Foreign Assistance
Understanding the structure of foreign assistance is essential for social workers interested in contributing their knowledge and skills to the international development arena. Social workers who stay current on issues such as foreign assistance reform, aid effectiveness and civil-military issues will be better able to advocate for policy change and work towards creating more effective and sustainable programs to protect human rights and dignity.
Links to resources
Foreign Assistance Reform
- Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network - MFAN is a reform coalition composed of international development and foreign policy practitioners, policy advocates and experts, concerned citizens and private sector organizations. MFAN’s goal is to help build a safer, more prosperous world by strengthening the United States’ ability to alleviate extreme poverty, create opportunities for growth, and secure human dignity in developing countries.
- InterAction - Foreign Assistance Reform – InterAction is a coalition of U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that work on the ground in every developing country. InterAction leverages the shared expertise of its 180 member organizations to put forward bold, new agendas to end global poverty and deliver humanitarian aid in every developing country.
- Brookings Institution – Foreign Aid Reform The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. On this page, Brookings examines foreign assistance reform in depth and offers reform recommendations.
- US Global Leadership Coalition - The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.
Aid Effectiveness
- Center For Global Development Resources on Aid Effectiveness - The Center for Global Development is an independent, nonprofit policy research organization that is dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality and to making globalization work for the poor. On this page, CGD provides information on and links to innovative approaches to aid delivery.
- InterAction’s Overview and Resources on Aid Effectiveness – InterAction’s links to information and articles on aid effectiveness\
Civil-Military Issues
- Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Civil-Military Guidelines and References for Complex Emergencies - the IASC is the primary United Nations mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance.
- InterAction Policy Brief on Civilian-Military Relations
- InterAction Guidelines for Relations Between U.S. Armed Forces and Non-Governmental Humanitarian Organizations in Hostile or Potentially Hostile Environments