Beyond Assistance: Report of the HELP Commission on Foreign Aid Reform

Transcript

MARY BUSH:  The problems in the developing world, the stubbornness of poverty, the threats to peace and our own security that find fertile ground in ungoverned and weak states, require much more than foreign assistance. . .First and foremost, our executive and legislative branches must together develop a common vision and an agreed strategy that will in actuality elevate development to an equal footing with defense and diplomacy.

Early on it was clear to our commission that the United States government does a great job with humanitarian assistance and with our security programs. It is long-term development that helps to enable people to better take care of their own lives; that is where we need more focus, more attention, and to do a much better job. President Bush early on in his administration talked about elevating development or the three D's, being on an equal footing in our foreign-policy apparatus, and development is the one where we think a lot more work has to be done.

In addition to this vision, this strategy, this common vision, this agreement between the executive and legislative branches that is really required, what is also required is that they have and we have the support of the American people. I think that the evidence is already there that more and more the American people are recognizing the strong links between our own well-being and the well-being of others around the world. Many argue that there is not a constituency for foreign assistance, and I think personally that that constituency really is developing but that our leaders in the executive and the legislative branches need to really support that energy that is developing; they really need to go out and take more of a leadership position in bringing the American people along.

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