130+ Businesses, NGOs, Think Tanks, and Individuals Sign MFAN’s Open Letter

By: Staff Person
July 29, 2010

With the deadline fast approaching, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is happy to report that over 130 organizations and individuals have endorsed the Open Letter to the President on the U.S. Commitment to Global Development.  We look forward to sharing the Open Letter with the community in the coming days. Just to name a few … Continue reading 130+ Businesses, NGOs, Think Tanks, and Individuals Sign MFAN’s Open Letter

Effective Foreign Assistance is a Moral Imperative

By: Staff Person
July 29, 2010

If, in fact, this sense of compassion and moral obligation is part of what underpins our foreign assistance – from disaster relief to helping tackle the AIDS pandemic – then this same sense should push us to make sure we do it as effectively as possible. As individuals, each of us makes choices as to the charities we’re going to support with our hard earned money.

IMPACT blog: This Week at USAID – July 26, 2010

By: Staff Person
July 27, 2010

Tomorrow’s MFAN and Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) co-hosted briefing was featured on USAID’s IMPACTblog weekly event calendar.  See all of the USAID-related events this week below: Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management Drew Luten will testify before the Commission on Wartime Contracting on Subcontracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Administrator Shah and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke will appear before … Continue reading IMPACT blog: This Week at USAID – July 26, 2010

MFAN Principal and InterAction CEO Talks about Reform Within Reach

By: Staff Person
July 27, 2010

In this regard, we’ve advocated with MFAN for significant reforms. These include an adoption of a national development strategy by the U.S. government, which is an effort that seems to have been successful; a rewrite of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, and we’ve been closely engaged with Congress on the details of what a new Foreign Assistance Act would look like; and a shift to ensure greater country ownership of U.S. Foreign Assistance.

MFAN Co-Chair Ingram’s New Op-Ed Praises Berman’s Draft Legislation

By: Staff Person
July 26, 2010

“This is a major step toward building a 21st-century approach and apparatus for promoting development, which President Obama’s first National Security Strategy (NSS) called a “moral, strategic, and economic imperative” for the U.S. It is also a long overdue step, as U.S. foreign assistance legislation has not been overhauled since President Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.”

100 + Businesses, NGOs, Think Tanks and Individuals Sign MFAN’s Open Letter – Deadline Extended Until 7/29 – Sign on NOW!

By: Staff Person
July 23, 2010

Thanks to your efforts, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is happy to report that the response to the Open Letter to the President on the U.S. Commitment to Global Development has been tremendous thus far. In order to make sure we get as many supporters as possible on board this important and timely effort, we have extended the deadline for organizational endorsements and signatures from prominent individuals until THURSDAY, JULY 29th.

New GMF Paper Creates a Model for a Global Development Strategy

By: Staff Person
July 23, 2010

MFAN Partner the German Marshall Fund of the United States this week hosted a discussion on a new paper that offers a model for a U.S. Global Development Strategy. The paper was written by MFAN Principal and GMF Senior Resident Fellow Jim Kunder and MFAN member Jonathan White, senior program officer at GMF. The paper, titled “The Roadmap for a Grand Bargain: Comments on a U.S. Global Development Strategy,” draws from existing foreign assistance approaches and recent support from the Obama Administration and Congress for the notion of formulating the United States’ first-ever global development strategy for the 21st century.

MFAN Partner CGD Reviews New FAA Draft, Questions Sec. Clinton’s Rationale for Elevating Development

By: Staff Person
July 22, 2010

“More concerning is that State and USAID have had little interaction to date with staff writing the new bill. This doesn’t bode well for striking a grand bargain between the administration and Congress on either a new development direction (which will likely require some legislation) or passing a new global partnership act (which will require support from the administration, including State and USAID).”

MFAN and GHTC to Co-Host Event on Innovation and Foreign Aid

By: Staff Person
July 22, 2010

See below for an invitation to an upcoming event, next Wednesday, brought to you by MFAN and the Global Health Technologies Coalition: Innovation to Catalyze Development: Leveraging Research in Foreign Assistance Wednesday, July 28, 2010 Capitol Visitor Center Room SVC 210/212 12:30 – 2:30 pm Lunch will be served The United States is set to … Continue reading MFAN and GHTC to Co-Host Event on Innovation and Foreign Aid

MFAN in the News

By: Staff Person
July 21, 2010

The piece on foreign aid reform from this week’s edition of CQ Weekly with quotes from MFAN Co-chairs David Beckmann and George Ingram, as well as MFAN member and director of aid effectiveness at Oxfam America Greg Adams.  See our earlier post for full text of the article.