InterAction

Join a discussion on the state of advocacy in the nonprofit community on March 19, hosted by RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund. InterAction President and CEO, Tom Hart, joins a stellar panel. Register below.

On Wednesday, the State Department terminated 10,000 grants and other awards, including for life-saving programs for which Secretary of State Rubio had granted waivers. 60 NGOs are now urging the Administration to reverse course immediately. Restore and fund programs that are crucial for global stability.

Today, the State Department terminated 10,000 State and USAID grants and other awards, effectively crippling American foreign assistance, including life-saving programs for which Secretary of State Rubio had granted waivers. Our statement ?? https://lnkd.in/evHiDYJR

Yesterday with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), Tom Hart reconfirmed InterAction's commitment as a Co-Champion of the Centrality of Protection (CoP). As resources dwindle and violence against civilians intensifies, CoP is a useful framework for the reduction of humanitarian needs. InterAction simultaneously released the "Workshop Report: Internalization of the Centrality of Protection." The workshop, co-hosted by InterAction, FAO, and World Food Programme brought together 17 IASC member organizations in Rome in November of last year. The report, linked below, captures discussions from the workshop and summarizes key points from presentations. It also outlines action steps agreed by participants toward working collectively on internalization and building on learnings from the workshop. https://lnkd.in/e8E6xCUX

InterAction President and CEO, Tom Hart, clarified in The Washington Post that funds for foreign aid programs remain frozen despite Secretary Rubio's waiver. “The money needs to be turned on,” he said. “As of today, nothing has changed on the ground for those who are so deeply impacted: Medicines are still sitting on shelves without nurses to distribute; clean water projects are still stopped.” We are confident that the Trump administration will conclude at the end of their review period that the bulk of U.S. aid programs are effective. But, "because NGOs may not exist in 90 days, programs that need to be turned back on won’t be able to,” said Hart.

At this week’s Confirmation Hearing for the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Senator Lindsey Graham asked nominee Russ Vought about the size of the international affairs budget, pointing out that at just 1% of the budget, it's "a critical component of defending America and our values." Here’s what the Senator had to say: ?? SEN. GRAHAM: Do you know how much money the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee spends on the State Department and foreign assistance?? ?? VOUGHT: Off the top of my head, no I dont know what the allocation is. ?? SEN. GRAHAM: It's $69 billion. Now that's for the entire State Department, all our embassies, everybody, and the aid we provide to distressed places in the world. What percentage of the federal budget is that, do you know outlays? ?? VOUGHT: I believe ... it would be a small percentage compared to—? ?? SEN. GRAHAM: It's 1 percent. Now having said that, try to save money, let's don't waste money, I'm a pretty hawkish guy--if you don't get involved in the world and you don't have programs in Africa where China is trying to buy the whole continent, we're making a mistake. So, it's 1 percent of the budget, you could eliminate it all, you're not going to balance the budget. I think soft power is a critical component of defending America and our values. I look forward to working with you to make that count better. But the concept of soft power means a lot to me, and that--that's coming from a pretty hawkish guy. Smart investments in development and diplomacy make up only 1% of our federal budget – but they have an incredible return on investment when it comes to protecting our security, our prosperity, and our values. ?? Watch the whole exchange here: #Diplomacy #Development #SmartPower #ForeignPolicy #InternationalAffairs

"America’s humanitarian and development organizations work tirelessly to save lives. The recent stop-work cable from the State Department suspends programs that support America’s global leadership and creates dangerous vacuums that China and our adversaries will quickly fill. This halt interrupts critical life-saving work including clean water to infants, basic education for kids, ending the trafficking of girls, and providing medications to children and others suffering from disease. ...We urge Secretary of State Rubio and the Administration to continue America’s vital life-saving work during the foreign assistance review process to maintain our nation’s global leadership and values." Read our full statement on State's stop-work order:

Ahead of Trump's presidency, InterAction President and CEO Tom Hart provides insights into China's geopolitical strategy. Tune in to the full podcast episode here??https://lnkd.in/d9Zci7pJ #Trump #China #geopolitics

InterAction wishes you happiness and joy this holiday season!

The United Nations’ policy and decision-making processes are predominantly confined to exclusive spaces, with much of the work concentrated at its offices in Geneva and New York. These elite forums are removed from realities on the ground and often exclude those with lived experience. This needs to change. Along with Refugees SEAT, we take a look at how to enhance meaningful refugee participation. https://lnkd.in/eZugTkXz