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INSIDE DEVELOPMENT
In this section:
Corporations Join Mexican Group to Fight AIDS
in Workplace
Agency Helps Four West African States Share Gas
Via Pipeline
Excess U.S. Government Property Gets New Life
as Overseas Aid
U.S. Boosts Aid For Sudan
Rice Sworn In as 66th Secretary of State
Requesting Your Help to Honor Those Who Served
Corporations Join Mexican Group to Fight AIDS in Workplace
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Left to right: Abner Mason, executive director of the
AIDS Responsibility Project; Belén Espino de
Lira, human resources director at Merck Sharpe &
Dohme; Antonio O. Garza Jr., U.S. ambassador to Mexico;
Dr. Julio Frenk-Mora, secretary of health (Mexico);
Adolfo Franco, USAID assistant administrator for Latin
America and the Caribbean; and Dr. Jorge Saavedra, director
of the Mexican National AIDS Program.
USAID/Mexico |
MEXICO CITY—Thirteen multinational companies
have joined Mexico’s National AIDS Business Council to
reduce HIV/AIDS stigma in the workplace.
The council—Consejo Nacional Empresarial sobre SIDA,
or CONAES—will work with chambers of commerce, local
health experts, and the National AIDS Program to reduce stigma
and discrimination in the workplace.
“Because of the support from USAID, there is a national
business council uniting large employers, chambers of commerce,
government agencies, and AIDS activists in a joint mission
to reduce HIV/AIDS discrimination in the Mexican workplace,”
said Abner Mason, executive director of the USAID-funded AIDS
Responsibility Project.
The Agency also supported a corporate survey on workplace
policies covering almost half a million Mexican workers.
The project was born after a U.S. congressional delegation
visited Latin America in January 2004. The delegates realized
that, because of the stigma surrounding the disease, it was
difficult for health professionals to work with persons living
with HIV and their families and close to impossible to get
accurate statistics on the scope of the disease.
CONAES was founded on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2004.
The business council provides a unique opportunity for many
of the key players in the fight against stigma and discrimination
to interact with one another in press events, meetings, and
conferences, U.S. officials say.
CONAES will host a national conference for its members to
present, share, and discuss their HIV/AIDS policies and practices
in June 2005 in Mexico City.
The council is currently recruiting additional member companies,
all of which will be offered technical assistance through
local NGO partners, at no cost during the first year and for
a fee after that. This year’s goal is to raise membership
to 50 companies.
As CONAES members, each company must commit human and financial
resources to reduce stigma in the workplace.
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KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka—Men repair a fishing boat
damaged by the tsunami as they prepare to resume work
about a month after the disaster. USAID has pledged
to help repair hundreds of the area’s boats.
Ben Barber,USAID |
BANDA ACEH AIRPORT, Indonesia—Relief flights from
many countries and organizations unload food, medicine,
trucks, excavators, and other relief supplies and equipment
needed to clear roads and deliver aid.
Ben Barber,USAID |
Agency Helps Four West African States Share Gas Via Pipeline
Takoradi, Ghana—A partnership between four African
countries and several utility conglomerates to build a regional
gas pipeline marks the first time USAID has ventured into
the world of private sector oil and gas development under
a shared legal and regulatory framework.
Backers of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) recently
broke ground here for the $617 million, 693-kilometer (420-mile)
project that is slated to begin operating in 2007.
The pipeline will take gas from Nigeria’s Niger Delta,
where it is currently being flared into the air (burned off),
and transport it to Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The gas will be
an alternative fuel source to oil and will lower pollution—especially
carbon dioxide emissions. The project is expected to produce
a maximum of 470 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“In many respects, the WAGP has posed major challenges,”
said Frank Young, who headed USAID/Ghana at the inception
of the project. “It was a challenge for the four participating
countries, particularly the three without previous natural
gas experience. They made a commitment to link their energy
policies, betting on clean gas rather than oil to produce
much needed electricity that is the key to the future economic
prosperity of their people.”
When WAGP project backers requested assistance, USAID signed
a protocol with the Economic Community of West African States
Secretariat, the body that facilitated the pipeline deal.
USAID also brought in the global energy consulting firm
Nexant to deliver training, capacity building, and negotiation
support to the project. Their experts in the field trained
more than 50 West African government executives, and the primary
terms of the project concession agreement have been signed.
Several other events led up to the Dec. 3, 2004, groundbreaking
ceremony: A treaty was signed by the four heads of state in
Dakar, Senegal; an international project agreement was signed
by the ministers of energy and West African Gas Pipeline Co.
Ltd. (WAPCo); and an Interim WAGP Authority was created. The
company’s shareholders gave the final go-ahead in mid-December
2004.
“The West African Gas Pipeline project demonstrates
what can be achieved through cooperation and partnership amongst
neighboring countries on the one hand, and private sector
on the other,” said Funso Kupolokun, chairman of WAPCo’s
board, after shareholders approved the construction plan.
“It is also a practical demonstration of the spirit of
the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to which
our four countries subscribe.”
Following the final investment decision, the WAPCo executed
contracts for line piping, engineering, procurement, and construction.
Officials planned to officially launch the WAGP Authority
by early April in Abuja, Nigeria.
ChevronTexaco Corp., Nigerian National Petroleum Corp.,
Royal Dutch/Shell, the Volta River Authority, Bengaz, and
Société Togolaise de Gaz are participating in
the project.
Excess U.S. Government Property Gets New Life as Overseas
Aid
Thousands of Jamaicans left homeless by hurricane Ivan last
September were provided tents to use as shelter in the immediate
aftermath of the storm. More recently, large cargo trucks
were able to traverse treacherous terrain in the vast jungles
of Guyana to deliver food and supplies to victims of another
storm that caused heavy flooding.
The tents and cargo trucks were provided by Food for the
Poor (FFP), a private voluntary organization (PVO) that received
the supplies and equipment through a USAID program. Established
by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the program is administered
by USAID’s procurement office, which serves as the liaison
for transferring U.S. government property to PVOs—more
commonly known as NGOs—for use in overseas projects.
“Through a transfer agreement with USAID, our organization
has received donated excess property for over 15 years,”
said Cliff Feldman, a program specialist with FFP, which provides
humanitarian aid and development assistance to poor people
in 14 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Excess property—be it computers, tents, respirators,
or staplers—is available from various federal government
agencies, and is available for use by PVOs who register with
USAID. Excess property is regularly listed on websites maintained
by the General Services Administration and the Department
of Defense.
Welford Walker, who has run the day-to-day operations of
the program for nearly 20 years, noticed recently that the
Department of Defense’s list mentioned a new cardiac
machine located at a U.S. Army base in Germany. He made a
phone call, and was told that the base had ordered two of
these machines and only needed one. Walker then notified the
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), which in November
took the machine and donated it to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
in Ghana.
The machine, the first of its kind in the West Africa region,
is valued at $1.6 million. It is a critical piece of medical
equipment that will diagnose heart and blood disorders in
Ghana, where cardiovascular disease is becoming a major health
problem leading to death and premature illness, Walker said.
The Agency also recently facilitated the donation of incubators
through the PVO Healing Hands International for hospitals
in the Ukraine.
“This program allows us to find equipment and supplies
for overseas programs that otherwise would end up in a landfill,”
said Dr. Ed Enzor, director of operations at Healing Hands.
“This is an exciting form of foreign aid and goodwill
at no cost to the U.S. government.”
Some $30 million to $35 million in excess property was donated
to PVOs during each of the last three years said USAID Program
Manager Renata Cameron.
Everything from vehicles to medical equipment and clothing
is passed along to organizations such as Feed the Children,
Salesian Missions, and Catholic Relief Services. Some 87 percent
of all excess property—worth more than $31 million—transferred
during 2004 went to faith-based organizations.
Excess property is for use only by USAID missions and PVOs
in USAID-financed or authorized recipient-financed programs
worldwide. Registered PVOs must have a specific existing need
for the requested property in its programs overseas, receive
USAID mission or embassy certification of the donations, and
pay shipping costs.
For more information, search “PVO Registration”
at www.usaid.gov.
Nancy Barnett contributed to this article.
U.S. Boosts Aid For Sudan
Following the signing of the peace agreement between the
government of Sudan and the southern rebels in January of
this year, the United States is increasing efforts to assist
the transition process, anticipating the return of displaced
people.
Since 1983, the United States has provided more than $2.9
billion in humanitarian assistance to Sudan. USAID spent $284.4
million in 2004, and is spending $294 million in 2005 for
programs in Sudan not related to Darfur, where a separate
ethnic conflict continues.
Most of those funds are being used to build up the southern
part of the country, said Ami Henson, USAID Sudan specialist.
Southern Sudan has been decimated by the 21 years of war
between the government, which is based in the mostly Islamic
north, and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army
(SPLM/A), which is based in the mostly Christian and animist
south. Thousands were displaced from their homes during the
fighting, but are now returning. In 2004, more than 400,000
returnees came south. Estimates suggest this year that as
many as 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) will
head back to their homes.
The fear is the returning IDPs will overwhelm the resource-depleted
south.
Even the most basic building blocks of society, such as
roads and commercial enterprise, are nearly nonexistent.
USAID, which is working out of its mission in Kenya, and
other groups providing humanitarian assistance must fly in
aid for even short distances because it is nearly impossible
to transport goods by truck.
“It’s hard to fathom the lack of infrastructure,”
Henson said, describing markets and government buildings made
of mud rather than concrete.
USAID has been helping the country prepare for peace long
before the official documents were signed in January. The
Office of Transition Initiatives created South-to-South dialogues
for former combatants to talk over their grievances. The Agency
is helping integrate former rebels into the government and
civilian life. USAID is also providing technical advisors
to several Sudan ministries, helping write a constitution,
and holding focus groups with the Sudanese that should produce
advice for their new leaders. There are also programs tackling
healthcare, economic recovery, and education—a key point
for the Sudanese. The literacy rate is low and there are few
people able to carry out vital civil service jobs.
“It was a huge issue in the peace negotiations,”
Henson said. “Generations have not had an education.”
While the challenges are daunting, Henson has seen some
small successes in the south. Markets are changing for the
better, and some isolated areas are beginning to open up,
she said.
Still, expected increase in the flow of returning populations
this year is likely to strain aid agencies without the financial
aid promised.
There is also worry that ethnic tensions could reignite
in the transitional zone—an artificial line that divides
the country and crosses Abyei, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue
Nile. “It acts like a fault line of an earthquake,”
Henson said.
If conflict erupts there, it is likely to spread instability
to the rest of the country, halting reconstruction efforts
throughout the south.
Rice Sworn In as 66th Secretary of State
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President Bush listens to incoming Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, right, Jan. 28, 2005, at the swearing-in
ceremony for Rice at the State Department in Washington.
AP/World Wide Photos |
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was sworn in at the
State Department by President Bush Jan. 28, 2005. Excerpts
from their remarks follow:
President Bush:
“Colin Powell leaves big shoes to fill at the State Department,
but Condi Rice is the right person to fill them. As National
Security Advisor, she has led during a time when events not
of our choosing have forced America to the leading edge of
history. Condi has an abiding belief in the power of democracy
to secure justice and liberty, and the inclusion of men and
women of all races and religions in the courses that free
nations chart for themselves….
“Freedom is on the march, and the world is better for
it. Widespread hatred and radicalism cannot survive the advent
of freedom and self-government. Our nation will be more secure,
the world will be more peaceful, as freedom advances. Condi
Rice understands that….
“No nation can build a safer and better world alone.
The men and women of the State Department are doing a fine
job of working with other nations to build on the momentum
of freedom. I know our nation will be really well served when
the good folks at the State Department join with Condi Rice
to face the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
“In the coming months and years, we must stop the proliferation
of dangerous weapons and materials. We must safeguard and
expand the freedom of international marketplace and free trade.
We must advance justice and fundamental human rights. We must
fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases and reduce poverty.
“Each task will require good relations with nations
around the world, and each will require a secretary who will
lead by character and conviction and wisdom. To meet these
times and tasks, America has its best in Dr. Condoleezza Rice,
now Secretary Condoleezza Rice, our 66th Secretary of State.”
Secretary Rice:
“I’m honored by your confidence in me, Mr. President,
and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity you’ve
given me to serve as this country’s 66th Secretary of
State….
“In the past four years, America has seen great trials
and great opportunities. Under your leadership, Mr. President,
our nation has risen to meet the challenges of our time, fighting
tyranny and terror and securing the blessings of freedom and
prosperity for a new generation.
“Now it’s time to build on those achievements
to make the world safer and even more free. We must use American
diplomacy to help create a balance of power that favors freedom….
“The enduring principles enshrined in our Constitution
made it possible for impatient patriots—like Frederick
Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King—to
move us ever closer to our founding ideals. And so it is only
natural that through the decades America would associate itself
with those around the world who also strive to secure freedom
for themselves and for their children.
“September 11, 2001, made us see more clearly than
ever how our values and our interests are linked and joined
across the globe. That day of fire made us see that the best
way to secure a world of peace and hope is to build a world
of freedom…with the efforts of all those around the globe
who share our love of liberty….
“Under your leadership, Mr. President, we at the Department
of State will conduct a foreign policy that sees the world
clearly as it is. But, Mr. President, we will not accept that
today’s reality has to be tomorrow’s. We will work
in partnership with allies and reformers across the globe,
putting the tools of diplomacy to work to unite, strengthen
and widen the community of democracies.
“Mr. President, you have given us our mission, and
we are ready to serve our great country and the cause of freedom
for which it stands.”
Requesting Your Help to Honor Those Who Served
The Agency is working on a special memorial project to
honor USAID colleagues whose lives were lost in the line of
duty over the past 50-plus years. Your assistance is requested
to identify immediate family members and to share contact
information with us for the purpose of inviting them to a
dedication ceremony in the near future. To assist this project
and share such information, please contact Luigi Crespo, LPA/Special
Events & Protocol at 202-712-4024 or via email at lcrespo@usaid.gov.
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Walter Eltringham, 1951, Korea
Ralph B. Swain, 1953, Mexico
Everett D. Reese, 1955, Vietnam
Kevin M. Carroll, 1957
Dolph B. Owens, 1960, Vietnam
Clyde F. Summers, 1962, Vietnam
W.L. Jacobson, 1963, Vietnam
John B. Cone, 1965, Vietnam
Joseph W. Grainger, 1965, Vietnam
Peter H. Hunting, 1965, Vietnam
Justin B. Mahoney, 1965, Vietnam
John L. Oyer, 1965, Vietnam
Jerry A. Rose, 1965, Vietnam
Rodrigo Santa Anna, 1965, Vietnam
Jack J. Wells, 1965, Vietnam
Normal L. Clowers, 1966, Vietnam
William D. Smith III, 1966, Vietnam
Marilyn Allan, 1967, Vietnam
Frederick Cheydleur, 1967, Vietnam
Robert K. Franzblau, 1967, Vietnam
Donald V. Freeman, 1967, Vietnam
Gustav C. Hertz, 1967, Vietnam
Robert LaFollette, 1967, Vietnam
Dwight H. Owen Jr., 1967, Vietnam
Carroll H. Pender, 1967, Vietnam
Francis J. Savage, 1967, Vietnam
Don M. Sjostrom, 1967, Laos
James A. Wallwork, 1967, Egypt
Frederick J. Abramson, 1968, Vietnam
Robert W. Brown Jr., 1968, Vietnam
Albert Farkas, 1968, Vietnam
David L. Gitelson, 1968, Vietnam
Thomas M. Gompertz, 1968, Vietnam
Robert W. Hubbard, 1968, Vietnam
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Kermit J. Krause, 1968, Vietnam
Robert R. Little, 1968, Vietnam
Hugh C. Lobit, 1968, Vietnam
Jeffrey S. Lundstedt, 1968, Vietnam
John T. McCarthy, 1968, Vietnam
Michael Murphy, 1968, Vietnam
Richard A. Schenk, 1968, Vietnam
Chandler Edwards, 1969, Vietnam
George B. Gaines, 1969, Vietnam
Robert D. Handy, 1969, Vietnam
Dennis L. Mummert, 1969, Vietnam
Thomas W. Ragsdale, 1969, Vietnam
Arthur Stillman, 1969, Vietnam
David Bush, 1970, Vietnam
Dan A. Mitrione, 1970, Uruguay
Joseph B. Smith, 1970, Vietnam
Bruce O. Bailey, 1972, Vietnam
Rudolph Kaiser, 1972, Vietnam
Luther A. McLendon, 1972, Vietnam
John Paul Vann, 1972, Vietnam
Thomas Olmsted, 1975, Thailand
Garnett A. Zimmerly, 1976, Philippines
Richard Aitken, 1981, Sudan
Thomas R. Blacka, 1983, Lebanon
William R. McIntyre, 1983, Lebanon
Albert N. Votaw, 1983, Lebanon
Charles F. Hegna, 1984, Iran
William L. Stanford, 1984, Iran
Thomas Worrick, 1989, Ethiopia
Roberta Worrick, 1989 Ethiopia
Gladys Gilbert, 1989, Ethiopia
Debebe Agonafer, 1989, Ethiopia
Robert B. Hebb, 1989, Honduras
Nancy Ferebee Lewis, 1993, Egypt
Lawrence M. Foley, 2002, Jordan
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