Seoul Development Consensus: Break from Washington Consensus or Same Song, New Singers?

By: Staff Person
November 18, 2010

As the first non-G8 member to host a G20 summit, South Korea has made development a central part of the agenda, with a focus on boosting the growth of poor countries. And in September, President Obama released a Global Development Policy at the MDG Summit that hit similar notes, like going beyond aid and harmonizing policies on trade, food security, and climate change that affect millions of poor people. But did these two policies meet in Seoul?

Getting balance right is key to U.S. development policy

By: Staff Person
October 19, 2010

In a guest post on the Stimson Center’s new blog, The Will and The Wallet, MFAN Principal and President of InterAction, Sam Worthington discusses the inherent tension between short-term and long-term development objectives. “What has not been encouraging is that the U.S. government is increasingly opting for a shorter-term approach in areas deemed crucial to U.S. national security interests. Much of this is under the banner of “winning the hearts and minds” of a local population with quick-fix projects.”

MFAN Partner: “What Does the PPD Mean for USAID?”

By: Staff Person
September 28, 2010

Connie Veillette, new director of the Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Initiative at the Center for Global Development (CGD), analyzes the commitment to rebuild USAID into “the world’s premier development agency” in light of the new Global Development Policy for CGD’s blog.  She argues that any government agency is only as strong as three conditions, identified … Continue reading MFAN Partner: “What Does the PPD Mean for USAID?”

“What Obama Got Right about Development”

By: Staff Person
September 28, 2010

The message “lets do more” is always popular because it also means “business as usual” for what is already going on. “Let’s do better at what we are doing”–that is a tough internal sell, but one that is useful–including I believe to people who are actually on the ground, doing the work.

MCC Post: “Witnessing a Historic Moment”

By: Staff Person
September 27, 2010

Sheila Herrling, vice president for policy and evaluation at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), posted a blog celebrating President Obama’s speech last week in which he unveiled the first U.S. Global Development Policy.  Herrling wrote that with the new Global Development Policy, a major reform effort kicks in, and the MCC is a great working … Continue reading MCC Post: “Witnessing a Historic Moment”

Best of @ModernizeAid Tweets

By: Staff Person
September 27, 2010

Last week, the Twitterverse witnessed a spike in global development topics thanks to the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit and the Clinton Global Initiative; see #MDGs, #USMDG2010, and #CGI for more.  MFAN live tweeted important speeches—particularly President Obama’s speech outlining a new U.S. Global Development Policy—and worked to keep the conversation going, while highlighting reform-related … Continue reading Best of @ModernizeAid Tweets

MFAN in the News: President Obama’s MDG Speech

By: Staff Person
September 23, 2010

In what MFAN and the development community have been working toward, yesterday President Obama announced the new visionary U.S. Global Development Policy – the first of its kind by an Administration.  As MFAN’s Co-Chairs David Beckmann and George Ingram noted in their statement yesterday, “With his speech laying out a new U.S. approach to development … Continue reading MFAN in the News: President Obama’s MDG Speech

Let’s Celebrate…and Then Hold the President Accountable

By: Staff Person
September 23, 2010

What was your reaction to President Obama’s speech at the MDG summit yesterday unveiling the administration’s new global development policy? We would love to hear from you! In the meantime…see what other development experts are saying.