Program Extras
Share
Program Overview
- Hosts: Deborah Amos
- Length: 51 minutes
- Original Airdate: Dec 2009
"General McChrystal’s plan for counterinsurgency—50 percent of it is military. The other 50 percent is a development program, or a stabilization program."
– Andrew Natsios, former USAID Administrator
President Obama and his top commander in Afghanistan argue that it’ll take more than boots, bullets and brawn to win the war. Counterinsurgency calls for an army of governance, education and agricultural specialists. The US Agency for International Development was once packed with that expertise. But today, USAID is itself a victim of poverty with a tenth of the resources and expertise it once had. And as it’s scrambling to deploy more resources to Afghanistan and Iraq, countries like Haiti, Ethiopia and Sudan are starving for foreign aid. That’s left the Obama administration and USAID struggling to meet the demand.
Segment 1: Introduction & Afghanistan
Guests include Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development and Andrew Natsios, USAID Adminstrator from 2001 to 2005.
America Abroad's Sean Carberry travels to Afghanistan to explore the challenges of doing development work in a conflict zone. Guests include Captain Bob Cline, of the First of the 19th Agribusiness Development Team in Khowst Province; Bill Frej, USAID Mission Director in Afghanistan; Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Holcomb, commander of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Paktia Province; Ashley Jackson, a researcher for Oxfam in Kabul; Bob Kitchen, Country Director for the International Rescue Committee in Afghanistan; and John Koogler, USAID representative for the PRT in Paktia Province.
And Deborah Amos talks with Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA) about the way forward for US foreign aid.
Segment 2: Deborah Amos traces the history of US foreign aid, from its beginnings in the Marshall Plan after World War II to its present state of disarray. Guests include Louis Picard, Professor of International Development at the University of Pittsburgh and Carol Lancaster, Dean of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Listen to this segment >
Segment 3: Matt Ozug visits Ethiopia, home to one of the largest USAID missions in the world, where USAID and other organizations are working to promote development and prevent hunger. Guests include Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development; Shumete Gizaw, a doctoral student in Development Studies at the Addis Ababa University; Andrew Natsios, USAID Adminstrator from 2001 to 2005; Mark Nusbach, acting director of Save the Children USA in Ethiopia; Kevin Smith, Supervisory Program Officer for USAID in Ethiopia; Thomas Staal, USAID Mission Director in Ethiopia; and Maria Strintzos of REST, a relief society for Tigray in Northern Ethiopia. Listen to this segment >
Arrested Development / Executive Producer: Aaron Lobel / AAM Producers: Monica Bushman, Sean Carberry, Matt Ozug, Monica Villavicencio and Chris Williams / Interns: Colleen Castle, Isabella Schwiermann and Annika Witzel
Music heard on this broadcast:
Vindaloo by Four Piece Suit
Kanstrumental 5 by Kan Kick
In the Nick of Time (Instrumental) by Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell, Mike
Marshall & Sam Bush
Living in a Dream by The Arc Angels
What People are Saying
I enjoyed your program today (Short-Changing Foreign Aid) mainly because it has directly related to me. I am originally from Ethiopia but reside in US and I have seen the same problems you mentioned today, lack of fruit on aid projects. I am also proposing to USAID and IFC to help me use their grant in a different way than they are using it that can make a difference in these countries. Although USAID is doing too many good things and spending too much money its output is very minute and need to change its way of doing business. Aid is a temporary thing, we can help send tons of wheat to countries like Ethiopia and when that wheat is finished we should be ready to send more because that is how aid works, or if we give the cash to the government of those countries don’t expect half of it gets to the people that needs it. I am sure they know that. I believe they should instead help entrepreneurs and small businesses that can actually work on the field, for example if they want agriculture development they should try to find businesses or entrepreneurs in the field in that country and give the money as a loan or grant and oversee the projects. I think if they do that they will be able to see their grants/investment multiply in a smaller time. I have established a US business that will work in agriculture, construction, mining, and more to work in different developing countries and submitted a proposal to USAID and IFC to help me start this business. The main reason for me to come up with this idea is because as growing up in Ethiopia and reviewing news I understand aid is only a temporary thing, if we need permanent solution we need to invest on that particular sector and work. My business will be working as a joint venture with local businesses in agriculture or construction, it will help by transferring technologies, techniques, and capital from developed nations to the developing countries and integrating it with the local experts also it reinvest part of its profit in agriculture. I am sure if I USAID, IFC and other organizations help to start this business and see the difference on using their money in this type of business and aid they may change their approach on how they conduct business around the world. Keep up the good work guys and good choice of local music. Thank You!!
, 9 months ago
While it seems very "humanitarian" to help more people get good water and food so they won't die -- by "interfering" -- we have created unexpected consequence that will be producing even worse consequences. On a business trip in India in 1995, I was fortunate to have a side trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I was warned that I would see many children beggers who had been disabled / handicapped on purpose by parents -- so they evoke more sympathy. When I asked how many people were living on the land - in subsistance / poverty -- the guide told me that it used to be 30 million -- but when the "do-gooders" came and got the water to be better -- now the number of people who live at subsistance levels is 300 million! Have we REALLY improved lives? Or have we created more misery -- and perhaps simply enriched corporations who wish to be making more money by selling their goods. We can support people in helping themselves to become sustainable ... but to just PROVIDE food / water (to save lives??? - so they continue to be dependent)... it is like we are going against nature in managing over population. I like the Heifer Int'l model -- of supporting sustainable living with villagers helping themselves.
, 7 months ago
