Research Papers
Leadership and Teamwork: The U.S. Role in Development (Development Works #4)
Development Works Number 4 (August 2012)
The United States has spent much of its 250 years of independence as a leading industrial nation, and for the past several decades, it has enjoyed "superpower" status. Today, most Americans see the country as a global leader—it’s part of our national identity. Opinions vary, though, as to what this type of leadership means in practice—how it should affect the nation’s actions.
Development Assistance: A Key Part of the Immigration Puzzle
Briefing Paper Number 3 (July 2012)
From the Series: Development Works
This series, Development Works, focuses on effective international development
assistance and why Americans should support it. At first glance, immigration
may seem like a completely unrelated topic, since people tend to think of it
mainly in terms of its impact inside the United States. For most of us, immigration
is less about international policy than about hot-button national, state, and
local political questions. The reality is that it is both a domestic and an international
issue. To make the best decisions as a nation on the complex questions of
immigration policy, we need to see both dimensions. The crux of the missing
international half is “Why do immigrants leave their home country and come to
the United States?”
Development Assistance: A Key Part of the Immigration Puzzle (Development Works #3)
Development Works Number 3 (July 2012)
For most of us, immigration is less about international policy than about hot-button national, state, and local political questions. The reality is that it is both a domestic and an international issue. To make the best decisions as a nation on the complex questions of immigration policy, we need to see both dimensions. The crux of the missing international half is "Why do immigrants leave their home country and come to the United States?"
Scaling Up Global Nutrition: Bolstering U.S. Government Capacity
Briefing Paper Number 19 (July 2012)
U.S. leadership has helped build a global movement to scale up nutrition, and U.S. health and food security investments have increased nutrition programming. Now is a good time for the U.S. government to assess its resources and capacity to support country-led efforts to scale up nutrition and to adopt systems to sustain momentum and progress on nutrition.
Exchanging People for Money: Remittances and Repatriation in Central America
Briefing Paper Number 18 (June 2012)
Immigrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras sent home more than $10 billion in remittances in 2011— almost all of it from the United States. Remittances comprised 17 percent of GDP in Honduras, 16 percent in El Salvador, and 10 percent in Guatemala and they dwarf both foreign direct investment and overseas development assistance.
From L’Aquila to Camp David: Sustaining the Momentum on Global Food and Nutrition Security
Briefing Paper Number 17 (May 2012)
In July 2009, G-8 leaders, gathered in L’Aquila, Italy, responded to the global food price crisis. The U.S. proposal to invest significantly more effort and resources in agriculture won support from other donor countries, who committed to providing $22 billion in financing for agriculture and food security over three years. This became known as the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative (AFSI).
The United States is on track to fulfill its pledges of $3.5 billion, but according to 2011 estimates most donors were falling short. Feed the Future is the United States’ primary contribution to AFSI.
As G-8 president in 2012, the United States has an important opportunity to build on the progress made in the last three years to increase investments in smallholder agriculture and integrate nutrition into agriculture and food security efforts.
Americans Reaching Out
Briefing Paper Number 17 (May 2012)
From the Series: Development Works
Concern for those who are less fortunate is a value that resonates with Americans. Many of us, aware of all we have, are very willing to help people in need. Using common sense, being practical, can be considered an American value as well. A quick “reality check” to be sure the assistance is needed and wanted is important to many people who are motivated to help.
Nutrition and Health: Strengthening the Connection
Background Paper Number 219 (April 2012)
Constantia and her family farm a small plot of cassava and maize near their hometown of Cobue, Mozambique. The family is among many in Mozambique who are subsistence farmers, eating what they grow themselves. Most rural farmers in this southern African country have neither fertilizer nor formal training in agriculture. A hoe and a machete—not oxen pulling a plow—are what they use to survive.
Malnutrition among Mozambican children is all too common. It nearly cost Constantia's firstborn child, Gustavo, his life. A few months after his first birthday, Gustavo had a severe case of malaria that weakened his immune system. Constantia and her family worried that breastfeeding was hampering his recovery. But replacing breast milk with a maize porridge worsened the toddler's condition—he developed other infections and continued to lose weight. Gustavo's condition became life-threatening when his body began to retain water, a condition known as edema. At 18 months, he weighed less than 17 pounds—including the water weight.
Americans Reaching Out (Development Works #2)
Development Works Number 2 (April 2012)
Concern for those who are less fortunate is a value that resonates with Americans. Many of us, aware of all we have, are very willing to help people in need. Using common sense, being practical, can be considered an American value as well. A quick "reality check" to be sure the assistance is needed and wanted is important to many people who are motivated to help.
Effective Development Assistance: Now is the Time
Briefing Paper Number 16 (March 2012)
From the Series: Development Works
Bread for the World and other organizations working to end global hunger frequently talk about development assistance and how it can help hungry people overseas. But what exactly is development assistance? And why should we support funding for it when many Americans are facing hard times?
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