Latest News from UAA

Now is the Time to Make Your 2012 Membership Contribution

Happy New Year!  UAA needs your participation and support more than ever. Now is a great time to make your tax free membership contribution to UAA. The suggested contribution is $75.

Our new online payment system eliminates writing checks, finding stamps and those nasty paper cut on your tongue. Please make your online  contribution here.

Should you wish to mail in your membership contribution, you can send it to: USAID Alumni Association, 1801 F Street, N.W.,  Washington, D.C. 20006.

Alumni Directory

For those of you already registered for the Directory and have the password, please click on “Alumni Directory” in the menu bar above to access the Directory.

The Association strives to build a roster of alumni (USDH, FSN, PSC, etc. – see eligibility information under “Join” on the sidebar) and freely share it among us, whether you choose to become a financially contributing, voting member of the UAA or not. Your registration for the Directory will be followed by receipt of log-on information that that will give you access to the Directory. Contributing member or not, add your name and contact information now, You also can update your contact info at this same location, if needed.

If you know of other alumni who might be interested in being included in and have access to this directory, please direct them to this usaidalumni.org website.

Join the UAA Online Forum

The UAA website has just added a discussion Forum to the website. Now you can create your own topics or participate in dialogues about existing subjects. Discuss articles or website links on usaidalumni.org, pay tribute to recently deceased friends and colleagues, talk about the latest events and trends in the development world – anything you like. Sign on and jump in now!

New Member of the UAA Board

Effective January 2012, John Lovaas submitted his resignation from the UAA Board. All of us would like to thank him for the outstanding contributions he has made to the development and successes of the Association.

To replace John, at its January 19 meeting, the Board unanimously approved the selection of David Sprague, who received the most votes of the non-elected candidates at the last election. For 28 years, David served USAID as an education advisor both in overseas and Washington assignments.

Welcome aboard, David!

2011 Annual General Meeting

  • AGM Videos

The Annual General Meeting was held on October 20, 2011 at the Clarendon Ballroom. For those who were not fortunate enough to attend, videos were made of the principal presentation segments. To see these, simply click on the links below.

- Part I: Report to the Members; Treasurer’s Report; Introduction the UAA Website; Results of the UAA Member Survey

- Part 2: Presentation by USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah

- Part 3: USAID 50th Anniversary Panel

- Part 4: USAID Updates and Discussion with USAID Senior Staff

  • UAA Elections

The Annual General Meeting has taken place and the voters have spoken. The newly elected board members are: Frank Almaguer, Margaret Carpenter, George Hill, Jim Michel and Alex Shakow. Congratulations to them all!

At its initial meeting, the Board chose the following as its officers: Co-Chairs: Ann Van Dusen, Alex Shakow; Secretary: Frank Almaguer; Treasurer: George Hill. To see the full composition of the Board and the UAA Committees, click here.

  • Membership Survey

Prior to the AGM, an electronic survey was sent to all UAA members. To see their responses, click here.

  • GM Committee Notes

Five UAA committees (Development Policy, Communications and Events, Strengthening USAID, Membership, and Public Outreach. To view summary minutes of those meetings, click here.

Get Involved!

UAA is your organization. Your getting involved in Association activities will make us stronger, more interesting and – definitely – more fun. Below are just some of the ways you can participate:

  • UAA Speakers Roster

The UAA has a roster of some 65 alumni around the country who regularly speak to community groups, universities and others about a range of international development and foreign affairs issues, and who are available for additional engagements.  Further information about the UAA Speakers Bureau can be found in the attached brochure.

To become a member of the Speakers’ Roster is simple. Just fill in the information here and press the “send” button. For an illustrative list of alumni already on the roster, their locations and the topics they can address, please see the UAA Speakers’ Roster. It is understood that if/when you are presenting or interviewing you will speak for yourself, not as a representative of USAID or the UAA.

If you are interested in finding USAID alumni in your area to speak at an event or to consult about a future program, contact speakers@usaidalumni.org.

  • UAA Committees

UAA has five operation committees. These include: Public Outreach, Membership Services, Communications and Events, Strengthening USAID, and Development Issues. You can find descriptions of the committees here. Your ideas, involvement and energy would be very welcomed in any one of these.

  • Alumni Groupings

In several regions around the country (and, perhaps, eventually abroad), people have organized local USAID alumni groups. Find out about these and get contact information about them here.

Do you belong to a local alumni group not posted here? Please share it with all of us. Send information to office@usaidalumni.org Attn: Alumni Groupings.

  • Job and Volunteer Opportunities

Alumni looking for work? On request, UAA vets and posts USAID-related jobs and volunteer opportunities. For a full listing, see: Job Opportunities

Of Special Note: USAID is seeking qualified individuals interested in providing short term advisory services in a number of technical areas, including: Economic Growth, Financial Management, Infrastructure/Engineering/Urban Panning, Agriculture, Democracy and Governance, and cross-cutting services. To apply, click here.

If you wish to post a job or volunteer opportunity, please email us at office@usaidalumni.org, Attn: Jobs/Volunteers.

  • USAID 50th Anniversary

USAID turns 50 this year. My, how quickly our little ones grow up.

Watch the presentation of USAID’s 50th Anniversary event, held Nov. 3 in Washington, DC. Featured speakers include Caroline Kennedy and Vice President Joe Biden.

In addition, view USAID’s 50th Anniversary video, featuring Agency programs that have saved and improved lives around the world, advanced American values, increased global stability, and driven economic growth in emerging markets.

Lusting for some (unofficial) 50th Anniversary bling? See www.employeestore.org/50.usaid

Alumni News

Update Kidnapped Colleague: UAA alumnus colleague Warren Weinstein, on a contract between USAID and his employer J.E. Austin, was kidnapped from his home in Lahore, Pakistan on 13 August. Nothing has been learned so far about his whereabouts or condition. Absent more info, his situation must be judged extremely dangerous. Find the initial news report on this here. For a December 1 update, click here

In Memorium: UAA has learned of the recent deaths of the following members of our USAID alumni community: Mirinda Foti (former USAID employee and wife of John Foti – see obituary in the Forum) , John Davison (Controller), Molly Gingerich (Health Officer – see obituary in the Forum) and, Mimi Ward (wife of Mark Ward). Other obituaries and personal tributes may be seen at Tributes.

If you would like to provide a brief obituary or personal tribute for these former colleagues and friends to be posted on this website or if you know of other people who have passed way and have not been noted here, please send the information to: office@usaidalumni.org Attn: Memorials.

Articles & Links for Development Professionals

(NOTE: Inclusion of any given article or web link does not constitute endorsement by UAA.)

  • Articles

Below are recent articles on development happenings, issues, etc. If you have comments on them, please share them with us in the Forum. If you have articles that you believe would be of general interest to the UAA membership, please submit them here or feel free to post or link them in the Forum.

  • New! Foreign Aid – It’s What We Americans Do - This is a pro-foreign aid public service message. Its source is not attributed. You’ll love it anyway.
  • New! The Big Push Back (The Economist Dec 12, 2011) Could Jeff Sachs possibly be wrong?! What heresy! Read all about it!
  • Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation-This declaration for the first time establishes an agreed framework for development cooperation that embraces traditional donors, South-South cooperators, the BRICs, CSOs and private funders. This marks a turning point for international development cooperation.
  • America Really Was That Great - (Foreign Policy Nov. 2011) Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum ask: Is America still exceptional? The question not only has become a contentious issue in American politics, it also affects the stability and prosperity of the entire world.
  • USAID Is Foreign Policy’s Best Dollar Value – From Politico, four former USAID administrators explore the many benefits that have resulted from the United States’ relatively low investment in international development.
  • Bill Gates’ Plan to Assist the World’s Poor - A Washington Post op ed piece by the Microsoft board chair makes the strategic case for the importance of foreign aid. To read Gates’ full report to the G20, click here.
  • The Shape of U.S. Global Development Reforms – This Brookings policy brief highlights those reforms that are under way, those that are not and those still missing from the agenda. It also offers specific recommendations to the Obama administration
  • MFAN Statement: Gutting USAID’s Operating Budget Would Repeat Painful Mistakes of the Past – The House of Representatives has proposed to cut nearly 27% from USAID’s operating budget for fiscal year 2012. Such a drastic cut would cripple the Agency’s ongoing and aggressive internal reform effort.
  • New Sources of Aid – Charity begins abroad. Big developing countries, such as India and Brazil, are becoming donors. (The Economist, August 11, 2011).
  • Aid and Extremism – Giving aid to poor people is good in and of itself. But if we’ve been doing that to prevent them from becoming Islamic fundamentalists, then a new study suggests we’ve been aiming at the wrong target.
  • Fortress Embassies – Designing buildings for America’s diplomats is getting ever trickier. (The Economist, July 30, 2011)

  • Web Links

These are links of general interest to folks involved in the development “arts.” Over time, with your contributions, we would like to grow this resource. If you have links you would like to submit, please send them here.

  • New! Freedom in the World 2011 Survey – Freedom House released its 2011 annual survey of global political rights and civil liberties. According to the findings, 2010 was the fifth consecutive year in which global freedom suffered a decline—the longest period of setbacks for freedom in the nearly 40-year history of the report. If you would prefer to visit just the free/not free map, you may see it here.
  • New! The Foreign Assistance Dashboard - The goal of the Dashboard is to enable a wide variety of stakeholders to examine, research, and track U.S. Government foreign assistance investments in an accessible and easy-to-understand format. As it evolves, the Dashboard will incorporate budget, financial, program, and performance data from all U.S. Government agencies implementing foreign assistance, humanitarian, and development funds.
  • New! IMF eLibrary – Fund publications provide assessments on the future prospects for the global economy. The World Economic Outlook reviews global activity, which has weakened and become more uneven. The Global Financial Stability Report outlines how the risks to stability have increased substantially in recent months. The Fiscal Monitor explores the challenges that persist in many advanced, emerging-market, and low-income countries.
  • New!  Front Lines – Front Lines is now only available electronically to most USAID retirees. This link will take you to its home on the web.
  • New! The Senior Living Foundation of the American Foreign Service is a private, non-profit organization established to assist retired members of the Foreign Service who are physically or mentally unable to cope with old age. The Foundation provides information about and assistance in obtaining community, State, Federal and private resources.
  • World Bank Infoshop – This site provides access to information on Bank programs and development strategies in all borrower countries. It also offers information on events that facilitate debate on development issues through panel discussions, book launches, presentations and film screenings.
  • MFAN, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, advocates for more effective and accountable U.S. foreign assistance that will deliver greater results for people in need and U.S. taxpayers.
  • World Bank Development Indicators - Browse the extensive list of featured indicators and more from the World Bank’s most popular dataset, World Development Indicators
  • Civic Literacy Exam – Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen? The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking this test was 49%; college educators scored 55%.
  • The CIA World Factbook – This is a good first place to go for basic information on any country in the world.
  • Transparency International Corruption Perception Index – Transparency International is dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing both international and national corruption. The Index scores the perceptions of business people.
  • World Competitiveness Scorecard – Countries compete by providing an environment with the most efficient structure, institutions and policies for enterprises to compete successfully.
  • Failed States Index – This index uses 12 social, economic, political, and military indicators and ranks 60 states in order of their vulnerability to violent internal conflict.

If you have articles and/or links you would like to share with the rest of us, please send your suggestions to: office@usaidalumni.org, Attn: Development Issues.

  • Foreign Aid Reform

Find articles and links on the topic of foreign aid reform here.

Development Dialogue at DACOR

UAA and DACOR co-host speaker luncheons with discussions on various topics related to international development. Previous speakers and topics and upcoming DDD luncheons can be found here.

Suggestion Box – Your Ideas for UAA

Some of you may have noticed the many changes that have been made to this, the UAA website. The objective (to put it in the language of the logframe-minded) is to provide a site that members will find useful and interesting – a place you will want to return to on a regular basis.

We would greatly appreciate your feedback and ideas about usaidalumni.org. Please sent them to us at: office@usaidalumni.org Attn: Suggestions.