregations and support recovery planning.

InterAction News Release:

Read how leadership training in Sierra Leone is improving gender equality, and how one young woman's entrepreneurial spirit is raising awareness and funds for NetsforLife^®.

InterAction continues to monitor the situation in the Horn of Africa and advocate for the needs of the over 12 million people who have been affected by the drought that has engulfed the region.

Recent developments in the aid strategy of the United States — such as reversing a previous reduction in technical experts, and promoting more country-driven, outcome-oriented systems — have been endorsed by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic

This week, the House State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee unveiled its draft bill for FY2012, which contained substantial cuts for humanitarian and poverty-focused development assistance.

InterAction Statement: House Republican appropriators today continued their assault on U.S. international efforts to reduce poverty, address climate change, and respond to famine and other disasters. This comes a week after the House Foreign Affairs Committee also sought to gut core development accounts.

Calling it "debilitating to my efforts to carry out a considered foreign policy and diplomacy," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is warning members of the House of Representatives that she "will recommend personally" that President Barack Obama veto a bill pending in the House that would severely restrict State Department operation

On July 21, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed H.R.2583, the FY2012 Foreign Relations Authorization Act, on a party-line vote of 23-20. The mark-up, which clocked in at over 30 hours, was thoroughly partisan with very few substantive bipartisan amendments adopted.

Read how atoll permaculture in the Solomon Islands is helping to secure the food supply in spite of rising sea levels, and about the 150-year-strong Eight O’May luncheon that benefits organizations including Episcopal Relief &

On Capitol Hill next week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a markup hearing of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2012 on Wednesday, July 20 at 10:00am in room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Check for other upcoming hearings in the Update below.

Prospective 2012 U.S. presidential candidates who want to limit our engagement abroad and  those lawmakers who propose  cuts to the 2012 foreign affairs budget have forgotten a basic budgeting rule.

InterAction News Release: At a critical juncture in the deficit reduction talks a diverse coalition of over 40 prominent international and domestic NGOs have joined the leaders of dozens of national faith organizations in calling on the Obama administration and congressional leadership to protect programs benefitting poor and hungry people both here and abroad from budget cuts.

InterAction watched with interest this week President Obama’s speech on troop levels in Afghanistan. With much of the attention centered on the aspects of the security transition, the face of long-term development in Afghanistan remains to be seen. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the U.S.

This week, The House this week passed its FY2012 Agriculture appropriations bill, containing deep cuts to international food aid grant funding—even as volatility in global food prices persists.

The July 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was busy with several nominations hearings, including one for former U.S. ambassador to both Pakistan and Iraq, Ryan Crocker, who this time is up for the position in Afghanistan. Furthermore, Dr. Ariel Pablos Mendez testified on Tuesday to be the next USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health.

Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting disaster-impacted dioceses as they transition from emergency relief to long-term recovery. 

A new USAID program allows companies of all sizes including large corporations, to send professionals abroad to local governments and groups in developing nations. Sam Worthington is quoted in a MSNBC article saying that a partnership of government, corporations and non-profits is essential for achieving the Millennium Dvelopment Goals.

At the G-8 summit in France, Obama wins support for aid to shore up emerging democracies and movements. Aid groups are skeptical, noting that the G-8 is behind on previous financial pledges.

ONE's 2011 DATA Report is about how donor funding up to 2010 has not matched the amount agreed to by G8 nations at the 2005 Summit in Gleneagles.

May 13, 2011 InterAction News Release: InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington said on Friday he was very disappointed with the latest cuts made by U.S. House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) in the  2012 foreign operations budget.

Although Congress is in recess this week, there were several pertinent hearings from last week whose summaries we did not include in the April 15 edition of the Weekly Update. Among these are an April 11 Commission on Wartime Contracting hearing regarding NGOs and Provincial Reconstruction Teams operating in Afghanistan.

Yesterday, the compromise FY2011 full-year appropriations bill (HR 1473) passed through Congress, with a 260-117 vote in the House of Representatives and an 81-19 vote in the Senate. President Obama will sign the bill sometime today.

The April 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

InterAction Statement: U.S. NGO alliance InterAction calls on Congress to pass the 2011 spending agreement today and work with the Obama administration to agree on a 2012 budget that invests in building a more stable and prosperous world.

NGO alliance InterAction calls on Congress and the Obama administration to think long-term and preserve our government’s 2012 investment in international development, diplomacy and humanitarian assistance.

Last week, General David Petraeus and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michéle Flournoy testified before the Armed Services Committee in both chambers about recent developments in Afghanistan. Find a summary of these hearings below, as well as information about legislation on Haiti recently introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and a list of upcoming hearings and articles of interest.

Policy brief from InterAction partner MFAN that makes the case for foreign assistance reform in this challenging budget environment.

Op-ed in The Christian Science Monitor by Ken Hackett, president of InterAction member Catholic Relief Services, on the choice faced by U.S. lawmakers about whether to cut foreign assistance in the FY2011 federal budget.

Congress is doing its part by preparing to cut the international affairs budget by close to 20 percent, a move that could undermine national security, defy military leaders’ advice and endanger U.S. interests and core values. Worst of all, these cuts would be disastrous for women and children—the majority of the world’s poor.

As the Senate begins debate on the budget for the remainder of fiscal 2011, senators will have to decide what this country’s international priorities are. This article recommends that the U.S. make foreign aid a priority.

Transcript of a press briefing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave after a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner on the FY2011 federal budget and planned cuts to all "non-security" spending.

Article in New Republic on how the U.K. has proved that during tough fiscal times, increasing foreign assistance is better than decreasing it.

Editorial from The Washington Post on why the sweeping cuts to the FY2011 federal budget, including foreign assistance, are a mistake.

Commentary in McClatchy on why the cuts to the federal budget in foreign assistance funds is dangerous.

In past years, the State Department and foreign operations appropriation bill has passed with strong bipartisan support, often by an overwhelming margin. Members of both parties have understood how important diplomacy and development are—not only to U.S.

On the House floor,  Congressman Berman condemned House Republicans for their irresponsible slash-and-burn tactics to cut spending in a way that seriously jeopardizes our national security and hampers our country’s economic growth.

InterAction member CARE's statement on the FY2011 Continuing Resolution.

Statement by U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on the FY2011 Continuing Resolution.

A line-by-line look at how InterAction is crunching the numbers in the House of Representative's 2011 "Continuing Resolution Extension" bill.

Note: Last updated June 27, 2011.

“In a tough fiscal environment, the Obama administration has presented a responsible and sensible FY 2012 international assistance budget; one that will help save lives, create economic prosperity here and abroad, and reduce future deficits by preventing bigger security outlays in the future.

 As the United States seeks to get its fiscal house in order, Congress must realize that cuts to foreign assistance now will only cost our country more later. Such a strategy would-–in the most basic terms-–be penny-wise and pound foolish.

The term “budget process,” when applied to the federal government, actually refers to a number of processes that have evolved separately and that occur with varying degrees of coordination.

Asked to estimate how much of the federal budget goes to foreign aid the median estimate is 25 percent. Asked how much they thought would be an "appropriate" percentage the median response is 10 percent.  In fact just 1 percent of the federal budget goes to foreign aid.

The unrelated crises roiling Egypt and the federal budget have at least one thing in common: They both have brought calls to eliminate foreign aid.

As the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs for 10 years, and chairwoman for the past four, I know we can come together because we have. And our cooperation must continue — even as major foreign assistance has been put on the chopping block — because our national security demands it.

Article in the Huffington Post on Feb. 3, 2011, on the fight to protect the U.S. foreign assistance budget from cuts in FY2011. InterAction's president and CEO, Samuel A. Worthington, is interviewed.

“When I took office a year ago, the development community made clear if the United States was to play a leading role in international development, USAID would have to be strengthened and empowered with certain authorities that have been stripped from the agency over the course of decades. We heard you.”

U.S. Department of State fact sheet on an agreement to develop the North Industrial Park in Haiti to create 20,000 permanent jobs.

Transcript of a U.S. Department of State Special Briefing on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, from January 7, 2011.

Transcript of a U.S. Department of State Special Briefing on Health Concerns in Haiti on January 10, 2011.

InterAction member EDC's one year progress report after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the final report of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR). The report provides a blueprint for elevating American "civilian power" to better advance national interests and to be a better partner to the U.S. military.

Sam Worthington quoted in Devex.com's report out on the QDDR.

InterAction members continue to respond to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Find more information on our crisis response page.

InterAction members continue to respond to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. The international humanitarian community and Haiti’s government are acting quickly and coordinating efforts to respond to the outbreak and prevent further spread of the disease.

After a brief hiatus due to the mid-term elections, the weekly update is back!

Originally developed as part of InterAction's Africa Liaison Program Inititiative (ALPI) to foster relationships between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and nongovernmental organizations in the U.S.

The September 2010 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

 InterAction suggests that the Administration consider the MDGs as a key issue to the U.S. foreign policy and urges President Obama to take the lead in supporting the MDGs.

InterAction applauds for President Obama’s action of announcing his MDG plan on July 30-over a month prior to the U.N. MDG Summit in September. Meanwhile, we strongly urges the Administration to consider the following key recommendations on each of the eight MDGs as the plan is finalized.

InterAction has published, Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): The Road Forward for the U.S., a policy paper that outlines key recommendations from U.S.-based international NGOs on each of the eight MDGs.

Notwithstanding a number of strengths in U.S. development and foreign assistance policy, a number of systemic inconsistencies, inefficiencies, and disconnects have also developed as the USG’s humanitarian architecture has evolved over the years. This paper highlights priority areas where reform is needed.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit on Thursday, December 17, 2009. 

Response to discussion in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) rewrite process with ten proposed reforms and other responses/suggestions from the InterAction community.

See also: HFAC Discussion Paper #1

Testimony of Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator Designate, U.S. Agency for International Development, before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

See also: "Historic Challenges and Opportunities Face USAID Nominee" (November 10, 2009)

Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction, testified on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

A progress report about the Millennium Challenge Corporation and its full funding request since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report about relations between NGO (civil society) and the military since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report about transformational diplomacy's the "F" process and returning budget authority to a USAID administrator since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on transformational diplomancy since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report about encouraging government accountability in Uganda to rebuild the northern region since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report about the call for a comprehensive national development strategy since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Sri Lanka and providing full diplomatic and financial support for civilians since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on efforts to end conflict in Sri Lanka ince publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Full funding of the MCC budget since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Sustainable Global Health and Development since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

Proposed and appropriated funding levels for poverty-focused international development and humanitarian assistance accounts, as well as various other international accounts of interest to the InterAction community.

Report on public dialogue hosted by InterAction and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) on country-led development and partnerships in fighting global poverty

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

 Reaction from InterAction to the 2009 G20 Final Communique

 Text of the Final Communique issued by leaders of the G20 member states

Meeting request from InterAction President & CEO Samuel Worthington to Obama transition team members Aaron Williams and Gayle Smith  to discuss the Obama administration’s plans for engaging with the NGO community in connection with USAID’s proposed Partner Vetting System.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

Critical Problems, Recommendations, and actions for the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress

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Letter from InsideNGO (APVOFM) submitting comment for the public record on the July 23, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from International Rescue Committee submitting comment for the public record on the July 23, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from Mercy Corps submitting comment for the public record on the July 20, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from International Rescue Committee submitting comment for the public record on the July 20, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from World Vision submitting comment for the public record on July 20, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from American Jewish World Service submitting comment for the public record on the July 17, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from International Rescue Committee submitting comment for the public record on the July 17, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from Global Health Council submitting comment for the public record on the July 17, 2007 federal register notice detailed the proposed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.

Letter from Mercy Corps submitting comment for the public record on July 17, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the propose USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private informationof their officers and employees to the U.S. government,

Letter from Association of Private Voluntary Organization Financial Managers submitting comment for the public record on the July 17, 2007 federal register notice that detailed the propsed USAID Partner Vetting System that would require U.S. NGOs and their subgrantees to turn over the private information of their officers and employees to the U.S. government.