USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah has released his annual letter highlighting the agency’s achievements of 2011. Speaking about events of the past year, Administrator Shah states, “…the development landscape is changing and we must change with it. The Arab Spring has ushered in new possibilities to empower the oppressed. Conflict and extreme poverty are increasingly becoming intertwined. And private sector investment in the developing world has outpaced foreign assistance. To respond to these changing tides, the development community must embrace more challenging roles.”
Regarding the movement towards democracy in Egypt, Dr. Shah notes, “…as protestors filled Tahrir Square, new reforms we made allowed us to quickly partner with civil society groups formed in the wake of the revolution. We flew in citizens who participated in revolutions in Eastern Europe and Latin America to talk with Egyptians about building political parties and organizing for elections. That support helped educate voters and enlist election observers, ushering in the freest and fairest parliamentary election in Egypt’s history. The path of political reform in Egypt will be long. But these elections were an important step towards reforms that place the country’s prosperity and future in the hands of its people.”
Access the complete Annual Letter at http://www.usaid.gov/annualletter/.