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“If we make the choice to invest in the future and not just the right now, we can usher in a new era of progress.”
USAID Administrator Gayle Smith, March 9, 2016
Administrator Gayle Smith gave her first major speech this month at an event co-sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution on Capitol Hill. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) made introductory remarks that demonstrated the strong bipartisan support that exists in Congress for USAID and international development.
In her remarks, Administrator Smith emphasized that USAID is “making smarter investments with our assistance; leveraging private capital to scale our impact; and supporting governments, small businesses and entrepreneurs to mobilize domestic resources for development.”
She envisioned a future where we “answer volatility with stability, injustice with rights, despair with opportunity, and conflict with peace.” Administrator Smith also called for investing in the future “even as we respond to the urgency of now,” maintaining a “strategic patience” to support transitions over the long-term, and adapting “our systems and institutions to the world we face.”
Read Administrator Smith's speech here and view it here.
Other major moments this month have included empowering women and girls in international development, deploying digital tools to advance development at SXSW, and the global campaign to end malaria. Read on for more! |
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Highlights
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For my girls: First Lady answers FrontLines Q&A and releases pop song First Lady Michelle Obama answers questions about Let Girls Learn — the education initiative aimed at helping young girls around the world complete secondary school — in a Q&A in the March/April FrontLines.
The article coincides with the release of This is For My Girls, a pop song featuring musicians Missy Elliott, Zendaya and Kelly Clarkson to promote #LetGirlsLearn and the #62MillionGirls campaign. |
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USAID, POTUS, FLOTUS at SXSW
Didn't make it to Austin last week for South by Southwest (SXSW)? Here are a few highlights:
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Tweet of the Month: #Smartdev
“If 600M more women and girls got online in the next 3 yrs, GDP in 144 developing countries could rise by $13–$18B. #smartdev #62milliongirls”
All month, weve been highlighting why closing the gender gap, reducing gender-based violence and empowering girls and women are the best investments around. Use the hashtag #Smartdev on Twitter to show your support. Learn more about the campaign here. |
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Malaria fight gets a boost
“There has been a consensus among all the major players that if we make a big push over the next five years we can get to our goal [of eradication],” said USAID Administrator Gayle Smith, referring to a new White House budget request for an additional $200 million for the President's Malaria Initiative. U.S. Government efforts to fight the disease have helped contribute to a 60 percent decrease in malaria-related mortality from 2000 to 2015. |
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