MONDAY

DEVELOPMENTS
The Latest Issues and Trends in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance

HIGHLIGHTS FROM FORUM 2007

Setting a Bold Agenda for
Relief and Development
May 2007
Vol. 25, No. 5
InterAction
FORUM 2007 This issue highlights our annual conference held in Washington, DC. More
information online at www.interaction.org

A SPECIAL REPORT
PLENARIES
KEY EVENTS
NETWORKING
LEARNING
PERSPECTIVES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

30 Inside Our Community
32 Position Announcements

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MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
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Contributors
Special thanks to all InterAction
staff for their hard work on
documenting this year’s annual
Forum.
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“Our conference
theme this year
focused on
leveraging our
combined value
and strengthening
our voice to
become effective
ambassadors for
disadvantaged men,
women and children
worldwide.”
Monday Developments is
published 12 times a year by the
Communications Department of
InterAction, the largest alliance of
U.S.-based international development
and humanitarian nongovernmental
organizations. With more than
160 members operating in every
developing country, we work to
overcome poverty, exclusion and
suffering by advancing social justice
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ISSN 1043-8157
SETTING A BOLD AGENDA
InterAction members have varied missions, they
foster economic and social development; provide
relief to those affected by disaster and war; assist
refugees and internally displaced persons; advance
human rights; support gender equality; protect
the environment; address population concerns;
and press for more equitable, just, and effective
public policy.
Our common thread is rooted in the field and in
our knowledge that we can and do make a dif-
ference. Our conference theme this year, Setting a
Bold Agenda For Relief and Development, focused on
leveraging our combined value and strengthen-
ing our voice to become effective ambassadors
for disadvantaged men, women and children
worldwide.
Each year the InterAction Forum brings together
InterAction members, southern partners, U.S.
and international government representatives,
multilateral organizations and many others. We
welcomed nearly 700 national and international
NGO, government and foundation leaders. In
addition to our numerous workshops and panel
discussions, we facilitated an interactive session
between our conference attendees and speakers
such as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
and global financier and philanthropist, George
Soros. This year, we held meetings among
NGOs sharing common program interests such
as fundraising, disability, CEOs and women
NGO leaders. These affinity groups are designed
to assist our community to meet, exchange ideas
and identify common solutions in an effort to be-
come a true community of practice.
This year was a resounding success. Thank you
to all of our attendees, speakers and members.
We look forward to seeing you again next year!
Samuel A. Worthington
President and CEO, InterAction

George Soros Calls Philanthropy the
Best Platform for Advocacy
By Andrea Barron, Adjunct Professor of History, George Mason University
C
onscience and competence. These are the two
qualities InterAction board chairman Charles Mac-
Cormack used to describe George Soros, the inter-
nationally renowned financier and philanthropist
who delivered the Keynote Lunch speech on April 18.
Born in Budapest in 1930, Mr. Soros survived the Nazi Ho-
locaust, then immigrated to England where he studied at
the London School of Economics. He came to the U.S. in
1956, proceeded to amass a huge fortune as an investor,
and decided to use his wealth to promote “open societies”
focusing on democratic governance, human rights and eco-
nomic reforms in East and Central Europe.
Today, his Open Society Institute (OSI) and the Soros
foundations operate in over 60 countries in Europe, the
Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America. Their
activities include helping to develop treatment for people
with drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in Africa,
prison reform in Nigeria, improving women’s rights in West
Africa, and training women, youth and indigenous leaders
in Guatemala.
“Philanthropy is the best platform for advocacy. It gives you
the legitimacy for advocating social change,” Soros said. He
proudly explained the success of OSI’s campaign to end dis-
crimination against the Roma in Hungary, Romania, Slova-
kia, Macedonia and other parts of the Balkans. The Roma
represent Europe’s last “major unresolved case of social and
political exclusion based on ethnicity,” he said. That is why
OSI decided to invest in educating Roma children. “Now,
after ten to fifteen years, we have a Roma elite with univer-
sity degrees who can advocate for themselves.”
Soros said the educational services OSI provided to the chil-
dren were the vehicle that brought about systemic change
in how Central and Eastern European societies dealt with
the Roma. Then he posed the following question to the au-
dience: “You are providing services but shouldn’t you also
be advocating for social change and trying to influence how
governments behave?”
He quoted economist Jeffrey Sachs on achieving the Millen-
nium Development Goals. Soros said Sachs emphasizes how
“bad governments” – corrupt, repressive and authoritarian
governments – can get in the way of eliminating poverty.
“Poverty reduction without attention to a country’s politi-
cal conditions will not produce results.”
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He also pointed out how the “resource curse” can delay
economic development in countries rich in natural resourc-
es such as oil or minerals. Because of political conditions
– corrupt governments, civil war, misdirected funds, or fail-
ure to invest in education – resource-rich countries such as
Nigeria may end up poorer than resource-poor ones such
as South Korea or Taiwan. For this reason, OSI has partici-
pated in a campaign to promote transparency in the mining
and oil industries since 2002.
Finally, Mr. Soros blamed the Bush Administration for mak-
ing InterAction members’ work more difficult because it re-
lies on military power instead of international cooperation
to promote its global agenda. “Open societies have to be
homegrown. Trying to impose democracy, as we have seen
[in Iraq], comes at a very heavy cost.”
Asked whom he supported for president in 2008, Soros
said without hesitation: “I endorsed Barack Obama the day
he announced he would announce. Obama holds out the
prospect of being a transformational candidate. The United
States has lost its way in the last few years, gone off the rails
… You need someone who was not involved [in the vote
for the Iraq war], and does not carry the baggage of those
years.”
Soros acknowledged that many members receive U.S. gov-
ernment support and are reluctant to bite the hand that
feeds them. But his final piece of advice was that InterAc-
tion members should become more involved in advocacy
and not be afraid of doing a “little bit of biting.”
What did InterAction members think of his advice? Domi-
nic MacSorley, Operations Director for Concern Worldwide
US, thinks Mr. Soros should have been better informed
about the advocacy work InterAction members are already
doing all over the world – in the field, with local, state and
national governments, and in Washington, DC.
But John Coonrod, Vice President and COO of the Hunger
Project, was encouraged by Soros’s words and impressed
that a man who has played such a remarkable role as a phi-
lanthropist around the world is now involved in poverty
eradication campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa. “InterAction
and its members have to make our advocacy work more
well-known to Soros and people like him,” said Coonrod.
“It’s up to us!”
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“Open societies have to be homegrown.

Trying to impose democracy, as we have
seen [in Iraq], comes at a very heavy cost.”

MAY 2007 
 FORUM 2007 PLENARIES PLENARIES PLENARIES PLENARIES PLEN

Secretary Rice Calls Foreign Assistance a Moral

Imperative, Central to National Security
By Robyn Shepherd, Media Specialist, InterAction

 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
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“I would argue that the moral and security arguments for development are converging into
a new national consensus. It is one that we have called transformational diplomacy and
defined that goal as follows: a world of democratic well-governed states which respond
to the needs of their citizens, reduce widespread poverty, and behave responsibly toward
their people and toward the international system.”
I
n an address to the U.S.-based inter-
national relief and development or-
ganizations gathered at InterAction’s
annual Forum, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice discussed the impor-
tance of foreign assistance as both a mor-
al imperative and a necessary component
of national security.
Secretary Rice began by honoring the
work of the humanitarian community.
“All of you believe in the non-negotiable
demands of human dignity and in the
vast potential of humankind to overcome
even the worst poverty and depreda-
tion,” she said. “I want to thank you on
behalf of President Bush for personifying
America’s compassion in the world.”
She explained that historically there have
been two prevailing views of foreign as-
sistance. “On one side there were those
who viewed foreign assistance primarily
in moral terms, arguing that it was an
end in itself to help developing nations
reduce poverty and human suffering. On
the other side were those who viewed
foreign assistance primarily through the
lens of national security, arguing that
reducing poverty, though noble, should
be subordinated to the more pressing
need to win friends and influence allies,
whether they used our assistance to help
their people or not.”
“Today, I submit to you that this old di-
vision on development has given way to
a new unity of purpose.”
Extreme poverty and civil unrest are,
in her view, intertwined. “In the 21st
century, defined as it is thus far by an
unprecedented and increasing interde-
pendence, human development is both a
moral end in itself and also a central pillar
of our national security. For as long as
civil conflicts can beget global crises, as
long as preventable diseases destroy the
social fabric of entire countries and en-
tire continents, as long as half the human
race lives on less than two dollars a day,
the developing world will neither be just
nor will it be stable.”
Secretary Rice went on to defend the
controversial concept of transformational
diplomacy – an approach to foreign aid
introduced last year. “I would argue that
the moral and security arguments for
development are converging into a new
national consensus. It is one that we have
called transformational diplomacy and
defined that goal as follows: a world of
democratic well-governed states which
respond to the needs of their citizens,
reduce widespread poverty, and behave
responsibly toward their people and to-
ward the international system.”
Recognizing that many in the relief and
development community had pushed for
a more poverty-centered position, Secre-
tary Rice stated, “I know that many of
you wanted our definition of transforma-
tional diplomacy to be more explicitly a
reflection of our commitment to poverty
reduction. That was a good suggestion.
We accept it.” The remark drew wide ap-
plause from the audience.
“I know that some fear that the effect
of this reform could be a shift of money
away from long-term poverty reduction
and towards short-term, short-sighted
policy goals,” she continued. “I under-
stand that concern, but I want to be
absolutely clear. We realize the critical
role that poverty reduction must play in
prioritizing our foreign assistance and we
also believe that getting this right is an
important, indeed pressing matter for
our own security.”
Her speech highlighted some of the ac-
complishments of the current admin-
istration regarding foreign aid. “In the
past six years, we have nearly tripled of-
ficial development assistance worldwide
and nearly quadrupled it to Sub-Saha-
ran Africa,” she said. “We have begun
an unprecedented $1.2 billion initiative
to fight malaria and of course we have
launched the President’s historic $15
billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,
the largest effort ever by one nation to
combat a single disease.”
In a question and answer session follow-
ing her remarks, Secretary Rice stated
that “President Bush has declared the
State Department a national security
agency alongside the Defense Depart-
ment and the Department of Homeland
Security, because so much of what we are
trying to do in the world, so much of
what we are trying to do in dealing with
extremism, dealing with the threats to us
cannot be done by military force.”
Also in the Q&A, the Secretary expressed
her view that Sudan’s President Bashir is
“well beyond the time at which we are
concerned about his willingness to live
up to agreements that he has signed”
regarding peace in Darfur. She also said,
regarding Israel-Palestinian conflict, “I
can think of no more important priority
and frankly, no more important step that
we could take and leave in place when
this President leaves…there should be
two states, one Israel, one Palestine liv-
ing side by side.”
MAY 2007 
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Congressional Panel Says Foreign Aid Is Essential Part

of America’s National Security
By Andrea Barron, Adjunct Professor of History, George Mason University

U
.S. foreign assistance to developing countries, whether to improve maternal
health, build schools, or respond to natural disasters, is not just the right
thing to do because it helps people in need. It is also “[an] essential part of
America’s national security.” This was the message Congresswoman Nita
Lowey, the new chair of the House subcommittee that oversees foreign aid spending,
gave to InterAction’s plenary on Transforming Transformational Diplomacy.
When the Democrats gained control of Congress after the 2006 elections, Lowey, a
Democrat from New York, became the chair of the House Appropriations Commit-
tee’s Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. The sub-
committee handles legislation that finances most U.S. bilateral assistance programs
(managed mainly by USAID), as well as two of the Bush Administration’s signature
programs: the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the President’s Emergency
Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
“The type of aid we gave for earthquake relief in Paki-
stan is our first line of defense [against terrorism],” she said. “The focus on the war in Iraq has come at a
tremendous cost, and I am worried that whatever we do in Afghanistan may be too little too late.”
Lowey recently visited a government girls’ middle school in Dadar, Pakistan that USAID rebuilt after it
was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake that killed over 73,000 people. She remembers one young girl ask-
ing her, “Can you bring us a computer? Can you bring us a science teacher?”
After seeing the caliber of the American NGO workers in Pakistan, Lowey truly appreciates InterAction’s
push to increase funding for the International Affairs account, which supports most development assis-
tance. President Bush has requested $36.5 billion for this account this year. InterAction wants funding
raised to $38.6 billion. Congress has not yet determined the final amount.
Lowey advised InterAction members, “Tell your personal stories: the one about the newborn child who
can now survive, about the families who can now support themselves. These stories are what will win
the hearts and minds of people. Your message has to come to Congress and we have to make sure it is
heard.”
She is optimistic about the potential of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which funds proj-
ects in poor countries that demostrate “good governance” and promote economic growth. But she thinks
it is too soon to assess its effectiveness in reducing poverty.
Lowey warned about efforts to “micromanage the MCC,” and about moving funding from Develop-
ment Assistance to other accounts such as ESF (Economic Support Fund). Ken Forsberg, InterAction’s
senior legislative associate, notes, “Economic Support Fund money goes to America’s strategic allies
such as Pakistan. The money can be used for development, but also for general budget support unrelated
to poverty reduction.”
Jim Kolbe, a former Republican Congressman from Arizona who chaired the House Foreign Operations
Subcommittee before Lowey, also addressed the panel. He praised InterAction for being “more than
the sum of its parts” and said it is up to development assistance programs to provide evidence of their
effectiveness.
Kolbe, now a Senior Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund, stressed the importance of
developing “democratic states with strong institutions that can absorb and use aid efficiently so they can
make a difference in poverty reduction.” As the populations of the United States, Japan and Europe age
and require more government support, he worries there may be less enthusiasm for foreign aid.
Forsberg agrees that aid effectiveness and efficiency is important. “Americans have always wanted foreign
aid to be effective. They want to see results, and don’t want to just be pouring money down a rat hole.”
He also echoes Lowey on the link between development and national security. “Foreign aid not only
helps to build a better world; in doing so it also makes us more secure. People who are economically
secure are less likely to resort to violence.”

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USAID and Defense Officials Urge
Better Cooperation Between NGOs
and Military
By Robyn Shepherd, Media Specialist, InterAction
S
pokespersons from both the Department of Defense
(DoD) and the U.S. Agency for International Develop-
ment (USAID) addressed the closing plenary luncheon
of the InterAction Forum in a discussion of relations be-
tween NGOs and the military. The overarching message was that
both communities should maintain their separate spaces, but still
must share information and coordinate with each other when
necessary.
The panel, moderated by International Rescue Committee Presi-
dent George Rupp, began with remarks by Dr. Janine Davidson,
Director for Stability Operations in the Office of the Secretary
of Defense. As a former research fellow at the Brookings Institu-
tion and a former Air Force officer and pilot, Dr. Davidson held
extensive experience on working in both the civilian and military
aspects of foreign assistance. While acknowledging that there is
sometimes tension between military and NGO operations, Dr.
Davidson pointed out that much progress had been made. “Fif-
teen years ago, many people in the military didn’t even know
what an NGO was,” she said.
She addressed concerns brought up by DoD Directive 3000.05,
“Military Support for Stability, Security, Transition, and Recon-
struction (SSTR) Operations.” The “bumper sticker” summary
of the directive, as she explained it, was that it was time to take
relief and stability operations seriously within the military. Dr.
Davidson stressed repeatedly that this did not mean that the mili-
tary wished to take over stability operations, but rather wished to
play a supportive role to NGOs.
At the same time, she pointed out that the military has vastly
more resources than other sectors, and can sometimes be the first
on the ground in areas that NGOs cannot reach. In this case,
military personnel must know what to do to help stabilize the
population in the absence of an NGO presence. The challenges,
she said, are to change military thinking to focus on improving
the lives of local populations, and not just focus on “catching bad
guys,” and to improve military-NGO coordination so they can
better support, rather than supplant, each other in crisis zones.
Michael Hess of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Hu-
manitarian Assistance at USAID, who also has extensive military
experience, said USAID has been working to optimize relation-
ships with the military through the Office of Military Affairs. He
said that while the military often has the advantage in terms of
logistics and resources, they don’t always “get it.” He gave the
example of a desk officer in Mali who wanted to help the nomad
population there. The officer decided to set up a school for the
nomads, which, while a well-meaning endeavor, did not ideally
serve the population on the move.
In combat operations, Mr. Hess said that the PRTs (Provincial
Reconstruction Teams) deployed by the military must be bet-
ter informed by the development side. He said that USAID is
working to improve this. While NGOs may be averse to the idea
of platoons heading up relief operations, he said it was impor-
tant to recognize that the platoons can sometimes access areas
NGOs cannot, and that they must be properly trained. “We have
a choice of training platoons to do the right thing in places we
can’t get to, or letting them make it up on their own,” he said.
“I submit to you that we can’t afford to do that.”
Charles Kosak, the Principal Director of African Affairs in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, spoke to the group about the
newly formed Africa Command, which is expected to be fully
operational by October 2008. He emphasized that officials from
AfriCom, as it is known, are talking with Africans about what
they want. He believes that there should be an NGO presence
at AfriCom’s operational level, because to be truly effective it
will need people with the necessary skills and cultural sensitivity
to bring about change. Saying that he left his NGO job because
he was “tired of applying band-aids to wounds that would not
heal,” Mr. Kosak said that in areas where conflict is systemic,
there cannot be development, security or sustainable situations.
Moderator George Rupp warned that many NGOs’ basic secu-
rity is rooted in being integrated into the community for years.
When military operations arrive in an area, it sometimes disrupts
the rapport NGOs have built with the population, and ironi-
cally makes NGOs less secure than they were before the military
presence arrived. Mr. Hess replied that better military-NGO co-
ordination could inform the military as to who is already on the
ground, what activities they are undertaking, and how military
activities might disrupt NGO operations. Integration with mili-
tary efforts is not accepted by NGOs for security reasons, but
all agreed that better communication between the two sectors is
both possible and necessary.
MAY 2007 

Faith Traditions and Development: A Powerful
Emerging Force for Women’s Empowerment
By Thu Cao, Senior Program Associate, Commission on the Advancement of Women, InterAction
I
nterAction’s Forum kicked off with the Commission on the
Advancement of Women’s annual breakfast. More than 200
attendees gathered to examine the question: “How do we
mobilize the combined forces of faith traditions and the in-
ternational development community to achieve gender equality
and end world poverty?”
“The rhetoric of gender equality has been adopted by the inter-
national development community, but in practice we still have a
long way to go. We must reach past traditional boundaries and
have conversations beyond the development community,” said
Sam Worthington, President and CEO of InterAction, in his
opening remarks. He emphasized the importance of dialogue
and action grounded in partnerships that include faith commu-
nities.
In a lively talk-show-style dialogue led by moderator Lynn Neary,
a National Public Radio correspondent, presenters discussed a
wide array of issues ranging from personal experiences with faith
and how it has affected views on women’s empowerment and de-
velopment to the ways in which religion has been both a barrier
and force towards gender equality and poverty reduction.
“My parents did not have any sons and the community con-
sidered my father childless,” said Kenyan Jacqueline Ogega,
Director of Women’s Program at Religions for Peace. Though
her father was completely marginalized by the community, he
found a voice for himself and acceptance in the church. He sup-
ported his daughters and their education. When Ogega focused
on women’s studies in college, she understood the significance
of his actions for her own development. Ogega discussed how
the interpretation of religious doctrine is central to women’s em-
powerment. “We should not magnify the resistance within faith
traditions. Instead, we should see faith as a catalyst for change,”
said Ogega.
Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt, founder and President of the Sister
Fund, a private women’s foundation that works at the nexus
of faith and social justice, stated, “Spirituality and feminism are
about lifting the voices of the marginalized.” She provided in-
sights on ways that faith and feminism share common values that
make them powerful tools to achieve gender equality.
10 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY
“International development, human rights, income, and faith
traditions should be seen as a broader passage to reach the des-
tination of gender equality,” said Dr. Ismail Ndifuna, National
Program Officer for Reproductive Health for the UN Popula-
tion Fund in Uganda. He noted that it is the hypermasculinity
or extreme male bias of religion that lies at the root of gender
inequality, not religion itself. Faith traditions can serve as a vehi-
cle towards women’s empowerment when these masculine biases
have been identified and eliminated.
“We need to break down traditional boundaries,” noted Jean
Duff, Managing Director of the Center for Global Justice and
Reconciliation at Washington National Cathedral. She stressed
that faith and secular organizations must systematically engage
and mobilize to increase investments in women and to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals; without new alliances of these
powerful communities, the Goals will not be met by 2015.
Following the presentations, participants divided into small
groups to discuss what ideas, insights, or strategies they thought
they would draw from the session. Led by the facilitator, Mere-
dith Richardson from Southern Cross Associates, the subsequent
plenary discussion generated a rich array of ideas. A number of
participants agreed to build upon common values and beliefs and
to move away from the divisive issues. Others highlighted that
religious traditions affect both men and women and that change
cannot occur without community support.
The breakfast also launched the new Women, Faith, and De-
velopment Alliance, co-convened by InterAction, Religions for
Peace, Women’s Edge Coalition, and the Center for Global Jus-
tice and Reconciliation/Washington National Cathedral. The
Alliance unites the moral authority of faith communities, inter-
national development and women’s organizations to secure new
policy breakthroughs and budget commitments by governments
and multilateral organizations. As a candle was lit to symbolize
the formation of the Alliance, Ritu Sharma Fox, President and
Co-founder of Women’s Edge, described the Alliance as “the
embodiment of hope for a common agenda of women’s advance-
ment to end poverty worldwide.”
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Advocacy Day Makes Foreign Assistance Come Alive

on Capitol Hill
By Andrea Barron, Adjunct Professor of History, George Mason University

O
ver 120 citizen activists participated in InterAction’s Ken Flemmer from the Adventist Development & Relief Agency
annual Advocacy Day to encourage members of Con- International (ADRA) said ADRA and other NGOs (non-gov-
gress and their staff to support foreign assistance for ernmental organizations) “are the face of American taxpayers in
development and humanitarian needs, especially pro- the villages of Africa, Latin America and other parts of the devel-
grams that combat poverty. oping world. And we are the connectors – the ones who tell the
people at Foggy Bottom [the State Department] and Capitol Hill
The public policy team arranged meetings with 57 congressional
– how foreign assistance is being used where it counts.” ADRA
offices (43 on the House side and 14 in the Senate) focusing on
has projects in Darfur and other parts of the Sudan, including a
new members of Congress and new members of the foreign af-
water project that drills wells in refugee camps so women do not
fairs and appropriations committees.
need to leave the camps and risk being attacked.
“You are here to remind the folks on Capitol Hill that there
Mustapha Sanah, Chairman of Northern Ghana AID, joined
is a dedicated constituency in the United States for programs
ADRA representatives at some of their meetings. Sanah came
that benefit the world’s poorest people,” InterAction President
to Washington, DC along with several other participants in In-
and CEO Sam Worthington told Advocacy Day participants at a
terAction’s African Liaison Program Initiative that works with
Capitol Hill reception. Congresswomen Betty McCollum from
NGOs in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda and Senegal.
Minnesota and Diane Watson from California, both Democrats,
let participants know how important their work is.
InterAction Senior Legislative Associate Ken Forsberg briefed
the participants before their meetings. “Many of the people you
are going to see are new to our issues and welcome the chance to
hear from you,” he explained. “Ask them to support the highest
possible 302b allocation for the foreign operations subcommit-
tees that fund the issues we care about.” The 302b allocation is
Capitol Hill speak for the chunk of discretionary money distrib-
uted to appropriations subcommittees on both the Senate and
House sides.
InterAction tracks seven poverty-focused and humanitarian ac-
counts including child survival and health, international disaster
and famine assistance, and migration and refugee assistance. It
also monitors appropriations for the Global HIV/AIDS Initia-
tive that funds the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Re-
lief (PEPFAR), and for the Millennium Challenge Corporation,
which targets poor countries that demonstrate good governance
and a commitment to economic growth.
InterAction members had an essential task to accomplish on Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) greets InterAction’s
Capitol Hill: communicating how foreign assistance can make Sam Worthington and Todd Shelton during the Forum’s annual
a concrete difference in improving the lives of people thousands Advocacy Day.
of miles away.
Robert Zachritz from World Vision said he knows advocacy Northern Ghana AID works to improve health care and educa-
makes a difference. “Earlier this year, InterAction and some tion for the region and bridge the development disparity between
other groups convinced Congress to increase PEPFAR funding the North and the rest of Ghana. Brother’s Brother Foundation
to $4.5 billion” – $500 million more than President Bush had has already helped them do this by providing much needed sur-
requested for the program. gical and other medical equipment for a hospital. The organiza-
On Advocacy Day, Zachritz met with Shirley Cooks, Chief of tion also seeks to empower women by helping them establish
Staff to Democrat Steve Cohen from Tennessee. “She was excit- small businesses and by combating traditional practices such as
ed to hear World Vision’s analysis of peace talks in Uganda and female genital mutilation.
how it is helping the night commuters at its rehabilitation center Ken Flemmer said nothing impresses staffers more than hearing
in Gulu, Uganda,” he said. The night commuters are children from visitors like Mustapha Sanah who can tell them what is hap-
who walk from the countryside into towns to sleep each night to pening on the ground. “It’s a long way from the Hill to North-
escape abduction by the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, which ern Ghana. These visitors make foreign assistance come alive for
abducts children to use as soldiers and sex slaves. the people on Capitol Hill like no one else can ever do.”

MAY 2007 11
 FORUM 2007
Recognizing Champions: InterAction’s 12th Annual
Awards Dinner
By Josh Kearns, Communications Associate, InterAction
I
nterAction’s 12th Annual Awards
Dinner featured a new award given
to an old friend, as well as fresh per-
spectives on peace and violence from
honorees in photography, reporting and
humanitarianism.
The Awards Dinner began on a somber
note, as PACT Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Newhall presented the first annual
NGO Memorial, a commemoration of
member agency staff that died during the
past year while serving in the field. After a
reading of the names of the deceased, din-
ner guests observed a moment of silence
in their honor. InterAction plans to create
a memorial wall in its offices as a tribute
to the bravery and idealism embodied by
these men and women.
Another first at this year’s Awards Dinner
was the presentation of the Outstanding
Leadership Award. The winner of this
year’s award was Julia Taft, who in 2006
came out of retirement to serve as Inter-
Action’s interim Chief Executive. Prior to
that, Ms. Taft had served as Assistant Ad-
ministrator and Director of the Bureau for
12 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS
Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR)
in the United Nations Developments Pro-
gramme (UNDP), following her service
as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
the Bureau of Population, Migration and
Refugees and her five-year tenure as Inter-
Action CEO. In his introductory remarks,
current InterAction CEO Sam Worthing-
ton credited Ms. Taft for leaving each
organization for which she worked much
improved, and for dedicating her career
to “improved public policy and effective
development and humanitarian assistance,
whether from positions in government or
the private sector.”
The second award of the night was Inter-
Action’s fifth Annual Photography Con-
test, presented by Washington Post pho-
tographer Michael DuCille. This year’s
award went to International Rescue Com-
mittee Senior Communications Officer
Peter Biro, whose photograph “Coffee
Sessions Help Darfur Women Overcome
War Trauma” captured the resilient spirit
of women whose lives are beset by vio-
lence. In the photograph, brightly garbed
Darfurian women gather around a pot of
hot coffee at a special center where wom-
en can come together to learn to read
and write, or simply to enjoy each other’s
company. Mr. Biro remarked that he was
struck by the contrast between the mo-
ment of serenity documented in the pho-
tograph and the daily struggles faced by
his subjects.
Following Mr. Biro’s remarks, ABC 7
reporter Sam Ford presented the Excel-
lence in International Reporting award
to Kevin Sites. Mr. Sites covers conflicts
around the globe in “Kevin Sites in the
Hot Zone” on Yahoo! News. His inno-
vative solo journalism has helped deliver
underreported stories to Yahoo!’s nearly
400 million users. Though Mr. Sites was
unable to attend the Awards Dinner, he
said in his remarks that during his journey
through the world’s conflict areas, he had
come to realize that “war isn’t about the
clashing of armies, but the destruction of
civil life.” “Telling the truth about war,”
Mr. Sites concluded, “is the only way …
that people will begin to see it for what
it is.” Mr. Sites also thanked the Inter-
national Rescue Committee, Save the
KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS

Coffee Sessions Help Darfur Women Overcome War Trauma is the 2007 Grand Prize winner of
InterAction’s Annual Photography Contest. By Peter Biro, International Medical Corps. See page 19
for more information about the contest and the five outstanding winners.

Children, and CARE for allowing him to
“embed” with them.
The final honor of the evening was the
InterAction Humanitarian Award. This
year’s winner was Dr. Juan Almendares.
Dr. Almendares has been recognized for
his work in combating alcoholism, to-
bacco and drug use, malnutrition, eco-
logical damage and pesticide poisoning
in his native Honduras. However, it was
his groundbreaking work with victims
of torture that earned him InterAction’s
Humanitarian Award. A victim of torture
himself, Dr. Almendares founded COHA-
PAZ, the Honduran Peace Action Com-
mittee, which has been a part of efforts to ism.” It was this drive to combat torture
end violence against women, ensure hu- and its effects that led Dr. Almendares to
man rights and end political corruption. found COHAPAZ.
He is also a published poet.
Dr. Almendares concluded his speech
In Dr. Almendares’s address, he thanked with a fragment from his poem, Friends
his mother for teaching him to embrace of the Earth:
those who had murdered his father and Friends,
perpetrated injustices upon their family, The earth is our love
and for teaching him to reject the culture Together let us kiss
of violence and revenge that character- The soul and the life
ized the Honduras of his youth. Dr. Al- Of the wind.
mendares stated that “the experiences of Be the spirit,
being tortured highly developed my con- The human embrace
science and I am compelled to speak out Of the beingness of the planet.
against every kind of torture and terror-

MAY 2007 13
 FORUM 2007 KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS

Leet Award 2007 Recognizes Heifer International,

Population Action International and the Women’s
Edge Coalition
By Thu Cao, Senior Program Associate, Commission on the Advancement of Women, InterAction

ownership gaps, instituting

the Women in Livestock
Development program
that promotes the role of
women in family and com-
munity decision-making.
The Women’s Edge Coali-
tion, established in 1998,
is the leading non-partisan
organization in shaping
U.S. policy to benefit poor
women worldwide. Edge
has demonstrated a break-
through strategy in gender
policy advocacy with its
work on the Millennium
Challenge Corporation
(MCC). In collaboration
with InterAction member
the International Center
for Research on Women,
Edge created the Women
and the Millennium Chal-
lenge Account (MCA)
working group that in-
cludes many other InterAc-
tion members. A significant

I
nterAction’s Commission on the Advancement of Women
presented the 13th Annual Mildred Robbins Leet Award for
the Advancement of Women to Heifer International, Popu-
lation Action International and the Women’s Edge Coali-
tion. The award was established in 1995 to recognize member
agencies making significant progress in attaining gender equity
in their programs and management. The award is named after
Millie Leet, a long-time advocate for gender equality in the In-
terAction community and co-founder of Trickle Up.
The theme of this year’s award is breakthroughs in gender inte-
gration and women’s empowerment.
Since beginning over 60 years ago, Heifer International has
consistently prioritized gender equality as key to successful and
sustainable development. The organization’s Gender Equity Ini-
tiative is rooted in its vision of justice. Gender equity and family
focus is one of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for just and sustainable
development. The Initiative has successfully employed two com-
plementary strategies. First, mainstreaming gender in all policies,
operational systems and projects. Second, to address resource
accomplishment was the hiring of a MCC Gender Advisor. In
2006, in response to these efforts, the MCC adopted a compre-
hensive and far-reaching gender policy. The policy, which will be
incorporated into billions of dollars in U.S. assistance, requires
the use of gender analysis through all aspects of the MCC’s work,
including country consultations with women in designing the
programs.
Population Action International (PAI), founded in 1965, is a
powerful voice in demonstrating that voluntary family planning
is central to women’s rights worldwide as well as poverty reduc-
tion and environmental sustainability. PAI’s Community Based
Population and Environment (CBPE) programs link reproduc-
tive health services to environmental programs. CBPE’s inno-
vative approach has galvanized an unconventional ally of family
planning: environmental advocates. PAI has successfully advo-
cated for legislative language requiring USAID to fund projects
that link reproductive health with natural resource management
in areas where population growth threatens endangered species.
$9 million in U.S. government funding have been allocated for
integrated projects built on the CBPE concept since 2002.

14 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS

Creating an Effective Civil Society and Government

Partnership Paradigm
By Francis Gatare, Advisor to the President on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Republic of Rwanda

S
ince 1994, following the genocide, nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) essentially provided all the ba-
sic needs for Rwanda’s populace. The emergence of
the current people-centered government initiated a
“This Forum is essentially a level playing field,
debate around the role of government in creating a stable and and should be the space where many more
sustainable development environment, and the essential role
of NGOs both indigenous and foreign.
African NGOs and government officials can
One of our key concerns was the sheer number of actors in-
meet and mutually review partnerships with
volved in development in our country. The NGOs, private their American counterparts.”
voluntary organizations (PVOs), contractors, government
programs, donor countries and other international institu-
tions in the country, all had to co-exist without confusion or
duplication and needed to significantly improve communica-
tion. The Rwandan government realized that what was need-
ed was a common development agenda to help us map out
our respective roles and enhance transparency. To be effective
in any form of collaboration one must know what the others
are doing, and be accountable to one another.
The National Aid Policy and law governing local and interna-
tional NGOs is really designed to help all involved in defin-
ing complementary relationships between their work and the
work of the Rwandan government. The consultative process
involved in creating this policy is an on-going one. We in-
volved local and international NGOs in all aspects of its de-
sign including follow-up imperatives such as monitoring and
evaluation. We plan to continue this inclusive process in as-
sessing impact and in improving the program as it evolves.
This new approach is central to Rwanda’s good governance
program and NEPAD’s African Peer Review Mechanism to
which we subscribe.
The InterAction Forum has been very useful. Many thanks to
InterAction, the International Monetary Fund, U.S. Agency
for International Development and the World Bank for spon-
soring a delegation of African partners to attend this event.
I was finally able to put faces to the names of organizations
that have been active in my country for a very long time. To
be able to participate in a conference where every member of
a development organization, in essence, expresses his or her
commitment to development efforts is empowering. The en-
thusiasm and passion for what they do was very enriching.
Attending this meeting afforded me an opportunity for me
to thank this community for its engagement in our country,
and to share the partnership framework for Rwanda’s socio-
economic development. Perhaps the only foreign govern-
ment official in attendance, I had an incredible opportunity
to strengthen partnerships and contribute to various discus-
sions that will truly impact on the work of many PVOs around
the world. This Forum is essentially a level playing field, and
should be the space where many more African NGOs and
government officials can meet and mutually review partner-
ships with their American counterparts.
MAY 2007 15

Special CEO Track Augments 2007 Forum
By Barbara Wallace, Vice President of Membership, InterAction
I
nterAction designed a special track for Chief Executive Of-
ficers during this year’s Forum as part of its initiative to assist
in the formation and fruition of affinity groups around spe-
cial interests among member organizations.
Ten Bold Programs, a CEOs only workshop, followed through on
the CEO retreat from last December. The workshop provided
an opportunity for CEOs to discuss bold, innovative programs
launched in their organizations and challenges they face that are
unique to the leaders of international non-profits. Working in
breakout groups, the participants enthusiastically shared inno-
vations and solutions to common areas of focus for leaders of
organizations including maintaining long-range strategic focus,
locating sources of unrestricted funding, recruiting and retaining
effective staff, working with boards of directors, and managing
growth and change.
InterAction’s 2007 annual CEO retreat will be held in November. For more information, please contact
Barbara Wallace by email at bwallace@interaction.org, or by phone at 202-667-8227, ext 552.
16 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
NETWORKING NETWORKIN
Two additional high-powered meetings with InterAction mem-
ber CEOs were also held during the Forum.
Sir John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitar-
ian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, met for breakfast
with InterAction CEOs in an off-the-record discussion about
current humanitarian crises and furthering the NGO-UN part-
nership.
The Forum also included a special off-the-record meeting with a
small group of InterAction CEOs and Randall Tobias, Director
of Foreign Assistance and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for
International Development, to provide an update on progress in
U.S. foreign assistance reform and to hear participants’ candid
assessments and general feedback on the structure and process
of the reform effort.
These meetings launched productive dialogues that InterAction
hopes will continue over the coming years.
G NETWORKING NETWORKING NETWORKING NETWORKING NETWORKING NETWORKING
Women’s Caucus Tackles Tough Issues
By Jessica Bowers, Intern, Commission on the Advancement of Women, InterAction
T
he first-ever Women’s Caucus/Affinity Group held at
an InterAction Forum drew representatives from many
member organizations including the American Friends
Service Committee, the American Red Cross, Heifer In-
ternational, World Learning, and World Neighbors.
Underscoring InterAction’s commitment to elevate gender to an
integral position within InterAction’s new directions and struc-
ture, InterAction Vice President for Strategic Impact Suzanne
Kindervatter outlined the Commission on the Advancement of
Women’s (CAW) strategic gender initiatives related to each of
InterAction’s three new goals. Related to goal 1, focusing on ad-
vocacy and U.S. foreign assistance reform, the CAW coordinates
a strong, dynamic gender working group. In impact and account-
ability (goal 2), the focus is on aggregating and documenting
members’ unique field-based perspective and knowledge. One
new emphasis is taking stock of member contributions to the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with a focus on MDG
3 that strives for women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Goal 3 expands InterAction’s involvement in strategic partner-
ships. The CAW has formed the new Women, Faith, and Devel-
opment Alliance over the past year, with participants including
InterAction members and representatives of faith communities.
To further the integration of gender in InterAction’s work, a
gender perspective will also be included in InterAction’s major
grants.
Caucus participants identified and discussed key gender issues
they have confronted at personal, community, and global levels.
Concerns raised were eclectic, ranging from organizational mat-
ters to ideological hurdles to field work challenges, including
gender stereotypes, respecting culture while also empowering
women, and engaging men while also giving women an equal
voice and opportunity.
Less obvious challenges included avoiding what Martha Hirpe of
Heifer International referred to as PHD, or “Pull Her Down,”
syndrome, in which women working toward the common goal
of gender equality do not support each other’s efforts, often di-
verging along ideological lines. Several participants raised criti-
cal, complex questions concerning the role of women in the
North relative to women in the South, and whether the North
has shifted too far in ideology to objectively address needs and
concerns in the South. Participants noted the challenge of em-
bracing and representing the diversity of women’s issues around
the globe, without imposing our own agendas, expectations and
cultural directives.
The Women’s Caucus sought to identify key issues and possible
action areas in the InterAction community. Follow-up ideas in-
cluded: ongoing discussions (brown bags) on culture, gender,
and change; developing a workshop on gender budgeting for
NGOs as an accountability tool for greater gender integration;
dialogues among women leaders on women’s use of power; and
launching a young professionals affinity group.
MAY 2007 17

Responding in Transition: A Call to be Coordinated, Innovative
and Inclusive
By Elizabeth Bellardo, Senior Program Associate, Humanitarian Policy and Practice, InterAction
H
istorically, significant gaps have existed in addressing
the transitional needs of fragile states and communi-
ties emerging from conflict when short-term relief
is no longer available and longer-term development
programs are not ready for implementation. This workshop pro-
vided a multi-dimensional analysis of how the international com-
munity is addressing the needs of populations in transition, from
innovative programming at the community level, to integrated
national efforts and coordination at the global level. Each panel-
ist outlined specific challenges and echoed the priorities of re-
building social cohesion, engaging community actors and utiliz-
ing a complementary mix of physical and social support. At their
core, these programs must also be flexible enough to operate in
the fluid environment of transition periods.
Mike Wessells, a Child Protection Advisor with Christian Chil-
dren’s Fund, noted that in many of today’s conflicts, youth
make up over half of the fighters and it is essential to incorporate
“youth agency” into peace-building programs. Income sources
must also be created for all war-effected youth.
Jessica Quarles, a Senior Program Officer for HIV/AIDS at
Mercy Corps, outlined an innovative new program Mercy Corps
is implementing in Liberia and south Sudan. The Sports, Peace
and Life program integrates HIV/AIDS awareness training with
18 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNIN
peace-building efforts, while keeping the youth engaged with
sports events such as soccer.
Speaking from the U.S. government perspective, Jason Aplon,
Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Transition Initiatives at
USAID, highlighted the need to link community level programs
to the national level. He noted that the media is a powerful tool
to share information about local experiences in an effort to bring
the nation-state back together. He also raised the need for a new
guiding theory of transition.
As Coordinator of the Cluster Working Group on Early Recov-
ery in the UN Development Program’s Bureau of Crisis Preven-
tion and Recovery, Jahal de Meritens outlined the current status
of the UN’s thinking on Early Recovery (ER). As ER is multi-
sectoral and cross-cutting, the recommendation is to move the
working group to more of a “network” function than a “cluster”
one. He also outlined plans to create an NGO reference group
for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee ER Cluster, facilitated
through the NGO platforms, to strengthen NGO engagement.
The last half of the workshop addressed questions from the
standing-room only audience. Topics included leveraging exist-
ing community capacity, joint planning in transition initiatives,
the role of donors in the ER Cluster, and the importance of
building on pre-existing relationships.
2007 OUTSTANDING WINNER
The “Right to Be Silly” (Nicaragua)
By Bill Weaver, Lutheran World Relief
NG LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Panelists Provide Update

on NGO Security
By Silya Teixeira, Intern, InterAction

P
anelists in the NGO Security Threats and Re-
sponses workshop updated Forum participants on
NGOs’ standing. Moderated by OFDA Safety and
Security Coordinator Shawn Bardwell, the session
offered insights into the latest trends in security challeng-
es, and new frameworks for developing improved policies,
procedures and best practices to address those challenges.
Adele Harmer, Research Fellow at the Humanitarian Pol-
icy Group’s Overseas Development Institute, presented
the conclusions of recent research on security threats to
NGO staff abroad. HPG Report 23, Providing Aid in In-
secure Environments: Trends in Policy and Operations,
notes disturbing trends and provides analysis key in gaug-
ing real security threats to NGOs. The report provides
alarming insights regarding NGO field staff security: an-
nual incidents nearly doubled from 1997-2001 and again
from 2002-2005, demonstrating a marked increase in to-
tal amounts of violence against aid workers. In per capita
terms, the rate increased slightly: from five victims each
year per 10,000 aid workers between 1997-2001, to six
annually between 2002-2005.
Analysis of individual attacks is just as revealing. National
staff accounted for 78 percent of all victims, with their
share on the rise. The increase in direct targeting of aid
workers for political or economic reasons is also of great
concern. Politically motivated attacks outnumbered those
with purely economic motivations, suggesting that bel-
ligerents perceive aid workers as affiliated with political
processes.
2007 OUTSTANDING WINNER
Recognizing a transition from isolated violence to direct Laudi (Niger)
targeting of NGO staff is vital to developing proper re- By Jon Warren, World Vision
sponse mechanisms, as policies, procedures and best prac-
tices for security depend upon the actual environment
in which NGOs work. The final two panelists presented
InterAction’s Minimum Operating Security Standards
(MOSS) and the UN Saving Lives Together frameworks,
both of which respond to the increasingly insecure field InterAction’s Fifth Annual Photography Contest
environment Harmer. InterAction’s annual photography contest traditionally focuses on the
InterAction Security Advisory Group co-chair and Save tremendous work done by our members in the field. The amazing
the Children Security Director Michael O’Neil discussed submissions help us raise awareness about the impact of our mem-
InterAction’s MOSS, approved by InterAction’s Board of bers’ work, and the powerful images introduce the American pub-
Directors in 2006. MOSS sets out five standards that re- lic to the enterprising spirit of the people we work with around the
quire members to establish their own approaches to staff world. This contest provides an opportunity for photographers to
security. “Implementation of these standards,” O’Neil add their voice to the rest of the international relief and development
noted, “will put [NGOs] in a better position to address community, by communicating the character and heart of our work.
the problems raised in [Harmer’s presentation].” This year, we challenged contributors to submit pictures that would
lay down the foundation to the 2007 Annual Forum theme, “Setting
Robert Painter from the UN Department of Safety and a Bold Agenda for Relief and Development.” The Grand Prize win-
Security presented Saving Lives Together, a voluntary and ner is pictured on the cover and page 13. Outstanding winners are
cost-shared framework for enhancing security coordina- pictured throughout pages 18-22. To view all submissions, visit our
tion between the UN and the NGO community. Painter online gallery at www.interaction.org.
noted that UN’s desire to collaborate with NGOs in the
security realm is stronger than ever.

MAY 2007 19
 FORUM 2007 LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Establishing Common Global Standards for NGO Professional

Conduct
By Beesyna Majid, Associate, Membership and Standards, InterAction

“A standard is necessary for order in human effort” – Le Corbusier

H
ow might the NGO community reach consensus on a parliamentary inquiry. This inquiry found that while the sec-
a common definition of what a good, transparent and tor has good intentions, it lacked regulations. In direct response
accountable NGO should look like? to this “scandal,” the ACFID Codes of Conduct were created.
Eileen Kaufman from Social Accountability Interna- ACFID also offers a robust complaint process in which it does
tional, an NGO as well as an accrediting body, posed and an- not take an active role. Rather, complaints are reviewed by an
swered several basic questions about standards including: What independent panel. O’Callaghan reported that establishing the
is a standard? Why have a standard? Who needs a standard? And ACFID codes, combined with a transparent and robust enforce-
how are standards best developed? ment mechanism, has had a positive impact on public confidence
in the sector.
Monica Blagscu from the One World Trust’s Global Account-
ability Project (GAP), believes that the major weaknesses of Panelist Ezra Mbogori of MWENGO asked if there was actu-
existing NGO accountability systems are their voluntary nature ally a basis for building trust between the North and South and
and the lack of robust enforcement mechanisms. The content between international NGOs, Southern NGOs and donors. He
of any global standards-based system must be clear and enforce- argued that standards and self-regulation are not new concepts,
able. The standards must have broad applicability and be adopt- and expressed fear that promoting a global set of standards could
ed through a process that involves stakeholders. There must be lead the global NGO sector to a “one size fits all” approach to
clear incentives to comply and a mechanism to report regularly NGO accountability. He believes that there is too much empha-
on compliance. The standards and compliance mechanisms must sis on the funds being appropriated, while not nearly enough at-
be transparent to the public, with clearly articulated sanctions for tention is devoted to accountability to the core values of NGOs.
non-compliance and protection for whistleblowers. Mbogori doubts the sector’s ability to agree on common codes
of conduct that have at their core accountability to beneficia-
Paul O’Callaghan from the Australian Council for International ry communities, rather than principally to donors. “Too often
Development (ACFID) believes there is a large amount of public we focus on upward accountability, while leaving out those for
trust placed in NGOs, as they claim a high moral purpose. Be- whom we are undertaking our work.”
cause of this trust, charitable organizations have not traditionally
been held as accountable as other sectors. Several years ago in Ken Giunta, InterAction’s Director of Membership and Stan-
Australia, a major charity breached the public trust, which led to dards, emphasized that the purpose of establishing common
codes would not
be to homogenize
NGOs based on a
Northern model,
but rather to look
at common threads
across the many
NGO networks,
platforms and codes
of conduct that al-
ready exist in the
North and South.
He is confident
that the NGO sec-
tor can eventually
agree on a finite set
of professional stan-
dards against which
NGOs and their
work can be judged
and held to account
by donors, host
governments and
2007 OUTSTANDING WINNER beneficiary commu-
Mohammad Azeem’s Goats (Pakistan) nities alike.
By Jim Stipe, Jim Stipe Photography

20 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
G LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Making Poverty Reduction Sexy: Achieving the First Millennium

Development Goal
By Hilary Nalven, Program Associate for Strategic Impact, InterAction

W
hat will it take for Millennium Development Goal 1 (MDG1) to
become a U.S. priority? How can the NGO community effec-
tively advocate for increased foreign aid, primarily directed to- Panelists’ Advocacy
ward sustainable development programs for the neediest? These Recommendations
questions guided the workshop Poverty Reduction and Development Assis- 1. Integrate grassroots and grasstops.
tance: What is Necessary to Achieve the First Millennium Development Goal?
moderated by Dr. M. Lyndon Haviland of the Pact Board of Directors. 2. Base advocacy on field evidence.

Beth Tritter, Vice President of the legislative advocacy Glover Park Group, 3. Sell the MDGs by framing them in donors’
emphasized building relationships on the Hill. Speaking from her own expe- self interests.
riences as a congressional staffer she stressed, “a good advocate makes you 4. Do not be afraid of evaluations that reveal
feel good about what you can do” and that “Congress is hungry for results.” failures. Venture capitalists consider 3 out
She argued that poverty reduction is not a priority for policymakers. Advo- of 10 a good success rate.
cates must make achieving MDG1 a “sexy” issue, like the celebrity appeal of
5. Build relationships with individual
HIV/AIDS, by popularizing it in public opinion to get politicians on board
congressional staffers to champion certain
– a point supported by all the panelists.
issues.
Audra Jones, Senior Director of Partnership Development at United Nations
6. Measure impact through a results
Foundation, discussed the importance of strategic partnerships with the private
management framework.
sector. She called for increased collaboration between NGOs and for-profit
corporations and small businesses as critical to reaching the MDG1 targets.
Using poverty reduction to maximize profit potential in international markets
is in corporate interest, and these partnerships must stem from a business ap-
proach in order to mobilize substantial resources. Although working together
may be new for many NGOs, partnerships with socially responsible compa-
nies can provide sig-
nificant leverage to
the NGO sector.
Mark Sundberg,
Lead Economist of
the Global Moni-
toring and Aid Ef-
fectiveness Unit at
the World Bank and
chief author of the
Global Monitoring
Report 2007, recom-
mended that NGO
advocates align their
efforts with targeted
donors’ agendas. For
example, to ensure
proper funding to
fragile states, focus
messaging on the
point that develop-
ment is in U.S. na-
tional security inter-
2007 OUTSTANDING WINNER
est. He also cited
Backstage at the Palais Royal (Jamaica)
recent statistics that
By John Rae
show development
investments are pay-
ing off.

MAY 2007 21
 FORUM 2007 LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Measuring the Impact of Communications

By Robyn Shepherd, Media Specialist, InterAction

E
ffective communications requires knowledge of external
factors, such as the press and consumers, but also of each
organization’s own sense of identity. Such was the core
message of the Measuring the Impact of Relief and Development
Communications workshop.
Michael Carberry, President of Carma International, presented
findings from his company’s recent report on how the interna-
tional and U.S. media cover international disasters. It found that
Western self-interest is a pre-condition for significant coverage
of humanitarian crises, economic impact is a better indicator of
long-term coverage than human suffering, and politics can de-
termine the timing, level of interest and story angle. For exam-
ple, only 900 of the 175,000 people killed in the Indian Ocean
tsunami of 2004 were Westerners. However, 45 percent of the
coverage of fatalities centered on these 900. Although the me-
dia’s definition of what makes a good story differs substantially
from what humanitarian organizations want covered, Craberry
said that humanitarian staff familiar with how the media thinks
can successfully place their issues.
Adam Hicks, Vice President of Marketing for CARE, discussed
the development of CARE’s successful I Am Powerful campaign
that emphasizes women’s empowerment. Previously in market-
ing for Coca-Cola, he admitted that fostering brand recognition
for NGOs is more difficult than doing so for Coke. For example,
a study showed that public familiarity with CARE centered pri-
marily on CARE packages, and many erroneously thought the
organization engaged in child sponsorship. Moreover, the orga-
nizations within the CARE family did not think alike and some
were not even using the same logos. The organization clearly
needed to adjust public perception, as well as its perception of
itself. Taking stock of what resonated with the public (women’s
issues) and the evolution of the organization’s mission (the in-
creased importance of gender in all of CARE’s programs), helped
them find the right chord.
Lisa Witter, Chief Operating Officer for Fenton Communica-
tions, also emphasized the importance of working simultane-
ously on external and internal perceptions. She presented a series
of questions organizations should ask themselves to determine
their impact. Some were self-evident: Did the organization raise
money? Were advocacy goals achieved? Others were less obvious.
Were new staff skills developed? It is important to develop new
staff skills, she explained, so all staff at all levels can to talk about
the issues that are being promoted. Witter also said that a suc-
cessful campaign should “re-frame” the issue. To illustrate, she
noted that the concept of aging in America has been changed
thanks to the efforts of groups such as AARP that depict aging
boomers as vivacious and socially conscious.

OUTSTANDING WINNER
Breastfeeding (Sudan)
By Blazej Mikula, Action Against Hunger

22 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
G LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Building Safer Organizations: Investigating Allegations of Sexual

Exploitation and Abuse
By Heather Powell, Program Associate, Protection and Refugee Affairs, Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team

S
exual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in humanitarian crises At this year’s InterAction Forum, Katharina Samara-Wickrama,
are global concerns, reflecting humanitarian staff’s failure Project Coordinator of the Building Safer Organizations (BSO)
to uphold the physical integrity and dignity of refugees, Project, conducted an interactive workshop to highlight the
internally displaced persons and local host populations. challenges organizations face given time restrictions, limited re-
In humanitarian emergencies where women and children are sources and organizational cultures that treat SEA as a private
forced into situations of increased economic and physical vulner- matter and a by-product of poverty and unequal power rela-
ability, preventing SEA is crucial to maintaining a commitment tionships. Ms. Samara introduced the BSO and its goals of ad-
to the protection and care of beneficiaries. dressing gaps in organizational prevention and response to SEA,
capacity-building for non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
Over five years have passed since reports emerged of SEA by
and development of regional expertise and support mechanisms.
humanitarian staff in refugee camps in West Africa and Nepal.
Originally housed at the International Council of Voluntary
The reports and subsequent reactions encouraged humanitar-
Agencies (ICVA) and established through inter-agency coopera-
ian organizations to recognize their responsibility to increase
tion in 2004, the BSO trains senior management and designated
awareness and accountability and to establish their own codes
investigators in the implementation of codes of conduct and in
of conduct and investigation procedures in accordance with the
SEA investigations. The BSO recently moved to the Humanitar-
UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin Special Measures for Protection
ian Accountability Partnership – International.
from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.
Ms. Samara was joined by Mr.
Charles Otieno, a representative
of the Preventing Sexual Exploita-
tion and Abuse (PSEA) Project of
the Kenya Consortium spearhead-
ed by the International Rescue
Committee. He described how
organizations agreed to inter-
agency protocols and developed
complaint and response mecha-
nisms ensuring confidentiality.
Further goals are to mainstream
SEA in all aspects of humanitarian
programming, to empower bene-
ficiaries to become agents in their
own protection, and to advocate
for more purposeful participation
by national authorities and police
forces. Mr. Otieno is also the Act-
ing Country Manager of FilmAid
International – Kenya, and he dis-
cussed how film is used as one of
the principle methods to create
awareness amongst stakeholders.
The Forum session highlighted
ways that concerned organizations
and networks can, and successfully
have, worked to improve attention
given to issues of SEA. Through
accountability, awareness and col-
laborative efforts, organizations
such as the BSO and the Kenya
PSEA Project hope to ensure that
the respect and human dignity of
populations in crises remain an in-
tegral part of humanitarian efforts
worldwide.

MAY 2007 23
 FORUM 2007 LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

InterAction Humanitarian Policy and Practice Committee

Addresses Prospects in Humanitarian Assistance
By Linda Poteat, Senior Program Manager, and Jillian Robbins, Program Associate, Humanitarian Policy and Practice
Team, InterAction

T
he Humanitarian Pol-
icy and Practice Com-
mittee (HPPC) heard
from government of-
ficials and community mem-
bers at its semi-annual busi-
ness held during the Forum.
Rich Greene, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State for the Bureau of
Population, Migration and
Refugees (PRM), discussed
the bureau’s regional and
cross-cutting priorities for the
upcoming year. The displace-
ment crisis in Iraq, contin-
ued humanitarian assistance
for Palestinian refugees and
sustainable refugee returns
to southern Sudan figure
prominently in PRM’s plans.
Greene emphasized the role
of PRM in ensuring that U.S.
government political, diplo-
matic and military activities
contain a strong humanitar-
ian component.
Tim Beans, Acting USAID
Deputy Assistant Adminis-
trator for Democracy, Peace
and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA), spoke with the committee Erin Patrick of the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women
on the ongoing foreign assistance reorganization process and the and Children explained the new Inter-Agency Standing Com-
evolution of USAID’s relationship with the State Department Of- mittee (IASC) Task Force on Fuel and Firewood. The Women’s
fice of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/ Commission is the serving as the substantive lead for InterAction
CRS). USAID’s future activities will focus on the poorest and least in its role as co-chair of the Task Force.
stable nations with an increased field presence in the most difficult Jonathan Potter, Executive Director for People in Aid, reviewed
situations. Regional hubs will support smaller country teams over its recent research on human resource management within aid or-
a greater number of countries. ganizations.
InterAction’s CEO and President Sam Worthington reviewed the HPPC welcomed back Nick Coussidis, UNHCR’s NGO Liaison,
proposal to establish a policy advisory group including CEOs to and wishes him well as he enters retirement this year. He encour-
assist committee members in defining strategic objectives. aged continued engagement and partnership with UNHCR as
George Devendorf of Mercy Corps and a member on the Sphere both communities change and grow.
Project Board relayed that the group is actively seeking to expand HPPC recognized Nan Buzard of the American Red Cross, the
Southern participation on the Sphere Board. new Washington, DC HPPC Co-Chair. Nan succeeds the two for-
Daisy Francis of Catholic Relief Services and a co-chair of Inter- mer Washington, DC Co-Chairs, Randy Martin of Mercy Corps
Action’s sub-working group on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Livinia Limon of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Im-
(SEA) urged members to proactively implement SEA prevention migrants, and joins Sue Dwyer of Mercy Corps, HPPC’s Co-Chair
policies and share their progress on this issue with the sub-work- in New York.
ing group.

24 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
G LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

When Evidence Influences Policy

By Paola Castellani, Junior Professional Associate, Human Resource Services – Leadership and Organizational
Effectiveness TEAMS Program, The World Bank

A
two-part workshop, Using Evidence to Influence Policy The afternoon panel discussion also showcased the importance
emphasized the need to use field-based research to of evidence from different perspectives, providing additional
strengthen the effectiveness of NGO policy engage- concrete examples. Mark Murray, Vice President of Cornerstone
ment. Faith Mansfield of CHF-Partners in Rural De- Government Affairs, noted that policy makers often have a limit-
velopment kicked off the workshops by presenting her organiza- ed amount of time and information to make educated decisions.
tion’s experience using evidence-based research to effect policy NGOs can play an important role in policy formulation processes
change. by sharing field perspectives, combining the advocacy role with
the evidence collected from experience and implementation. It
Over a three-year period, CHF-Partners collaborated with the
is important here, he added, to adjust the language and the pre-
Coalition Food Security Policy Group on the quality of aid for
sentation to the audience.
agriculture, with the goal of convincing the Canadian Interna-
tional Development Agency (CIDA) to commit to its agriculture From a donor perspective, Sherri Kraham, Managing Director
strategy and meet its spending targets. To do this, the coalition for Development Policy at the Millennium Challenge Corpora-
gathered evidence and built a credible case by looking at effective tion (MCC), stressed the need for NGOs to present evidence
aid for small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa from the perspective and suggestions that are actionable, positive and forward looking
of Southern civil society, ultimately presenting three case studies – all of which can result in constructive policy engagement. The
from Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique. MCC, in fact, made policy changes after extensive engagement
with the Women’s Edge Coalition to integrate gender focus and
The process started with an assessment of the policy context
gender analysis into MCC policy.
in Canada in order to identify a good window of opportunity
around which to define the desired outcome and strategy for the Women’s Edge Coalition representative Nora O’Connell, Vice
evidence gathering project and products. President for Development and Legislative Affairs, explained
that their success in influencing MCC policy was based on fram-
Ms. Mansfield also emphasized the need for clear, focused re-
ing gender focus as an important element to achieve greater re-
search questions and a representative sample of different groups.
sults in development work. Since the MCC focuses on results
To frame and align the priorities, research was conducted in the
and quantitative data, technical experts presented case studies,
three African countries as well as in Canada. A summary report
both successful and unsuccessful, from member organizations of
presented research findings that reflected the voices of partners
the Women’s Edge Coalition to prove that the participation of
in the field and included general and country-specific conclu-
women is fundamental to positive program outcomes.
sions. The report focused on positive examples where CIDA’s
funding produced successful results in agriculture, food security
and poverty reduction in order to illustrate what should be done
in other, less successful areas.
The report was tailored into different versions of the full report
to meet the needs and priorities of specific audiences (donor,
politicians and media). The dialogue focused on agriculture and
sustainable livelihoods and on the evidence collected, rather than
focusing on funding requests. It also made clear that the NGOs
involved in the coalition were not competing for funding, but
were cooperating to influence agricultural policy reform – there-
by increasing the coalition’s credibility.
The research effort demonstrated the substantial power of cred-
ible and convincing evidence and highlighted the ability of Ca-
nadian civil society to propose effective policy alternatives to
CIDA’s agricultural aid strategy.
Mr. Boubacar Seck of CONGAD (the NGO platform in Senegal)
and Secretariat of InterAction’s Africa Liaison Program Initia-
tive country team in Senegal, said InterAction is well-positioned
to play a connecting role for local NGOs seeking to influence
policy. He also emphasized that field-based evidence gathered to
formulate policy alternatives should always be validated by, and
within, the field community.

MAY 2007 25
 FORUM 2007 LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING
In Search of a Perfect Match: NGO Partnerships
with the Private Sector
By Ken Giunta, Senior Director, Membership and Standards, InterAction
C
orporate-NGO partnerships depend on people, persis-
tence and patience according to Tam Nguyen, Policy
Advisor, from the the petrochemical company Chev-
ron. They can help build each partner’s organizational
capacity and local capacity, and have helped Chevron better ap-
preciate how development projects can support its business in-
terests in countries where the company invests.
These partnerships also offer many non-monetary benefits in-
cluding gifts-in-kind such as management acumen, on-the-
ground expertise, press capabilities and access to infrastructure
and facilities that neither partner may have on its own.
26 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
As with any partnership, those between corporations and NGOs
can fail for many reasons including miscommunication, misun-
derstanding or mismanaging expectations, and failing to deliver
promised outputs. International NGO Save the Children rec-
ommends negotiating and documenting all conditions in writing
for all partnerships.
Nancy Murphy of the Case Foundation underscored the impor-
tance of shared common values as the basis for successful corpo-
rate-NGO partnerships.
Sandi Michaelson said Save the Children currently participates in
over 800 corporate partnerships, and has clear guidelines on the
types of corporations with which it will and will not engage.
One challenge is the tendency of NGOs to treat corporations
simply as funding sources rather than real partners. Save the
Children seeks a constellation of supporters who can provide
both cash and expertise. The philosophy at Save the Children is
that a participatory collaboration with companies can best create
positive change.
Corporations are primarily interested in partnerships where they
have business interests, and select partners based on the NGO’s
capabilities, geographical coverage and reputation. According to
Tam Nguyen, the size of a project is perhaps less important than
the performance history and reputation of the NGO partner and
the need to be addressed. Corporations often begin with smaller
projects and then scale up once they feel comfortable with their
NGO partners.
Panel moderator Holly Wise noted that the government sector is
an important part of the equation. Government efforts can help
bridge cultural differences between partners as they are becom-
ing acquainted. Under her stewardship, the U.S. Agency for In-
ternational Development Global Development Alliance (GDA)
played a central role in brokering Chevron’s Angola partnerships
with five InterAction member NGOs. GDA uses government
development dollars to attract corporate resources to deepen
development programs. In Angola, the combined USAID and
Chevron funding permitted the NGOs to add an agricultural de-
velopment program to their existing food aid work – essentially
allowing the relief program to move into development.
One attendee said NGOs are often leery of such partnerships as
an encroachment on their humanitarian space, and concerned
corporations will press to brand the partnership at the field level,
where such attribution may jeopardize good will. While many
companies would like recognition, it is not always necessary and
largely depends on the nature of the project and the partners’
interests. On the NGO side, Save the Children welcomes the op-
portunity to feature its corporate supporters and feels they lend
credibility and substance to the agency’s work. In spite of their
different institutional cultures, many opportunities do exist for
win-win scenarios. What is now better understood is that when
poverty and suffering are alleviated, all stakeholders benefit.
G LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Civil Society Engagement: More Than Just Service Delivery

By Kimberly Darter, Program Associate, Partnership & Development Impact, InterAction

C
ivil society engagement is “not just about service de-
livery …but about recognizing the power of citizen
movements,” stressed panelist Preeti Shroff-Mehta,
Director for Civil Society and Social Change at World
Learning for International Development. Moderated by Carolyn
Reynolds, Senior Communications Officer with the Global Civil
Society Team of the World Bank, the workshop, Civil Society En-
gagement: From Rhetoric to Reality, emphasized that the raison d’être
of civil society rests in the citizens it empowers and who provide
its legitimacy.
David Winters, Country Coordinating Mechanisms Manager
for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,
noted that the existence of the Fund is the direct result of the
power of individuals coming together in a social movement. He
also observed that the Fund was deliberately designed to pro-
vide space at each level for civil society to bring its perspectives
and expertise to bear on the formulation and implementation
of the Fund’s work. Challenges remain, though. For example,
the principle of country ownership means that the Fund does
not mandate, beyond minimum requirements, the level of civil
society participation in country-level processes. As a result, civil
society at the national levels must assert itself to be effective.
This in itself carries a number of challenges (technical capacity,
financial resources, political space) that could impact the effec-
tiveness of civil society engagement. The result to date is that in
some countries, civil society plays a strong role, while in others
it does not yet.
Francis Gatare, the President’s Advisor on NEPAD for the Gov-
ernment of Rwanda, underscored the importance civil society
engagement. He stated that the civil society/government part-
nership, while important, is not always well understood: civil
society’s role is not to take on government’s role to sustain the
state through institutions, but instead to improve the condition
of citizens through engaged dialogue with government and oth-
er key actors on the basis of effective analysis and the delivery of
programs that complement governments’ efforts. To illustrate
this point, he noted that in Rwanda, civil society engages the
government in the national budget process only after the bud-
get has passed, thus missing the opportunity to strengthen the
process by identifying weaknesses and gaps before the budget is
approved.
The panelists all addressed the challenges civil society organiza-
tions face in acquiring the necessary independence and resourc-
es. As Preeti Shroff-Mehta explained, international civil society
organizations have an obligation to support their counterparts in
developing countries. One step would be to allow local groups
to charge overhead costs to their program implementation con-
tracts, thus strengthening
their financial capacity to
conduct independent ana-
lytical work and engage
with government.
Overall, as the opportunities
for civil society engagement
have increased, the chal-
lenges have moved beyond
simply getting a seat at the
table to effectively and stra-
tegically using those seats to
advance change, empower
individuals and improve the
well-being of citizens.

“Civil society
and government
partnership, while
important, is
not always well
understood.”

MAY 2007 27
 FORUM 2007 LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING
Assessing NGO Program Effectiveness
By Ken Giunta, Senior Director Membership and Standards, InterAction
I
f InterAction were to develop and adopt standards for moni-
toring and evaluation, would that make a difference in the
way in which NGO members assess the impact of their pro-
grams? This was the central issue at the session What Does It
Take to Assess International NGO Program Effectiveness and How Do We
Get There as a Sector?
A panel of experts comprised of evaluation practitioners, aca-
demics and NGO leaders launched a conversation about how
best to define NGO accountability, and whether InterAction’s
adopted principles for program monitoring and evaluation (see
box) can help its members to universally develop their own inter-
nal institutional cultures that include monitoring and evaluation
in every program plan and design. These principles also were
developed to ensure that member agencies include the involve-
ment and consideration of their beneficiaries at the core of their
program planning, implementation and assessments. Ultimately,
such program assessments, whether internal or external, should
catalyze institutional strengthening and learning that lead to ap-
propriate changes in program design and practice.
Following the formal presentations, the participants divided
into three groups defined by three broad sectors of NGO work:
advocacy, relief and development. There was universal recogni-
tion that there is no “one size fits all” approach to monitoring
and evaluation. Different indicators and niches apply to differ-
ent NGO missions. Broadly speaking, standards should be con-
sidered part of an NGO’s learning process that offer objective
measures against which the NGO can engage in self-reflection to
strengthen its programs and impact.
A brief survey of InterAction member agencies is underway to
assess whether the five principles for monitoring and evaluation
adopted by the InterAction board have had any affect on the
way InterAction member agencies assess the impact of their pro-
grams. Essentially, the survey asks a sampling of members about
the relevance, appropriateness and value of having these prin-
ciples, in an effort to determine actual practice in applying these
principles to programs on the ground and at the international
level. While many survey respondents stated that their organiza-
tions already have developed guidelines and principles for pro-
gram monitoring and evaluation, they also expressed a common
interest in receiving technical assistance and on receiving infor-
mation about replicable methodological systems that can help in
meeting the InterAction principles. An ongoing concern is the
need to ensure that monitoring and evaluation is not undertaken
solely for donors, but also for NGO beneficiaries and for institu-
tional learning and program strengthening. Assessing advocacy
and applying these five principles to member agency advocacy
programs remains a challenge.
One example of a replicable model that places beneficiary com-
munities at the center of program monitoring and evaluation is
the Accountability, Learning and Planning System (ALPS) de-
veloped by ActionAid. The process concentrates more on how
NGOs undertake their work, and less on what they do. It is
premised on NGO staff and partners having a common com-
28 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
InterAction’s Principles for Program
Monitoring and Evaluation
As adopted by the InterAction board of directors in
September 2005, the five principles require that each
InterAction member commits to:
1. Articulate its own criteria for success in bringing
about meaningful changes in people’s lives, in terms
of its mission and major program goals;
2. Regularly evaluate its progress towards such
success;
3. Mainstream relevant monitoring and evaluation in
agency policy, systems and culture;
4. Allocate adequate financial and human resources for
its strategic evaluation needs; and
5. Collaborate with partners and stakeholders in
developing mutually satisfying goals, methods, and
indicators for project and program activities.
mitment to key principles, power-sharing and an NGO’s com-
mitment to listen to their beneficiaries. ALPS also depends on
an NGO’s willingness to incorporate internal policing through
internal audits. It relies on the gathering, consolidating and ana-
lyzing data, but it is not about “box checking.” Instead, ALPS
monitors an organization’s strategic objectives, while keeping
the needs and rights of the poor and marginalized at the core of
the assessments. It seeks specific areas of change including: (1)
the rights of, and improvement of conditions for the poor; and
(2) increased support for the rights of the poor in the work of the
organization and civil society actors. Ultimately, ALPS asks if the
organization is sufficiently accountable, effective and dynamic
to affect sustainable change. For more information about ALPS
visit www.actionaid.org.
SAVE THE DATE: MAY 23
USAID will hold the next Advisory Committee on
Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) public meeting on
Wednesday, May 23 at 9:00 am. The meeting is free
and open to the public. The meeting will be held at the
National Press Club Ballroom, 529 14th Street, NW, 13th
Floor, Washington, DC 20045. The closest Metro stop is
Metro Center. Parking is available at garages in the area.
For more information, please contact Ellen Blankenstein at
ellen@websterconsulting.com or 202-237-0090 ext. 19, or
Jocelyn Rowe at jrowe@usaid.gov.
 PERSPECTIVES

Here are what some of the participants had to say about this year’s conference.
Please note that photos do not correspond with quotes.

“As an NGO from Africa who partners with international NGOs, this forum
has been very educational. Since our people in developing countries will
feel the effects of development decisions made in the U.S., it is critical that
we understand the issues percolating in the North. I particularly enjoyed
the session with the Secretary of State. It has put into perspective the
thinking behind the USAID reform and the concern of InterAction members.”
Alice Kirambi Muhonja, Christian Partners Development Agency

“The settings and

the activities at this
conference are geared
towards making new
acquaintances and
facilitating discussion
among attendees.
As a new InterAction
member and a first
time exhibitor, I came
to the conference
not knowing anyone
and will go home with
many contacts.”
Lisa Gonzalves, Hesperian
“As an exhibitor, you get to
meet a very diverse group
of participants. You get the
chance to talk to CEOs and
field staff.”
Anders Blak, Kjaer Group
“I would have liked to see more
things for young professionals.
InterAction has done a great job
creating the space for CEOs to
network. I believe it is also in
our best interest to develop the
potential of the next generation of
leadership.”
Ritu Sharma, Women’s Edge Coalition

“The affinity group was a great idea.

I think an affinity group for young
people within our community would
be a great addition. A lot of CEOs
like me would love to mentor if
“As a UK-based company we feel
InterAction created such a group.”
we should get closer to American
Ritu Sharma, Women’s Edge Coalition
NGOs. The opportunity to do
substantive networking at this
forum is tremendous.”
Keith Knox, Crown Agents International
“The InterAction Forum is the perfect place to talk
about issues and catch-up on what’s been happening
within the NGO sector. I particularly liked the OFDA “We are a military organization,
consultation and found it very helpful.” and among other things, we build
David Eastman, Relief International wells and schools in Africa. We
would like to partner with NGOs to
“I would have like to see more of a focus on help sustain our projects.”
environment issues. Especially as they relate to the John Hustleby, Command Functional
way NGOs work as well as the implications for the Specialty Team-Horn of Africa
developing world.”
Name Withheld
MAY 2007 29
INSIDE OUR
COMMUNITY
John Schultz, Former Christian Children’s Fund Leader,
Dies
After leading Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) during almost a
decade of unprecedented growth, Dr. John F. Schultz, former
president and CEO of CCF, died on April 27, 2007.
Dr. Schultz joined CCF in 1990 and was elected President in
October 1998. During his tenure, he expanded CCF’s reach to
assist children in new countries and supported research to better
understand the impact of poverty on children.
In addition to his work with CCF, Dr. Schultz was instrumental
in establishing ChildFund International, a global alliance focused
on addressing the needs of deprived, excluded and vulnerable
children throughout the world, serving as the first president of
that organization. He also served on the Executive Committee
of InterAction.
Dr. Schultz worked in international family and community de-
velopment for more than 35 years, most of that time spent in
Africa in some of the poorest countries in the world. He began
his career as a school teacher in the U.S. Peace Corps in Nige-
ria. Prior to joining CCF, Dr. Schultz worked for 14 years for
Church World Service. He served as a regional representative
for East Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1985, he became
director of the Church World Service Education and Fundrais-
ing program, based in Elkhart, Indiana, from where he led the
growth of CROP walks around the U.S.
Children in Areas of War and Conflict Get Little Help for
Education, New Report Shows
The world’s richest countries are failing to help millions of chil-
dren in conflict-affected nations get an education, a new Save
the Children report reveals. The report, Last in Line, Last in School,
shows that most donor nations prioritize education assistance to
more stable countries over those affected by conflict, leaving mil-
lions of children with little hope of breaking the cycle of poverty
and conflict, despite pledges from donor countries to ensure that
every child receives an education by 2015.
Donors give the least amount of aid for education to the coun-
tries most in need of it – conflict-affected countries. Overall, 49
percent of aid for education goes towards middle-income coun-
tries, 33 percent to low-income countries, and only 18 percent
to conflict-affected countries. Conflict-affected countries receive
less than one fifth of global education aid, despite being home to
39 million out of 77 million children missing out on education.
In countries in conflict, schools close, teachers flee or are recruit-
ed into the military, and school systems are no longer funded.
This puts children at risk, making them easier targets for recruit-
ment as child soldiers, or exploitation as cheap labor. It also in-
creases their vulnerability to trafficking and abuse. Unless educa-
tion continues through conflict situations, countries emerging
from conflict find they have a lost generation of children unpre-
pared and unable to help rebuild their countries.
For a copy of the report, go to www.savethechildren.org.

PLAN Names Ahuma Adodoadji Chief Executive Officer

Plan, a global, non-profit, humanitarian organization with child-
focused programs that promote self-reliance for over 10 million
children in over 60 developing nations, has announced the ap-
pointment of Ahuma Adodoadji as its new CEO.
Mr. Adodoadji, born in Ghana and now a naturalized Ameri-
can citizen, was selected by Plan’s board of directors to replace
Samuel Worthington who had served as executive director of the
organization since 1995. One area on which Mr. Adodoadji will
focus is the expansion of Plan’s program activities in relief and
disaster response.
Prior to arriving at Plan, Mr. Adodoadji led an initiative that in-
volved seven leading agencies (CARE, Catholic Relief Services,
International Refugee Committee, Mercy Corps, OXFAM-GB,
Save the Children-US and World Vision) in a project to improve
emergency capacity of all humanitarian agencies. The coalition
secured $5.2 million from the Gates Foundation and another $1
million from Microsoft.
Mr. Adodoadji served as director of emergency and humanitar-
ian assistance for CARE USA from 2002 to 2005. Prior to that,
he was director of disaster response for World Relief from 1998
to 2001. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Adodoadji was vice president
of international programs for MAP International. From 1994 to
1996, he served as associate director of the African Governance
Program for the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1992
to 1994, Mr. Adodoadji was Associate to the Vice President of
Development for World Vision USA, and, prior to that, served
in various directorial positions for World Vision International be-
ginning 1979.

30 MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS
InterAction Welcomes New Member Organizations and Board Members
By Robyn Shepherd, Media Specialist, InterAction

At a board of directors meeting held at the annual Forum, In-
terAction added six new member organizations and eight new
board members.
InterAction welcomes the following new member organiza-
tions:
The Association of PVO Financial Managers (APVOFM) is
dedicated to strengthening the financial management of the
international development non-profit community by sharing
knowledge, improving professional skills, acting as a resource
for information exchange and working as an advocate for the
community.
The Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean
and the Americas (FAVACA) promotes social and economic
development in the Caribbean and the Americas through
volunteer service.
The National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s largest
environmental education and advocacy organization, inspires
Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. NWF
recognizes that to truly conserve our planet’s land, water and
wildlife, we must consider natural resources and the realities
of development, poverty and other challenges from a global
perspective. Through U.S.-based activism and team outreach
across the globe, NWF is educating, inspiring and mobilizing
grassroots activists to conserve their world for people and wildlife,
and to help achieve sustainable development worldwide.
The ONE Campaign builds public will for greater U.S. involvement
in fighting global poverty. ONE works to recruit, nurture
and mobilize a large and effective constituency of Americans
engaged and activated on issues of global poverty so that the
U.S. does its fair share with other nations in partnership with
the poorest countries to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals. Through public-private partnerships, constituency and
grass roots mobilization, ONE plans to create a true sea change
in public support for the alleviation of global poverty, and to
convert that sea change into effective pressure on the U.S.
government to increase funding.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) promotes a sustainable
cocoa economy through economic and social development and
environmental conservation in cocoa growing communities.
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
promotes the protection of animals, prevention of cruelty to
animals and relief of animal suffering in every part of the world.
WSPA supports humane education programs to encourage
respect for animals and responsible stewardship, and laws
and enforcement structures to provide legal protection for
animals. WSPA believes that good animal welfare leads to better
farming, and agricultural and industrial practices that improve
the livelihoods of the poor and middle class in the developing
world.
New Board Members
The following individuals were approved for membership on the
InterAction board of directors: Anne Goddard (Christian Chil-
dren’s Fund), Khalil Jassemm (Life for Relief and Development),
Elizabeth Latham (U.S. Committee for UNDP), Robert Radtke
(Episcopal Relief and Development), Zainab Salbi (Women for
Women International), Ron Sconyers (Physicians for Peace),
Kathy Spahn (Helen Keller International), and Tsehaye Teferra
(Ethiopian Community Development Council).

Physicians for Peace is

offering an InterAction
special member rate for the
conference for $199! To
receive the discounted rate,
please call the conference
hotline at 757-351-3718.

Three Days, One World: Make a World Of Difference in Just Three Days
InterAction members are invited to join some of the greatest minds in global health to explore solutions to improving
health in the developing world. From June 7-9, the Three Days, One World Conference will include the Global Health and
Development Summit with sessions addressing the global health crisis on Maternal Health, Infectious Diseases and Children’s
Health. The Global Health and Development Summit (2 days) will host hundreds of health professionals from around the
world. The summit will feature keynote speakers, Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia
University and Kent R. Hill, Ph.D, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Global Health, USAID. Other distinguished
speakers from organizations such as the George Washington University, U.S. Agency for International Development, World
Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be participating. The conference is co-
sponsored by ODU, EVMS, VCU Medical School, UVA Medical College and The George Washington University Medical
Center (who will be awarding CME and CEU credits).
Photos: (left to right) courtesy of Anastasia Andrzejewski, Carol Coonrod, Kelly Hardiman.

MAY 2007 31