community development

On behalf of IREX, I am pleased to extend our congratulations to the U.S. Agency for International Development on its 50th Anniversary. With less than one half of one percent of the federal budget to work with across the globe, USAID has saved millions of lives from devastating disease while helping people and countries develop into more prosperous, peaceful, and democratic societies.

As aid budgets shrink, donors want to see more than just the immediate impact of their dollars – they want to know an investment will be sustainable, continuing to affect people’s lives for years to come.

On July 15, 2010 over a dozen practitioners from central Liberia gathered at the invitation of Cerue Konah Garlo to discuss the question: “How do local community dwellers understand gender dynamics?”  Recent years have seen rapid developments in international law and human rights instruments that address women issues with a particular focus on gender.  These developments aim to promote, inspire, and support international development policy and practice with a view to furthering the goal of equality between women and men.

It sounds counter-intuitive, even cruel, but when the participants leave in tears, I know our program is working.

I first heard the story of the intrepid Nebraksan teacher Minnie Freeman years ago.  During the blizzard of 1888, she tied her students together with a ball of twine and led them from her sod schoolhouse to the safety of a sturdier building. Because of these level-headed actions, Minnie’s students survived. This image of a teacher navigating crisis has stuck with me.

Last week, the White House announced the United States’ new Global Development Policy, officially elevating development as “a core pillar of American power” that is “equal to diplomacy and defense.”