CHECK BACK SOON FOR THE INFORMATION ON THE NEXT POVERTY FORUM EVENT
Overview
In these first months of the new Obama Administration a key debate facing international development
organizations is whether and how the US foreign assistance system will be reformed. It has been widely
recognized by development experts that our foreign assistance system is not equipped to meet today's global
challenges and is in desperate need of updating. There has been no shortage of opinions, reports and
recommendations on this issue flowing from thought leaders and policy experts throughout the development
community. Notably missing from the dialogue, however, are the voices of foreign assistance program
implementers such as government program mangers, for-profit development organizations, NGOs and US
Foundations engaged in international development initiatives.
There is no question that broad institutional level change must be made to bring US foreign assistance in
line with modern development challenges and national security realities. Equally important is the need to
implement this change with ground level realities incorporated into the overall foreign assistance reform
process. Program implementers from both government and non-government institutions must play a role in
helping form the recommendations and inform the process that creates the modern US foreign assistance system
envisioned in the new Administration.
Forum Goals and Objectives
The Global Fairness Initiative (GFI) is actively seeking participants to participate in the GFI Forum on Reforming US Foreign Assistance from the Ground Up. Aimed at adding ground-level insight and experience to the ongoing foreign assistance reform debate, the forum will consist of four separate events focused on poverty reduction opportunities in a globalized economy and will draw on experience from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East respectively. Each regionally focused event will be convened in Washington, DC between April and November 2009. The events will be small, results driven forums focused on generating key recommendations and opening a dialogue between poverty focused development implementers and US Government policy makers. Each forum will generate a core document with recommendations and additional questions to be considered by US policy makers and other development implementers in addressing US foreign assistance program reforms. Participants will be drawn from the following target groups:
International NGO Representatives: NGOs involved with Implementing USG Funded Projects are the core "ground level" experts on poverty reduction programs. Each regional forum will include representatives of different International NGOs working in the region. Local NGO Representatives: Local level NGOs working on USG funded projects represent the best resource for identifying opportunities and obstacles in poverty focused interventions. US Foundation Representatives: US Foundations have been leaders and key implementer of strategic poverty reduction programs and represent an important voice in understanding effective strategies and potential pitfalls funding poverty programs. Foreign Government and Multi-Lateral Organization Representatives: Foreign Governments, Development banks and Multi-lateral organizations are essential partners in implementing effective and sustainable poverty reduction development programs and are key allies to USG Agencies, NGOs and Foundations seeking to work on global poverty issues. US Government Representatives: Foreign Assistance grant-making agencies of the US Government recognize the need to fund, but also learn from the implementing programs that are recipients of US Aid dollars and are a necessary audience for the Forum.