Insights
From Acting
Administrator
Alonzo Fulgham
FrontLines - April 2009
As the transition in Washington continues
to unfold, I am more convinced than ever that USAID is a vital element of our national security and deeply relevant to the issues that dominate the news each day.
Some of what we have to offer was brought home to me in early March, when I accompanied Secretary Clinton on her trip to the Middle East. The immediate purpose was to attend the international donor conference
in support of Gaza and the Palestinian economy. While every development issue also has a political dimension, perhaps nowhere is that relationship more obvious than in the Middle East. Our West Bank/Gaza mission is accustomed to challenges but almost certainly the greatest
challenges still lie ahead. We look forward to continuing to make a contribution as the Obama administration pursues what the Secretary has described as our commitment to achieving “a comprehensive peace between Israel and its neighbors.”
Events in Sudan and continued human suffering in Darfur also figured
prominently in news reports during recent weeks. We had anticipated
that the ICC (International Criminal Court) indictment of President Bashir would adversely affect our programs on the ground. Sadly, one immediate impact was the expulsion from Sudan of NGOs funded by several donors, including USAID. Our partners had been providing
food, health, and other services to more than 1 million Sudanese in Darfur, making an already difficult situation worse. Here again, the larger political context has important implications for our work. And here again, USAID is at the “front lines” in its efforts to respond to some of the most daunting challenges of our time.
The headlines about Sudan also provide a timely reminder of the vital link between USAID and our NGO partners in the field. This is an important constituency, one that engages millions of Americans at home and abroad. One forum for strengthening our partnership is the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid, which meets three times each year. A range of issues was highlighted at the March meeting,
including public-private partnerships, aid effectiveness, and
food security.
It was also a pleasure to welcome Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) to USAID for an event commemorating International Women’s Day, which focused on women as a driving force for economic
recovery. A member of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative McCollum is a co-founder of the Congressional Global Health Caucus and a champion of women and children around the world. As the father of two daughters, I take special pride in the important
role that USAID plays in empowering women—not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is essential to ensure that our programs are successful.
Finally, I appreciated the opportunity to visit our USAID offices in Cairo and Amman this month. During the last three decades, we have made major contributions to Egypt and we look forward to our continued
cooperation in the years ahead. Our Egypt mission will likely be front and center as we take on the challenge of regionalization.
As for the two days in Jordan, it was an unforgettable experience to return to the country where I served for five years as a private sector development officer and office director back in the mid-1990s. Many ideas that seemed like a distant dream at the time have since come to fruition, including the emergence of a dynamic private sector, the rapid growth of the port city of Aqaba, and the blossoming of a world class tourist sector as an important source of both income and employment. I was particularly gratified to visit a water treatment plant where USAID has helped to design, build, and operate critical technology that is now being transferred to the host country.
Amidst the press and demands of the day-to-day crises that we confront
around the world, it was especially rewarding to see firsthand that what we do in places like Jordan can both achieve impact and have important long-term significance in ways that go well beyond what we might have once imagined.
★
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