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News Articles

Can the U.S. Afford Foreign Assistance in an Age of Austerity?October 19, 2011

The United States' ability to influence global events depends as much on how we leverage the civilian tools of foreign policy as how we flex our military muscle.

Jim Kolbe discusses the future of American foreign aid on WAMUSeptember 20, 2011

One year ago this week, President Obama elevated global development as a "core pillar" of U.S. foreign policy, alongside diplomacy and defense. But as Congress and the White House struggle to find billions to cut from the federal budget, some advocates worry Washington's commitment to reducing global poverty is wavering.

African development: The role of traditional and emerging players reconsideredMay 16, 2011The growing engagement of emerging economies, notably China, India and Brazil, in Africa is changing the landscape for development bringing significant new opportunities (and challenges) for Africa.Why Congress shouldn’t slash foreign aidApril 08, 2011Jim Kolbe and Connie Morella explain why Congress shouldn't slash foreign aid in an op-ed for The Daily Caller.Jim Kolbe moderates discussion with heads of the World Bank and WTO on Aid for Trade AgendaMarch 15, 2011On March 14, GMF Senior Transatlantic Fellow Jim Kolbe moderated a discussion between the President of the World Bank Group, Robert Zoellick, and the WTO's Director-General, Pascal LamyEssay: From earthquake to sauvignon blanc in New ZealandFebruary 25, 2011As I write this, I am sipping an iced tea and overlooking a beautiful river valley, writing with a borrowed laptop. Just a few days ago, this bliss seemed very far away. I was in Christchurch for the fourth meeting of the U.S.-New Zealand Partnership, a group that looks at different aspects of the bilateral relationship.Embrace minority population as the valuable asset it isFebruary 22, 2011Sometime in the next decade or so, Arizona will join California and a growing number of other states as a "majority/minority" state -- that is, a state where the majority of the population is composed of minority groups. For Arizona, that means primarily Hispanics and Native Americans, with smaller minority populations of African-Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders.The facts on foreign aidFebruary 09, 2011With Egypt leading the news and congressional budget discussions coming to a head, there is an energetic debate now about U.S. foreign assistance.More effective foreign assistance can pay real dividendsJanuary 28, 2011As a new Congress gets into gear, both Republicans and Democrats have a solemn duty to do the people?s work and to make sure their taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely. U.S. foreign assistance is already under the microscope, as it should be, but we believe policymakers should focus on making it better instead of slashing budgets.The Arizona FactorOctober 07, 2010"Good fences make good neighbors", says the narrator's neighbor in Robert Frost's poem "The Mending Wall" of nearly a century ago. What is usually forgotten about the poem is that the narrator, presumably Frost himself, questions why fences between neighbors are necessary at all.U.S. leadership key to MDG progressSeptember 22, 2010With the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in New York this week — and the MDG deadline only five years away — the world is watching to see if Washington seizes this opportunity to show leadership in the fight against global hunger and disease.Obama names Jim Kolbe to Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and NegotiationsSeptember 16, 2010U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that GMF Senior Transatlantic Fellow Jim Kolbe will be appointed to the president's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, which is tasked with providing policy advice on trade matters.Jim Kolbe testifies before the House Committee on Foreign AffairsApril 23, 2008Senior Transatlantic Fellow Jim Kolbe, a former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, testified April 23 before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs about foreign assistance reform in the next administration.Is our aid making us safer?January 02, 2008It is increasingly apparent that our aid - and trade - policies are not really supporting economic growth in impoverished countries. Nor are they enhancing our own security.

Publications

Transformational Partnerships: Innovative Approaches To Addressing Food Security In AfricaApril 18, 2012This report's main focus is on understanding the unique characteristics of transformational partnerships in food security in Africa so that they can be scaled up across the continent.Making the Most of 1 Percent: Investing in America’s Global Role through the U.S. International Affairs BudgetDecember 12, 2011

This policy brief argues that even in times of budget austerity, international development spending should still be a priority....