Video Library

Estonia has long been the model for how technology can be harnessed for civic progress. One of the ideas upon which the Open Government Partnership was founded more than a decade ago. No country, it's safe to say, has all the answers, but Estonia really offers powerful inspiration, showing not only how technology can improve the performance of government, but also how it can dramatically expand the involvement of citizens in governance. That is what has been so radical about what Estonia has shown.

Hello and welcome to a special edition of our program, which is a special program and in the studio, I'm joined by my guest, the Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming responsible for USAID, Ambassador Isobel Coleman, and my good name is Agnes Tuniga.

USAID is increasing its focus on agri-SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa – including through blended finance and de-risking investments. Our work with Aceli Africa is another such model. Much like the Deal Room, Aceli is aligning capital supply with market demand to mobilize $700 million dollars in lending to Agri-SMEs, creating a more sustainable and competitive marketplace. 

Sustainable Management of Forest Concessions is a project that proposes a new model for the conservation and integral use of ecosystem services.

We know that the most important thing we need to do is to listen, particularly to young leaders, to learn about the solutions you’re pursuing, and the ideas that you have for how our investments could accelerate progress. So we will partner closely with local leaders, civil society, and faith based organizations – not just governments – as we chart a course together.

We, at USAID, are focused on the humanitarian needs of the people of Niger, and when it comes to food assistance and those humanitarian needs of course we will try to continue to meet those needs, but those needs are going to increase. Because what happens when this kind of illegal action occurs – when there is a rejection of democracy that the people of Niger worked so hard to build, you start to see the private sector leaving the country, you start to see embassies being evacuated. That is going to be very bad for the economy and very, very bad for the people of Niger.