G-8 leaders urged to end child malnutrition in order to stimulate long-term economic development and greater progress against hunger and poverty

Leading NGO alliance InterAction welcomes an announcement by President Barack Obama on Friday that the Group of Eight  nations will commit to a new food security alliance during talks in Camp David this weekend and  urges G8 nations to follow through on previous promises.

InterAction President Samuel A. Worthington issued the following statement today in response to the funding bill approved by the House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Wednesday.

A two-week edition of InterAction's Weekly Public Policy Update, which includes an analysis of the current FY2013 budget situation, a summary on a hearing about terrorist threats in Africa, and a list of recommended articles.

Today's edition of the Weekly Update includes a write-up on Rep.

Concern Worldwide U.S. Operations Director and Co-chair of the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Committee, Dominic MacSorley OBE, was recognized last night by the Northern Ireland All Party Group on International Development (APGID) for his outstanding contribution to international humanitarianism over the past 30 years.

Statement of Samuel A. Worthington at the Mini-Summit on the Humanitarian Response to the Horn of Africa

Counterpart International wins Nonprofit PR award for Best Video and/or Podcast Program for a community-run tourism program in rural Guatemala.

PASSA is a participatory method of awareness-raising around safe shelters. Its purpose is to provide communities with tools for improving their living environments, offering a step-by-step method for building safer housing. It was developed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the British Red Cross, and has been tested in Uganda, Bangladesh and Haiti.

The Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS) program of the University of Texas, in partnership with AidData, released an interactive mapping dashboard of climate change vulnerability and conflict events in Africa,

InterAction's Weekly Public Policy Update, covering Feb. 21-24, 2012. The update includes a list of upcoming hearings for next week in both the House and Senate, a summary of a hearing from last week on the situation for NGOs in Egypt, and a list of recommended articles that have come out this week.

Learn how the "Give a Goat" Coffee House is empowering families to provide for themselves, and how the Church of Guatemala's micro-finance program is helping small businesses grow.

Joel Charny is quoted in this article donations to the famine in Somalia.  

Audio is available at: http://www.theworld.org/2012/02/us-somalis-trying-to-help-people-back-home/

In November 2010, the Protection Working Group at InterAction issued a series of papers documenting an array of issues affecting the lives of Haitians made even more vulnerable by the 2010 earthquake. The papers set forth a number of recommendations calling on interested parties to ensure that all steps taken in rebuilding Haiti would uphold and restore lives with safety, dignity and rights.

In November 2010, the Protection Working Group at InterAction issued a series of papers documenting an array of issues affecting the lives of Haitians made even more vulnerable by the 2010 earthquake. The papers set forth a number of recommendations calling on interested parties to ensure that all steps taken in rebuilding Haiti would uphold and restore lives with safety, dignity and rights.

President and CEO of InterAction, Sam Worthington states that NGOs unfairly get the brunt of the blame for slow progress in Haiti, NGOs cannot be the only face of recovery.

Identified as a key principle of effective development, country ownership has become an ever-present part of the foreign assistance reform debate. While the Obama administration has embraced country ownership in the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development (PPD) and other executive initiatives, it remains unclear how to put this principle into practice on the ground.

InterAction CEO, Samuel Worthington addresses the progress of funding for Haiti aid two years after the quake.

Episcopal Relief & Development has been awarded a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to launch a program in Zambia for children and their caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS.

The UN’s integration policy requires the close alignment of all objectives and activities of UN entities, including its humanitarian bodies, to achieve political ends. This is fundamentally incompatible with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence -- all essential to operating safely in situations of armed conflict and other political violence.

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.

Read about water wells, vegetable gardens and multilateral cooperation in the Philippines, and about a congregation in Tennessee calling members to act for social justice through their first U2charist.

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.

InterAction news release:

International leaders meeting in Bonn on Monday to discuss the future of Afghanistan should expand their focus from short-term stabilization efforts  to longer term development work that will have a lasting impact on the country.

InterAction and Oxfam were mentioned in news clip about G20 outcomes.

http://www.haixiainfo.com.tw/166004.html

Sam Worthington quoted in article.

ActionAid today issued the following reactions at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Cannes, France.

“The G20 summit outcomes show progress on tax and banking secrecy but fall far short of what is needed to resolve the world`s food crises,” said Soren Ambrose, Head of Policy for ActionAid.



 

Sam Worthington quoted.

Sam Worthington quoted.

CANNES, Nov 4 (IPS) - While the Greek bailout and stimulus package dominated discussion among the Group of 20 (G20) major industrialised and emerging market economies at the high-level summit in Cannes, France, this week, the proposed financial transactions tax (FTT) received meagre attention.

InterAction News Release:

The outcome of the G20 summit in Cannes was mixed, with progress on tax havens but not enough concrete action to ease the burden of the financial crisis on the world’s poor, said InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based NGOs.

Sam Worthington quoted in news story published by multiple international outlets including El Mundo (Spain).

Sam Worthington quoted.

Application for Associate Membership in InterAction

Sam Worthington quoted in Chinese news clip.

http://news.china.com.cn/2011-11/02/content_23799833.htm

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.

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).

Humanitarian groups are increasingly worried about the looming budget cuts in U.S. foreign assistance. They argue that lives are at stake in places like the Horn of Africa, which is suffering its worst drought in decades.

Raising public and private money for that crisis been a challenge in the current economic environment.

The Center for Community Mapping wrote about InterAction's Horn of Africa Aid Map on September 6, 2011 in their blog.  

On September 26th, grassroots activists across the U.S. will mobilize for a national call-in day.

USAID and the AdCouncil have launched a campaign to raise awareness about the drought in the Horn of Africa where more than 13.3 million people are in crisis.

Diocesan Disaster Coordinators, who receive training and support through Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program, are playing a key role in disaster preparedness and response, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

This PowerPoint presentation highlights Global Links' work in Haiti.

InterAction President and CEO Sam Worthington is quoted in this Horn of Africa story.

During the first day of InterAction's 2011 Forum, InterAction was joined by the UN's Valerie Amos and USAID's Don Steinberg at a media roundtable on the Horn of Africa.

When lawmakers in the U.S. Congress began discussing how much foreign aid to give Middle East countries in 2012, their own debt crisis loomed large. Republicans in the House of Representatives proposed big cuts in overall American commitments.

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.

InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington quoted in article.

Famine has been declared in parts of Middle Shabelle, IDP settlements along the Afgooye Corridor, parts of Mogadishu hosting IDPs, Lower

With the onset of the earthquake in Haiti in last year, the use of technology in information sharing has been widely discussed within the international development and humanitarian community, and rightfully so. Three seemingly simple questions often come up. People want to know “Who is doing what? Where?

InterAction condemns the alleged staging of an immunization campaign in Pakistan by the U.S. government in order to gather information for counterterrorism purposes

With famine now declared in two regions of Southern Somalia and malnutrition rates at emergency levels in arid and semi-arid regions across the Horn of Africa, nearly 720,000 children are at risk of death without urgent assistance. 

In this hard-hit country, Relief International staff are busy saving lives and sustaining livelihoods by rehabilitating primary health care facilities, training health care professionals and providing essential nutrition services to those who need it most.

Cash, food and water programs will help thousands in desperate need. Agency calls for increased support from the U.S. and the international community.

East Africa is facing the worst drought since the 1950s. The drought has withered crops, killed cattle and led to massive increases in food prices.

Sam Worthington radio interview: Millions of Somalis are mired in a deep humanitarian crisis that is now driving thousands of refugees over the border to Kenya daily.

With the danger of widespread famine in the Horn of Africa increasing daily, Lutheran World Relief is rushing $500,000 for an immediate response to this unfolding humanitarian crisis.

As more than ten million men, women and children face hunger and life-threatening health consequences from the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in 60 years, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is responding with aid to relieve victims of the worst food shortage crisis in the world today. 

International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team (ERT) has deployed to the Dolo Ado refugee camps in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, where the worst drought crisis in 60 years is creating a potential humanitarian crisis.  

With the crisis in Somalia today declared a famine by the FSNAU and FEWSNET, the Somalia NGO Consortium (representing 78 agencies working in Somalia) urgently calls on the international community to act now to respond to this catastrophe.

This year marks the driest period in the Eastern Horn of Africa region since 1995, with the lowest level of rainfall in more than 50 years.
 

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) is rapidly expanding its current drought response to meet a vastly increased need for food and other aid in the Horn of Africa after two failed rainy seasons in the past 12 months.

CHF International is pleased to report that rain has, at long last, fallen in the far eastern regions of Ethiopia.

Female refugees fleeing conflict and hunger in East Africa are facing another threat: rape and sexual violence.

Severe drought in East Africa has left people across the region struggling to survive. 

As the UN declares famine in two regions of Somalia, and warns of others to follow, World Vision is calling on the international community to scale up efforts to seek assurances from the various armed groups regarding safe humanitarian access so it can increase support to the South Central region where millions of children are in urgent need of food and assistance.

An estimated 10 million people in the Horn of Africa are in urgent need of assistance as drought-like conditions threaten to push populations into a devastating nutritional crisis, warns humanitarian organization ACTION AGAINST HUNGER | ACF INTERNATIONAL.

Food insecurity remains at emergency levels across parts of the Horn of Africa, famine has been declared in two regions of Southern Somalia. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to cope with the influx of Somali refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya. Malnutrition and mortality rates are alarmingly high in many parts of the region.

Today’s declaration by the United Nations of famine in Somalia makes official what aid agencies have been seeing for nearly a year – severe drought and the world’s worst food crisis has put 10 million people in desperate need of assistance and donor countries are not doing nearly enough to avert disaster, save lives and protect livelihoods.

A statement by the Somalia NGO Consortium from July 20, 2011, on the UN's declaration of the first famine of the 21st century, in two regions in southern Somalia.

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.

G8 Deauville Declaration outlines commitments made by world leaders on May 6-27, 2011.

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

InterAction News Release: G8 leaders meeting in Deauville this week must break a cycle of broken promises and honor billions of dollars in commitments for food, agricultural and health assistance, said the largest alliance of U.S.-based NGOs.

InterAction News Release: The official G8 “Deauville Accountability Report” released today underscores the need for the world’s richest nations to be fully accountable and follow through on previous public promises to deliver aid in key areas like food security and global health.

This week, House Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers (R-KY) announced a disappointing FY2012 subcommittee allocation for State, Foreign Operations that continues the radically downward trend in spending for international affairs begun in FY2011.

On April 14, 2011, InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. His testimony, below, championed the importance and value of the poverty-focused development and humanitarian accounts administered by USAID and the State Department.

InterAction's G8/G20 Task Force applauds the work of the G20 leaders to enhance financial inclusion by increasing access to financial services by low-income people. Improving the range and quality of financial services available to previously excluded individuals strengthens their ability to secure and increase their financial assets.

This is the product of a two-month collaborative process among InterAction's members to develop analysis and recommendations in three core areas: leadership, coordination and finance. It will be the basis of InterAction's engagement with the U.S. government and with the UN in the coming months on humanitarian reform issues.

New project and sector summary information for InterAction members working in Haiti as of March 2011.

Japan continues to reel from the multiple disasters triggered by last Friday’s massive earthquake near its northeast coast. The media attention following this disaster has brought about a compassionate response from Americans. InterAction has developed guidelines on the most appropriate ways to help those affected by overseas disasters.

New information, as of March 17, 2011, updating the sector and program lists for InterAction members working in Haiti.

As published in the Wall Street Journal on March 17, 2011: InterAction, an umbrella group for U.S. relief agencies active abroad, advises donors to give to agencies with partner organizations in Japan that would be best placed to spend funds wisely. It says there is minimal need at this stage either for donated goods or throngs of foreign volunteers.

Cash allows relief organizations to get exactly what they need quickly without having to worry about transportation, staff time, and warehouse space. 

Our thoughts are with those in Japan and other countries across the Pacific Ocean that have been affected by the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami. InterAction member organizations have strong partnerships with civil society groups in Japan that are responding.

International Medical Corps is responding to the situation in Japan and tsunami-warning areas, following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s coast, triggering a tsunami that devastated northern parts of the country and put a tsunami warning in effect for much of the Pacific.

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.

InterAction statement on crisis in Libya, March 1, 2011

This week, InterAction staff and various member organizations traversed Capitol Hill to educate staffers on funding trends for the International Affairs Budget (150 Account) and to distribute valuable resources to members of Congress, particularly the freshmen representatives, that will aid their understanding of a range of foreign assistance issues that are likely to emerge in the 112th Congre

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.

InterAction's audited financial statements from 2009.

Press release by InterAction member ChildFund International on its partnership with InterAction member Physicians for Peace on disability work in Haiti a year after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

Save the Children's assessment of Pakistan six months after the flooding.

InterAction's G8/G20 Task Force published a G20 Summit Policy Brief on innovative financing and the elimination of tax havens. The short brief provides information on the potential role a global financial transfer fee (also sometimes called a transfer tax) might play in responding to international crises.

“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.”

The campaign proposes a Ten-point checklist of Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient to serve as a guide for commitment by Mayors.

One year progress report from InterAction member Solar Cookers International on work done in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

An entry on USA Today's "Kindness" blog about projects that have been ongoing in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake, and ways that people can still help.

Article from NPR's website on a cash-for-work program in Haiti funded by InterAction member Catholic Relief Services after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

U.S. government fact sheet on moving from humanitarian relief to reconstruction in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

One year progress report by InterAction member US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) on their activities in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Article on web-based news source for Latin America and the Caribbean InfoSurHoy on the pace of reconstruction in Haiti after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Port-au-Prince. InterAction's president and CEO, Sam Worthington, was one of the experts interviewed for the article.

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held by decision of the United Nations General Assembly in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan on 18-22 January 20051. It adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) as a systematic, strategic blueprint to guide national and international efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and risks induced by naturally occurring hazards and human-made processes.

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

A report released by InterAction member Oxfam on agricultural work to be done in Haiti since the January 12, 2010 earthquake.

InterAction member Catholic Relief Services' one-year report on their work since the earthquake on January 12, 2010, in Haiti.

A March 2010 report from InterAction member Oxfam on re-envisioning Haiti with "equity, fairness, and opportunity" after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

An article from NPR's website exploring both sides of the debate on the funds NGOs in Haiti have raised since the January 12, 2010, earthquake compared to how much they have spent.

An article from the Associated Press (AP) on some of the hurdles facing Haiti's reconstruction after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Agence France Presse (AFP) article in the Montreal Gazette exploring both sides of the debate on NGOs in Haiti.

The purpose of the revision process was not to change the qualitative standards, nor to overhaul the Handbook, but to update the qualitative and quantitative indicators and guidance notes as needed, and to improve the overall structure and consistency of the text.

Joint press statement released by InterAction and 38 of its members on January 10, 2011, regarding the reconstruction in Haiti leading up to the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

Report from InterAction member World Concern on Haiti one year after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Article from the Miami Herald on fundraising for Haiti after the January 12, 2010, earthquake. InterAction's president and CEO, Samuel A. Worthington, was interviewed.

One year progress report from InterAction member United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

One year progress report from InterAction member the American Red Cross after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

InterAction member Oxfam's one year progress report on Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake. 

An op-ed by Save the Children's CEO, Charles MacCormack, on CNN's website on the future of Haiti.

As the January 9 referenda in south Sudan and Abyei approach, so do the possibilities for violence and humanitarian crises. The United Nations has mapped out potential flashpoints for conflict and drawn up detailed contingency plans, but many critical challenges remain unresolved.

African leaders have recently expressed concern that the possible division of Sudan may lead to a domino effect of other secessions on the continent—but closer analysis questions how likely this may be.

Africa’s borders are largely accepted; it is only a distinct few cases (including Sudan) in which
they could be reconsidered.

This report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 11 of Security Council resolution 1590 (2005), in which the Council requested that it be kept regularly informed of progress made in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the Sudan.

As Southern Sudan prepares for a referendum that will determine whether it will become a separate country, public opinion research by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) shows significant support for independence and a strong desire for the referendum to be held on time.

•Since its establishment five years ago under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has struggled to create a justice system that reflects the values and requirements for justice among the people of Southern Sudan. For both political and practical reasons, chiefs’ courts and customary law are central to this endeavor.

•With Southern Sudan’s referendum on whether to remain part of Sudan or secede approaching, it is vital that the international community encourage and support negotiations on postreferendum arrangements, which include issues ranging from wealth sharing to citizenship rights to security arrangements. Good coordination among the international community will be essential.

Not long before the UN-run popular consultation in East Timor in 1999, an Indonesian general told me that if the East Timorese voted for independence, Indonesia would surely break apart. He cited the centrifugal forces at work that would pull the diverse country to pieces. In effect, East Timor’s departure would set the dominos in motion.

An International Rescue Committee (IRC) medical team is delivering health care services to more than 3,500 newly displaced people, mostly women and children, who took refuge in Northern Bahr el Ghazal after their villages along the north-south border were hit by Sudanese army bombers.

In about two months, Africa may have a new country, the first since the end of the colonial era. On Jan. 9, the people of southern Sudan are expected to vote in a referendum to determine whether their region will become an independent nation.

The Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SuNDE), a coalition of over 75 non-partisan civil society organizations located in all ten states of Southern Sudan, developed and released a set of recommendations on September 8, 2010 to ensure a timely, transparent, peaceful, and fair referendum process.

President Barack Obama's presence at a high-level meeting on Sudan at the United Nations on September 24 was the most recent sign of his administration's intensified diplomatic efforts to avert a catastrophic return to war in Africa's largest state. On January 9, southern Sudan is scheduled to vote in two referenda.

Testimony of Michel Gabaudan
President of Refugees International
September 30, 2010
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. House of Representatives

This report makes several recommendations for Sudanese leaders and international actors:

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC)’s strategic plan for the remainder of its mandate. Report issued December 2010.

This report offers international agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the U.S. government, the media, and the public an overview of the humanitarian and development assistance being provided to the people of Afghanistan by InterAction member agencies.

John Ruthrauff, InterAction’s International Advocacy Director, is quoted in this article about the World Bank’s International Development Association agreeing to boost funding for low-income countries.

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

Haiti is now facing one of the most severe outbreaks of cholera that has been seen in the last century. This outbreak is made more complex by the humanitarian situation which resulted from the 12 January earthquake, which killed an estimated 230,000 people and injured 300,000.

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.

More than nine months after the devastating January 12 earthquake in Haiti that claimed an estimated 230,000 lives, the survivors are still feeling the impact of a disaster that has left many of them susceptible to increased physical insecurity and violations of their fundamental rights.

InterAction’s G8/G20 Task Force welcomes the establishment of a G20 Development Working Group with its mandate to produce a development agenda and multi-year action

The recent flooding in Pakistan has been a disaster for farmers. Many families lost their crops as well as their homes, seed stores, stables and livestock.

The worst flood to hit Pakistan in 80 years has left at least three million people in need of emergency assistance.

This report chronicles the activities of seven InterAction member agencies in Sri Lanka. This member activity report describes the relief and development efforts of InterAction member agencies in Sri Lanka from December 2006 through June 2010.

Six months after an earthquake devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010, Handicap International has made a provisional assessment of the situation, which you can find below along with an outline of its plans for the future. The association has a team of 480 people in Haiti, including 70 expatriate staff. It is the association’s largest ever deployment.

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake struck Haiti, devastating the nation’s capital and creating one of the most complex urban disasters in decades. More than 220,000 persons were killed and 330,000 injured. An estimated 3 million men, women and children – one in three Haitians  were affected.

Oxfam had been working in Haiti for 32 years when the quake struck. For the past six months, our programs have scaled up to provide water and sanitation, public health education, and ensuring people have access to food and basic needs through cash-for-work and cash grants programs. We are currently helping over 440,000 people through our relief and recovery programs.

Six months on, the dramatic destruction caused by the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti is still synonymous with unbelievable stress for over three million people1, including 1.6 million living in 1,342 spontaneous settlements, of which 800,000 are estimated to be children.

The IRC launched programs in Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the January 12 earthquake.

JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, is proud to be using its expertise to bring ongoing relief to the people of Haiti in their time of need. As the process of recovery in Haiti begins, JDC is addressing the physical and psychological rehabilitation needs of those most devastated by the disaster.

Six months after the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, life is slowly resuming for families in Haiti, but it is a new post-earthquake life of rebuilding communities and coming to terms with a new “normal.” The new normal includes some being able to return to homes that have been repaired. For others, it means having to find a new home - often with a relative or neighbor.

On an overcast and rainy May 25, CHF completed a payroll in Petit-Goave for 740 laborers in its ongoing cash-for-work program. Workers had spent the past two weeks demolishing crumbled buildings and removing rubble in support of the USAID-funded CLEARS program. At the payroll, CHF paid workers salaries totaling more than US$47,000, accounting for almost US$62 per person.

AMURT’s mission is to help improve the quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged people of the world, and to assist those affected by calamity and conflict. We believe that the best assistance is that which encourages and enables all people to develop themselves.

JUNE 2010 marks 6 months since a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the island nation of Haiti…While the recovery process has begun, devastation in Port-au- Prince, and many areas beyond, remains without precedent. As many as 3 million people were affected by the quake, 1 million left homeless, 300,000 injured, and over 220,000 killed.

Since January 12, 2010, Medical Teams International has:

On the six-month anniversary of Haiti's deadly earthquake, President Barack Obama said a rapid international response saved lives but the recovery effort must continue.

Long before the crippling earthquake of January 12, 2010, Jesuit Refugee
Service had a grassroots presence in Haiti, providing humanitarian assistance
to displaced Haitians both in the town of Ouanaminthe on the northeastern
border with the Dominican Republic, and in the Dominican Republic itself. JRS

Agencies and donors participating in the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Haiti are in need of current information about where assistance is needed and which areas of response are already being addressed. The U.S.

Our efforts in Haiti continue as we meet the current rehabilitation needs of the amputees through an amputee clinic being managed at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Central Plateau by Hanger Orthopedics, Christian Medical Mission Board, and other founding members of the Haitian Amputee Coalition, including Physicians for Peace.

The humanitarian response to the earthquake in Haiti represents the most challenging and complex emergency effort Save the Children has ever undertaken. The country’s

January 12, 2010 was a day when the world turned its attention to Haiti. A powerful earthquake rocked the country's capital, Port au Prince, killing an estimated 230,000 people. More than 300,000 had been injured and over one million made homeless. It was the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years.

This is a step-by-step guide to assist InterAction members in developing and implementing policies to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of beneficiaries and vulnerable members of the community in countries where members work.

The humanitarian community has achieved a great deal in responding to the earthquake that struck Haiti six months ago. This report outlines the accomplishments of the humanitarian organizations represented in the IASC, and the valuable lessons learned through their efforts.

The Muskoka Accountability Report reflects the efforts of the G8 (Cananda, France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, and Italy) to achieve a number of development-related commitments. It reports on G8 performance, assesses the reults of G8 action, and identifies lessons for future reporting.

Letter signed by 33 InterAction members to the Speaker of the House, House and Senate Majority Leaders and Ranking members urging them to give immediate priority to the FY10 supplemental funding measure.

Almost a year since more than three million people fled fighting in Pakistan’s Swat valley and surrounding areas, the crisis is far from over. Over a million people are displaced, more are being forced into displacement every day, and two million are struggling to rebuild their lives after returning to their homes to find their villages destroyed.

Save the Children calls on governments to provide stalwart support to meet Haiti’s immediate and long-term development needs, in cooperation with the Haitian government and a wide variety of partners, including local civil society and children themselves.

This policy brief, published by Save the Children in May, 2010, explores how to support local ownership and build national capacity by applying a flexible and country-based approach to aid instruments.

The March 2010 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

Letter from InterAction's President & CEO Samuel A. Worthington to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees on InterAction's recommendations for the anticipated FY2010 supplemental funding measure.

The January/February 2010 issue of Monday Developments Magazine.

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.

This is the latest version of InterAction's budget table, which include numbers from the President's FY2011 Budget Request and the FY2010 Supplemental Request.

A regularly updated list of agencies responding to the crisis in Haiti is available at: http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti

Report of InterAction member organizations' activities in Iraq for 2009.

Samuel A. Worthington, InterAction's President & CEO, gave the keynote speech at the U.S. Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) 24th Annual Briefing: Confronting Global Risk. Sam's talking points for the speech, entitled "NGO Security: Managing Risk in a Changing World," are attached.

A letter to Senators Lugar, Casey, and Durbin from InterAction and 26 member organizations applauding the Congressmen's leadership in promoting global food security with the introduction of the Global Food Security Act (S.384).

A progress report on West Bank and Gaza since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on U.S. development assistance funding trends for FY 2010 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Asserting U.S. Leadership since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

Report of InterAction member organizations' activities in Afghanistan for 2009.

The Global Food Security Act of 2009 (S. 384) was introducted on February 5, 2009 by Senators Dick Lugar and Robert Casey.  The Global Food Security Act calls for the creation of a comprehensive food security strategy, a White House Corodinator to develop and oversee the strategy and authorizes agriculural development measures critical to addressing long-term hunger.

The Roadmap to End Global Hunger and Promote Food Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2817) was introduced on June 11, 2009 by Representative James McGovern.  The Roadmap Act outlines the elements of a comprehensive strategy, including emergency response, safety nets, nutrition programs, and agricultural development.

This document outlines The Global Food Security Act of 2009 (H.R.3077) introduced by Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN).  The bill calls for a coordinated and comprehensive U.S. global food security strategy that leverages bilateral and multilateral investments and creates partnerships with the private sector, NGOs, and universities.

The document briefly summarizes the Roadmap to End Hunger and Promote Food Security Act of 2009 introduced on June 11, 2009 by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO).  The bill outlines a comprehensive U.S. strategy to effectively address world hunger and improve food security and the mechanisms necessary to coordinate the strategy.

To advance an effective development agenda, InterAction believes the following principles should guide international trade and investment.

Although compliance with InterAction's Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Standards is a self-regulatory process, it is an important mechanism for demonstrating the integrity and accountability of the NGO sector with donors, the public, and beneficiaries and also serves as a track record of members’ internal efforts to improve organizational accountability.

Answers to frequently asked questions about how InterAction's Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Standards have benefited the community, the legal status of the Standards and how InterAction can help members the Standards in their own organization.

The 25th Anniversary Forum special issue of Monday Developments

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

A brochure highlighting the work of InterAction's first 25 years. Visit http://www.interaction.org for the complete 2008 annual report.

International Medical Corps is expanding its response to the displacement crisis in Pakistan with early recovery activities for Buner District, an area affected by the recent fighting in the Northwest Frontier Province. The organization is the first to help the displaced return to their homes in Buner after the conflict that began on May 3.

Approximately 75 million children—55% of which are girls—lack access to quality, basic education. This education deficit effectively cripples the ability of these countries to participate in the global economy, build stable and democratic government systems, and protect their citizens from abuse and ill health.

This document, published by the Millennium Challenge Corporation in February, 2009, is designed to provide eligible country partners with an overview of how consultations are inte­grated into compact development and implementation, and to explain MCC’s expectations with regard to manage­ment and reporting on this process.

G8 nations must commit to meet their obligations for funding their committments on global health, including establishing a mechanism to monitor progress.

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

Approximately one-third of InterAction's members identify themselves as "faith-based" or "faith-founded." Along with faith communities around the world, these organizations play important roles in advancing development, alleviating suffering and promoting peace. This issue recognizes the unique perspectives and contributions these organizations bring to this work.

In this issue, we explore the role of NGOs in major development initiatives. From Presidential programs to global efforts, we will look at how NGOs have helped to achieve results in some areas and how we can be better engaged in others.

In this issue of Monday Developments, we have allowed ourselves the luxury of a deliberately ambitious goal: to invite practitioners from within and outside our community to share with us their take on happenings that are consistent and frequent enough to be considered trends.

We’ve all heard it before: "Americans don’t care about foreign affairs." "Politicians aren’t concerned with the developing world—they’re more interested in getting re-elected, so they only care about local issues." Those in the development community know that these statements aren’t true, and are increasingly proving that fighting poverty and injustice everywhere is an American ideal.

This Research and Policy in Development toolkit, published by the Overseas Development Institute (July 2006), describes a range of tools that CSOs can use to understand and map political context in order to engage more effectively in policy processes and promote country ownership.

 The Position Statement on Demonstrating NGO Effectiveness provides a common foundation of principles and standards for the InterAction community. It was prepared by InterAction’s Working Group on Evaluation and Program Effectiveness and approved by the InterAction Board of Directors on September 20, 2005.

This briefing paper, published by Oxfam in January, 2004, focuses on civil society partnership and participation in the PRSP processes and offers recommendations for the IMF and World Bank on four specific content areas: macroeconomics, trade, gender and education. 

This document, published by the OECD (1998), explores the role, history and traditions of civil society in order to improve international development and peace-building efforts.