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Symposium on

U.S. Foreign Aid Policy

In Honor of Prof. Jeffrey Sachs
May 19^th, 2006
3-5 p.m. in McCord Auditorium of SMU's Dallas Hall

Panelists:

• Jeffrey Sachs, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University
   
• Ann Van Dusen, Independent Consultant and Georgetown University
   
• Carol C. Adelman, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Washington, DC
   
• Korinna Horta, Senior Economist, Environmental Defense, Washington, DC

Moderator:

• Thomas Osang, Department of Economics, Southern Methodist University

 

Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs, who will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from SMU during commencement ceremonies on May 20, is an American economist known for his work as an economic advisor to governments in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. In his 2005 work, The End of Poverty, Sachs argued that, with the right policies, mass destitution – like the 1.1 billion extremely poor living on less than $1 a day – can be eliminated within 20 years. China and India serve as examples. For Sachs, a key element is raising world aid form the $65 billion level in 2002 to $195 billion a year by 2015.

This symposium addresses the issue of foreign aid policy from several perspectives. In 2004, total US economic assistance increased to approximately $27 billion (2004 Green Book), making the United States the largest donor of public foreign aid in the world. However, when measured against the size of its economy, U.S. foreign aid ranks close to last among all donor countries. In contrast, private giving by non-governmental organizations and individuals exceeds public aid substantially and compares well to private giving by other countries (2006 Index of Global Philanthropy).

Besides the issue of how much foreign aid is needed, an equally important aspect concerns the question of what foreign aid is given for, in particular its use for political rather than development reasons. During the Cold War, large amounts of U.S. foreign aid were given to “friendly countries” or countries at the heart of the battle between communist and market-driven countries, often in form of military aid. Such support often flatly contradicted the interest of long-term, sustainable development in the recipient country. Conflicting views on foreign aid policy also affect the political and administrative side of economic assistance programs. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the organization in charge of the bulk of U.S. foreign aid programs, has been involved in a process of restructuring and reorganization for several years now.

Finally, one of the core issues of the debate over U.S. foreign aid is the question of efficacy. To its critics, foreign aid is wasteful and opposing aid has been the logical consequence. Senator Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) often boasted that he had never “voted for a foreign aid giveaway”. In contrast, supporters of foreign aid want to broaden its scope due to success stories such as Germany, Korea, and the fight to eliminate river blindness, to name a few.  

This symposium brings together some of the leading experts on U.S. foreign aid policy. In addition to Dr. Sachs, they are:

Dr. Ann Van Dusen is currently a Washington-based independent consultant, senior associate at Arabella Philanthropic Advisors, and adjunct professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She has extensive public and private sector experience in the areas of international development, humanitarian assistance and poverty alleviation. Her career includes 24 years at the US Agency for International Development, where she was a member of the Senior Executive Service and held leadership positions in several bureaus.
After leaving USAID, she served as Executive Vice President of Save the Children and Acting CEO of Enterprise Works (formerly Appropriate Technology International).

Dr. Carol C. Adelman is Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. Her areas of expertise are foreign aid and international health and development. She has written extensively on global development issues including foreign aid, HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. She was a member of the U.S. delegation to the World Health Assembly in 2004 and is one of five members appointed by Pres. Bush to a new commission on foreign assistance, Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People (HELP) Around the Globe Commission.

Dr. Korinna Horta is Senior Economist with Environmental Defense in Washington, DC. Her work aims to link scientific research and advocacy of public policy changes in global financial institutions and private capital flows. She works with environmental, development and human rights organizations in countries around the world to promote environmentally sustainable and socially equitable development. She is the author of op-ed pieces in The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and Christian Science Monitor, as well as journal articles and book chapters. 

Questions about this event should be directed to Thomas Osang of SMU's Department of Economics.

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