United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green will deliver the keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Celebrating World Humanitarian Day event.
This Sunday, August 19, marks World Humanitarian Day, a time to recognize aid workers who sacrifice their lives to help people affected by global crises. Since the deaths of 22 staff members from the United Nations and other relief agencies in a Baghdad bombing 15 years ago, each year on this day we honor the brave women and men who risk everything to help people in need. In disaster and conflict zones around the world, attacks on aid workers and civilians are making it more dangerous for humanitarians to deliver assistance. Last year, 313 aid workers were killed, injured, or kidnapped.
Today, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green met with Nepal Finance Minister Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada during which Administrator Green reaffirmed USAID's commitment to its strong partnership with Nepal.
As Eric mentioned, one year ago this week, President Trump gave me the honor of joining the great team at USAID. It seems only fitting that I mark that milestone here. I've made more trips to Latin America during that time than any other region in the world.
Today, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Nikki Haley announced nearly $9 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support Colombia's efforts to respond to an influx of people who have fled chaos and repression in Venezuela.
On August 8, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green will give the keynote address at a Council of the Americas event at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. The Administrator will discuss his recent trip to Colombia, and USAID's efforts in the Latin American region to promote democratic values and a "Hemisphere of Freedom." The event will include a moderated question and answer session with the audience.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed up to $24 million to establish a Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) at the University of Chicago's independent research organization, NORC. With today's announcement, USAID is awarding an initial $2.5 million to launch the RTAC, with plans to increase support up to $24 million - subject to the availability of funds -- during the life of the program. The RTAC is a new award under the portfolio of USAID's Higher Education Solutions Network program, and will run from 2018 until 2022.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Brock Bierman will travel to Los Angeles, California for the National Conference of State Legislatures 2018 Summit on July 31. He will deliver the keynote address at the International Delegates Program.
Now, ever since I joined USAID, we've tried to reorient our development work around two very simple principles. First, the purpose of our foreign assistance must be ending its need to exist, not because America wants to withdraw from the world, and certainly not because we wish to help -- we don't wish to help our friends. Instead, we say this because we believe in our friends. We believe in the inherent desire of every individual, every community, and every country to lead their own bright future.
On July 30, USAID Administrator Mark Green will give remarks at 10:15 a.m. at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Administrator will highlight USAID's efforts in support of the President's Indo-Pacific Strategy.
At USAID, we see freedom of worship as an essential element in our pursuit of government that is citizen-centered and citizen-responsive. It is inseparable from freedoms of expression, assembly, association, and freedom from discrimination; yet a third reason why USAID believes this topic is so timely and important is a much more practical one. In order for us as an agency to be able to accomplish our core purposes, our core mission, whether it be in development assistance or in humanitarian relief, we need to reach corners in communities where governments cannot effectively go or where they have chosen not to go. We must be able to touch people who have been left behind, people who have been forgotten. In many settings, being able to partner with the community of faith, with faith-based organizations, enables us to do just that.
This week, USAID announced the launch of the 2018 Progress Snapshot for Feed the Future, America's initiative to combat global hunger. The report shows that in Feed the Future partner countries, an estimated 23.4 million more people live above the poverty line, and 3.4 million more children have escaped the devastating, life-long consequences of poor nutrition early in life since the initiative began.
Today the United States announced an additional $170 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, many of whom left their homes because of escalating conflict or natural disaster, and who are facing severe food insecurity as a result. This additional funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian contribution for Ethiopia to more than $802 million since October 2016.
Well. And, again, our money doesn't-- in most cases, flow through those governments. And we work with trusted voices and we're constantly testing and auditing what it is that we do. So I think we are making a difference. And, there's clearly more that can be done, I think more that needs to be done. But, you know, I think it's an important crossroads moment for many of these countries. There's some important decisions that need to be made. So, I think you have -- as you look at the Western hemisphere -- you have what Vice President Pence referred to as the "Hemisphere of Freedom." And you have countries like Colombia, and you have countries like Brazil, which are trying to create -- to crack down on corruption, in the case of a country like Brazil -- in the case of Colombia, trying to crack down on the problem of coca.
USAID Administrator Mark Green will deliver the closing remarks at the second day of the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom on Wednesday, July 25.
And so, that's why today I'm announcing the United States intends to provide an additional $6.5 million in assistance to support a prosperous, safe, and free Western Hemisphere, and this is in addition to the money that we announced just days ago, when I was in Colombia. This new funding includes $5 million in U.S. assistance we intend to provide to help Venezuelans in Colombia. This new funding brings the total of U.S. humanitarian and development assistance to help Venezuelans in the region to more than $60 million since Fiscal Year 2017.
This assistance is providing urgent food and medical assistance to Venezuelans and also helping communities in Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador respond to the influx of migrants going into those countries, crossing the border. This assistance will also include $1.5 million to continue to support freedom and democracy in Nicaragua. The United States is the only remaining donor working on democracy and human rights in Nicaragua, and so we know and take seriously our responsibility as a lifeline for civil society organizations, human rights defenders, emerging leaders, and independent media who are currently under threat by the Ortega government.
During a meeting with members of the local Nicaraguan, Venezuelan, and Cuban communities in Miami today, USAID Administrator Mark Green announced that the U.S. Government intends to provide an additional $6.5 million in development assistance to support a more prosperous, safe, and free Western Hemisphere.
Well, I think President Trump and Vice President Pence have been very clear in their support for freedom in the hemisphere, the importance of human rights, the importance of democracy. So, we've simply been taking their message everywhere that we go. You know, I'm a believer. This is what I believe in. This is natural to me. This is, I think, is core to our mission. Among other things, we believe in citizen-responsive, citizen-centered governance is the key to be able to rise, is the key to being able to grow economically.
First off, the relationship, as I see it, between the U.S. and Colombia, as you just heard and the Chargé is absolutely right, there is no more important relationship in this hemisphere. I think the U.S.-Colombia relationship is historic. I think it is vitally important today, and I think it will be just as important in the years ahead. It will change and evolve, and that's good. I think that obviously there is work to be done here, but there is also work to be done here that we can do with Colombia elsewhere. I like to refer to it as "force projection in development." And I just got done speaking to a number of new members of Congress, and that's part of what I talked to them about, was to challenge them that we need to partner more closely for the work that needs to be done throughout the hemisphere. The U.S. and USAID can talk about things all we want to; Colombia is proof of model. They can show what can be done with tough reforms, tough choices, and the kinds of things that they have been doing.
My friends, though I come from the United States, as I look around me, I see so much that is friendly and familiar. Our countries may sit more than 4,200 kilometers apart border to border, but in every important way you are so very close, joined together in heritage, values, and most importantly their hopes for the future. Colombians have helped shape the very fabric of American society. When U.S. students study literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gabo, is assigned reading. The generation of my countrymen has grown up watching John Leguizamo on stage, listening to Shakira on the radio, and seeing Sofia Vergara on T.V.
Pages
Last updated: August 17, 2018
Share This Page
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.