MFAN Statement: Former Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe Joins MFAN as Co-Chair

By: Staff Person
January 25, 2011

Perhaps most importantly, Jim has been respected for decades as a leader who can work across the aisle to build consensus and forge solutions to big challenges, which are enormously important to the future success of U.S. development efforts, our foreign policy, and our leadership in the world. As implementation of foreign assistance reform moves ahead, we look forward to working closely with Jim to raise bipartisan awareness in Congress about the importance of giving reform the durability of law.

Berman Defends Foreign Assistance

By: Staff Person
January 25, 2011

Congressman Howard Berman, Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke yesterday on the House Floor about the importance of the International Affairs Budget and why the Republicans proposed budget cuts threaten American national security. To read his full statement, click here.

MFAN Partners React to Shah’s Speech

By: Staff Person
January 24, 2011

Below are excerpts from MFAN Partners’ statements in reaction to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah’s extraordinary speech last week. Stay tuned for coverage of the Republican Study Group’s call for severe cuts to USAID’s budget.

Sudan: A Case Against Cutting Investment in Diplomacy and Development

By: Staff Person
January 21, 2011

In a guest post on The Stimson Center’s Will and the Wallet blog, Alison Giffen, Research Fellow at the Stimson Center and Deputy Director of its project on the future of peace operations, makes the case against cutting investment in diplomacy and development even in these tough fiscal times, and uses Sudan as a primary example.

Shah Introduces the ‘Modern Development Enterprise’

By: Staff Person
January 20, 2011

“Like an enterprise, we’re focused on delivering the highest possible value for our shareholders. In this case, the American people and the congressional leaders who represent them. We will deliver that value by scaling back our footprint to shift resources to critical regions, rationalizing our operations and vigilantly fighting fraud, waste and abuse.”

How Global Health R&D Can Be a Bipartisan Tool for Economic Development & Diplomacy

By: Staff Person
January 19, 2011

As a new Congress and the Obama Administration look for high value in government investments as they convene for the State of the Union address Tuesday, they should consider the proven value of investments in biomedical research and development to address the major diseases and health issues facing the world. Today, in a speech at the Center for Global Development, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), outlined the agency’s plans to modernize aid, including harnessing the potential of science and technology for game-changing innovations that would save lives, reduce costs, and foster growth both in the U.S. and in the developing world.

Bread for the World’s 2011 Offering of Letters

By: Staff Person
January 19, 2011

MFAN Partner Bread for the World has just launched their 2011 Offering of Letters to urge Congress to reform U.S. foreign assistance so it is more effective and benefits hungry and poor people globally. Click here to watch a short video that explains Bread’s work and why foreign assistance reform is so important to poor and hungry people worldwide.

USAID: Celebrating 50 Years of Innovation in Action

By: Staff Person
January 19, 2011

As we eagerly await Dr. Rajiv Shah’s major development address to over 200 non-governmental organizations, think-tanks, academics, and international development leaders later this afternoon, we wanted to highlight USAID’s new 50th anniversary website that launched today.