Podcasts about humanitarian assistance

Grounded Idealism: The Quiet Power Of Coaching To Nurture The Possible With Kyle DietrichOur guest on this week's podcast is Kyle Dietrich, the founder of Grounded Idealist and co-organizer of the Coaching Collaborative, a powerful initiative mobilizing thousands of credentialed coaches to support tens of thousands of displaced workers. Kyle is also a certified Empowerment Facilitator and Trauma-Informed Leadership Coach. With more than 25 years of experience leading large-scale peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance programs in complex contexts like Haiti, Niger, and Burundi, including his former role as Training and Learning Director in USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Kyle brings a wealth of insight into the intersection of global change, trauma, and human potential.In this conversation, Kyle joins host Jayne Warrilow to explore grounded idealism and the quiet power of coaching to nurture possibility in challenging times. He takes us beneath the surface of his impressive professional journey, reflecting with honesty on personal loss, resilience, and the breakdown of long-standing humanitarian institutions in the face of global uncertainty. Together, Jayne and Kyle unpack the deep collective trauma of widespread job displacement, the fraying of social contracts, and the urgent need for inner development as we navigate these liminal times.What emerges is a heartfelt invitation to remember our interdependence, embrace the discomfort of the “in between,” and cultivate fertile ground, within ourselves and our communities, for something new to take root.Whether you're a coach, a leader, or someone seeking meaning in the midst of uncertainty, this episode offers quiet wisdom and inspiration for how we hold space for both grief and growth—and step into our sacred calling for change.Key TakeawaysKyle shares his current life circumstances as a recently displaced worker after a long humanitarian career with raw honesty.His deep reflections on the emotional impact and trauma of the current momentThe importance of sustained contribution and interdependence in a shifting global landscape.The necessity for new stories, leadership, and belonging.How we must discern the difference between reacting and responding to crises; the importance of grounded presenceThe call to our own becoming, to embody kindness, presence, and affirmation for future generations.Episode Resources:

No pleasant introductions, or quaint toast at the end of this one folks. We may have moved past the brink, and into the abyss, but that's to discuss in later episodes....Today, three long-term USAID staffers  now retired and free to talk describe their anger over how  the foreign aid  program has been gutted and colleagues maligned, their fear about global suffering and losses that will result ,and their hope for a  come back  in the future.Francisco Bencosme was formerly the China Policy Lead for USAID, the principal advisor on issues relating to China and Taiwan. Prior to joining USAID, he was deputy to the Special Presidential Envoy for Compact of Free Association talks, helping conclude agreements with the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau in the Pacific Islands. He was at the same time senior advisor to the assistant secretary for East Asian and the Pacific Affairs.Before joining the Biden/Harris administration, he was a senior policy advisor at the Open Society Foundations covering Asia and Latin America. During his time at Amnesty International USA, Bencosme led the US human rights policy and advocacy program towards the Asia Pacific.  In 2018, he was named one of The Hill's Top Lobbyist for a campaign on Myanmar Rohingya issues. He also has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff.Ann Posner spent more than 32 years working in USAID missions in the Czech Republic, Russia, Albania, Bosnia and the West Bank-Gaza.  As a Foreign Service Executive Officer she led local administrative staffs and helped manage programs involving issues ranged from crop marketing in the Eastern Caribbean, anti-corruption and free election laws in Russia, and agricultural aid in Albania to investigation journalism and judicial reform in BosniaSusan Reichle is a retired Senior Foreign Service officer of USAID and former president and CEO of the International Youth Foundation — global non-profit working to equip and inspire young people everywhere to transform their lives. Before joining IYF, Susan spent 26 years in leadership positions at USAID missions overseas and in Washington, D.C. During her last three years at USAID, she served as the Counselor to the Agency, USAID's most Senior Foreign Service Officer, and advised the administrator and senior leadership on global development policies and management issues. She served in Haiti, Nicaragua, Russia, Colombia and her last assignment in USAID/Washington she led the Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance bureau.

Welcome to the One CA Podcast. Today, Brian Hancock interviewed Ismael Lopez about OHDACA and Humanitarian Relief and his experiences as a Marine Civil Affairs Officer.  Brian's profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-j-hancock/ Ismael's profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishrlopez/  Transcript available below. --- One CA is a product of the civil affairs association  and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on the ground with a partner nation's people and leadership. We aim to inspire anyone interested in working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.  To contact the show, email us at CApodcasting@gmail.com  or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www civilaffairsassoc.org --- Great news! Feedspot, the podcast industry ranking system rated One CA Podcast as one of the top 10 shows on foreign policy. Check it out at: https://podcast.feedspot.com/foreign_policy_podcasts/ --- Special Thanks to the creators of Jazz & Bossa Cafe for the sample of Positive March Music. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHeCxa0rMQ4 --- Transcript: 00:00:05 BRIAN HANCOCK Welcome to One Civil Affairs Podcast. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Brian Hancock, and I will be your host for this session. Today we have with us Major Ismael Lopez to discuss civil affairs, special missions, and the ongoing relief effort in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Lopez is the Excess Property Program Manager for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. He's also a major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. where he serves as the Latin American Foreign Area Officer and Detachment Commander with the 1st Civil Affairs Group. At DSCA, he oversees ODACA -funded Humanitarian Assistance, HA, supporting disaster relief and capacity -building efforts in over 28 countries, including the responses in the Afghanistan refugee crisis, the Ukrainian crisis, and humanitarian support to Gaza. In his expanded role, he acts as a liaison for civil affairs, focusing on training, project continuity, and aligning civil affairs efforts with strategic goals. 00:01:09 BRIAN HANCOCK With over 15 years of experience in security cooperation, Mr. Lopez has supported humanitarian assistance operations globally, including key relief efforts following Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Iota. Major Lopez, welcome to the show. 00:01:25 ISMAEL LOPEZ Thank you, Brian. 00:01:26 BRIAN HANCOCK Boy, you've been busy. 00:01:27 ISMAEL LOPEZ I certainly have. Unfortunately, I've been really busy to do the things that I love. 00:01:32 BRIAN HANCOCK Now, let's talk a little bit about this mysterious full -time job that you do, the excess property manager for a defense security cooperation agency. Security cooperation being one of the three most important missions in the world, in my opinion. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do as the excess property manager? And if you're in the business of giving away property, how do I sign up for this? 00:01:54 ISMAEL LOPEZ What's funny is that, as you mentioned that, There is a running joke down at the Southcom HA office where they say, if you need a new refrigerator, Ish is the guy to call. Basically, what I do in a nutshell is I work with the combat commands and all the way down to the country teams to identify partners, to provide them non -lethal excess property in an effort to achieve very specific objectives in the country. What the program does is it'll take items that are basically pretty much brand new to a little bit of wear and tear, which we can refurbish in our warehouses. And then we issue them out or we donate them to the partner with the intention of meeting a very specific objective in that country. So aside from that, I also support DOD humanitarian aid efforts for any initiatives that are... utilizing the overseas humanitarian disaster and civic aid. So in a nutshell, that's pretty much what I do. And yeah, if you need a fridge, if you need a microwave, if there is an effect that could be achieved by me donating it to you, sure. 00:03:06 BRIAN HANCOCK We're expanding NATO a little bit. And many of the NATO countries, about 32 of them, they're putting a little bit more money into defense these days for a wide variety of reasons. And if they decide they want to send up a new office somewhere in Poland or something like that, How would they go about saying, hey, all those esks and chairs and things that you have in Dermo, we'd like some of that. And who pays the shipping? 00:03:29 ISMAEL LOPEZ The folks sitting in NATO would have to work with ODC and Poland first. They will validate that requirement, then submit it on up to UCOM. UCOM will have their lawyers look at it. And then from there, it will make its way up to DSCA for execution. Now, what pays for all this is the Odaka appropriations that gets earmarked from the Odaka budget that provides transportation for this program. So the program comes at no cost. It's all funded exclusively through the Odaka appropriation. 00:04:05 BRIAN HANCOCK Awesome. Let me talk a little bit more about that and ask you a few questions. Odaka is kind of a hidden gem that a number of us in the civil affairs community know about. Many other people don't, and you can definitely achieve effects with this, especially in competition, which is something that we're, I think, as a joint combined army, really struggling with, is how we get after having those influence and deterrence effects in the competition phase. ODACA is one of those tools that's available to us. It's the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid Fund. Now, I have very limited experience with that program. Can you tell the audience a little bit more about the ODACA creation, how large it is, what it usually funds? 00:04:54 ISMAEL LOPEZ Yeah, absolutely. I'm able to see it from two perspectives, right? I'm able to see this from my seat at DSCA and then my seat in the reserve component as a civil affairs officer, where to your earlier point, ODACA is a bit of this hidden gem and it could be leveraged to help. achieving effects in the competition phase, but where there are issues is the lack of understanding of what you can and cannot do with the appropriation or how you can actually link it to creating those effects. And I get that because rewind the clock back to 2013 when I first delved into civil affairs, one of the metrics that are utilized to determine our success in country is How many projects can you nominate or how many projects did you complete? So then when you're aiming to achieve or hit that metric, you're not necessarily looking at the linkage. You're almost betting on that someone will create that linkage for you that you're providing the activity in support of. So Odaka, generally speaking, we're looking at about $26 to $30 million a year. But then that money... gets divvied up across the combatant commands and is prioritized based off of national defense strategy. So if it's called out very specifically country X or region Y is the priority when it comes to DoD humanitarian aid efforts, then preponderance of that money will be earmarked for that country or that region globally. Once you pull the thread on that, then there's different tiers. for the countries that are located in that combatant command or in that region of the world, and we're able to allocate money for those countries as well. Where it gets tricky is that what will factor into it is how proactive and how thorough the ODCs and the SCOs are with executing those HA projects and then the end -use monitoring piece of it. So their requirements are tied to these project nominations. The country team, the HA managers, the civil affairs teams that are assigned to or are deployed in that country are not providing the feedback necessary to determine the return on investment. Then the following year, what could end up happening is this country is a priority, but what we're not able to tell Congress is, are we actually achieving the effects that we're desiring in that country or in that region? And if we can't answer that with tangible metrics, then that will factor into a reduction of ODACA funding for the following year. Recently, in Indo -PACOM, the focus has been very heavy on the mill -to -mill engagement piece. What is starting to catch up now is the sieve mill piece. And so we have money allocated, but they're sort of playing catch up with the rest of the COCOMs as it pertains to. getting those funds and then executing projects and us being able to sustain them over an extended period of time. 00:08:01 BRIAN HANCOCK Yeah, it is a challenging problem set. One of the taskers that we get annually here in our command is to measure the strategic effect of DACA projects, which are largely tactical, in a bunch of different countries. and were given one week. Now you've got a rotational force here of about 15 civil affairs folks of various persuasions. Maybe a couple of them can be dedicated to that task. They had nothing to do with the inception of these projects. They were not part of the construction. They saw none of the... assessment or staff estimate documents related to them. All they saw was probably, if they're lucky, the proposal that went into the website to get them. And they don't have time to do extensive interviews or measurement. And it's pretty tricky to take something very tactical and then indicate not as an MOP you completed the project, but as an MOE it actually influenced the local populace towards U .S. and NATO objectives. That is a very tough thing to do mathematically, especially without the data, documents, and time to be able to do that. 00:09:18 ISMAEL LOPEZ is a 00:09:28 BRIAN HANCOCK What is the standard that is accepted by the panel who's controlling those funding and appropriations? What realistically do you have to prove? 00:09:39 ISMAEL LOPEZ So this has been a challenge for several years now. I saw it firsthand. As a civil affairs team leader in the South Com AOR, where I deployed to support a very specific commander, but as a, hey, by the way, while you're down there, there's these products that were funded several years ago. Do you mind taking a look? No context behind it. I can't do pre and post surveys on the local populace because I don't know what it was or what the baseline was prior to the construction or the completion. And then now. So it was very arbitrary. It was very much, yeah, it's good. Is the government still funding it? Sure. Are they employing people that are maintaining it? Sure. And I think back then, 2013, 2014 timeframe, I think the blanket answer to all that was, we're countering Russia, China. And so as long as you were saying that, then it was all gravy. And we've obviously have evolved from that to we're now tying these very tactical actions. to operational objectives, right? So are we supporting CoCom LOEs? And if we're supporting CoCom LOEs at the minimum, we understand that we should be integrated into strategic objectives, right? Because the LOEs are derived from those strategic documents. And we've gotten to that point, but now where we are able or unable to get that data or the metrics. really falls on the lack of funding to do it. So the easy button is, well, you have your security cooperation professionals that are assigned to the embassies. They should be. They can do that. Yeah. But the reality is all embassies, regardless of the size, they are overextended and under -resourced. So they're always dealing with VIP visitors. They're dealing with taskings from the State Department. They have their steady state activities they have to be supporting, and they're falling in on, let's just say, 30 projects over the last three years. And, oh, by the way, all these assessments need to be done, but your TDY funds are X. And there's no way of doing it. So then it trickles down to, hey, do we have any civil affairs teams coming downrange? Can they support? And I think we've gotten to a bit of a sweet spot. is this mutual understanding that civil affairs teams in country, as long as they're not being detracted from their main mission, are able to provide some sort of support in conducting those surveys and assessments. However, it's still not the right answer because they're falling in on rudimentary information, background information, and it's still very much from their perspective. At DSCA, we have increased our budget for AM &E purposes to help country teams that are in the red, so to speak, when it comes to conducting these assessments, especially countries that are a priority where we understand, hey, we need to continue engaging on the HA side of things and not the MIL side of things. So we need to get as close to valid or reality as we can. So we have contractors now that are assigned to the combat commands, folks within my office that can. be requested to go out and support. And again, we're working across the command and commands to see as appropriate where we can support. So a lot of work still has to be done there. But again, looking back to 10 years ago, even five years ago, I think across the board, DOD has gotten significantly better at providing metrics to validate activities vice. simply stating we're countering Russia and China and we're going to call it good. 00:13:35 BRIAN HANCOCK As they should. All of these projects should be tied to a line of effort, tied to a strategic effect that's in line both with the COCOM and the chief of mission. And then you would need a way to measure them at a granular level and then aggregate them to measure progress against a line of effort aligned to strategic intent. I don't think that framework has been built. I hope we eventually get there. If you ask some of the SCAs in the embassy, at best, they're going to give you anecdotal information. So there's a lot of things that we would have to do. And if we send a civil affairs team, depending on their training and background, that can be more or less successful. Now, you're probably tracking that in the Army side of civil affairs, we've built that 38 golf program where I can have an engineer with 20 years of experience. It seems to me that's the guy we should be attaching. to a civil affairs team to go do one of these assessments. What do you think? 00:14:33 ISMAEL LOPEZ I completely agree with that. And that's 100 % a step in the right direction. On the Marine side of the house, we sell the capability for civil affairs to do engineering assessments, bridge assessments. And I'm like, who here is an engineer? Who amongst us realistically do that? I mean, one example is I got asked to do a port assessment in Panama. And if you look at the J -SIMS form, It's very, very specific, very detailed, talking depth of water. And how am I supposed to do that? But A, because you're in the environment and you're there, you claim as a capability that you're able to do that, then go on and do great things. And I think one of two things need to happen. Either one, we need to re -wicker the capability to a more realistic set or... Very similar to the 38 golf program is start incorporating or cross -training those specialized folks that can actually bring that capability to bear and then have that as part of the team. And then now we're being more honest with what it is that we can do in our assessments and the information that we're providing to hire. Right. 00:15:41 BRIAN HANCOCK I appreciate that. I watched as the Navy discontinued its civil affairs program. Obviously, the Marines are part of the Department of the Navy, so I don't want to. miscommunicate that. But the Navy had its own civil affairs for a while. And when we as the Army Civil Affairs came out and were asked to do port assessments in Rim of the Pacific, quite frankly, we couldn't do it. And we had functional specialists because there's quite a bit of difference between a great engineer who's used to large infrastructure and other things go out and assess the full range of capabilities of a port, especially after a major disaster. We had to bridge that gap. We had to go to German portmasters, which is great when you're working with combined partners. I think that's an opportunity. And they knew this business, soup and nails. They went out there and everything on the Jason and more they did and could even do follow -ups to see the progress as repair work was going on. That was fantastic that we had a joint partner. I don't think we have an organic capability in DOD to do things like that. And when we're talking having to project power to your port of debarkation, that seems like a gap that we need to fill right now. 00:16:59 ISMAEL LOPEZ Yeah, I agree. And I have some good news for you. The Navy is reconstituting their civil affairs program. When we were out at Balakatan in the Philippines last spring, we had a full -up Navy civil affairs team. I was the first of its kind in this reconstituted form, but I was part of a combined Marine Navy team in the Philippines. So Big Navy has realized that understanding where we're going as DOD, that they're bringing it back. And hopefully that's part of the equation there. I hope so. One of the reasons it was closed down is because the way they scoped their mission for Naval Civil Affairs. 00:17:34 BRIAN HANCOCK of the reasons it was closed down is because the way they scoped their mission for Naval Civil Affairs. was somewhat redundant with what the Army and the Marine Corps were already doing. So instead of focusing on those things where they have almost unique capabilities, such as assessing aquaculture and water -based commerce and those effects and the port stuff, they were doing a lot of land -based types of assessments and other things. And I think they became a victim of budget shortfall if they were seen as a redundant capability. both in the Army and the Marine Corps, you and I both have responsibility since we both need naval partners to do our job to help shape their burgeoning program and make sure as it's resetting that it doesn't make some of the mistakes that were made previously and help them be a vibrant addition to our larger civil affairs community because I think we really need them. 00:18:32 ISMAEL LOPEZ I wholeheartedly agree. There are fortunate scenarios. When you look at the reserve component where you can have these very uniquely trained individuals that can come in. I had a ship captain as a corporal, so he could speak to that. But that is luck, right? I shouldn't be planning on, I'm going to have these uniquely talented and experienced folks that are going to be able to pour a mission set. Now, 00:19:01 BRIAN HANCOCK you're a major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. and you serve as commander of Detachment 3, the first civil affairs group. What is that like? What's a day look like on that job for you? 00:19:15 ISMAEL LOPEZ So at first, it's been the funnest job that I've had. I was a civil affairs team leader before, but as a commander, it's been more fulfilling because I'm able to... lead and mentor Marines who are interested in this space or really want to make a difference and have a better understanding of how their actions support operational and strategic objectives. I think that's often missed by the less experienced civil affairs Marines. My typical day as a commander is just dealing with admin, to be honest. It's making sure that my Marines are able and ready to deploy, enabling them to be able to go and execute the mission. is really what I spend a majority of my time doing. 00:20:01 BRIAN HANCOCK Let's talk a little bit more about that training piece. I know you kind of build it. A lot of things you do as admin, but part of readiness is being able to do your job. The Marine is an expeditionary force, perhaps becoming even more expeditionary with the expeditionary advanced base operations construct the chief of the Navy signed off on. So very interesting training opportunities for the fleet right now. And you mentioned Balakatan and some of those other exercise -type missions that you've done. And I know you've probably done Marine Corps Warfighting exercise and mentioned JRTC. But what are some of these other missions you've done? You've talked about a dock -up. A dock -up is joined at the hip with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, HADR. The Navy has a huge role in HADR for just a whole bunch of reasons. Has your detachment participated in any HADR missions? Is that another training opportunity that you have with your Marines and detachment?

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which was previously the largest bilateral donor across the world, was created in 1961 to use the U.S.'s soft power to influence and assist other countries. It has since grown into a department with more than 13,000 employees, the majority of which have worked overseas to provide emergency and humanitarian response, food assistance, economic growth activities, and more. Elissa Miolene, reporter at Devex, sits down to talk with us about the impact of the past few week's chaotic attacks to USAID.Within hours of President Trump returning to office, there was a foreign aid freeze, followed by a stop-work order. Disorder took over, with a Congressional communication that USAID would be downsized, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing he would take over USAID, and waves of furloughs and layoffs at the agency and with partners that USAID works with. The deterioration of USAID has, of course, resulted in people in countries around the world being unable to access dependable care and resources. Support the showFollow Us on Social: Twitter: @rePROsFightBack Instagram: @reprosfbFacebook: rePROs Fight Back Bluesky: @reprosfightback.bsky.social Email us: jennie@reprosfightback.comRate and Review on Apple PodcastThanks for listening & keep fighting back!

For decades, US foreign aid has played a vital role in humanitarian assistance, development and global security.But last month, the US government – the world's biggest aid donor – announced a sudden 90-day freeze on foreign aid. This will have a devastating impact on communities globally who depend on it to survive. It has triggered widespread uncertainty across the global development sector.In the days following the decision, the harm was already visible. Reports show that antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients ran out, landmine clearance efforts stopped, and critical humanitarian operations were left in limbo.Although an exemption was later introduced for “life-saving humanitarian assistance”, its scope remains unclear. Many organisations are scrambling to understand the full implications of USAID's brutal shutdown.This episode examines these developments in detail. Experts formerly at USAID join us to assess what the freeze means for communities dependent on this funding and the global development sector, and what should come next.GuestsSara Pantuliano (Chief Executive, ODI Global)Elizabeth Campbell (Executive Director, ODI Global Washington and former Deputy Assistant Secretary, US State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration)Sarah Charles (Former Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, USAID)Kate Almquist Knopf (Senior Advisor, Former Director of the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, US Department of Defense, and Former Assistant Administrator for Africa, USAID)Related resourcesOut of the rubble (Insight, ODI Global)Donors In A Post-Aid World January 2025 update (Newsletter, ODI Global)What role should donors play in a post-aid world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)Investing in frontier economies – what can public-private collaboration achieve? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

The US state department stops nearly all foreign aid as President Donald Trump pushes his America First policy. But this assistance also helps the United States achieve its foreign policy goals. So how will they be affected, along with other countries and communities around the world? In this Episode: Dave Harden, Former Assistant Administrator, USAID Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance. Salai Za Uk Ling, Director of Chin Human Rights Organisation. Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, Horn of Africa Security Analyst. Host: Sami Zeidan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes!

What do you think? Send us a textHi everyone. Today we're replaying our most popular episode of the year. Like every migration story, it is a unique one. Prem Awasthi moved to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, almost exactly one year ago to start a new job with the United Nations. We talked with him just hours before his plane left Kathmandu, to hear his expectations of this new stage in his life, and the life of his family.Welcome to Nepal Now: On the Move. My name is Marty Logan. This is the podcast that talks to some of the hundreds of thousands of people migrating from — and sometimes to — this small country surrounded by global giants China and India. Months later we reach out again to find out if reality in their new, temporary, home is meeting expectations. Occasionally we call in an expert to try and better understand all of this movement. Not only did we talk with Prem Awasthi before he left Nepal, we caught up with him six months later to see how his new life compared to what he imagined before leaving. What struck me most about our second conversation was his feeling that already his roots to his homeland were getting shallower. Thank you to everyone who listened in 2024. Focusing solely on one issue – migration – was something new for Nepal Now, so I hope you enjoyed that approach. Whether you did, or didn't, you can send a comment or an idea for a future episode by clicking on the link at the top of these show notes. Message Nepal Now on social – we're @nepalnowpod on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. You can also email me at nepalnowpod(at)gmail.com. I'll talk to you next time. ResourcesFollow-up episode with Prem AwasthiUpdated trailer explaining why we do this showSend us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message:LinkedInInstagramFacebookVoicemailMusic by audionautix.com.Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a textHi everyone. Today we're replaying our most popular episode of the year. Like every migration story, it is a unique one. Prem Awasthi moved to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, almost exactly one year ago to start a new job with the United Nations. We talked with him just hours before his plane left Kathmandu, to hear his expectations of this new stage in his life, and the life of his family.Welcome to Nepal Now: On the Move. My name is Marty Logan. This is the podcast that talks to some of the hundreds of thousands of people migrating from — and sometimes to — this small country surrounded by global giants China and India. Months later we reach out again to find out if reality in their new, temporary, home is meeting expectations. Occasionally we call in an expert to try and better understand all of this movement. Not only did we talk with Prem Awasthi before he left Nepal, we caught up with him six months later to see how his new life compared to what he imagined before leaving. What struck me most about our second conversation was his feeling that already his roots to his homeland were getting shallower. Thank you to everyone who listened in 2024. Focusing solely on one issue – migration – was something new for Nepal Now, so I hope you enjoyed that approach. Whether you did, or didn't, you can send a comment or an idea for a future episode by clicking on the link at the top of these show notes. Message Nepal Now on social – we're @nepalnowpod on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. You can also email me at nepalnowpod(at)gmail.com. I'll talk to you next time. ResourcesFollow-up episode with Prem AwasthiUpdated trailer explaining why we do this showSend us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message:LinkedInInstagramFacebookVoicemailMusic by audionautix.com.Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

The poorer a nation, the less ability it has to anticipate and mitigate disasters. That's one reason the U.S. Agency for International Development concentrates many of its overseas efforts on helping nations with resilience and the ability to anticipate disasters. More now from USAID's deputy assistant administrator for the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, Jacqueline Musiitwa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The poorer a nation, the less ability it has to anticipate and mitigate disasters. That's one reason the U.S. Agency for International Development concentrates many of its overseas efforts on helping nations with resilience and the ability to anticipate disasters. More now from USAID's deputy assistant administrator for the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, Jacqueline Musiitwa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Sudan's civil war erupted in April 2023, something extraordinary happened. Neighborhoods, mostly in and around Khartoum, began setting up what they called "Emergency Response Rooms." This name is somewhat of a misnomer because, while some Emergency Response Rooms do provide medical assistance, others serve as communal kitchens, day care centers, or offer maternal health services. In each case, they were created by the community in response to its own needs. This so-called mutual aid happens across cultures and around the world. What is profoundly unique about mutual aid in Sudan is that these Emergency Response Rooms have organized themselves into a coherent network that connects very local, neighborhood-level humanitarian responses to international donors. They have done this through a homegrown system of oversight and governance, providing a revolutionary new model for humanitarianism. Joining me to discuss Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms, how they work, and why they represent such a departure from more conventional approaches to humanitarian relief, is Alsanosi Adam. He is the external communications coordinator for the national umbrella group that supports the work of over 700 Emergency Response Rooms throughout Sudan. You can support their work, like I did, here:  https://mutualaidsudan.org/

*) Lebanon's death toll from Israeli strikes rises to 500 Lebanon's death toll from Israeli air strikes has risen to nearly 500, including 35 children, according to the Health Ministry. The deaths included 58 women, and some 1,645 others were wounded. Health Minister Firass Abiad said "thousands of families" had been displaced. *) US sending additional troops to Middle East as regional tensions rise The United States is sending additional troops to the Middle East after Israel's deadly strikes on Lebanon, the Pentagon said, declining to specify the precise number or mission of the deployed forces. Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters they are deploying a small number of additional personnel to reinforce forces already in the region out of an abundance of caution. *) Bangladesh army chief vows support for Yunus' government 'come what may' Bangladesh's army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, has pledged full support for the interim government, ensuring key reforms and elections within 18 months after the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Zaman and his troops stepped back during student-led protests in August, sealing the fate of Hasina, who resigned after 15 years in power and fled to India. In a rare media interview, Zaman told Reuters that the military fully backs interim leader Muhammad Yunus and outlined a plan to eliminate political influence within the army. *) Trump claims Zelenskyy wants Democrats to win 2024 elections Republican candidate Donald Trump claimed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy wants the Democrats to win the 2024 US election, where Trump faces Kamala Harris. At a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump said if elected, he'd call Putin and Zelenskyy to push for a peace deal, criticising Zelenskyy as "the greatest salesman in history" for securing billions in US aid. *) Türkiye's call for UN reform displayed on New York streets Digital screen vans have showcased visuals promoting Türkiye's call for reform of the United Nations in New York's busiest streets during the 79th UN General Assembly. The displays, featuring messages like "Beyond Five: Building a Global System for All" and "A Reformed UN for a Fairer World," emphasised the need for a more equitable international system. Slogans such as "Türkiye: Partner in Humanitarian Assistance and Sustainable Development" highlighted Türkiye's global contributions.

Send us a textFrom Kathmandu to Kabul is not really that far in this era of daily intercontinental flights. And today's guest Prem Awasthi is also fortunate in that he gets to make the return trip home at least every six weeks. But still, he already feels that less than a year after migrating to work abroad, his roots in his homeland are somehow shallower. If you missed it, Prem was the first ever guest of the show after we relaunched earlier this year to focus solely on migration and Nepal. In that chat, he told us about his early life in Doti district, in Nepal's Far West region. When he spoke you could hear his deep attachment to that place, so I wonder—for him, does living and working in Kabul not only mean being away from his country, but does it also signify one more step away from his deepest roots, in his home village?In our latest chat, which we recorded at Himal Media in Patan Dhoka, we also discuss if Prem has become comfortable in his new, less visible role, on a much larger team, that he's taken on in Afghanistan. His tasks there are much different than during the nearly two decades that he worked on the frontlines of humanitarian assistance for the UN in Nepal. Finally, Prem has some thoughts for others who might be contemplating a similar move. Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message:LinkedInInstagramFacebookVoicemailMusic by audionautix.com.Thank you to the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters of Nepal and Himal Media for use of their studios.

Send us a textFrom Kathmandu to Kabul is not really that far in this era of daily intercontinental flights. And today's guest Prem Awasthi is also fortunate in that he gets to make the return trip home at least every six weeks. But still, he already feels that less than a year after migrating to work abroad, his roots in his homeland are somehow shallower. If you missed it, Prem was the first ever guest of the show after we relaunched earlier this year to focus solely on migration and Nepal. In that chat, he told us about his early life in Doti district, in Nepal's Far West region. When he spoke you could hear his deep attachment to that place, so I wonder—for him, does living and working in Kabul not only mean being away from his country, but does it also signify one more step away from his deepest roots, in his home village?In our latest chat, which we recorded at Himal Media in Patan Dhoka, we also discuss if Prem has become comfortable in his new, less visible role, on a much larger team, that he's taken on in Afghanistan. His tasks there are much different than during the nearly two decades that he worked on the frontlines of humanitarian assistance for the UN in Nepal. Finally, Prem has some thoughts for others who might be contemplating a similar move. Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message:LinkedInInstagramFacebookVoicemailMusic by audionautix.com.Thank you to the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters of Nepal and Himal Media for use of their studios.

Welcome to The Aid Market Podcast, where international development and humanitarian aid organizations connect to learn about funding trends and market insight. Join us as we hear from foreign aid leaders with USAID and other large donors, with updates and insight on their work. We explore topics including localization, artificial intelligence, proposal and grant funding best practices, and analyze data sources like the USAID Business Forecast. The Aid Market podcast is your comprehensive guide to positioning your organization for success and securing vital funding from USAID and other foreign aid donors. Each episode features in-depth conversations with esteemed guests, including current and former Senior USAID officials, executives from prominent foreign aid partner organizations, and influential thought leaders in the field. Together, we delve into the pressing issues of international development and humanitarian aid, shedding light on the latest trends, strategies, and best practices. Stay informed and gain a competitive edge as we explore key topics such as funding strategies, donor priorities, partnership opportunities, and effective approaches to navigating the complex aid landscape. Our podcast equips you with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions and unlock new avenues for funding. The Aid Market Podcast is your trusted and comprehensive source for actionable insights and expert advice. Tune in now and join us on this journey to maximize your organization's potential and make a lasting impact on the global stage.  ABOUT THE HOST: The podcast is hosted by Mike Shanley, Founder and CEO of Konektid International and AidKonekt Data, the leading USAID partner support firms that help clients to grow their USAID funding portfolios. Mike has nearly two decades of experience in working with USAID projects and funding opportunities. His USAID funding expertise has been recognized by the largest aid and development associations, partners, and conferences, including by USAID, Devex, British Expertise International, AidEx, and by the Society for International Development-US where he also serves as Board Member. Konektid International Konektid has a decade of experience supporting new and established USAID partners to accelerate and streamline their business development work. Konektid's global team of seasoned USAID market specialists can provide surge support for your USAID proposal development, design and support your USAID market entry or growth strategy, and support other USAID partnering needs to help your team better work with USAID. AidKonekt Data AidKonekt is the trusted funding intel software for USAID partners. AidKonekt allows partners to easily monitor funding changes and track their pipeline. It also streamlines USAID market intel research, capture reports, competitor insight, and much more. Accelerate your USAID partnering with AidKonekt today!  Websites: Konektid International: www.konektid.com AidKonekt Data: https://www.aidkonekt.com/usaid-biz-dev Connect with Mike Shanley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konektid-usaid-specialists/ The Aid Market Podcast, foreign aid, funding trends, market dynamics, USAID, foreign aid donors, international development, humanitarian aid, funding strategies, donor priorities, partnership opportunities, aid landscape, podcast, actionable insights, expert advice, maximize organization's potential, global stage.

Senior Advisor for Localization in the Office of the USAID Administrator, Sarah Rose joins Mike Shanley to discuss how localization and locally led development works within USAID. Sarah explains how USAID measures success and why partnerships and working with local communities is critical to meeting their goals. She explains how USAID partners with major global aid donors and how they fit within the broader US Government foreign policy context. Sarah shares some success stories where USAID has been able to make an impact utilizing localization and what she is looking forward to seeing in the future. Tune in to learn more about the work USAID does and how partners can continue to drive success.    IN THIS EPISODE: [1:09] What do the terms localization and locally led development mean to the teams of USAID? [3:10] How has localization shifted across administration and how does USAID implement the priorities?  [8:50] How does USAID measure success of localization work?  [13:38] What are the changes around locally led development and humanitarian response?  [18:35] What are some challenges that USAID has faced while trying to implement some ambitious localization activities and priorities?  [21:20] How does USAID work with major global aid donors? [23:50] How do USAID partners fit into localization?  [29:23] How does Sarah see USAIDs role fitting into the broader US Government foreign policy context?  [31:38] Sarah shares some success stories where localization has worked. [37:11] What is the difference with how USAID and DC headquarters work with localization and partners overseas? [42:00] What are some of the future projects and partnerships Sarah is excited about and how will USAID measure success?  [49:20] What are some key takeaways Sarah would like partners to walk away with from this conversation?    KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Local ownership and local leadership is critical for effectiveness and for sustainability.  Locally led development is important for greater effectiveness, greater sustainability, and importantly for greater equity in development and humanitarian work. A joint commitment between USAID and their partners is important because no one team has all the answers or all of the tools or systems. It's critical that everyone works together toward a common goal and that they learn from one another.    QUOTES: [22:38] “This joint commitment is really important because individually none of us has all the answers or all the tools, so it's really critical to make sure that we're working toward common goals and to learn from one another as we go as well.” - Sarah Rose [30:37] “If we're talking about investments that we hope will be effective in advancing these priorities, thinking about locally led development is the best way to ensure that our investments, or to maximize the possibility that our investments will really help support some of these lasting development issues or really strengthen local systems to do. That ends up being a really important criteria or context as well.” - Sarah Rose [51:49] “We also very importantly and crucially need to continue to be able to listen to those local communities, stakeholders, governments, etc on how they want this to continue to look.” - Sarah Rose   RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube Mike Shanley LinkedIn   BIOGRAPHY: Sarah Rose is the Senior Advisor for Localization in the Office of the USAID Administrator. Prior to coming to USAID, she was a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, where her research focused on US development policy and aid effectiveness, including localization. Previously, Sarah was a monitoring and evaluation specialist in the health office of the USAID Mission in Mozambique. She also worked at the Millennium Challenge Corporation in the Department of Policy and Evaluation.  

Former USAID Administrator and President & CEO of the Wilson Center, Mark Green joins Mike Shanley to discuss various topics around USAID. Mark explains his role as the USAID Administrator and the importance of USAID. He talks about humanitarian funding and how it affects long term development funding. Mark describes the war in Ukraine, and what it has been like to be the feet on the ground when tragedy strikes and how USAID is needed. Mark shares his advice for the next administration, explaining where more support is needed. Lastly, Mark talks about initiatives and programs that don't have broad political support, and why that support is needed. Tune in to learn more about USAID and how their work impacts all areas of the world.    IN THIS EPISODE: [1:33] What does Mark say to those who question the role or need for USAID or Foreign AID? [4:24] What are the priorities in the role for USAID, MCC and other foreign aid?  [8:03] Mark discusses how the initiatives that he started have evolved or developed with the current administration.  [12:50] How does Mark see humanitarian funding affecting long term development funding? [18:45] How did they frame the alternative development models offered by China as developing priorities and going through the procurement process?  [23:18] What is the current state of the war in Ukraine? [30:47] What did a typical day look like for Mark as the USAID Administrator?  [32:56] What did Mark look for to help him make the right decisions in his leadership role? [39:26] What would Mark's advice be for the next administration?  [41:05] What are some of the initiatives, activities or programs that don't have broad, political support in the U.S.?   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  USAID helps to grow partners, foster relationships, and build the capacity of other nations to join with USAID and take on their country's challenges.  The American dream isn't just the American dream. It's the universal dream, and we have to make sure that we invest in that, and that's where development assistance comes in.  USAID largely goes unnoticed, but they are essential to the work the U.S. does in other countries. They are the feet on the ground and they make huge impacts with their partnerships in other countries.    QUOTES: [1:48] “When I first began, I was asked by outsiders why USAID matters. I said, look, if we do this right, foreign assistance and development assistance can help us address just about every one of our foreign policy challenges.” - Ambassador Mark Green [13:01] “There is a real danger that humanitarian assistance will begin to cannibalize development assistance, and some of it is completely understandable. Humanitarian assistance responds to emergency needs, and there are emergencies right now, perhaps greater than we've ever seen, so it's natural.” - Ambassador Mark Green [39:27] “I think the administrator has to sharpen the tools in the toolbox, and then it is the White House, it's the President and the Secretary of State that will help to guide where those tools are deployed and for what end. I believe that development tools can be used to help address just about every challenge that we see in the world today. They aren't by themselves necessarily the answer, but they're part of the answer. And I think that's key.” - Ambassador Mark Green   RESOURCES: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Ambassador Mark Green - LinkedIn Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHY: Ambassador Mark Green (ret.) serves as the President and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, an institution chartered by Congress to “strengthen the fruitful learning between the world of learning and the world of public affairs.” He has served as the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development where he used America's development and humanitarian tools to help countries on their “journey to self-reliance.” He also served as Executive Director of the McCain Institute and President/CEO of the International Republican Institute. Green served as the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania (mid-2007 to early 2009), and before that, he served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Wisconsin's 8th District. He has been honored for his work by the Republics of Tanzania and Colombia, and institutions including the Scowcroft Institute at Texas A&M and Georgetown University.  

Michael Nyenhuis, CEO of UNICEF USA joins Mike Shanley to discuss the work UNICEF does both in the USA and globally. Michael discusses the various partnerships between UNICEF USA and governments, local organizations, as well as private sectors. He highlights the importance of funding and explains why flexibility from donors is key, so that UNICEF can fund projects and spread resources where they are needed. Michael predicts what the aid and development landscape will look like in the next 5 years and why protecting and funding foreign aid programs globally is essential for support. Tune in to learn more about UNICEF USA and how organizations can support their mission to see that every child is healthy, educated, protected, and respected.  IN THIS EPISODE: [1:01] What is UNICEF's work globally and where does UNICEF USA fit into that work? [4:28] What is UNICEF's work with the vaccination campaign and the work they've done with Polio?  [7:40] What does UNICEF's partnerships with governments look like?  [10:05] How does UNICEF partner with local NGOs? [11:56] What are some of the most pressing needs for the current state of aid? [14:56] Does Michael see the role of NGOs changing and the way donors should look at their roles?  [18:56] What does Michael see as the opportunities for evolution or development with organizations funding mechanisms?  [21:00] Michael predicts what the aid and development landscape and market ecosystem will look like in 5 years.  [24:10] How does UNICEF see localization?  [27:01] How does UNICEF define what a local partner is?  [31:36] What is the importance of protecting and funding foreign aid programs globally?  [35:47] How do private sector partnerships come to be?  [41:46] Does Michael have any advice for smaller organizations that are seeking partnership with UNICEF? [45:10] What does Michael see as his role as CEO of UNICEF USA? [50:28] What does a typical day look like for Michael?  [52:23] How can leaders of NGOs be prepared for the uncertainty in the next 5-10 years? [55:00] What are Michael's thoughts on AI? KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Donors are needed that are willing to trust UNICEF to use resources where they are needed.  We have a responsibility as a wealthy country with resources to help those in other parts of the world who don't share in the riches that we have, and don't share the privileges and opportunities we've had.  We can't isolate ourselves and only care about the country we're in anymore. This is a global world and we are global citizens and neighbors.  The world has changed a lot and is changing faster all the time. We need to think about how we change systems, change policy, and change philanthropy to be more trust-based and more flexible to deal with the equity crisis that exists.  QUOTES: [1:29] “Our goal is to see that every child is healthy, educated, protected, and respected.” - Michael Nyenhuis [6:18] “UNICEF is the largest single supplier of vaccines in the world. We vaccinate 45% of the world's under five children every year with all the basic vaccines that they need.” - Michael Nyenhuis [30:29] “If the international NGOs don't see the local NGOs as competitors now for this resource, but truly as partners to help invest in and help grow and build capacity, then I think they can work together really well in order to attract the kinds of resources that can make a difference in their countries.” - Michael Nyenhuis RESOURCES: Humanitarian Aid for Children in Crisis | UNICEF USA Michael Nyenhuis's LinkedIn    Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube BIOGRAPHY: Michael J. Nyenhuis is the President and CEO of UNICEF USA, bringing in over 25 years of global humanitarian and development experience, fundraising acumen and proven results to this role. Before joining UNICEF USA, Nyenhuis was the president and CEO of Americares, a position he held since 2014. Nyenhuis was CEO of the global nonprofit MAP International for 13 years prior. A former journalist with a passion for global health, he previously served on USAID's Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid and chaired the board of the Integral Alliance, a global network of faith-based NGOs. He also currently serves on the board of InterAction, the largest coalition of U.S.-based relief and development organizations working internationally, and the leadership council at Concordia, an organization and forum that promotes cross-sector partnerships for social impact. A Minnesota native, Nyenhuis holds a Masters in Business Administration from Emory University and Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Communications from University of Wisconsin Green Bay.

Jami Rodgers, Senior Procurement Executive, Chief Acquisition Officer, and Director for USAID Management Bureau's Office of Acquisition and Assistance joins Mike Shanley to discuss his new role with USAID. Jami talks about the incredible work that his team has done and how they are adapting to change. Jami discusses the strategies and ideas that he plans to implement with his team that he gained from working with other parts of the government such as NASA. Jami explains how AI can benefit the work that his team does, as well as what they need to lookout for. Jami then describes what the localization initiative looks like with the office of Acquisition and Assistance. Tune in to learn more about why partnership is key to the success of this team.    IN THIS EPISODE: [1:46] What does Jami see as the current state of contracting Acquisition and Assistance at USAID? [6:25] What is feasible for the team to accomplish over the next couple of years? [8:47] Which strategies and ideas is Jami bringing back to USAID from other experiences working in the government fields? [15:35] What were the 5 steps that NASA used when looking into an acquisition challenge? [18:24] How can innovation and rethinking the relationship with risk tolerance be implemented? [20:38] Where does Jami look outside of the government for inspiration or innovation for the procurement process? [23:03] How does Jami see AI affecting procurement?  [31:27] What does the localization initiative look like with the Office of Acquisition and Assistance? [35:05] Jami shares about a co-creation workshop that was used to implement a successful localization. [36:54] How does Jami look at the new partnerships initiative? [39:01] What's the best way to share ideas with Jami's team? [42:52] What is Jami prioritizing through the end of this fiscal year?   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  One way to reduce risk is by not being overly reliant on the same partners over and over and diversifying the partner base. AI can be useful to free up employees from routine and route tasks to higher value work where they can focus on contract administration challenges or getting more partner or site visits, tasks that have more meaning.  USAID doesn't do the work alone. They need players from all over to make an impact. The global challenges are going to require diversity of humanity to solve them.    QUOTES: [14:02] “The whole purpose of the NAIL was to empower that culture of innovation and reinforce the idea that anyone, anywhere, can be an innovation champion to promote an idea that will propel us forward.” - Jami J. Rodgers, CPCM [27:34] “We need to think about how not only does AI improve our execution of our current processes, but how can AI change our processes so that we're more efficient and effective. This is going to take some time, it won't be done tomorrow. Good things usually take time and thoughtful implementation.” - Jami J. Rodgers, CPCM [33:02] “The big exciting news we mentioned is translation, the whole platform is now available in Arabic, French and Spanish. So we vastly increased outreach to local partners. I believe we had close to 1,500 new users on Arabic websites in the last couple of weeks, so we're hoping that by using the language where we operate, we're bringing critical material to new partners.” - Jami J. Rodgers, CPCM   RESOURCES: Jami J. Rodgers, CPCM LinkedIn  Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHIES:  Jami J. Rodgers serves as Senior Procurement Executive, Chief Acquisition Officer, and Director for USAID Management Bureau's Office of Acquisition and Assistance (M/OAA). He provides senior executive leadership and oversight of USAID's procurement and financial assistance functions, policies, and initiatives to empower over 600 acquisition and assistance professionals to deliver on U.S. foreign assistance development goals worldwide. Mr. Rodgers first served at USAID as M/OAA Special Initiatives and Development Partners Division Chief supporting the Administrator's Grand Challenges for Development, the Bureau for Africa, the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning, and the USAID Global Development Lab. He also served as Acting Deputy Director of M/OAA Washington Operations. He most recently served as the Director of NASA Headquarters Procurement Strategic Operations Division and as Head of the Contracting Activity for the Exploration Systems Development and Space Operations Mission Directorates. He co-sponsored the NASA Acquisition Innovation Launchpad to improve operations and reduce barriers to achieve a more diverse and equitable partner base for mission success. Mr. Rodgers previously served at the Department of Energy (DOE) as Director of the Office of Contract Management, where he oversaw nationwide procurement management reviews, category management efforts, and served as Competition Advocate. He also served as Director of the Office of Headquarters Procurement Services managing $15B in active awards. He began his federal career at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Contract Specialist. He is a Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) with the National Contract Management Association and holds a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C Professional). He has held unlimited contracting officer warrants at EPA, USAID, and DOE. Mr. Rodgers has been recognized twice with the Secretary of Energy Achievement Award, the USAID Mary A. Reynolds Memorial Award for high-impact innovations, and several Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards. Mr. Rodgers earned a B.S. in Spanish with a business and international studies minor from Penn State University and an MBA with a focus on strategic management and public policy from the George Washington University School of Business. Mr. Rodgers has served in various volunteer leadership positions with a nationally recognized LGBTQIA+ choral arts organization and is a volunteer citizenship instructor for Arlington County, VA to enrich and celebrate his local community.

General Casey, Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army joins Mike Shanley to discuss the role of the US military and USAID in US foreign policy. They discuss how organizations that work in peace building and high conflict settings can better understand the military, their perspectives, and how they can most effectively engage with countries that need aid. General Casey describes how he managed military relationships during the Iraq war and what he sees happening with the current wars in Gaza and Ukraine. He provides insight into the shift happening in the global power balance with China trying to take control. Towards the end, General Casey describes how he managed an organization as massive as the US Army. Tune in to hear more about General Casey's views and why the foreign aid budget is critical to maintain.    IN THIS EPISODE: [0:58] Mike shares General Casey's background. [3:07] General Casey explains what the quote “If you cut there, if you don't fully fund the State Department, you need to buy more ammunition” means. [5:13] General Casey shares his thoughts on the foreign aid budget. [7:42] How should defense, diplomacy, and development play roles together? [10:01] General Casey provides 2 examples of how to best coordinate with the military. [17:36] General Casey shares some lessons learned when overseeing reconstruction while conflict is happening and after the conflict has quieted.  [20:56] What is the best way for USAID/NGOs to communicate with the military?  [23:05] How can Gaza and Ukraine be supported now and in the future for reconstruction?  [28:10] General Casey discusses how to approach building trust and gaining insight into what the countries need.  [31:23] What will support mean in the short term and long term for Ukraine?  [37:18] What is General Casey's insight about the 5 senior members of the Russian military being reassigned or arrested?  [41:12] Is there a shift happening right now in the global power balance?  [51:15] How did General Casey manage an organization level as massive as the ones he managed?  [1:00:34] What would General Casey say to politicians that want to cut foreign aid?   QUOTES: [6:17] “And the farmer said that it allowed him to triple his output, and because he could triple his output, he could then afford to send his children to school. In the grand scheme of things, that might seem like a small thing, but it's a huge thing to the people that it impacts.” - General Casey [52:23] “I think that's the bane of every leader's existence today, things are changing so fast that if you try to just keep doing the same thing, it's not going to work and you're not going to get ahead.” - General Casey [59:39] “Vision, courage, character and offensive mindset. That's what I believe it takes to lead effectively in any organization, public or private sector today.” - General Casey   RESOURCES: Supporting Veterans After 50 Years of the All-Volunteer Force and 20 Years of War: Ideas Moving Forward-Book Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHIES:  General George W. Casey, Jr., enjoyed a 41-year career in the US Army following his graduation from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1970. He is an accomplished soldier and an authority on strategic leadership. As the Army Chief of Staff, he led one of the nation's largest and most complex organizations during one of the most extraordinary periods in our history. He is widely credited with restoring balance to a war-weary Army and leading the transformation to keep it relevant in the 21st Century. Prior to this, from July 2004 to February 2007, he commanded the Multi-National Force – Iraq, a coalition of more than 30 countries, where he guided the Iraq mission through its toughest days. Currently, he lectures internationally on leadership to the leaders of national and multinational corporations and at other business schools. He serves on corporate boards and numerous boards of organizations that support our servicemen and women, our veterans, and their families. He also teaches international relations at the Korbel School in Denver. Casey has published a book, Strategic Reflections, Operation Iraqi Freedom, July 2004-2007 (October 2012), about his experiences in Iraq, and two articles on leadership: Leading in a VUCA World, Fortune Magazine (March 20, 2014), and Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous: Leadership Lessons from Iraq, Chapter 1, Changing Mindsets to Transform Security, (December 2013). Casey holds a master's degree in international relations from University of Denver and served as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States, a foreign policy think-tank. He has broad international experience. Born in Japan, he served in operational assignments in Europe, the Balkans, and the Middle East.

Brittany Brown, Acting Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, joins Mike Shanley to discuss the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI). OTI has been an ongoing effort for 30 years, and Brittany shares some of their successes with working in other countries. Localization is a large aspect of the work that OTI is focused on, by working with local partners and change makers to ensure that everyone has a buy-in on the project a grant is funding. OTI partners with the National Security Council, State Department, and DOD in a variety of ways, and with someone from the OTI team on the Administration this year, they are seeing success with educating the government on impacts of certain decisions.   IN THIS EPISODE: [1:17] Brittany covers some of the key successes and lessons learned across 30 years of OTI.  [4:00] Brittany shares an example of the OTI's work in Libya.  [6:30] Brittany shares about the work that has been done in Columbia. [9:55] How does OTI work with local partners and what lessons can they share with other parts of USAID to best implement localization agendas and engage local partners? [18:22] Brittany explains how OTI engages with the National Security Council. [18:22] How does OTI work together with the State Department and DOD? [20:50] What are some of the innovations and challenges that OTI has come up with?  [23:00] Brittany shares what initiatives and strategies she is excited about looking forward to with OTI.  [28:22] Brittany talks about how impactful it is when everyone works together on a project.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:  [3:30] OTI goes to countries to create a collaborative model, where everyone has buy-in. It isn't only the U.S. Government that determines what they need, instead it is the country requesting what they need, and then everyone working together to make that happen.  [24:00] One of the reasons that OTI is an important organization is because they are limited and can be very targeted in the places they are engaging. They typically only have around 15 programs happening at any moment.  [27:26] None of us are as smart as all of us thinking together. There are a lot of creative ways that can help get things done better and differently than before, and those ideas will come with everyone working together.  QUOTES: [5:00] “We started asking the displaced people, what would it take for you to return? What is it, what do you need to return to Sirte, and then we immediately started doing the things they were asking for. So that meant we were just restoring regular services. It meant just government services, it meant sewage and trash collection, it meant running water, access to running water, it meant schools actually had to be functioning. It meant healthcare systems had to be stood up. We had to start cleaning up graffiti and signage that was left over from the ISIS occupation to make people feel like they actually had a future for themselves and their kids” - Brittany Brown [12:44] “We don't have the brilliant ideas. It's actually the people who live in these communities and understand the local context, the local dynamics about what is happening, and it's using systems that already exist in these countries.” - Brittany Brown [27:25] “I think government bureaucrats get a bad rap for not being innovative and creative in these different ways. Everytime I interact with anyone in this building at the state department, anywhere else, there are these big, brilliant change makers in government that are thinking about how we do things better. They also are very open to ideas from the outside.” - Brittany Brown RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHY:  Brittany Brown serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS). She was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to also serve as the Director for the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in CPS. Prior to OTI, Brittany worked as the Chief of Staff at the International Crisis Group after more than a decade in the U.S. Government, working for a range of government agencies, including USAID, the U.S. Departments of Justice, State, and Defense, and both the Obama and Trump White Houses. She served on the staff of the National Security Council as the acting Senior Director for African Affairs under the Trump Administration, and as the National Security Council's Horn of Africa Director under President Obama. Brittany began her government career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Before joining the U.S. Government, she worked with juvenile detainees and children in the foster care system. She also managed a GED program for women awaiting trial at Chicago's Cook County Jail. She holds a Bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

Listen in as Rear Admiral Garry Hall, a seasoned leader with a storied career spanning the United States Navy and the National Security Council, as he navigates the waters of leadership, geopolitics, and humanitarianism. With insights gathered from commanding naval ships to advising on national security affairs, Admiral Hall brings a unique perspective to the airwaves. Tune in to gain exclusive access to captivating stories, expert analysis, and actionable strategies for success, all delivered with wit, wisdom, and a touch of salty sea breeze. Welcome aboard "The Admiral's Almanac," where excellence is not just a goal—it's a way of life.     He served as Executive Director of the Association of the US Navy, received a political appointment to serve as a Senior Director on the National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. On the NSC he was responsible for Human Rights, Humanitarian Assistance, Immigration and Migration, Atrocity Prevention, United Nations Operations, Democracies, and Fragile States. In support of these portfolios, he led a team of career professionals dedicated to each of these functional areas. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy he served 35 years on active duty. A naval aviator, he flew anti-submarine warfare helicopters and commanded two squadrons. Additionally, he commanded the capitol ship USS Tarawa LHA 1, which had a compliment of 1000 Sailors, 2000 Marines, 32 aircraft and 3 landing craft. As a Flag Officer he served as General Tommy Franks Information Operations Officer at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, served with NATO in the United Kingdom, commanded an Expeditionary Strike Group deployed to the Middle East, and led a Senior Service college at National Defense University. In retirement from the Navy he serves the Catholic Church bringing operation risk management to the protection of children and young adults. He served on the National Review Board for 4 years advising the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops on child protection. He is currently the Chairman of the Archbishop of the of the Military Admiral Hall holds a B.S. in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MBA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and is a graduate of National Defense University's Capstone Course. The Admiral is the host of the popular podcast, The Admiral's Almanac, and is the author of his recently published book, Navigating Leadership, Making a PACT with Excellence.              

Randy Tift, Former USAID Chief A&A Policy Officer, joins Mike Shanley as co-host, along with guest Michael Metzler, Executive Director of USAID's Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Hub. As the first formalized private sector engagement office, USAID is the longest running donor in the space. USAID's influence continues to evolve, especially as more U.S. foreign assistance professionals are shifting their focus towards the local development of communities and engaging in the private sector space. With this shift comes the need for new policies and strategies necessary to streamline future projects and to support complex relationships between USAID and private sectors. This impactful discussion focuses on USAID's Private Sector Engagement's (PSE) priorities and progress, learning from PSE USAID projects, PSE and localization, and USAID and impact investing.  IN THIS EPISODE: [3:53] Michael Metzler gives a rundown of the history of USAID's Private Sector Engagement. [7:00] What inspired USAID to shift their focus to the commercial interests of their private sector partners and how has this shift benefited USAID and their private partners?  [12:44] Michael touches on why USAID is such a great resource for private sectors and local partners trying to establish themselves to tap into.  [15:00] Randy introduces PSE Modernize, the overarching term for several initiatives that USAID has launched to track the agency's private sector partnerships, and to bring data to bear for USAID planners, both in the missions and in DC. This has brought more order to managing PSE partners, resulting in a real system for customer relationship management and knowledge management. Michael shares his thoughts on the launch. [23:00] Michael discusses Compass, the Salesforce-based enterprise customer relationship management system that USAID is preparing to launch. He also touches on the staff that will be running and implementing Compass.  [28:25] Randy asks Michael how USAID will engage with companies that work through supply chains, that cross borders, or work across sectors and industries? How will USAID incentivize the support for those complex relationships with their workforce? [34:00] Discussion of the A&A Strategy and the Private Sector Engagement Policy, both launched in December of 2018. What has been accomplished and learned throughout the years since these launches? [42:00] Michael touches on the Unlock Aid Organization.  [45:43] How has USAID developed and updated their systems to better assist local partners and private sectors?  [52:38] Randy inquires about the continuing role of nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits in private sector engagement and relationships with the Development Finance Corporation. [58:30] Michael touches on the Edge Fund and why it was created. KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Many U.S. foreign assistance professionals disagreed on the importance of  engaging with multinational corporations, and even local firms, whose primary motive is mere profit. But there's really been a major shift in terms of the development community and engaging the private sector.  USAID founded the first formalized private sector engagement office in 2000 with the intention to formalize an approach and its thinking around engaging with the private sector. The Private Sector Engagement Policy and the A&A Strategy, both firsts of their kind, were both released in December of 2018. Michael reflects on that time period and what the resulting awards have accomplished. When the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) was created, there was a significant hole in the agency in terms of its ability to transact. Thus, the Mission Transaction Unit was created to allow for the transaction that USAID brings into the DFC. QUOTES: “Focusing on the actual commercial interests of our private sector partners is not only a good thing to do, it's an absolutely necessary thing to do. In fact, we went further than that and said, it's actually a history of how we are going to do development into the future. So out of that recognition came the first ever PSE policy for the agency, and, if you read the policy, you will see that it presents a very bold vision.” - Michael Metzler “USAID has one of the best networks in the business community, as well as a wide team of experts in all technical areas. These are areas that private sectors would like to tap into. USAID has some of the best reputations and the best connections with government officials that can be leveraged. For a company that's coming from the outside that is trying to establish themselves, that is gold.” - Michael Metzler “It's remarkable for partners to know that for any private sector engagement concern, they can find out who those people are. For various reasons, including security, most technical leads for health or food security are not listed, you have to do research to find out who they are. But with PSE, you know who they are, it's public.” - Randy Tift “Localization, I also read as not just localized within the countries themselves, but actually engaging these smaller businesses that do struggle to break into larger contracts.” - Michael Metzler RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast  Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Randy Tift - LinkedIn BIOGRAPHIES: Michael Metzler, Executive Director, USAID Private Sector Engagement Hub: Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator Michael Metzler oversees IPI's Private Sector Engagement Hub, the Center for Economics and Market Development, and manages the Agency's relationship with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Mr. Metzler was previously the Executive Director of IPI's Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Hub.  Previously, Mr. Metzler was the Director of USAID's Development Credit Authority (DCA)  in which he successfully led efforts that mobilized over $6 billion of new financing for development projects in over 80 countries. He was also a leading Agency voice on the development of the BUILD Act, which created the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and managed the successful merger of the DCA office and program into the DFC. Prior to his DCA work, Mr. Metzler served as the Director of USAID's Economic Growth Office in Serbia, where he managed a diverse portfolio of projects focused on regulatory reform, local economic development, agriculture, enterprise competitiveness and economic security. Mr. Metzler has also served as a special assistant and adviser to several USAID administrators on issues related to financial markets, macroeconomic policy and regulatory reform. Before joining USAID, he was the director of a national house-building program for Habitat for Humanity International and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Nepal. Mr. Metzler is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, where he studied development finance and economics.   Randy Tift, Former USAID Chief A&A Policy Officer: J. Randall (Randy) Tift is an advisor / consultant to international development organizations. He led a USAID reform initiative in 2017-21. Previously, he served on US Congressional staff, in field-based operations in global development, and as a policy manager in international affairs focused on relief and development, democracy, human rights, and national security. At USAID Randy served as Chief Acquisition and Assistance Policy Officer and as Senior Leader Champion for USAID's Effective Partnering and Procurement Reform (EPPR). EPPR established reforms in program cycle, partnering approaches and delivery mechanisms for more than $20 billion in annual USAID funding. Through EPPR and the New Partnerships Initiative, USAID continues to advance locally-led development, adaptive and collaborative programming, and diversification of the USAID partner base. From 2006-2017, Randy was Senior Adviser and Senior Director for Policy at World Vision. In this role, Randy managed WV policy engagement with US executive branch agencies in crisis response, operational risk, program effectiveness in fragile states, civil society strengthening, human rights, counter-terrorism, and other issues affecting WV brand, mission, and message. He coordinated US donor support for field programs promoting local advocacy and policy change as a critical driver of development outcomes in over 40 countries. From 1995-2006, Randy managed international development programs in the Balkans. As Chief of Party in Serbia, he managed the $50 million USAID Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program, supporting post-conflict civic participation, economic growth and income generation, stabilization and reconstruction assistance to Serbia. Randy also served as USAID Senior Adviser for Democracy and Governance in Romania, managing a portfolio of a dozen US and local implementing partners building coalitions for reform, promoting programs to remove barriers to free enterprise and economic growth, supporting independent media, and strengthening Romanian democratic institutions. Earlier, Randy served as coordinator of the US Congressional assistance program in the Romanian Parliament.

From frontline female combatants with the People's Defence Force in Myanmar to queer Syrian refugees living in displacement in Lebanon, from seasonal workers on the factory floor of textile companies in Bangladesh to adolescents vulnerable to early marriage to fighters of armed groups in Somalia, the need of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is ubiquitous, stark and often gendered in various humanitarian settings. It concerns a wide range of issues, including fertility, maternal and child health, menstrual health, contraceptive service and safe abortion as well as prevention and treatment of HIV and STIs, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) services. In this post, MSF Humanitarian Affairs Analyst Peixuan Xie examines the gendered nature of SRHR needs and progressive potential of leveraging feminist methods for inclusive SRHR in humanitarian assistance and in post-humanitarian transition, arguing that feminist analysis could help unveil the continuum and power dynamics of SRHR deprivation and that the fulfilment of SRHR by concerted humanitarian efforts aides the realization of human security, inclusion and bodily autonomy.

Today's episode features Chief Operating Officer, Christy Hollywood and Manager, Olivia Tisa from the Konektid International team. This discussion focuses on various trends in the USAID funding market, including business development, small business expansion, budget updates, and proposal trends. Christy highlights the importance of transparency in contract mechanisms and discusses budget cuts and increases in different funding areas. Olivia mentions opportunity and changes in proposal presentation, emphasizing the significance of go/no-go decisions and small business opportunities. The team also touches on the impact they are seeing from AI tools and the upcoming small business conference. Join today's conversation for an inside look into Konektid International's work and trajectory for 2024.  IN THIS EPISODE: [1:00] Christy Hollywood discusses Konektid's market trends, budget, and business developments in the USAID's funding market. [4:27] Olivia Tisa shares USAID proposal trends for this spring and how they are similar and different from last spring. [5:45] QASP, known as the Quality Assurance Plan, and Performance Work Statements have become mainstream at USAID.  [6:50] Olivia discusses the intentionality of go/no-go decisions among small business proposals as well as how AI is impacting client portfolios. [8:25] Mike touches on USAID's upcoming small business conference in mid-May and shares how to register. [9:00] 2024 is an election year. Christy shares how this could potentially affect the USAID market and partners. [13:00] Christy and Mike discuss what organizations should focus on and questions they should ask when preparing for the 2024 election.  [16:20] Olivia shares her takeaways from Administrator Samantha Powers's key note speech.  [21:30] Despite oncoming changes due to the election, some things will stay the same. Olivia notes what matters most is the important work that needs to be done.  [22:00] Christy shares what she believes will stay the same, regardless of the election results. [22:30] Mike notes that past performance and expertise is never compromised, even when new initiatives are implemented.  24:30] Christy advises organizations to start early and utilize your local partner network. Olivia's advice is to diversify your organization and adapt in order to meet the moment and changing trends.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Olivia notes the delays in RFP releases, which can impact the organizational capacity of USAID partners and konektid clients as they are preparing for opportunities and changes they will face this spring.  Now is the time to start scenario planning for the 2024 election, to prepare for any changes that may come based on the outcome of the 2024 election. Christy suggests that organizations think about how a change in leadership could affect their operations, regardless of the election outcome. She anticipates continued streamlining of procurement processes and an increase in localization of partner bases, with the intensity of these trends varying based on the election results. Christy advises organizations to assess their current portfolios and align them with different potential priorities based on the election results. By focusing on impact, return on investment, and the why behind their work, organizations can better position themselves for potential changes in government priorities. With the upcoming election, many things will stay the same and some changes can be expected. Regardless of the results of the election, there will still be work that needs to be done and that work matters.  Quotes:  “This is a great time to start scenario planning, eight to nine months out from January, and to really think about what a change might mean for your organization as you are planning. Regardless of who wins the election this time, we are going to see some continued streamlining of procurement and increased localization of the partner-base, which will vary in intensity, depending on who wins.” - Christy Hollywood “What's going to stay the same is the emphasis on localization and working with partners. The work here is still important, there is still work that needs to be done that is needed, however what it manifests as in terms of how it's proposed or what focus areas are prioritized are going to be what we see changing.” Olivia Tisa “With my time in the market, what I've seen over and over is that even with new initiatives, whether it is USAID forward, localization, or new partnership initiative, one thing that is never compromised is past performance and expertise.” Mike Shanley RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast  Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Christy Hollywood LinkedIn Olivia Tisa LinkedIn  

A senior U.S. official says the United States is extending more than 47 million dollars in humanitarian assistance for the emergency response in Sudan and neighboring countries, including Chad and South Sudan. From the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Reuben Kyama report

This Aid Market Podcast episode features an interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, focusing on her peacebuilding work in Liberia and offering advice to peacebuilding organizations and donors. The conversation touches on the success factors of her peace movement, the role of international organizations in conflict prevention, and the challenges faced by grassroots women's organizations. Thank you to Ebenezer Norman and A New Dimension of Hope (https://ndhope.org/) for co-hosting this episode. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:18] Leymah discusses the success factors of her peace movement, highlighting the unity of the group and their shared ambition to end the war as key drivers. [04:41] The discussion shifts to the role of large donors like USAID and the UN, where Leymah criticizes the way funding is often channeled through middle or large humanitarian organizations instead of directly supporting grassroots organizations. [07:12] The episode concludes with information on how to support Leymah Gbowee's organization, the Gbowee Peace Foundation. KEY TAKEAWAYS:  The success of Leymah Gbowee's peace movement in Liberia was driven by the unity of the group, which transcended divisions and brought together people from various backgrounds, including different religious and political affiliations. Large international donors should direct more funding and support to grassroots organizations, especially those led by women, which often face challenges in accessing resources due to their lack of formal registration. Those interested in supporting Leymah Gbowee's organization can visit the Gbowee Peace Foundation's website or social media profiles to donate or learn more about their work. Quotes:  "Our ability to transcend the issues that divided us, we recognize that we have more to gain by being together, and we have a lot more to lose by being apart." - Leymah Gbowee RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast  Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Gbowee Peace Foundation A New Dimension of Hope Website Co-Host: https://www.ndhope.org/ Leymah Roberta Gbowee (Leymah Roberta Gbowee was born on February 1, 1972, in Monrovia, Liberia.  She was seventeen years old when the Liberian civil war started and turned her, in her own words, “from a child into an adult in a matter of hours.” Inspired by a dream and as a person of faith, she organized her fellow Christian women to mobilize for peace. She then collaborated with a Muslim partner to build an unprecedented coalition with Muslim women, giving rise to the interfaith movement known as the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace (which operated under the auspices of WIPNET).  (Source: https://gboweepeaceafrica.org/our-story)  

Today on The Aid Market Podcast, Mike Shanley is joined by Catalina Escobar, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of MAKAIA and Awele Okigbo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Credo Advisory. Today's discussion focuses on the concept of localization in development work, particularly in the context of USAID partnerships. Catalina Escobar and Awele Okigbo, share their perspectives on what localization means to them, the role of local partners, and the importance of empowering local actors in driving change and development interventions. Tune in today to hear from local partners with their perspective on USAID's localization initiative, locally-led development, and how to best work with local partners. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:12] Awele and Catalina share their thoughts and perspective on localization and the importance of when and how local partners are involved in the project's development and implementation.  [05:30] Catalina shares what being a local partner means.  [07:45] Awele believes that a local partner has a vested interest in the project because it is their community. [12:45] Catalina explains why it is critical to know the local systems and local policies, which can take years.  [16:45] Awele discusses areas of USAID's success and areas for growth in their localization efforts. How can other donors successfully incorporate this growth into their programs? [18:37] Catalina touches on strategy vs implementation. On paper, implementation can look straightforward, however the act of implementation can be more challenging.  [27:28] Catalina breaks down the 5 principles of the Paris Declaration, which she believes are crucial for local development. She then explains how localization is measured and reported and what she will  be looking at in 2024 to monitor and see how the conversation around localization is evolving. [30:37] Awele shares what she will be looking at to see how the localization conversation and priorities are evolving throughout 2024.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Localization is leveraging local actors and experts to become leaders. Localization involves recognizing and incorporating local knowledge, expertise, systems, and politics in project design and implementation. Nobody knows the community more than the members of the community and it is paramount that USAID includes local partners in the early stages of planning and implementation.  Localization is meant to foster the empowerment of communities while building capacity and leveraging their social systems and structure to equip them with the resources and ability to become leaders. This is why it is crucial to increase the percentage of funds going to local organizations and ensure diversity in the organizations receiving international funding to avoid concentration of resources in a few entities. There is a need to measure the impact of development efforts not just in terms of successful project delivery but also in terms of how the local economy and talent pool have improved over time, highlighting the importance of local expertise and knowledge building. RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Catalina Escobar - LinkedIn Awele Okigbo - LinkedIn BIOGRAPHIES:  Catalina Escobar, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, MAKAIA is a Civil society leader and social entrepreneur with more than 23 years of experience in social sector, digital development and international cooperation. During six years, Catalina worked with the World Bank managing web related projects that promote collaboration and knowledge sharing. She has led MAKAIA since its inception in 2006 and during 11 years, transforming an idea into an organization that has served thousands of people, non-profits and social projects in Latin America. Since June 2017, Catalina has held a different role in MAKAIA, as Chief Strategy Officer with the objective of designing the long term strategy of the organization. She has a Mechanical Engineering degree, an MBA, a specialization in International Cooperation for Development, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management.  MAKAIA (www.MAKAIA.org) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes capacities for social development through cooperation, technology and innovation. MAKAIA´s work is implemented based on two pillars: (1) Technology for Social Change, (2) International Cooperation and Partnerships. In 2013 MAKAIA developed www.nodoka.co, a data and information driven initiative to promote resource mobilization, knowledge sharing and effectiveness in social sector. MAKAIA has worked with thousands of social organizations and people in Colombia and Latin America. Awele Okigbo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Credo Advisory is a leading strategic and development communications consultancy based in Abuja and Washington, DC. She is also the Host of Credo Voices, a podcast that highlights inspiring stories of everyday heroes – ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The podcast is a growing global community of change agents driving the Sustainable Development Goals. For over 25 years, she has led communications teams to raise awareness, build trust and effect change for institutions, including the United Nations, the United States Agency for International Development, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a World Bank consultant, Awele has experience working in Nigeria, Jordan, Sudan, Zambia, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and Kazakhstan, delivering reform communications programmes. In 2012, she was appointed as a Technical Advisor to the Presidential Task Force on Power and, in 2020, to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Before her consultancy work, she spent seven years with the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, supporting the launch of strategic operations in over 90 countries through communications and stakeholder engagement. In 2022, Awele was nominated and inducted into the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Community in recognition of being a changemaker catalysing action toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She is a regular industry speaker and a board member of the Thacher School, a co-educational boarding school in California that fosters academic excellence, character development, and community culture. Married with four children, Awele is an avid cyclist, a culinary enthusiast, and fluent in French. She is passionate about women's and children's rights.  

Mohamed Abdel-Kader, Chief Innovation Officer at USAID and Alexis Bonnell, Former Chief Innovation Officer at USAID, discussed the impact of AI and other machine learning tools. They explored the balance between the risks and rewards associated with these tools, reaching a consensus that AI can revolutionize USAID's impact when appropriately developed and utilized. The discussion emphasized the importance of developing AI to benefit all countries where USAID is active, not just English-speaking nations. Recognizing the rapid advancement of machine learning, the speakers stressed the need for precision and thoughtfulness in posing questions to AI, given its evolving nature. They also addressed issues of localization, pointing out the challenges when native languages are overlooked or when communities lack access to computers. Mike highlighted upcoming events for those interested in collaborating with USAID. On February 15th, SID-US will host its annual career fair, followed by the annual conference on April 26th in Washington, DC. He expressed his belief that this conference is a must-attend event of the year. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:53] Mike Shanley introduces today's guests and shares their backgrounds. [02:53] Mohamed describes his role at USAID as Chief Innovation Officer and talks about how technology is advancing with the advent of machine learning tools. [6:30] Mohamed touches on some of the early-use cases that he's seen of AI applications or other technologies. [12:47] Mohamed reflects on the potential risks AI presents and whether the good outweighs the bad.  [17:04] Alexis comments that we are navigating at a different rate of change in technology; therefore, we need to be intentional about how we use AI, and she provides an example of an experiment she led.  [26:08] Mohamed discusses the ethical development of AI, strengthening policies and systems that govern AI and accessing computing power in parts of the world where it's cost-prohibitive.  [31:38] Alexis discusses how the cultures and identities of different countries impact how you work with them. She describes a sector who asked themselves if they have been as innovative as they think they have been and how AI revealed a surprising result to their question. [38:42] Mohamad discusses the significance of localization in AI, emphasizing the interconnected nature of our world and the necessity of incorporating it into our AI tools. He notes that numerous countries are enthusiastic about AI, viewing it as a tool to propel their advancement. [46:00] Alexis says that there's a gold mine for all of the entities to bring unique applications to USAID, suggesting you can recycle or reuse proposals.  [52:34] The panelists leave advice to the listeners.  KEY TAKEAWAYS: Led by Mohamed Abdel-Kader, USAID's Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub, formerly known as the Global Development Lab, team is behind cutting edge tech development and approaches within the digital space. USAID strives to reach more people through innovative and cost effective approaches from cybersecurity, to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, digital finance, digital inclusion, and digital literacy. AI is an extremely powerful tool that is evolving and changing daily. With this, comes the risk that a lot of people will be left behind. But there's also tremendous opportunity in the AI space. USAID actively works to intentionally shape this technology to be useful for everyone, while exploring the practicalities of how they might achieve this goal.  USAID plays a unique role in fostering the ethical development of AI and other tools through various approaches. Mohamed and his team focus on utilizing the powerful tool of AI responsibly in environments where there are a lot of vulnerable people. USAID takes an ecosystem approach to discern how AI as a tool sits in the broader digital ecosystem within USAID's partner countries and how USAID can support the responsible use of AI and continue to shape that global agenda. They do this by strengthening the underlying policies and systems and civil society environment that shapes how AI is designed, developed, and deployed in partner countries, including the quality and representative data sets that are used to build these particular tools. RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Mohamed Abdel-Kader LinkedIn Alexis Bonnell LinkedIn Co-host Society for International Development-US USAID_Digital Twitter USAID Twitter USAID Innovates Twitter BIOGRAPHIES: Mohamed Abdel-Kader serves as USAID's Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub. In these roles, he oversees various Agency mechanisms to promote the application of innovation, technology, and research for greater aid effectiveness within USAID and the inter-agency, and with our partners in the international development community, private sector, and civil society. Prior to USAID, Mohamed advised companies, leading NGOs and multilateral organizations, foundations and educational institutions, and government agencies in addressing their most pressing challenges. He served in the Obama administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education in the U.S. Department of Education and later led the Aspen Institute's Stevens Initiative, an international ed-tech program. He has also served several postsecondary institutions in international strategy and major gift fundraising roles. A speaker of fluent Arabic and basic Spanish, Mohamed is a Truman National Security Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow, and the author of a children's book about stereotypes. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Clemson University, a Master's degree in Higher Education from Vanderbilt University, and an MBA from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. He is also a trustee of the Longview Foundation for International Education & World Affairs.   Alexis Bonnell is the Chief Information Officer and Director of the Digital Capabilities Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory, the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. She is responsible for developing and executing the AFRL Information Technology strategy, leading the strategic development of highly advanced next generation technologies and platforms for AFRL. Her focus includes catalyzing the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for air, space, and cyberspace forces via digital capabilities, IT infrastructure and technological innovation across the lab's operations and culture. She was one of the first employees of the Internet Trade Association, contributing to the early development and growth of the digital landscape. She has served in challenging environments, including warzones with the United Nations to support over $1B of critical DOD operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other operational theaters. She has contributed to dual-use technology and innovation culture across the DOD Innovation community including: AFWERX, AFRL, Kessel Run, NavalX, Marine Innovation Unit, Army Futures Command, DIU, Army Software Factory, DARPA and more. Prior to her current position, she was the Emerging Technology Evangelist at Google, driving the use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, cyber security/zero trust, API First, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and others to drive efficiency and innovation within government organizations, including tackling digital transformation in defense, healthcare, education, COVID response, natural disasters, supply chain, system/process modernization, hybrid workforce and more. Bonnell co-founded the Global Development Lab, the premier innovation lab of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), leveraging Global Allied Nation partnerships in Science, Technology, and Innovation, reviewing over 25,000 game changing innovations and technologies, funding 1,200 of them. She served as USAID's Chief Innovation Officer, receiving the first 10/10 for innovation in the Results For America Rankings. She was named in the Fed 100 in 2020. She also assisted with major platform and technology transitions, drove hybrid work adoption, countering malign nation initiatives and global cyber security programming.

Today, panelists, Ashley Frost and James Maloney, Deputy Directors, Office of HIV/AIDS USAID, discussed USAID's localization initiative, locally-led development, and the importance of diversified local partners. They discuss USAID's Global Health work, how USAID supported PEPFAR and the successes it has enjoyed, including statistics of lives saved and changed.   James Maloney and Ashley Frost share the new PEPFAR five-year strategy, the USAID Approach to HIV and Optimized Programming (AHOP). AHOP is a framework for USAID to employ assets through efficient, measured, and simplified programmatic approaches to ensure resilient and country-led approaches to the HIV response. The AHOP defines five critical pathways through which USAID will assist countries in sustaining epidemic control and accelerating progress in those that have not yet achieved the 95-95-95 goals. Each pathway outlines planned results and time-bound milestones. If this resonates with you, share successes with Congress to fund the five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR.   IN THIS EPISODE: [00:32] Mike Shanley outlines key talking points regarding the accomplishments that PEPFAR has achieved over the last 20 years, delivering unprecedented impact in the global fight against HIV AIDS.  [02:57] Ashley Frost and James Maloney describe their roles at USAID as Deputy Directors.  [04:40] Discussion where funding originates, the investments they make at the primary healthcare level, and successes they have accomplished through PEPFAR, stating that USAID is the largest donor and they are advancing work in the HIV vaccine space.  [11:00] James shares statistics of the impact made in the world attributed to PEPFAR and reflects on the history of growth and prevention.  [14:50] Discussion of localization, local entities and partners and relationships within country-led staff and senior diplomats in their countries.         [20:06] Looking forward to goals and objectives, James discusses the AHOP framework in response to HIV.  [25:24] Ashley comments on the importance of keeping an open dialogue between all partners within the HIV AIDS space, and James outlines the importance of seeing the 5-year reauthorization of PEPFAR.    KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Oftentimes, hospitals and building new infrastructure is what gets a “ribbon cutting”, but in terms of buying the best health outcome with USAID's investments from U.S. taxpayers, the first area of importance is investments made at a primary care level, which will most impact healthcare outcomes, saving lives and supporting healthy lives. The second thing that drives a lot of USAID's investments across individual disease or health areas is health security. Much of PEPFAR's success lies in engaging with local partners. With regard to localization, the Office of HIV AIDS and the Global Health Bureau have been the front runners in the agency and have been able to guide our agency in these spaces. Right now, about 58 percent of our resources are implemented through local entities, and those sets of partners have been diversified. Small business engagement in the U.S. is essential and has much to offer to the work we can accomplish together. More significant international partners have specific skill sets that are necessary for USAID. As we think about localization, everyone needs to think outside the box and remember that one size does not fit all.  By the end of 2025, the vision is to help countries reach what the USAID calls the global commitment of 95-95-95 goals. That means that 95 percent of those who have HIV know their status. 95 percent of those individuals are on treatment, and 95 percent of those individuals would be virally suppressed. The AHOP defines five critical pathways through which USAID will assist countries in attaining these goals.  RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube Mike Shanley - LinkedIn James Maloney - LinkedIn USAID Approach to HIV and Optimized Programming   BIOGRAPHIES:  James Maloney has served as the Deputy Director for the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) within the Global Health Bureau at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) since March 2020. OHA provides overall programmatic guidance for USAID's implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and oversight of $4 billion in 53 countries. In March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, James was asked to support the National Security Council Global Health Development Directorate and serve as the Coordinator for the Ukraine and Regional Health working group. In October 2022, James was designated as the Senior Operations Official for the Global Mpox Response Team and has led coordination of the United States' global response to mpox. Previously, James led the Supply Chain for Health Division at USAID overseeing over $700 million per year in HIV commodity procurement and supply chain management to advance HIV epidemic control and strengthen the capacity of countries to manage health supply chains. Prior to joining USAID Washington, James served as Senior Technical Advisor from 2015 to 2018 with USAID Haiti managing primary health care and supply chain programs to improve the availability, quality and utilization of health services in the areas of maternal and child health, HIV and TB, reproductive health, nutrition, and WASH. Prior to Haiti, James worked in South Africa from January 2010 with the Department of State and served as the Country Coordinator for PEPFAR and lead the U.S. Government's interagency response to HIV/AIDS in South Africa.     Ashley Frost joined the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) as Deputy Director in August 2023. As a Foreign Service Officer, she most recently served as Health Office Director for USAID/Southern Africa. Over the last decade, she has served as Deputy Director for Operations, Care and Treatment Lead, and Strategic Information (SI) Lead, supporting USAID's PEPFAR programming in South Africa, Zambia, and Guatemala/Central America. Ashley holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from Penn State University, and her academic work includes quantitative and qualitative research in HIV, reproductive health, and gender. Before joining USAID in 2011, she worked with Congressional staff members, international researchers, policymakers, and program managers to improve evidence-based decisions for public health outcomes. She served as an education Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa. Fun Facts: Ashley has three sons (ages 12, 9, and 9), and they do many sports as a family! They spend their free time jogging, biking, hiking, and attending many soccer games. Ashley and her husband, Jason, are section hiking the Appalachian trail each year and have walked through Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee together. Degrees: MA, PhD in Sociology and Demography, Languages: English, Spanish, French (comprehension)  

In a discussion about funding trends and market insights for business development at USAID, panelists highlighted key themes including the emphasis on localization, the impact of supplemental funding, and the necessity of adaptability in response to changing funding patterns.    The panelists stressed the importance of engaging with local and private sector actors for sustainable impact solutions and innovation. Additionally, they discussed effective preparation for phased procurements, addressing challenges like startup costs, and maintaining flexibility in response to changing funding patterns. They emphasized the need to be proactive and adaptive in navigating the evolving USAID partnering landscape.   IN THIS EPISODE:   [01:30] Discussion on the key trend of localization and locally-led development in 2023, with insights from Moges Gebremedhin [09:31] Caroline Denman discusses the conflict funding, program investments and transition initiatives [13:54] Matt Swaim shares insights on the integration of AI tools in the industry, emphasizing their potential to accelerate work and advance development goals [17:11] Caroline Denman discusses the trend of major prime implementers having regional offices around the world, emphasizing the importance of localized solutions and engagement with national partners [25:14] The link between private sector engagement and locally-led development, emphasizing the role of the private sector in sustaining initiatives [35:27] Insights on supplemental funding and the need for adaptability in response to changing funding patterns [39:19] Caroline Denman discusses the impact of naming key personnel and the challenges related to startup in project implementation [42:00] Transition to preparing for 2024, with panelists sharing their thoughts on key indicators and changes for the upcoming year [51:35] Christy wraps up with the key takeaways   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Localization and locally-led development have been significant trends in USAID partnering in 2023. There is a strong emphasis on engaging local actors and building partnerships to facilitate sustainable business solutions and innovation. This trend has implications for project design, implementation, and the ability to deliver quick impactful results The phased procurement process, particularly the changing requirements on timing to name key personnel, have implications for project startup and implementation. The process can be costly and requires adaptability and resources to ensure a strong start to project implementation Private sector engagement and the cost of engaging local partners are important considerations for sustainability in the localization initiative. The cost of writing a prime USAID proposal and the need to build partnerships with local firms are key factors in the evolving landscape of USAID partnering Looking ahead to 2024, an election year, considerations include potential government shutdowns, laddered budgets, and USAID procurement process.  RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Christy Hollywood - LinkedIn Matt Swaim - LinkedIn Matt Swaim Chemonics - Website Dragana Veskov - LinkedIn DraganaVeskov - Website Moges Gebremedhin Caroline Denman  RTI - LinkedIn   BIOGRAPHIES:     Dragana Veskov is a seasoned expert in business development and project management with over three decades of progressive leadership experience. In her recent role as Director of Business Development at FHI360, Dr. Veskov leads new business initiatives, overseeing an impressive annual sales volume of approximately $1 billion. Dr. Veskov has established and nurtured strong relationships with key stakeholders, including USAID, FCDO, NORAD, The World Bank, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and private donors.    Moges Gebremedhin is RTI's Regional Director for Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr. Gebremedhin provides technical and operational support for RTI's USAID-funded programs and partners in the region. Working across RTI's technical divisions and experts, he connects RTI research and solutions with opportunities for impact in the region.    Matt Swaim has been with Chemonics for ten years and currently serves as the Business Development Advisor for the Asia Region. He specializes in writing winning proposals for USAID-funded contracts in the areas of economic growth, promoting sustainable agriculture, and advancing democratic governance. He also serves on Chemonics' LGBTQ+ Inclusion Technical Working Group which develops approaches and thought leadership in advancing inclusion for the global community.   Caroline Denman15 years of field-based technical experience spans economic growth, good governance, stabilization and transition, education, refugee response, gender inclusion, and climate-smart agriculture in over 20 countries around the world, including long term assignments in the Middle East and North Africa. In her current role as Deputy Director for Business Development with DT Global, she leads proposal strategy, development, and learning for large, complex USAID bids, in addition to overseeing efforts for proposal training, industry outreach and positioning, and generating best practices for effective, competitive activity design.  

The Aid Market Podcast, hosted by Mike Shanley, explores USAID growth strategies, including bootstrapping, external investment, and mergers & acquisitions (M&A). Guests Keith Ives, CEO of Causal Design, and Santiago Sedaca, President of Empower International Development, share their experiences and insights. Edward Williams,  partner at Williams LLP, joins the conversation to discuss legal considerations in M&A. The discussion concludes with Christy Hollywood, COO of Konektid, who provides a summary of the key takeaways. Throughout the episode, guests share their experiences and insights on regulatory compliance, due diligence, and the importance of relationships in government contracting. The conversation also emphasizes the value of M&A for career opportunities and impactful development work, highlighting the legal and financial considerations involved. Clear communication, cultural fit, and market understanding are highlighted as crucial factors in ensuring successful acquisitions. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:44] Keith Ives reflects on his educational and business background, culminating in his being a founding partner in Causal Design. [06:24] Keith discusses the importance of relationships and attendance at industry events. He also comments on the importance of independent CPA-reviewed financials.  [15:36] When should a firm start sponsoring events?  [18:23] Santiago Sedaca discusses mergers and acquisitions in the USAID market, and he reflects on the acquisition of his company by Palladium.  [25:20] Santiago describes the process of a merger or acquisition and how to prepare for them.  [36:17] Mike asks if localization plays into acquisitions, and Santiago comments on private equity firms buying up small businesses.  [41:46] Keith comments on not being a small business if acquired and doing a test run with contracts. Santiago points out that culture is a factor.  [46:52] Edward Williams describes what happens when a client wants to merge with or acquire another firm and whether there are additional complications if a non-US firm intends to acquire a US firm.   [55:54] Christy Hollywood shares her takeaways from today's conversation.    KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Building strong relationships with prime contractors and key players in the industry is crucial for success in the USAID market. Attending industry events and networking can open doors and create opportunities for collaboration. In USAID contracting and international development, successful mergers hinge on factors like net income, reputation, and strong market relationships. Cultural fit is vital, and post-acquisition success requires careful integration planning. The sector's low net income margins and minimal involvement of investments or private equity present unique challenges in M&A activities. The importance of understanding the "why" behind mergers and acquisitions, as it can be a mission-driven decision, not just a financial one. This understanding can provide opportunities for career advancement and better development work.   RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Causal Design - Website Keith Ives - LinkedIn Santiago Sedaca - LinkedIn Williams LLP - Website Edward Williams - LinkedIn Konektid - Website Christy Hollywood - LinkedIn   BIOGRAPHIES Santiago Sedaca Executive experience in thriving organizations (CARANA, Palladium, DT Global, Wise Responder) leading strategy, developing top performing teams, and managing large technical, business development and operations teams (1000+ people), producing market-leading financial results and social impact (managed $100 million+ P&L). Expert innovator in international development and commercial strategies in emerging markets, working across a range of disciplines with a strong track record in public-private partnerships, sustainability, innovative finance, private sector development, improved governance and natural resource management. Business Development track record, selling more than $700 million in new projects in the last ten years, with networks within USAID, FCDO, DFAT, MCC, DFC, multilateral agencies, and corporations, having worked in more than forty countries. Edward Williams is a powerful and efficient advocate for his clients. Since 2015, Super Lawyer has rated him a Rising Star in the area of commercial litigation.An experienced attorney with a long history of success in trial practice and transactional matters, T. Edward Williams is a skilled business attorney who have litigated cases involving in variety of business litigation cases, including partnership and shareholder disputes, employment law, uniform commercial code law, oil and gas law, and securities law. Edward is also skilled in bankruptcy and international arbitration matters.Edward has represented American and foreign companies in matters involving the Defend Trade Secrets Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, among others. Keith Ives is a project and policy leader passionate about evidence-based decision-making in development economics and humanitarian response. Before bringing the Causal Design team together, he consulted for The World Bank and worked for Georgetown University's Initiative on Innovation, Development, and Evaluation (gui2de) designing mobile phone-based surveys and managing randomized trials in Kenya and Nigeria. Keith has designed evaluations for the Liberian and Rwandan Ministries of Agriculture, executed a growth diagnostic for the Kurdistan Regional Government, coordinated humanitarian responses in Haiti, Nigeria, and the United States, managed economic development projects in Kenya and Burkina Faso, and led Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Christy Hollywood supports Konektid clients and consultants with skills honed during 20+ years of leadership in international development, professional services, and consulting organizations. She led a successful consulting firm of her own for 11 years. Earlier, she served as Vice President for BD of Cardno (a large USAID and MCC contractor, since acquired) and held pivotal business development roles at KPMG's Emerging Markets Group, RTI International, PATH, as well as Fidelity Investments and Noblis. A recognized expert in business development consulting, she's authored several articles and is five-time invited presenter at international conferences on proposal management, competitive intelligence, and business development.  

Two members of Congress, one from each side of the aisle and each branch of Congress, are currently under criminal indictment, yet are steadfastly clinging to their roles as lawmakers. In this episode, we've got the dirt straight from the criminal indictments of Rep. George Santos of New York and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Sen. Bob Menendez The Indictment Egypt Aysha Bagchi and Josh Meyer. November 13, 2023. USA Today. Mark Mazzetti and Vivian Yee. October 14, 2023. The New York Times. Larry Neumeister. October 12, 2023. AP. Nicole Hong et al. October 1, 2023. The New York Times. Jeremy M. Sharp. May 2, 2023. Congressional Research Service. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam October 24, 2020. BBC News. September 2, 2020. The New York Times. Marriage Nina Burleigh. October 31, 2023. Intelligencer. Previous Indictment Nick Corasaniti and Nate Schweber. November 16, 2017. The New York Times. April 1, 2015. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. Initial Appointment to Senate Marek Fuchs. December 9, 2005. The New York Times. Rep. George Santos The Indictment House Ethics Committee Investigation November 16, 2023. House Ethics Committee. November 9, 2023. House Ethics Committee, Investigative Subcommittee. Brazil Fraud Case Andrew DePietro. October 21, 2022. Forbes. Expulsion Attempts Kevin Freking. November 17, 2023. PBS NewsHour. Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves. November 2, 2023. AP. Wealthiest Districts Andrew DePietro. October 21, 2022. Forbes. IRS Doesn't Fight Dark Money Maya Miller. April 18, 2019. ProPublica. Bills Audio Sources October 28, 2023 Chat Box with David Cruz Clips 3:25 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): You know, I have drawn from my personal credit union savings account, for the better part of 30 years, $400 every week in cash. And while that may seem old fashioned, some people may think of it as crazy, the reality is that the government has those records. They have the accounts that show that and they chose not to use it. So, you know, this is why I look forward to being in a position to actually speak to these issues, so that New Jerseyans will have a different set of facts than the ones they have right now. 5:20 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I was not barred from going into an intelligence briefing. I still have all of my intelligence credentials. 7:20 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I have not missed a beat. I've been here for votes and for hearings, and for pursuing the issues that are important to the people in New Jersey. 11:35 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I still serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which gives me a perch on all of these global issues, and I am pursuing them in the same way as I did before. The difference is that I am not leading the [Senate Foreign Relations] Committee, but I am very much active in the Committee pursuing the things that I care about for New Jersey. 15:25 David Cruz: So the considerations that Egypt received, including getting a green light from your committee, the quid pro quo as it were, was Egypt behaving better in exchange for arms sales and other considerations? Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): Each consideration depended upon the nature of the sale, whether it was for example, defensive equipment, whether it was equipment for the Sinai, where they are playing a vital role for security with Israel, which everybody -- Democrats and Republicans -- have called for. So these followed the traditional uses of both foreign aid and arms sales in a way to ensure that the US national security interests was pursued and that's simply the case. 16:15 David Cruz: And in the case of one of your co-defendants receiving a contract to certify halal — Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I can't answer for my co-defendant, you'll have to ask him. David Cruz: Well, the question is, was it your relations with Egyptian officials that helped ease the way for him to get that contract? Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): David, there's a lot of suggestions. As a matter of fact, as I read the indictment, there's a lot of inferences, but not a lot of facts at the end of the day. Those inferences try to play and create a storyline. That is the most negative pejorative storyline you can create. But when those get challenged by the facts, as we will, in the legal proceedings that both motions and trials will allow us to do, then we will see a totally different story. May 27, 2021 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: Robert F. Godec, Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, United States Agency for International Development Clips Sen. Bob Menenedez (D-NJ): Then, finally, I will make a comment. It is not a question. I have spoken to the Egyptians on more than one occasion on this issue at their behest. I have a real sense that if the GERD issue is not dealt with in a way that assures them of their concerns about the Nile flowing into what would be the heart of their water supply in Egypt that they will do what is necessary. I do not like red lines, but they have suggested that they have red lines and I take them at their word that they have red lines. Not that they are desirous of doing that. They also have a very strong expression that they hope to have a resolution peacefully, but that they have their own red lines. I hope that we are engaging in that very robustly because the last thing we need, in addition to everything that is going on in Ethiopia, in addition to the possibility of a famine, to the sexual violence that is taking place, is to then have a military conflict over the GERD. So I just seriously hope we are fully engaged and understand where the parties are and how serious some of them are of purpose. Executive Producer Recommended Sources Music by Editing Production Assistance

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar will attend an international conference on Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza today in Paris This comes as an alliance of 13 major aid groups has urged world leaders to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. Speaking to Ciara this morning was Hannah McCarthy, a Journalist in Israel.

Guest: David Dayen is the executive editor of The American Prospect. He is the author of Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power.  His latest piece in American Prospect is The Agonizing Drift Toward Cease-Fire. The post The U.S. Military Aid for Israel, No Humanitarian Assistance for Gaza & the Calls for a Ceasefire appeared first on KPFA.

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When disasters hit, people want to help, and one of the best ways to do so is by donating money directly to disaster response organizations that are serving on the front lines. But as online fundraising becomes easier, scam artists are also getting more savvy, and people who want to support response efforts are increasingly suspicious, asking important questions like, "How can I be sure the money is being used the right way?" and "How do I even know whether this organization is really helping?" In this episode, we interview Michael Thatcher, CEO of Charity Navigator, a US-based non-profit organization whose mission is to make philanthropic giving more transparent by providing the tools and resources to help donors at any economic level give more effectively. Michael discusses the current state of philanthropic giving for disaster response, with real-life examples from recent disasters, as well as some tips and tools to help you decide which organizations to support when disaster strikes.Learn more about Charity Navigator by visiting their website.Follow Charity Navigator: LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | InstagramFollow Michael: LinkedIn | – – – – –Background on Charity Navigator (00:20)Example of How Charity Navigator Works (01:30)Trends in the Way People are Giving (04:10)Effects of Overfunding New Organizations (07:45)How the Rating System Works (10:50)Assessing Impact an Organization Has (16:35)Ways to Assess When They are not on Charity Navigator (20:25)Indirect vs Direct Expenses (25:10)Changes Michael has Seen and Trends for the Future (30:35)Support the show-- -- -- -- --HOST Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here. Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedInTheme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).

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The Israeli government has approved in a telephone referendum a funding framework to extend humanitarian assistance to refugees from the war in Ukraine. The cabinet approved an across-the-board budget cut for government ministries of 0.06 percent, in order to cover the estimated 40 million shekel cost of extending until the end of the year the humanitarian assistance, including health care coverage, to Ukrainian refugees who fled the war in their country and do not qualify to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. On August 9th, Israel had halted health coverage for the 14,000 Ukrainian refugees residing in the country, citing a lack of funding source. An earlier government pledge to renew the coverage was not implemented due to sparring among government ministries over who would shoulder the cost. Ahead of a scheduled High Court of Justice hearing of a petition that the humanitarian assistance be reinstated, the state informed the court that the prime minister would put forward a resolution with a funding framework. Yannai  Kanzler, director of the Open Clinic for Refugees and Migrants, at Physicians for Human  Rights Israel, which was one of the petitioners, spoke to KAN's Naomi Segal prior to the  government extension of the refugee assistance.  (Photo: Refugees from Ukraine arrive in Israel in 2022. Shutterstock)    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recorded: September 14, 2021    Join us for a virtual conversation with USAID's COVID Task Force. We look forward to hosting this event with their team to update the USAID partner community on their important work. This is also a great opportunity for new USAID partners to learn more about this crucial initiative. Learn more about USAID's COVID response here: https://www.usaid.gov/coronavirus Panelist Bios: Shanda Steimer, Director, Center for Nutrition at USAID Shanda Steimer is a career member of the United States Foreign Service with more than 20 years of development experience. Ms. Steimer has worked for USAID since 2002 and is currently detailed to the USAID COVID-19 Task Force, serving as the Pillar Lead for Programs and Strategic Planning. She is a health officer by background and has served in Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Uganda, Washington and Zambia, managing a diverse range of USAID portfolios primarily in health, but also in education, Feed the Future, Energy, Food for Peace and the Environment. Before joining the Task Force, Ms. Steimer was the Director for the Center for Nutrition in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security. Prior to joining USAID, Ms. Steimer worked for various international organizations, the private sector and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea. Ms. Steimer has a Master of Public Health degree in maternal and child health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Stephanie Fugate, Program Operations, COVID-19 Task Force at USAID Stephanie Fugate is currently the Program Operations/Management/Budget Lead for the USAID COVID Task Force (on detail from her role as Division Chief, Professional Development and Training). With over 15 years in international development, in both the public and private sector, she has served as Branch Chief/Supervisory Contracting Officer with USAID's Special Initiatives and Development Partners division, and Contracting Officer with USAID's Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance. She also held the role of USAID's first Coordinator for the Acquisition and Assistance Innovation Lab and remains a USAID Agency Innovation Advocate (AIA) to this day. Previously she held Contracting and Program Officer roles with the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance/Revenue Administration and Policy team which sits within the Treasury's International Affairs bureau where she was assigned to the Africa and Caribbean regions. Prior to joining the public sector, she worked for Chemonics International, Inc. where she was a Business Development Manager for the Africa region focused mainly on Eastern and Southern Africa. Ms. Fugate is a member of the NCMA Board of Advisors and holds a BA in International Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a MA in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University. Chuck Pope, A&A Strategy Lead, COVID-19 Task Force at USAID Charles S. “Chuck” Pope is the Senior Regional Advisor for the Middle East at USAID. Prior to that, he served as Chief of Operations in the Global Health Bureau providing senior leadership to the COVID-19 Response and current and future Supply Chain programming. Previous to that, he served the bureau as Deputy Assistant Administrator leading policy, programs, planning, innovation and systems. He started his career overseas in Russia as a Peace Corps volunteer attached to Moscow City Administration (Zelenograd Prefecture) working on NGO development. Afterwards, he went to work for IREX in Central Asia on the State Department's Internet Access and Training Program. IREX would later promote Chuck to Regional Director of the Caucasus overseeing all programs in the region. Peace Corps subsequently hired him as Administrative Officer to restart the program in Uzbekistan, which had been closed following 9/11. The program would grow to become one of the largest Peace Corps posts, with Chuck also serving a stint as acting Country Director. After his tour, the Peace Corps put Chuck in charge of training new Administrative Officers for overseas assignments. During this time, he also served the agency as the Financial and Administrative Officer of the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts, the historic deployment of the Peace Corps domestically. Chuck joined USAID's Foreign Service in 2007 and has served in Russia, Afghanistan, Tanzania and India. Prior to public service, Chuck grew up on his family's farm in Kansas and was an accomplished athlete, winning collegiate national championships as both a player and a coach, and garnering all-American accolades at the junior college level before going on to start at Baylor University as center on the football team.   ABOUT THE HOST:   The podcast is hosted by Mike Shanley, Founder and CEO of Konektid International and AidKonekt Data, the leading USAID partner support firms that help clients to grow their USAID funding portfolios. Mike has nearly two decades of experience in working with USAID projects and funding opportunities. His USAID funding expertise has been recognized by the largest aid and development associations, partners, and conferences, including by USAID, Devex, British Expertise International, AidEx, and by the Society for International Development-US where he also serves as Board Member.   Websites: Konektid International: www.konektid.com AidKonekt Data: https://www.aidkonekt.com/usaid-biz-dev Connect with Mike Shanley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konektid-usaid-specialists/

In the last month, the eyes of the international community have largely turned to Sudan, a North African country where political tensions have escalated into full-blown violence.The conflict is swiftly resulting in a large-scale refugee emergency as tens of thousands of Sudanese flee the country amid what looks to be a burgeoning civil war. Experts are calling it a rapidly developing humanitarian crisis.In this episode, Emma speaks with University of Denver Korbel School of International Studies professors Gary Grappo and Chen Reis about how Americans deal with diplomatic officials in war zones and about how humanitarian aid can make a difference in the developing crisis.Gary Grappo is a Distinguished Fellow and adjunct faculty at the University of Denver's Korbel School of International Studies. He is a career diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Oman. Grappo served all over the world, in countries from Nicaragua to Portugal to Saudi Arabia. He is also the founder and CEO of Equilibrium International Consulting, which “offers in-depth knowledge and real-world experience in and expertise on the Middle East to analyze, offer guidance and advice, write and speak on the region and other parts of the world.”Chen Reis is a Clinical Associate Professor and the Director of the Humanitarian Assistance program, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. Prior to joining Korbel in Fall of 2011 she was a Technical Officer focusing on a range of humanitarian policy and practice issues at the World Health Organization, Geneva Switzerland (2004-2011). From 2001-2004 she was a Senior Research Associate with Physicians for Human Rights USA. She is the author of numerous articles, reports and book chapters. Dr. Reis is an internationally recognized expert on issues related to sexual violence in humanitarian crises and has advised governments and organizations on responses to gender-based violence.

Welcome to the Stay on Course podcast with your host Julie Riga. In today's episode, we are honored to have Rear Admiral Garry E. Hall, who is about to release his book called Navigating Leadership: Making A PACT With Excellence.Rear Admiral Garry E. Hall is a distinguished veteran who served 35 years on active duty in the United States Navy. As a naval aviator, he flew anti-submarine warfare helicopters and commanded two squadrons. He also commanded the USS Tarawa LHA 1, which had a complement of 1000 Sailors, 2000 Marines, 32 aircraft, and 3 landing craft.In addition, Rear Admiral Hall received a political appointment to serve as a Senior Director on the National Security Council (NSC) and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. He was responsible for Human Rights, Humanitarian Assistance, Immigration and Migration, Atrocity Prevention, United Nations Operations, Democracies, and Fragile States. He led a team of career professionals dedicated to each of these functional areas.In today's episode, we talk about accountability at work, at home with our families, and with our purpose. Rear Admiral Hall shares his insights and experiences on how we can become accountable leaders and live a fulfilling life.Don't miss this insightful episode with Rear Admiral Garry E. Hall, and make sure to grab a copy of his book, Navigating Leadership: Making A PACT With Excellence.Follow the Stay on Course podcast with Julie Riga for more inspiring conversations and insights.Gary E. Hall - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryehall/Navigating Leadership: https://www.navigatingleadershipbook.com/The Admirals Almanac Podcast: https://admiral.libsyn.com/To learn more about Julie Riga and her mission to help you Stay On Course, visit her website: www.stayoncourse.ioJulie Riga is a certified coach, trainer, speaker and author with over 20 years of experience in the Pharma Industry. Julie's education is vast with studies that include business, communications, training and executive coaching. Julie started on this journey because she had a strong desire to pass on the knowledge and skills passed on to her by her father, Ennio Riga, and inspirational man who taught her how to keep going irrespective of the challenges that life may present you with.Based in New Jersey, Julie have travelled the world supporting corporations, business leaders and individuals on their journey of empowerment and growth. Discover your purpose, Stay on Course, Leave a Legacy#StayOnCoursePodcast #Accountability #Leadership #NavigatingLeadership #GarryEHall #USNavalAcademy #NationalSecurityCouncil #HumanRights #Accountability #TakeResponsibility #OwnYourMistakes #Transparency #Integrity #Honesty #SelfAwareness #PersonalResponsibility #Leadership #Motivation #Inspiration #Productivity #SuccessMindset #GrowthMindset #SelfImprovement #SelfDevelopment #GoalSetting #ActionPlan #ProgressNotPerfection #Consistency #Discipline #Mindfulness #Wellness #HealthyHabits #PositiveMindset #PositiveChange #Empowerment #julieriga

Latin American and Caribbean countries face mounting risks from natural disasters, with the region ranking as one of the most climate vulnerable areas in the world. With climate change likely to exacerbate these challenges, developing effective strategies for delivering Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), is of critical importance in the Western Hemisphere.   In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with CDR (ret.) Pat Paterson, Professor of Practice at National Defense University's William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies. Together they discuss a recent report from the Perry Center on improving U.S. humanitarian aid efforts. They delve into current approaches, areas for increased cooperation, as well as the still small but growing footprint of China's HADR efforts in the western hemisphere.

Humanitarian needs are skyrocketing today, and the vast majority of people requiring aid, live in rural areas.But while more than 70 per cent of all those affected in food crises are farmers or working in the fishing industry, only 4 per cent of emergency assistance targets their needs.The Director of Emergencies of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rein Paulsen, has been talking to Michele Zaccheo about ways to improve emergency responses, and put resources in the hands of farmers themselves.

*) Ukraine vows to drag Russia into court Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that those guilty of war crimes in Russia's war against Ukraine will be brought to justice. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was carrying out legal processes and mobilising its allies to have Russia appear in the International Criminal Court, as well as in national courtrooms. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, though the conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions, and pulverised Ukrainian cities. *) Israelis stage 'day of resistance' against judicial reforms Tens of thousands of protesters have returned to the streets of Israel to stage another day of resistance against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reforms. The fresh protests in Tel Aviv, West Jerusalem and Haifa came after Netanyahu rejected a compromise plan touted by the country's President Isaac Herzog. The judicial overhaul has raised concerns for Israel's democracy, as it would upend the country's system of checks and balances and give the prime minister too much power. *) Erdogan hails Turkic world's solidarity after quakes Hosting the extraordinary summit of leaders of the Organization of Turkic States, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the Turkic world's solidarity after the deadly earthquakes in southern Türkiye. The Turkic world was among the first to help after the February 6 quakes, Erdogan said at the summit focusing on Disaster-Emergency Management and Humanitarian Assistance. You did not leave us alone in our most difficult moment. Our beloved nation will never forget your support, Erdogan told fellow heads of state. *) Cyclone Freddy kills hundreds in Malawia Rescuers in storm-ravaged Malawi have made a grim hunt for buried bodies after Cyclone Freddy struck the eastern African country, killing more than 300 people. Search and rescue efforts were a joint operation by the military and local inhabitants, who lacked sniffer dogs and were armed just with shovels. As the rains ceased for the first time in five days, rescuers dug up decomposing bodies from the mud and the debris of homes that had been swept away by the storm. *) Australian breaks record for world's longest surf Former surfing pro Blake Johnston has shredded the world record for the longest surfing session, catching waves for over 30 exhausting hours. The 40-year-old Australian broke down in tears at Sydney's Cronulla Beach after beating South African Josh Enslin's previous record of 30 hours 11 minutes. Johnston briefly thanked the crowd lining the beach during one of the short food and water breaks he was allowed, before paddling back out to try and push the record to 40 hours.

For years, the international community has wrestled with how to reconcile sanctions policies targeting terrorist groups and other malevolent actors with the need to provide humanitarian assistance in areas under those groups' control. Late last year, both the Biden administration and the UN Security Council took major steps toward a new approach on this issue, installing broad carveouts for humanitarian assistance into existing sanctions regimes. To talk through these changes, Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson sat down with two leading sanctions experts: Rachel Alpert, a Partner at the law firm Jenner & Block and former State Department attorney, and Alex Zerden, the Founder and Principal of Capitol Peak Strategies and a former Treasury Department official, including at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. They talked about the long-standing issues surrounding humanitarian assistance, what these changes may mean in jurisdictions like Afghanistan, and where more changes may yet be forthcoming. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Sabrina as she speaks with Bobby Jefferson, VP, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, Engagement, and Inclusion at DAI and they discuss the importance of DEI initiatives, some of the associated risks, and why organizational culture needs to be based on living the values of your organization. Reference material for this episode:Board of Trustees Population Reference Bureau (PRB). PRB  501(c)(3) nonprofitBoard, Executive Committee, Society for International Development US, Chair DEI Committee, SID US 501(c)(3) nonprofitBoard Executive Committee, Coalition for Racial & Ethnic Equity in Development (CREED), development and humanitarian assistance organizations CREED 501(c)(3) nonprofitPSC Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility (DEIA) co-chair, CIDC 501(c)(3) nonprofit Practical advice for nonprofits and boards.-Setup Diversity Equity Inclusion role with resources-Request DEI report at Board meetings or Board Book -Request DEI in organizational Strategic Plan-DEI in Succession Plan-Board member diversity and Governance structure-Establish a Framework of Principals on DEI and Social Justice issues in advanceGartner Research, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Center, Complimentary resources to help embed greater diversity, equity and inclusion in Boards, Leadership and OrganizationsFCDOEstablished a Head of Diversity and Inclusion Position and Department, FCDOPublished UK House of Commons International Development Committee, Racism in the aid sector First Report of Session 2022–23USAIDExecutive Order 13985  Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved CommunitiesEstablished Chief Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility (DEIA) Officer and DEIA Department, USAIDUSAID Equity Action Plan for USAID Mission, Bureau, Programs, Policies, ProcurementsEuropean Union, European CommissionEstablished Diversity and Inclusion Office, Head of EC Diversity and Inclusion office, The Commission's plan to step up action against racism and achieve a Union of EqualityEC Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-2025.EU Diversity Month, EU Diversity Conferencehttps://www.eudiversity2022.eu/Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationChief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion OfficerDEI Progress ReportResourcesCoursera has FREE Diversity and Inclusion course(s). The Coursera ESSEC School Paris is an excellent Global D&I course, with relevant topics on Intergenerational Diversity that apply to our global development work. These are graded quizzes with passing scores required, 2-3 weeks online, English. Students have the option to purchase the completion certificate for $79 USD, otherwise, the course is FREE. LinkedIn Learning is not free for all courses. It costs monthly for an individual subscription to access the Diversity and Inclusion videos, and exercises, and receive a certificate.  The positive is everyone on LinkedIn can see your certificate of completion like this unconscious bias certificate CREED has a community of Practice and Learning HUBWILD has a Learning hub platformSID US has active working groups, communities, webinars for DEI global practitioners and Young Professionals Network YPNYoung Professionals in Development Network (YPN) is a collaborative space for young professionals (under the age of 32) interested and working in international development and dedicated to strengthening its impact both at home and abroad by building partnerships among peers and facilitating and empowering a peer initiative.Highly recommend eCornell Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program

Cash transfer schemes have grown in popularity in many parts of the world in the past few decades. Numerous studies find that cash transfer programs can be one of the most effective social protection tools at our disposal in the fight against poverty. There is now also growing empirical evidence of how cash transfers can provide quick relief during major economic crises. In addition to economic effects, they may change gender hierarchies and improve the position of women in local society, increase school attendance, and improve nutrition. It is therefore no surprise that cash transfer programs have been warmly embraced by many civil society organizations and international agencies. But is it all win-win? What works and what does not, and how can cash transfers be made even more effective as a tool for global development? Ugo Gentilini is an economist and the global lead for social assistance at the World Bank. He has worked extensively on the analytics and practice of social protection, including in relation to economic crises, fragility and displacement, and resilience and disaster risk management. He also writes a popular weekly newsletter and is my go-to-person on everything to do with social protection. In a new paper — Cash Transfers in Pandemic Times — Ugo combines analysis of large datasets with a review of about 300 pandemic papers, evaluations, and practical experiences and concludes with 10 lessons from the largest scale up of cash transfers in history. Twitter: @UgentiliniKey highlights  Introduction – 0.48 Definition and understanding of cash transfers – 3.46 Increased interest in cash transfers – 6.15 Evolution of conditional and unconditional cash transfers – 14.38 Challenges and benefits of cash transfers – 19.33 What works, cash transfers and in-kind transfers - 25.36 Logistical and structural challenges of cash transfers - 31.00 How the pandemic has changed cash transfers – 40.10 Cash transfers going forward and advice for the future – 43.42 Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodApple Google Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/

Courtney Cohen did not take a traditional route into cybersecurity. She started working in humanitarian assistance for an agriculture tech company leveraging technology to help farmers improve their business in the face of climate change to being a Senior Director at CyberGRX.During this discussion listen to Courtney's story of going from the NGO and agriculture world into the software world. She shares her take on being an executive woman in cybersecurity and the impacts of being in-person at RSA.__________________________GuestCourtney CohenSenior Director of Product at CyberGRX [@cybergrx]On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-cohen-1010/ HostsJax ScottOn ITSPmagazine  

https://Art2Life.com - What do we need in our lives to persevere on our creative path? How do we keep going, and is it ever okay to stop? In the grand scheme of things, how crucial is our art anyway? We might not ask these questions under normal circumstances. But when big, unexpected changes occur in your life, these questions (as well as their answers) can surface. Alex Parfenov is a brilliant videographer. For several years he's been working with me and my team creating videos that tell inspirational stories of artists from all over the world. He also happens to live in Ukraine. The recent and ongoing invasion of his country has completely changed his life. Like so many Ukrainians, Alex has recently relocated and was still somehow able to find an internet connection.  He shares with us the impact these recent events have had on him, his family, and his friends, as well as the clarity he's gained about the purpose, need, and ongoing viability of creativity in one's life. The calm vulnerability and steady resolve of Alex's voice moved me greatly, and it's a privilege to share this extraordinary conversation with you. ================================ LISTEN IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN… Alex recounts his experience of the Russian invasion of Ukraine [2:30] The courage and beauty of the Ukrainian people in the face of adversity  [7:50] Using creativity to navigate unimaginable tragedy [13:43] Ukrainian resilience and more stories from the war [23:05] How Alex is helping his children process the war [28:41] The invasion's impact on Alex as an artist [31:57] How the world is helping Ukraine and looking towards the country's future [36:23] ================================ RESOURCES & WAYS TO HELP UKRAINE See what's happening in Ukraine: https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-rahunok-dlya-gumanitarnoyi-dopomogi-ukrayintsyam-postrajdalim-vid-rosiyskoyi-agresiyi  National Bank of Ukraine - Fundraising Account for Humanitarian Assistance to Ukrainians: https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-rahunok-dlya-gumanitarnoyi-dopomogi-ukrayintsyam-postrajdalim-vid-rosiyskoyi-agresiyi  Donate to World Central Kitchen and help provide fresh meals to Ukrainian families in need: https://donate.wck.org/give/394390#!/donation/checkout  ================================= CONNECT WITH ALEX PARFENOV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex.parfenov/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parfenov.alexander Alex's Highlight Reel: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L91ZkSyUnxjOO-GDMbSiICjHpgxmthjD/view?usp=sharing sharing Alex's other work: https://vimeo.com/sptvstudio ============================= CONNECT WITH NICHOLAS WILTON: Facebook: https://facebook.com/art2lifeworld/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art2life_world/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Art2Life Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/art2life_world/ Join the Art2Life Artists' List and get the Sunday vlog here: https://art2life.lpages.co/sign-up-for-the-a2l-vlog/