As I listened to the speech that President Obama gave during the Millennium Development Goals Summit yesterday, I was struck by the fact that this Administration actually understands the fruits that development assistance can bear if development is done right.
President Obama announced the U.S. Global Development Policy - the first of its kind by any American Administration. President Obama emphasized that we must to look at what development means, and ensure that the outcomes of development are long standing. The statement, for me, that really captured the essence of his talk and intentions of his Administration was:
"Consider the millions of people who have relied on food assistance for decades. That’s not development, that’s dependence, and it’s a cycle we need to break. Instead of just managing poverty, we have to offer nations and peoples a path out of poverty."
The hard work is going to be in constructing a path that allows for exponential impact - it is doable, but requires better coordination and honest and open conversations about what works, what doesn't and why.
What are your impressions of President Obama's speech? How can development assistance be better and more effective?