Peace Action West

Make alternatives to war a reality

The time is now

President Obama has laid out a vision for elevating diplomacy and development as key pillars of our foreign policy equal to defense. His administration has matched that vision by undertaking the nation’s first strategic review of diplomacy and development and requesting increased funding for these critical programs. Despite these advances, there is still a long road ahead to fully develop strong alternatives that allow us to engage the world productively and peacefully.

Not only do we need more peaceful engagement, we also need to be doing it better. The original bill that created the US Agency for International Development was written fifty years ago, and hasn’t been updated. Funding for diplomacy and development have been so low that USAID functions almost as a contracting agency, and the State Department has fewer diplomats than the military bands have musicians.

There is a growing recognition that addressing poverty, disease and lack of economic opportunity worldwide is in the US's best interest. Support is coming from both Republicans and Democrats, civilians and military officials, with everyone from Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Microsoft founder Bill Gates pushing for greater attention and resources. Despite this broad consensus, there is still a logjam in Congress. On one side are deficit hawks who argue for axing already small budgets for aid and diplomacy, while defending the bloated military budget. On the other side are politicians who simply don’t recognize that diplomacy and development are key to our security and prosperity. This is exactly why we need your voice.

Now is the time to let these politicians know that we aren’t content with the dangerous, outdated thinking that leads us into unnecessary wars, and keeps us from helping those in need while increasing global stability.

By joining the Stand Up campaign, you are helping us advance a true alternative to unending wars.

Increase funding for the State Department and USAID to rebuild capacity and expertise.

The lack of capacity in the State Department and USAID has resulted in a loss of development and diplomatic expertise, and the functioning of USAID as “little more than a contracting agency,” according to Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli. In the 1990s, 37% of the USAID workforce left without being replaced. ^[1]

Without the civilian capacity, the military has had to fill the gap in development work, especially in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. As Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted, “Forced by circumstances, our brave men and women in uniform have stepped up to the task, with field artillerymen and tankers building schools and mentoring city councils—usually in a language they don’t speak. They have done an admirable job….But it is no replacement for the real thing—civilian involvement and expertise.”^[2]

When used effectively, foreign assistance dollars have real impacts in people’s lives. According to Bread for the World, the number of undernourished people worldwide has dropped from one in four in the 1970s to one in six today. Fourteen thousand fewer children die of preventable causes each day than 40 years ago.^[3]

According to a poll conducted by World Public Opinion in November of 2010, Americans vastly overestimate the amount of money the US spends on foreign aid. Their median estimate for the percentage of the budget spent on foreign aid was 25%. When asked what percentage would be appropriate for funding foreign aid, the median amount was 10%. This far exceeds the less than 1% of the budget currently spent on these programs. ^[4]

The American people have a long record of demonstrating compassion for others in need around the globe. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Americans donated more than $22 million just through the American Red Cross’ text message donation program.^[5] As John Norris notes, “Americans have long been some of the most generous private donors to international development and humanitarian efforts in the world.”^[6]

Reform the way the United States delivers foreign assistance.

Engaging in effective foreign assistance is in the national interest of the United States. According to Oxfam, “persistent deep poverty and injustice can alienate populations from states, increase the risk of civil conflict, and erode weak states’ capacity to govern, providing space for domestic and transnational security threats.”^[7] Poverty does not cause threats, but it creates an environment in which they can thrive.

Development and aid can work when they’re done well. However, the US is underperforming compared to our global partners. The Center for Global Development and the Brookings Institution found that “among the 31 bilateral and multilateral funders included in our country analysis, the United States is in the bottom third on all four dimensions of aid quality, including lowest but one on fostering institutions.”^[8] There are successful programs from which the US can draw lessons to inform the reform process moving forward.

Congress and the administration should work together to update outdated systems for the 21st century. Critical reforms include:

1. Prioritize development as a key pillar of US foreign policy along with diplomacy and defense.
2. Increase country ownership so development programs are led by local communities and build long-term capacity for sustainable growth.
3. Untie US aid. Too many programs require purchasing supplies from American companies, when we could save time and money by purchasing from local suppliers.
4. Strengthen monitoring and evaluation to make sure money is going to programs that are effective and have real impact on people’s lives.
5. Rebuild capacity so the US has in-house development expertise in its civilian agencies, and money can go directly to those who need it instead of being wasted on contractors.  
6. Increase transparency.
7. Eliminate waste and duplication.