The Crisis of Aid

The Economist had this to say:

"Risking a mass breakout of jihadists makes America less safe. Causing misery alienates friends and potential allies, making America weaker. And a poorer world will ultimately make America poorer, too. American generosity is not just charity. Foreign aid that creates a more stable and richer world is in America’s greatest interest. Call it America First if you like."?

I have a few immediate reactions to what’s happening with USAID and the sector in general, some of which require more nuanced and thoughtful conversations than what can be captured in an online discussion, but one thing I will say is that conflating the safety of America with the aid it distributes around the world - and especially captured in statements like “Risking a mass breakout of jihadists makes America less safe” - is actually racist and overly simplistic.

You know what actually makes America less safe?

Offering billions of dollars in aid to ethno-nationalist, supremacist, murderous regimes to blow up children, while your own citizens are one minor medical emergency away from bankruptcy and homelessness. That makes America less safe.

Spewing noble ideals of “democracy” and “rule of law” while simultaneously undermining those values in countries around the world based on your own biases and extremely embedded bigotry? That makes you vulnerable and unsafe.

“Jihadism” and other forms of “radical extremism” are not born in a vacuum. It’s disingenuous to pretend you don’t understand how these things happen when you’ve incessantly provoked the factors that cause them. And it’s unfair to lay the burden of fixing these issues at the feet of well-meaning, passionate, and caring individuals who have dedicated their lives and careers to work they truly believe is meant to keep them safe.

So, no, USAID funding and projects funded by it are not what keep America safe. It should help to complement policies that are not designed to alienate and foment instability from our neighbors and global peers. But it’s not supposed to be the panacea for allaying your political guilt, and it’s disgusting to fan the flames of fear by making people think they are now less safe because of this policy shift. The elimination of USAID is catastrophic for many reasons. But these are not them.

American interest and security are not remotely bolstered or protected by the myriad military interventions it perpetuates around the world, and the dangerous rhetoric of American exceptionalism certainly doesn’t help. Frankly, no amount of gifting “From the American People” can whitewash the upheaval the American empire is capable of creating around the world. So it’s misguided for The Economist, or anyone else, to make the case for USAID and any other foreign funding policies by equating the loss of that aid to a surge in “jihadism” (whatever the hell that even means). Resistance and violence in the context of this geopolitical crisis are the direct results of policies that have, for decades, marginalized and oppressed so many people across the Global Majority. This is the FAFO phase the kids today are always going on about.

USAID set out to fill huge gaps in supporting initiatives and projects around the world that are now going to face devastating consequences due to this sudden withdrawal of aid. However, the mere fact that the absence of this aid would cause such devastation is, in itself, proof of the failure of the system. If entire health systems in Global Majority countries are reliant on the money they receive from foreign aid, then where is the accountability for the rest of sector?

Where is the accountability for implementing programs that aren’t built on designing strategies that can lead to self-sufficiency? These questions are also meant to provoke the local governments and communities that have benefited from aid. They are meant to call into question the local private sector and philanthropies that have an obligation to support. We can’t simply ignore the fact that multi-year programs that have been fully supported by foreign aid will now collapse under the weight of this crisis and NOT demand an audit of why on earth there was no back-up plan? What kind of irresponsible behavior is this? But it’s STILL not the reason why America faces the threat of being unsafe.

This is the reality, and as uncomfortable as it may be to hear, we can’t reconfigure a sector that isn’t ready for a serious moment of introspection.?

I’m fully aware of how much this affects so many of my friends and colleagues. I’m equally aware of how this impacts my own organization that, although it doesn’t depend on USAID funds, comprises several fees-paying members who do. Some of the network members at AFF implement programs that are funded by USAID. These programs are at huge risk. And while this upsets me and worries me, it also infuriates me that we’ve allowed this to happen. It makes me angry that we live in a region with untold wealth, yet we’ve relied on foreign government funds to support our regional and local communities. How shameful.?

As devastating and challenging as this moment is, it’s also a critical juncture for our sector to step up and make serious changes. The effects of this on the aid community are one thing. I will do whatever is in my power to support and be there for my colleagues who are affected. Still, the opportunity this provides for a real shift in the sector and for the rest of the world to take responsibility for its complicity in this outcome is pivotal and urgent.

We should be concerned with how we keep the WHOLE world safe. This safety is never going to come from the “soft power” of aid because, despite its seemingly harmless name, “soft power” is still power. And we’ve all seen how power is wielded.