The end of World War II and the beginning of the Pax Americana continue to remind us of the power we have to shape the world for the better. With the political debate heating up and polls suggesting that we spend too much on foreign aid, we should remember what we have done in the past to lead the world and how it can have an incredible impact on the future.
The International Affairs Budget is one of the smallest parts of the federal budget, but it does a huge amount of good around the world. It fights diseases, feeds the hungry, and is an integral part of who we are as Americans. It does all of this – while also promoting our economic and security interests – for the price of three cups of coffee a month.
This World Water Day, we celebrate those who are innovating solutions to this H20 challenge. Case in point: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a Connecticut-based organization making a game-changing global impact in water-stressed regions. In partnership with USAID and the Gates Foundation’s WASH for Life Partnership, IPA is delivering cutting-edge water solutions with its Chlorine Dispenser System.
At a refugee camp in Syria, 25,000 people live in 3,600 shipping containers that have been converted into temporary homes. This week marks the start of the fifth year of conflict in Syria with more than 200,000 Syrians killed, nearly 8 million displaced inside Syria, and another 4 million, half of whom are children, having fled in neighboring countries. The United States is the single largest donor, having provided over $3 billion in assistance, but with little appetite for significant boots on the ground, American diplomacy and development will remain critical to the amelioration and resolution of the crisis.