April 2012 | Featured Idea Grassroots Diplomacy and Education

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IDEAS

Defense for & Diplomacy

10 Ideas for Defense & Diplomacy

April 2012
National Director Taylor Jo Isenberg Field Director Winston Lofton Policy Director Reese Neader Program Director Alan Smith Chapter Services Coordinator Dante Barry Student Editors Courtney Joline, Chris Scanzoni Alumni Editors Monika Johnson, Charsaree Clay Ayesha Siddiqui ,Dan Blue Rocky Cole

The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network A division of the Roosevelt Institute 570 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Copyright (c) 2012 by the Roosevelt Institute. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors. They do not express the views or opinions of the Roosevelt Institute, its officers or its directors.

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IDEAS
FOR

Defense & Diplomacy

Congratulations to Tahsin Chowdhury, author of Grassroots Diplomacy through Globalized Education and contributing researchers Karim Eissawi, Mohammad Shamim, Ashish Mathew, Carolina Martinez Nominee for Policy of the Year

Inside the Issue

Grassroots Diplomacy through Globalized Education Tahsin Chowdury et al A Critical First Step: Preventing Escalation in the South China Sea Erich Helmreich Building 21st Century Allies with the KATUSA Framework Brian Jencunas Effective Aid for a New Egypt Graham Palmer Defining Our Mission: NATOs Future Role Anna Moore and Daniel Pitcairn Meeting the Needs of Female Veterans Lily Roberts Advance Global Security: Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Ariana Rowberry Promoting Long-Term Economic Growth in Africa: A U.S.-led Approach Erika K. Solanki Promoting Music in the Fight Against Oppression Kyle Villemain Protect Funding that Protects Families Corinne White

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p Letter from New York City

Where do groundbreaking ideas come from? How do they take shape? How do they
fundamentally shift the way we see our world? It almost always takes the confluence of a seemingly intractable problem, people of intentional purpose, and a certain boldness to overcome. Its a potent mix that can be seen in the advancements in workers rights spurred by Frances Perkinss forward thinking labor policies to the environmental movement inspired by Rachel Carsons revealing work on the damaging effects of pesticides. Ideas have real impact when there is the realization that we need to do better combined with the people who are bold enough to ultimately do something. The Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network provides a way for young people to tap into this process, a platform for them to unlock the potential to drive progressive change. We received a record number of submissions to our premiere publication series this year from hundreds of students who invested the time and energy to research, write, and design actionable policy solutions for their communities. The 84 authors ultimately selected for the 2012 10 Ideas represent a generation of young people who recognize that it is because of, not in spite of, their age that they are uniquely capable of tackling some of our most entrenched challenges. With a thirst for action, many of these students will use these ideas to build coalitions, gather resources, and recruit supporters to create real, sustainable impact. Among this group of thinkers, visionaries, and doers, I encourage you to look for the future Frances Perkins and Rachel Carson, leaders who are already combating the injustices of our prison system, reimagining how we use energy, and solving the obesity crisis. We are proud to present the 2012 10 Ideas series, an inspiring exemplar of our generations unique propensity to engage with and accept the responsibility of todays complex and interconnected challenges. Each one of these pieces represents a powerful reminder that this generation is not only willing to build a better future, but has already begun. Taylor Jo Isenberg National Director Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network

Policy Directors Note P

Welcome and thank you for reading the fourth edition of the Roosevelt Institute |
Campus Network 10 Ideas Series, our annual flagship publication. This series, encompassing six journals produced from our six student policy centers, represents the most innovative, game-changing ideas coming from our network.

Our country needs a new narrative for how to address the problems we face: skyrocketing inequality, rising health care costs, unsustainable deficit spending, climate change, the list goes on. Defeating these challenges will require broad support from our citizens. And yet across the political spectrum the majority of the voting public has expressed strong dissatisfaction with their relationship with government. They feel that they dont have a voice in how decisions are made. The work of the Campus Network, and our 10 Ideas Series demonstrates that there is an alternative way forward-grassroots policymaking-and that young people across the country are blazing a trail forward. Each idea in these journals represents the work of a student who independently took up the challenge of addressing our countrys problems. They worked at local nonprofits and visited community centers to identify the issues that mattered most to their constituents. They reached out to community leaders, professors, and government officials to identify resources that could address those issues. And along with writing the policy memos included in this journal theyve developed public campaigns to attract funding and popular support for their causes. With this new model of engagement our students are bringing government back to We the People. Were inviting you to join us. Reese Neader Policy Director Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network

Grassroots Diplomacy through Globalized Education

Tahsin Chowdhury, CUNY City College Contributing Researchers: Karim Eissawi, Mohammad Shamim, Ashish Mathew, Carolina Martinez The United States Department of State should engage in grassroots diplomacy by sponsoring interactive international programs in higher educational institutions, known as Globalized Education. Key Facts The United States Department of According to a survey by the associaStates Bureau of Educational and tion of international educators known as Cultural Affairs (ECA) has launched NAFSA, 73 percent of likely voters in the the Global Connections and ExUnited States believe that the lack of change program which uses techglobal education for young people will diminish Americans advantage to compete nology and interactive projects in the global economy and 57 percent beto connect American secondary lieve that students need to participate in a schools with international institustudy abroad program.4 tions in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, A survey of young Americans (age 18 to Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, 24) found that 21 percent believe that it Turkmenistan, and the West Bank.1 is not important to know where countries Other educational nonprofit orgain the news are located while 38 percent nizations are involved in grassroots believe that learning another language is educational diplomacy initiatives. unimportant.5 Friendship Force engages in foreign exchanges with the goal of improving cultural awareness and diplomacy through a grassroots campaign. During the Cold War, they made exchanges between the USSR and the United States and today they are active in more than fifty countries, proving the success of international exchange programs as a tool of diplomacy.2 The Institute of International Education, active since 1919, is another nonprofit organization that engages in exchanges between the American civilian population and citizens abroad to improve global awareness and cultural sensitivity.3

Analysis

Promoting grassroots diplomacy through education could help break social and cultural barriers as well as improve the quality of American civil society by connecting it with civil societies abroad. Studies indicate that Americas image abroad has plummeted since 2002.6 This soft power diplomacy of international education is a cost effective approach. The average foreign exchange program costs $10,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses.7 If agencies such as the State Department or the Department of Defense sponsored an exchange program it would cost roughly $1 million to sponsor 100 students. This proposal acts not as an additional international education program, but as a means to develop public-private partnerships between non-profit organizations and the United States government, leading to enhanced cooperation between the two sectors and efficient work on crucial policy issues.

Next Steps

The State Department should work with Friendship Force International, the Institute of International Education, and the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network and provide funding to the City College of New York Study Abroad Program, enabling Talking Points our faculty to devise a new leadership The State Department has expressed exchange program. This program would interest in increasing efforts to engage consist of exchanging a selective group in public and grassroots diplomacy.8 of ten qualified students who demon Promoting effective diplomacy through strate leadership capabilities from City education can promote American inCollege with ten students with similar fluence and image abroad as well as qualifications in a participating university improve American geographical litabroad. The exchange program would eracy through the interaction between require students abroad to apply themAmericans and citizens abroad. selves in local community organizations and provide an entry point for them to get involved in the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network Chapter of City College. This program would expose both groups of students to the issues faced by communities in the United States and abroad.

Endnotes

1. United States Department of State, Global Connections and Exchange Homepage. Accessed November 20, 2011. http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/connections.html 2. Friendship Force International, A Brief History of the Friendship Force. Accessed November 21, 2011. http://catalog.thefriendshipforce.org/index.php/who_we_are. 3. Institute of International Education, History of IIE. Accessed November 21, 2011. http://iie.org/WhoWe-Are/History. 4. NAFSA Association of American Educators, Public Opinion Survey on International Education. Accessed November 21, 2011. http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/2011_EdStudentsGlobalEconomy.pdf. 5. National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study, 2006 6. Pew Center for Global Attitudes 7. Exchange Student World, Cost to be an Exchange Student. Accessed January 27, 2012. http://exchangestudentworld.com/info/costs/. 8. United States Department of State, The First Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review 2010. Accessed November 21, 2011. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/153108.pdf.

A Critical First Step: Preventing Escalation in the South China Sea

Erich Helmreich, NYU To ensure the safety of seafaring vessels and to prevent escalation, the United States and China should sign an Incidents at Sea Agreement. In March of 2009 the USNS Impeccable naval surveillance ship sailed through the international waters of the South China Sea on its usual patrol. Over the next few days, Chinese planes and ships aggressively approached the Impeccable, nearly causing collisions. Had the Impeccable responded with force, an international crisis would have ensued. The likelihood of an international crisis arising from such an incident is at an all-time high. Even the United States top naval commander in the Pacific officially noted that, theres potential for an incident in the South China Sea to intensify.1 The only existing framework to prevent escalation is the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) signed in 1998 between China and the U.S. to strengthen communication, which merely mandates annual meetings between the two parties. The MMCAs ability to prevent discord has been pushed to the brink as Key Facts it does not setup quick communication be Approximately 50 percent of the annual world crude oil passes through tween the two navies and does not guide the South China Sea.3 how the two interact while operating in Any conflict or restriction of navigathe same area.There is, however, a stronger tion in the South China Sea would framework that has proven to work. In 1972 the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed an agreement accounting for the potential of vessels of their navies to collide and/ or interfere with ships of the other nation. This Incidents at Sea Agreement acted as a confidence-building measure between the two superpowers and prevented escalation.2 Despite this success, China and the U.S. have not yet instituted these measures. In light of recent events, however, it is imperative that the U.S. and China sign an Incidents at Sea Agreement. Without this confidence-building measure, the miscalculation and eventual escalation from an incident such as the Impeccable seems inevitable.
have severe economic consequences for China, Japan, and other nations of East Asia who rely on shipping for economic activity.4 Past Incidents at Sea agreements, notably with the Soviet Union, have proved successful.5

Analysis

Combining the Obama Administrations new emphasis on East Asia and Chinese modernization, escalation of any incident between the two powers seems inevitable. With the history of collisions building up, any escalation or miscalculation would disrupt the $5 trillion of global trade, carried by half of the worlds trade fleet, through the South China Sea region.6 With $5 trillion of international trade passing through the region, including 60,000 vessels per year and 13.6 bbl/d of oil, about equivalent to the amount passing through the Straits of Hormuz, the South China Seas Malacca Strait is a crucial chokepoint.7 The exit from Iraq, and the eventual drawdown of troops in Afghanistan,
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creates an opportune moment for the United States and China to commit to East Asian security. In January 2011, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicated that the stage was set for taking the military-to-military relationship to the next level.8 This strengthening of relations has created the environment necessary for the critical first step to preventing escalation in the South China Sea: the signing of an Incidents at Sea agreement. The agreements necessitated communication structure between the two navies will allow for quick responses to po Talking Points The US and China lack a strong comtentially escalatory situations while serving munication structure necessary to as a cornerstone to building the bilateral resolve accidents at sea. relationship necessary for resolving issues Such accidents absent a communicabetween the two nations.

Next Steps

The process of indicating cooperation should formally begin by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus engaging in a high-profile visit to their counterparts in China. While visiting, the Secretary of Defense should reiterate the Obama Administrations tone of portraying China as a mutual partner in security and trade. Emphasizing the high risk of continuing the current policy (citing the USNS Impeccable and the E3/Interceptor collision of 2001) and the inadequacy of the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement to deal with the risk, the Secretary of Defense should indicate the U.S. governments wish to sign an Incidents at Sea agreement with the Peoples Republic of China.

tion structure are liable to escalate. Accidents to date have only heightened distrust between the two nations.

Endnotes

1. Associated Press, AP Interview: US Navy Commander Concerned South China Sea Incident Could Easily Escalate, Associated Press, January 17, 2012, accessed January 21, 2012 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ap-interview-us-navy-commander-concerned-south-china-sea-incident-could-easilyescalate/2012/01/17/gIQAJfPn6P_story.html> 2. Sean M. Lynn-Jones, A Quiet Success for Arms Control: Preventing Incidents at Sea, International Security , Vol. 9, No. 4 (Spring, 1985): 154-184. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2538545 3. Commander Gupreeet S. Khurana,, Securing Maritime Lifelines, Indian Defense Review, November 26, 2010, accessed December 1, 2011. <http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2009/04/Securing-Maritime-Lifelines-.html> 4. Ralph A. Cossa, Security Implications of Conflict in the South China Sea: Exploring Potential Triggers of Conflict, The Pacific Forum CSIS,: 3, accessed December 1, 2011 <http://www.southchinasea.org/ docs/Cossa,%20Security%20Implications%20of%20%20Conflict%20in%20the%20S.ChinaSea.pdf. 5. Sean M. Lynn-Jones, A Quiet Success for Arms Control: Preventing Incidents at Sea, International Security , Vol. 9, No. 4 (Spring, 1985): 154-184. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2538545 6. United States Energy Information Administration World Oil Transit Chokepoints Updated Dec. 30 2011, accessed February 10, 2012 <http://www.eia.gov/cabs/world_oil_transit_chokepoints/full.html> 7. Ibid. 8. Jim Garamone, Gates Says China Relations Ready for Next Level, American Forces Press Service, January 12, 2011, accessed January 17, 2011. <http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62411>

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Building 21st Century Allies with the KATUSA FrameworK

Brian Jencunas, Wheaton College The United States should apply the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) program to American allies throughout the globe. Doing so will provide a cost-effective means to strengthen bilateral relations with these nations and their militaries. General Douglas McArthur created the KATUSA during the Korean War assigning noncommissioned officers and enlisted soldiers of the Korean Army to the U.S. Army units stationed in Korea. KATUSA soldiers serve a standard term of enlistment attached to their U.S. Army unit and then return to either civilian society or the Korean Army with English language skills and an appreciation for the American military.1 These outcomes could be replicated in other nations if the KATUSA programs model were expanded. The KATUSA model could be applied to any nation where America is interested in strengthening the relationship between the United States and a foreign military, as well as civil society.

Analysis

One of the foundational goals put forth in the State Departments 2010 Quadrennial DiploKey Facts KATUSA has been successfulmacy and Development Review (QDDR) was the ly implemented in Korea since advancement of community diplomacy, the cre1950, having Korean soldiers ation of networks of contacts that can operate serve in American military on their own to advance objectives consistent units. 2 with our interests. The DoD advances a similar KATUSA veterans are more goal stating, the United States will work with our likely to have a favorable view allies and partners to effectively use limited reof America and its foreign polsources by generating efficiencies and synergies icy than non-KATUSA soldiers. from each others portfolios of military capabilities.3 Both of these goals require the strengthening of American soft power with respect to our relationships with allied nations. The KATUSA programs model of attaching soldiers to American Army units has a proven record of strengthening those relationships. In Korea, soldiers who are part of the KATUSA program return to Korean society with an appreciation for the American military. Additionally, the personal connections they form with American military personnel often lead them to continue interacting with the American military or government in their post-KATUSA activities, whether they are military or civilian.4 This program does not need to be limited to Korea and can be replicated in partnerships with other countries.5 While the KATUSA program model currently only involves foreign soldiers being attached to American units in their native country, this model could be changed to encompass nations where America does not have a permanent military presence but would still benefit from the stronger bilateral relations that LKATUSA implementation would provide. For example, America would benefit from stronger ties with the Turkish military,
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but does not have the large-scale military presence to support LKATUSA implementation in that country. Allowing soldiers from those nations to serve in American military units deployed in othercountries, such as Korea or Germany, would allow America to benefit from the strengthening of military-to-military relationships despite the lack of military presence in the relevant nations.

Next Steps

LKATUSA acts as a projection of American influence into the nations it is used in, and decrease the American military footprint because it emphasizes cooperation and cultural exchange with local military personnel. The best nations to begin LKATUSA implementation are allied nations where we have a proven record of joint military cooperation, such as Columbia (where Talking Points KATUSA has been cost-effective in Korea, our military has a long-standing hiscosting only the salaries of the assigned KAtory of narcotics intervention) and TUSA soldiers, and would be similarly effecTurkey. The administration of this tive if implemented elsewhere. program would fall under the shared Expanding the KATUSA program is an efjurisdiction of the DoD and the State fective means to project soft power, as it Department. The DoD would have provides local soldiers a means to positiveoperational jurisdiction of implely contrast the American military with their menting the LKATUSA program in inown. dividual military units, but the State Expanding KATUSA into Middle Eastern nation is an effective means of winning the Department would coordinate the hearts and minds of local soldiers who may strategic elements of the program have misperceptions of the American army. i.e. interacting with nations that would have their soldiers attached to LKATUSA units and determining long-term implementation metrics for the LKATUSA program.

Endnotes

1. Eighth U.S. Army, Eighth U.S. Army Regulation No. 600-2 Republic of Korea Army Personnel with the United States Army. Seoul, South Korea (2000) 2. U.S. Department of State, Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, Washington D.C. (2010) 3. U.S. Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense Review Report 2010. Washington D.C. (2010) 4. Eighth U.S. Army, Eighth U.S. Army Regulation No. 600-2 Republic of Korea Army Personnel with the United States Army. Seoul, South Korea (2000) 5. Ibid.

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Effective Aid For A New Egypt

Graham Palmer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The United States should base its military aid to Egypt on the Egyptian governments performance on standard of living and good governance indicators. If Egypt underperforms, the U.S. should shift some of its military aid to promote economic growth. Since 1979, the United States has given an average of $2 billion annually in assistance to Egypt.1 Key Facts The US has averaged $2 billion This is divided between military and economic in aid to Egypt annually since aid, with the majority ($1.3 billion annually) of the 1979.9 aid given for military purposes training, weap 18.5 percent of Egyptians still 2 ons, etc. Military aid has historically propped up live on less than $2 a day.10 a government whose forces used unwarranted Egypts rating on every World lethal force and tortured and abused prisoners Governance Indicator but and detainees, according to the Department of Rule of Law has decreased State.3 Resentment against America grew when since 1996.11 these same forces were used against protesters during the revolution. To counter charges of interference, the U.S. should adopt a results-driven system for aid allocation in order to keep Egypt as an ally while avoiding popular resentment, ensuring stronger governance and positive relations.

Analysis

The key to achieving this objective lies in the relationship between the military and economic aid that the U.S. offers Egypt. The UN Human Development Index (HDI) and World Bank World Governance Indicators (WGI) are impartial measures of the standard of living and openness of government, respectively. The U.S. should tie Egyptian aid to these two standards. Specifically, the State Department should institute a sliding scale so that if Egypts performance falls, more funds will be shifted from military to economic aid. Military aid ensures that the U.S. can continue to reap the strategic benefits of an alliance with Egypt priority access to the Suez Canal and Egyptian airspace, and EgyptianIsraeli peace. Results-based aid would show that the U.S. will not support an authoritarian government, but is willing to stand with any government that legitimately works for the Egyptian people. Congress is currently expected to determine aid based on whether the newly elected government shares our ideals. Instead, we should emphasize results over ideology. In the long term, a stable and prosperous Egypt would provide more security benefits to the U.S. than an ideologically friendly government. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fought almost entirely to deal with unstable political conditions after regimes were toppled, will cost the U.S. at least $4 trillion we cannot afford many more interventions to stabilize countries.4 Additionally, trade ties will develop with an increasingly open and productive Egyptian economy. Most importantly, this policy poses no costs to U.S. taxpayers, as the total amount of aid would remain the same even if the allocation were to shift. These marginal benefits of a stable Egypt far outweigh the marginal cost the possibility that Egypt may not espouse all American principles.
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The primary beneficiaries of this aid will be the Egyptian people, 18.5 percent of whom live on less than $2 a day.5 Studies have shown that corruption and growth are inversely related.6 Thus, the government would have an incentive to reduce corruption and govern well. Continuing corruption among the military (which currently controls one third of the economy and much of the government) would trigger a shift in aid towards economic purposes, simultaneously benefiting the Egyptian people and weakening a repressive military.7 If we continue to apportion aid without objective measures, the U.S. runs the risk of strengthening a system that becomes corrupt and ineffective.

Shifting aid from military to economic after poor performance would ensure that the U.S. does not militarily support another repressive government. Results-based aid would provide incentives for the government to improve the lives of its people, increasing stability and promoting U.S. national security. Shifting aid rather than eliminating it altogether allows the U.S. to maintain its influence and keep Egypt as an ally.

Talking Points

Next Steps

Any new economic aid should go directly through USAID, so that it would not only be coordinated with the Egyptian government, but also provide assurance that aid does not simply go towards strengthening the military. Congress should be eager to extract every bit of leverage it can from the current level of aid to Egypt without increasing expenditures. This policy will appeal to the Egyptian people and government. It ensures quantitative results for the standard of living, and should not threaten the government as long as we emphasize that military aid will only be cut if the government underperforms. Egypt currently faces the prospect of a collapsing economy and further unrest. This proposal will pressure the military into relinquishing power, and thus must be implemented soon in order to prevent a further economic meltdown.8

Endnotes

1. Marian Wang, FAQ on U.S. Aid to Egypt: Where Does the Money Go- And Who Decides How Its Spent? ProPublica, January 31, 2011, http://www.propublic.org/blog/item/f.a.q.-on-u.s.-aid-to-egyptwhere-does-the-money-go-who-decides-how-spent. 2. Ibid. 3. U.S. Department of State, Egypt, in 2010 Human Rights Report, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/ hrrpt/2010/nea/154460.htm. 4. Christopher Hinton, Iraq War Ends with a $4 Trillion IOU, The Wall Street Journal, December 15, 2011, http://www.marketwatch.com/story/iraq-war-ends-with-a4-trillion-iou-2011-12-15. 5. The World Bank Group, Egypt, Arab Rep. World Bank Data, last modified 2011, http://data.worldbank. org/country/egypt-arab-republic?display=graph. 6. William Easterly, The Elusive Quest For Growth (n.p.: The MIT Press, 2001), 246. 7. David D Kirkpatrick, Egypts Military Discourages Economic Change, The New York Times, February 17, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/world/middleeast/18military.html?pagewanted=all. 8. Editorial,Egypts Economic Crisis, The New York Times, January 20, 2012, http://www.nytims. com/2012/01/21/opinion/egypts-economic-crisis.html?_r=1&hp. 9. Marian Wang 10. World Bank Group, Worldwide Governance Indicators, accessed 2011, http://info.worldbank.org/ governance/wgi/. 11. Ibid.

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Defining Our Mission: NATOs Future Role

Anna Moore and Daniel Pitcairn, Yale University Contributing Researchers: Jenny Zeng, Sofia Knutsson, and Avery Jones As NATO adapts to new security and global challenges in the post-Cold War world, a nationwide poll of university students will help the organization redefine its role and relevance.

Founded in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) weighed heavily on the politics of the Cold War, serving as a deterrent to Soviet military force in Europe, as well as a bargaining chip towards the end of the Soviet Union. Since the fall of the USSR, though, NATOs role in preserving American and European security has seemed less obvious to some observers. As instances of major interstate war decline, small-scale civil wars, counter-terrorism initiatives, and humanitarian crises have become far more frequent. Though very different in nature, the intervention in Libya and the Afghanistan War both represent a departure from NATOs traditional role and served as recognition of this new trend in warfare. NATO is forced to evaluate its future role in the aftermath of these new trends and will redefine its future mission. As the debate surrounding NATOs continued relevance regarding American security concerns, a poll should be taken to determine its future role and status within American foreign policy.

Analysis

NATO can and should make itself relevant in the post-Cold War world through occasional, targeted military intervention. We caution that this should by no means become a frequent role or one that supersedes treaty obligations amongst member states. Rather, NATO should only intervene in conflicts that threaten international security or appear egregious from a humanitarian perspective. This view is favored because there is a need for more traditional military intervention in political and humanitarian crises. Unlike the United Nations, which does much to provide aid and neutral peacekeeping, NATO responds quickly and effectively to military conflicts, best exemplified by the Libyan no-fly zone during the revolution. A multi-state military coalition intervened on behalf of the National Transitional Council in the 2011 Libyan Civil War, with a fair degree of success. As the world sees more civil wars, political crises, and humanitarian crises, the need for this kind of intervention will only grow. By working with the UN, as NATO did during the Libyan intervention, it can achieve military success under the auspices of the international community. To continue this cooperation, NATO member states should meet to discuss the feasibility of assuming a more central role in other, similar conflicts.

In the post-Cold War period, the average rate of onset for intrastate (i.e. civil) wars is 3.35 per year whereas the average rate of onset for interstate wars is 0.70 per year.1 In 2011, 62 percent of Americans polled thought that NATO is still essential to our countrys security.2 U.S. contributions account for between 22-25 percent of NATOs civil budget, military budget, and security investment program.3

Key Facts

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Next Steps

Talking Points Through a partnership with NATO Since the disintegration of the Soviet and the Atlantic Council, the Yale Union in 1991, NATO has struggled to find Security and Foreign Policy Center a consistent role for itself. will work to create and disseminate an Because intrastate and non-conventionimportant poll asking questions such al warfare have been the dominant form as: Some people say that NATO is of war in the last two decades and the essential to American security, while United Nations itself is currently incapaothers disagree. Do you believe NATO ble of intervening in such crises, NATO is essential or unessential to American should assume a role as the international communitys instrument of military intersecurity? Among others, this question vention. will help gauge future leaders opinions Yale Universitys Center on Security and of NATO. The poll will measure AmeriForeign Policy is polling college students can college students attitudes toward nationwide to ascertain what future NATO and its continued relevance in American leaders think about the future the post-Cold War world. By coordirole of NATO, thereby helping NATO nating with Roosevelt Institute Campus re-define itself for when our generation Network chapters and other politically takes the mantle of leadership. inclined student organizations, the poll will be sent to various American college campuses throughout the United States. This method of dissemination will ensure the results are particularly reflective of politically inclined college students. This specific data is especially useful and relevant because it reflects the opinions of those future leaders in politics, the military, and the media who will play key roles in determining Americas relationship with NATO.
Endnotes
1. Center for Systemic Peace. Global Conflict Trends. Webpage updated on February 15, 2012 <http:// www.systemicpeace.org/conflict.htm> 2. The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Transatlantic Trends 2011: Topline Data July 2011. Brussels. Survey conducted from May 25, 2011 to June 20, 2011. 3. Carl Ek. NATO Common Funds Burdensharing: Background and Current Issues. Congressional Research Service, 2010.

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Meeting the Needs of Female Veterans

Lily Roberts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill To make medical services more accessible to growing numbers of female veterans, Veterans Administration hospitals should reform therapy access policies and adjust physical layouts of wards. Over the past decades, women have joined the branches of the United States military at higher rates than ever before, with females comprising 14.6 percent of active duty forces. Specifically, women comprise 13 percent of veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.1 While women do not serve combat roles in the U.S. military, women still suffer from physical and psychological injury. In Key Facts 2009 and 2010, post-traumatic stress disorder Women comprise 14.6 percent (PTSD), hypertension, and depression were the of active duty military personthree categories diagnosed most frequently nel (excluding the Coast Guard). 2 among female veterans. In addition, approxi Women are a quickly growing mately one in five women seen by Veterans Adpercentage of American miliministration (VA) hospitals respond yes when tary veterans. screened for Military Sexual Trauma (assault Post-traumatic stress, hyperor harassment experienced while in the militension, and depression are the three conditions most frequenttary).3 While significant cuts to the VA budget in ly diagnosed in female veterans. 2009 slowed programming in 2010 and 2011, increased prioritization of female veteran health care was achieved in 2010 with the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act. The Act created the first comprehensive study in recent years of barriers to health care for female veterans, designed pilot programming for group therapy for female veterans no longer on active duty, and created a two-year pilot program assessing feasibility of offering childcare to veterans.4

Analysis

It is vital that the VA adapt to meet the needs of increasing numbers of female veterans. While VA services in recent years have increased their emphasis on mental health services, logistical aspects of many hospitals can make accessing care challenging for patients, particularly for women. Women may be barred from group therapy sessions dealing with issues of PTSD because spots are reserved for those who saw combat. Even female veterans decorated for their performance in combat may be prohibited from group therapy for this reason.5 While appeals processes exist, they are slow and unknown to many veterans. Making these groups available to all veterans diagnosed with PTSD will increase the speed with which veterans access group therapy services. VA hospitals may also not be physically laid out to provide comfortable access to mental health services. Creating specific exam rooms and separate clinic entrances for women attempting to access female health services (i.e. gynecological services) or mental health services may prevent harassment and discomfort experienced by women, who otherwise must walk through wards of physical care services full of older, largely male veterans.6 In addition to the provision of childcare, these minor policy changes will make health care more accessible to female veterans and will ease their search for treatment.
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Next Steps

The simplest solution to gaining access to therapy for all those facing post-combat trauma would be for the military to acknowledge that women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have already experienced combat, regardless of official policy. In spite of potential political opposition, the VA should amend therapy eligibility to include all patients diagnosed with combat-related PTSD; this will include female veterans whose combat experience is unofficial. Individual hospitals should create separate waiting rooms, entrances, and exam rooms for female veterans, particularly when their diagnosis may be more sensitive

Mental health services are increasingly a part of VA services, particularly for veterans of recent combat operations. Despite diagnoses by VA hospitals, women may have difficulty accessing therapy and other mental health services because official military policy bars them from combat. The layout of hospitals may contribute to inherent difficulty and discomfort in accessing mental health services.

Talking Points

(i.e. mental health services or Military Sexual Trauma). No veteran should face harassment in his or her search for treatment.

Endnotes

1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Population 2007 (latest official estimate and projection of veteran population and characteristics from 4/1/2000 to 9/30/2036). Accessed at http://www.va.gov/ VETDATA/Demographics/Demographics.asp, November 30, 2011. 2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VSSC Women Veterans Health Workload Report, October 2010. Accessed at http://www.womenshealth.va.gov/WOMENSHEALTH/facts.asp#2, November 30, 2011. 3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Military Sexual Trauma. Accessed at http://www.mentalhealth. va.gov/docs/MilitarySexualTrauma-new.pdf, November 25, 2011. 4. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Women Veterans Fact Sheet. Accessed at http://www. va.gov/WOMENVET/Final_CWV_Fact_Sheet_October2010.pdf. Accessed November 20, 2011. 5. Combat Veteran Says Gender Bias Led to Untreated PTSD, National Public Radio, March 21, 2010. Accessed at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124500733&ps=rs on November 30, 2011. 6. VA Hospital Upgrades Care for Female Vets, National Public Radio, February 3, 2010. Accessed at http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2010/02/03/27664/va_hospital_upgrades_care_for_female_vets?source=n pr&category=npr+home+page+top+stories, November 30, 2011.

19

Advance Global Security: Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Ariana Rowberry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill To strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime, the United States should ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which aims to eliminate nuclear test explosions for civilian and military purposes,opened for signature in 1996 after adoption by the United Nations General Assembly. Former President Clinton, the first signatory, deemed the treaty [t]he hardest sought, hardest fought prize in arms control history.1 Fifteen years since the CTBTs adoption, the treaty has still not entered into force. Article XIV of the treaty mandates that forty-four states, known as Annex Two States, ratify the CTBT before it activates. The United States, a key Annex Two State, has signed but not ratified the CTBT after the Senates rejection in 1999. Despite strong commitment by the Obama administration, progress is stagnant. The United States ratification would galvanize other key states to ratify the treaty, thereby bolstering nonproliferation efforts and subsequently international security.

Analysis

Opponents of U.S. ratification have three main criticisms of the CTBT: it threatens the United States stockpile, it does not further nonproliferation efforts, and it is not enforceable or verifiable.

44 states must sign and ratify the CTBT before it can enter into force. Eight of these states, including the United States, have yet to ratify the treaty.2 The United States signed the CTBT in 1996, but ratification failed before the Senate in 1999, despite the United States self-imposed moratorium since 1992.3 The CTBT monitors for nuclear explosions through its International Monitoring System, which has 321 monitoring stations and 16 radionuclide stations worldwide.4 The functionality of the United States stockpile is protected through the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP), which has a budget of $7.6 billion in FY 2012.5

Key Facts

The United States has exercised a self-enforced nuclear testing moratorium since 1992 while still ensuring the reliability of its stockpile. Reliability is achieved through the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP), which conducts supercomputer simulations to test the functionality of the stockpile. For FY2012, the SSP has a budget of $7.6 billion.6 The weapons stockpile and infrastructure for FY2011-2020 is projected to be $85 billion.7 Furthermore, a 2009 study from the JASONs group, comprised of expert scientists, concluded that the stockpile could be extended for decades without testing.8 The CTBT does strengthen nonproliferation efforts. Former United States National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft argued that once ratified the CTBT will expedite agreement on more rigorous export controls and measures to discourage the spread of enrichment and reprocessing facilities.9 Beyond setting a precedent for stringent regulations, developing a sophisticated nuclear stockpile requires testing. After United States
20

ratification of the CTBT, other Annex Two States would feel pressure to ratify the CTBT, therefore relinquishing their testing abilities. Critics of the CTBT argue that other nonproliferation treaties, such as the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), are more important to limiting nuclear proliferation. The FMCT would advance nonproliferation efforts by increasing constraints on nuclear weapons useable fissile material, but the treaty exists in a nascent stage due internal disagreements about the specifics of the treaty. Because the CTBT has been negotiated and stands ready for ratification, its political feasibility exceeds that of the FMCT.

Lastly, while the CTBT does not have a formal enforcement mechanism, it does create a global norm that could result in political and economic ramifications if violated. The CTBT contains a verification mechanism, the International Monitoring System, consisting of 321 stations worldwide monitoring for nuclear explosions.10 This monitoring system increases transparency between member states through intensive on-site inspections.

Despite commitment in his Prague Speech to pursue ratification, the Obama Administration has made little progress in advancing the CTBT. The CTBT creates a global norm that, once enforced, will dissuade countries from advancing or creating a nuclear program. Unlike the FMCT, the terms of the CTBT have already been negotiated and stands ready to enter into force.

Talking Points

Next Steps

Honoring its commitment to enhance nonproliferation, the Obama administration should call for a bipartisan effort to review the CTBT. National laboratories and other science experts who can discredit spurious information about the treaty should step forward to relate the treatys merits. Furthermore, the 2015 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference should prioritize ratification by the United States. Prominent security documents, like the Defense Strategic Guidance, which is facilitated through the Department of Defense, should incorporate United States ratification into its vision for national security. While the CTBT does not provide a panacea to all nonproliferation threats, its ratification would significantly increase international security and breathe life anew into the nonproliferation regime.

Endnotes

1. 142. Johnson, Rebecca Unfinished Business: The Negotiation of the CTBT and the End of Nuclear Testing. United Nations Institute for

Disarmament Research (2009): 1-70. http://www.unidir.ch/bdd/fiche-ouvrage.php?ref_ouvrage=978-92-9045-194-5-en (accessed November 9, 2011). 2. 122. FY 2012 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan: Report to Congress. United States Department of Energy (2012): 1-172. www. ucsusa.org/assets/documents/nwgs/SSMP-FY12-041511.pdf (accessed February 15, 2012). 3. OLearey, Hazel R., and Daryl G. Kimball. Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The Arms Control Association. http://www.armscontrol.org/pressroom/Op-Ed-Ratify-the-Comprehensive-Test-Ban-Treaty (accessed November 11, 2011). 4. Collina, Tom Z. Scientists See Stockpile Lasting for Decades. Arms Control Association. http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2009_12/JASON (accessed November 15, 2011). 5. 3. Bailey, Kathleen, and Thomas Scheber. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: An Assessment of the Benefits, Costs, and Risks. National Institute for Public Policy (2011): 1-86. http://www.nipp.org/CTBT%203.11.11%20electronic%20version.pdf (accessed November 29, 2011). 6. CTBT: International Monitoring System. U.S. Department of State. http://www.state.gov/t/avc/rls/159267.htm (accessed November 21, 2011). 7. Status of Signature and Ratification. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization. http://www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/status-of-signatureand-ratification/?states=4&region=63&submit.x=36&submit.y=13&submit=submit&no_cache=1 (accessed February 16, 2012). 8. LaVera, Damien J. Looking Back: The U.S. Senate Vote on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Arms Control Association. http://www. armscontrol.org/act/2004_10/LookingBack_CTBT (accessed February 16, 2012). 9. The Future Role of the International Monitoring System. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization. http://www.ctbto.org/ verification-regime/building-theinternational-monitoring-system/the-future-role-of-theinternational-monitoring-system/page-1/(accessed February 16, 2012). 10. OLearey, Hazel R., and Daryl G. Kimball. Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The Arms Control Association. http://www.armscontrol.org/pressroom/Op-Ed-Ratify-the-Comprehensive-Test-Ban-Treaty (accessed November 11, 2011).

21

Promoting Long-Term Economic Growth in Africa:

A U.S.-led Approach

Erika K. Solanki, University of California Los Angeles To facilitate long-term economic growth in the African continent, the U.S. should leverage its influential stance in global politics as well as its domestic economic policies in a three-fold strategy: (1) widen the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); (2) adopt the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI); (3) disable undisclosed bank accounts within U.S. borders from facilitating fraud in Africa; and ultimately encourage other countries to adopt similar measures. Over the past ten years, six African nations comprised the worlds ten fastest-growing countries in terms of annual GDP per capita. For many years, Africa as a continent has even grown faster than East Asia. This recent economic windfall in Africa is a product of: higher revenues from natural resources, favorable demographic trends, and the emergence of domestic manufacturing and service economies. Despite these advances, however, African countries are fraught with despotism, corruption, and institutional discord. These institutional weaknesses foster less effective development: most Africans still live on less than $2 a day, food production has fallen since the 1960s, the average lifespan in several countries is still below 50, and drought and famine persist as climate change worsens. To mitigate social conditions, Western nations often provide aid, however, aid has proven to be a short-term solution to structural problems in developing countries.

Six of the worlds ten fastestgrowing countries were African over the past year. The International Monetary Fund expects Africa to grow 6 percent in 2012. AGOA combined with the Generalized System of Preferences significantly liberalizes market access for 37 sub-Saharan African countries to the United States. with approximately 7,000 product tariff lines. A majority of the worlds diamonds, approximately 65 percent, valued over $8.4 million a year, originate in African countries.

Key Facts

Analysis

To facilitate long-term economic growth, the United States should leverage its influential stance in global politics as well as its domestic economic policies in a three-fold strategy that opens up trade and increases transparency. Implemented in 2000, the purpose of the AGOA was to improve economic relations between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa by providing trade preferences for quota and duty-free entry into the U.S. for certain goods, most notably for textiles, increasing the prevalence of apparel jobs. Although a step in the right direction, AGOA should be expanded to include additional goods and the one-sided agreement should be improved through collaboration with various officials from African nations. Secondly, the United States should draft legislation that aligns with the EITI, which calls
22

for companies and governments to disclose natural resource payments in order to increase transparency between countries and among citizens. When a country agrees to follow the EITI standard, public access is granted to payment figures. Increased global transparency will enable African governments to compare what foreign companies pay for licenses to exploit natural resources in developed countries versus within domestic borders. Although transparency will not ensure optimal management of natural resources, it will mitigate money laundering. Thirdly, the United States should not allow undisclosed bank accounts within their borders to facilitate high-level fraud in Africa. For instance, secret bank accounts by African nationals or leaders can protect stolen money and enable tax evasion. Ultimately, these three measures should set a high institutional standard that encourages other nations to follow similar paths. The costs associated with these three measures include minimal impact on the domestic economy. A more encompassing AGOA would affect imports from India and China due to higher competition of similar goods, whereas legislation compliant with EITI and stricter banking regulations will have associated administrative costs.
Stagnated economic development and subsequent poor human development issues are not their problems; we should have a socially conscious worldview. Aid is a short-term solution, whereas institutional policies in the U.S. that affect African economic growth have long-term implications. Expanding the AGOA, compliance with EITI guidelines, and strict bank regulations will enable more economic opportunities for African producers, create greater transparency, and ultimately mitigate fraud.

Talking Points

Next Steps

To facilitate long-term economic growth in Africa, it is important for the U.S. to set a high standard for institutional practice, ultimately to illustrate to other Western and nonWestern nations that profitability does not necessitate a lack of social consciousness. An improved AGOA should be drafted in collaboration with key policymakers from every concerned African nation and its 2015 expiration should be extended in order to institute long-term change. In September 2011, President Obama announced that the U.S. will implement the EITI and legislation is being drafted. The purpose of the EITI aligns well with President Obamas Open Government Partnership Action Plan, thus interest groups should encourage policymakers to efficiently institute the relevant legislation, while companies with heavy natural resource extraction investments will attempt to hinder the process. Lastly, stricter regulations on bank accounts from foreign nationals will help trace funds to prevent tax evasion.

Endnotes

1. The Hopeful Continent: Africa Rising, The Economist, December 3, 2011, accessed October 8, 2011, http://www. economist.com/node/21541015. 2. Africas Hopeful Economies: The Sun Shines Bright, The Economist, December 3, 2011, accessed October 8, 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/21541008. 3. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, accessed October 9, 2011, http://eiti.org./. 4. African Growth and Opportunity Act, accessed October 9, 2011, http://www.agoa.gov/. 5. Summary of AGOA I, African Growth and Opportunity Act, accessed October 9, 2011, http://www.agoa.gov/. 6. West Facilitates Corruption in Africa Says Top Economist, CNN, February 9, 2011, accessed October 9, 2011, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/02/09/joseph.stiglitz.africa/index.html.

23

Promoting Music in the Fight Against Oppression

Kyle Villemain, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill The United States can empower youths, temper radicalism and further its own interests throughout the greater Middle East by promoting rap music as an outlet for social discontent. As budget constraints and a war-weary citizenry Key Facts blunt the United States ability to project its hard Over thirty percent of the power around the world, it must increasingly turn Middle East is between the to soft power in order to achieve its foreign policy age of fifteen and thirty.3 objectives. While the tactics have changed, an ex Ninety percent of Egypts plicit goal of American foreign policy continues unemployed were between to be the promotion of governments that reflect eighteen and thirty years old the will of the people.1 In addition, terrorist orgain 2010.4 nizations, such as Al-Qaeda, often cite the need to topple oppressive regimes as a justification for their actions, giving the United States a direct security interest in promoting democracy through peaceful means.2 The recent uprisings across the Middle East have demonstrated the potential of the youth population in those countries to challenge and overthrow repressive regimes. Music was, and continues to be, a catalyst that allows youths to legitimize their grievances and mobilize others in support of their cause.

Analysis

The United States should place greater emphasis on facilitating and encouraging musical expression throughout the greater Middle East in order to encourage thriving liberal democracies. Rap has already demonstrated its significance in the region. El Gnral, perhaps the most influential rapper of the past year, is a Tunisian twenty-one year old, whose song Rais Lebled became the anthem of the rebellion against former President Ben Ali. I talk with no fear / Although I know I will only get troubles / I see injustice everywhere, he delivers. During the 2011 movements, Tunisians sang Rais Lebled on the streets, and Egyptians called for him to perform in Tahrir Square.5 Somali rapper Knaan, whose popularity has spread to the United States, fired his first gun at age eight but has since used rap to speak out against militarism.6 In Morocco, Muhammad Bahri penned a song condemning Al Qaeda after Islamic radicals bombed Casablanca in 2003. If you understood the Koran, there wouldnt be bombs, he sings.7 Raps regional popularity allows messages of justice and moderation to reach large audiences - El Gnral recently sang at a 10,000 seat concert venue.8 Music creates heroes for society to admire and a voice to articulate its desire for peace. Many American policy-makers have opposed regime change in the Middle East, because they believe it will usher in a wave of anti-American, Islamist governments.9 However, this policy is shortsighted. Free expression and democracy can help neutralize extremist ideologies. Turkey has the second-freest press in the greater Middle East10 and is one of only a few democratic, secular states in the region, despite being 99 percent Muslim.11 After democratic elections in Tunisia, the Islamist party Ennahda formed a coalition with two center-left secular parties.12 Sustained democracy will not only provide a true stability unachievable through authoritarianism, but American efforts to empower the popu24

lace through music will also better align Americas actions with its rhetoric, thus weakening the polemics who charge America of hypocrisy. While the promotion of rap music is a long-term strategy, the benefits of which may not be immediately tangible, its potential to positively and fundamentally shape a society and its low-cost merits this creative strategy a place in American foreign policy.

Next Steps

Rap music provides a medium for social discussion and allows youths to express themselves. Music is being used to overthrow dictators and delegitimize extremism across the Middle East.

Talking Points

The State Department should identify local recording studios and music venues in the greater Middle East that can benefit from the American music industrys support and advice. This can be accomplished via the State-Department-affiliated Partners for a New Beginning, which facilitates private industry partnerships and is already established throughout the region.13 The State Department could also help secure grants for the region from recording labels in America, which could then advertise their humanitarian efforts to the American audience. In addition, the State Department should also exert diplomatic pressure aimed at preventing the arrests of musicians as political prisoners.

Endnotes

1. Obama, Barack. The United States of America, Remarks by the President on a New Beginning. Last modified June 04, 2009. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09. 2. Public Broadcasting Service, Last modified August 1996. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html. 3. Dubai School of Government, Facts About Middle Eastern Youth . Last modified 2011. http://www.shababinclusion.org/section/about/facts. 4. El Madany, Sherine. Egypts youth on political sidelines-U.N. report. Reuters, June 27, 2010. http://af.reuters. com/article/idAFLDE65Q0CZ20100627 (accessed December 1, 2011). 5. Walt, Vivienne. El Gnral and the Rap Anthem of the Mideast Revolution. Feburary 15, 2011. http://www. time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2049456,00.html (accessed ). 6. Robin Wright, Rock The Casbah: Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic World, (New York: Simon, 2011), 5. 7. Erlanger, Steven, and Souad Mekhennet. Back Home, a Moroccan Rapper Sharpens His Words. August 21, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/world/africa/22barry.html?pagewanted=all (accessed ). 8. Tunisias revolution rap hits the big stage. Asharq Alawsat, January 29, 2011. http://www.asharq-e.com/news. asp?section=7&id=23950 (accessed January 23, 2012). 9. Traub, James. Ready for Their Close-Up. Foreign Policy, December 2, 2011. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/ articles/2011/12/02/ready_for_their_close_up (accessed January 18, 2012). 10. Freedom House, Freedom of the Press. Last modified 2011. Accessed January 23, 2012. http://www.freedomhouse.org/report-types/freedom-press. 11. United States Department of State, Turkey. Last modified December 09, 2011. Accessed January 23, 2012. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3432.htm. 12. Moncef Marzouki, (President of the Republic of Tunisia), interview by Taied Moalla, Tunisian President Marzouki; On Being the Secularist Partner of Islamist Majority, Le Temps, Record, January 14, 2012, January 23, 2012, http://www.worldcrunch.com/tunisian-president-marzouki-being-secularist-partner-islamist-majority/4484. 13. United States Department of State, Partners for a New Beginning. Accessed January 23, 2012. http://www. state.gov/documents/organization/158103.pdf.

25

Protect Funding that Protects Families

Corinne White, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The United States should improve standards for maternal health in developing countries by protecting federal funding to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and pipelining those funds more effectively. Ronald Reagan enacted the Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule, in 1984. This rule prohibits funding to international aid organizations that support family planning initiatives, following from the notion that taxpayer money should not pay for abortions. Presidents George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush upheld the policy and Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama rejected the policy, making the nations stance on the policy appear volatile and susceptible to party politics to other countries.1 Though the policy is currently abolished, legislation that restricts funding to maternal health groups continues to be passed. HR 2059, which was passed in 2011, prohibits federal funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a key group supporting international womens health issues.2 The Global Democracy Promotion Act, or HR 4879, which has not yet been voted on, would prohibit the application of certain restrictive eligibility requirements to foreign NGOs, effectively abolishing the Mexico City Policy permanently.3
When the Mexico City Policy was enacted from 2001 to 2008, the number of women having induced abortions more than doubled in the African countries most affected by the policy.4 In 2002, Afghanistan had fewer than 500 midwives, and less than 10 percent of pregnant women received any prenatal care.5 The UNFPA estimates that Afghanistan still needs roughly 7,400 additional midwives to attain 95 percent skilled birth attendance by 2015.5 Foreign aid comprises less than one percent of the US federal budget.6

Key Facts

Analysis

Congress voted to stop funding to the UNFPA on the basis of budgetary reasons; the funding cut would save $400 million over 10 years.7 Furthermore, according to a recent poll, 59 percent of Americans would support cuts to foreign aid.8 However, that relatively small portion of American appropriations could positively impact thousands of women. Healthy women have the capabilities to build stronger communities and increase female presence in the workforce which can often shrink due to poor family planning. By increasing the economic opportunities for women, a countrys economic viability would similarly rise. Economic viability is strongly linked to a countrys stability and security. As the worlds population climbs past 7 billion, the UNFPA develops strategies to address reproductive health, gender equality and population. Protecting NGOs that provide family planning initiatives would help to control excessive population growth by limiting the number of unwanted pregnancies and births. When the gag rule was in effect in subSaharan Africa, NGOs that were previously performing abortions were also the primary providers of family planning services and when funding cuts closed those clinics, women lost access to contraceptives. Furthermore, increasing maternal care would help the quality of life for women in countries with poor maternal health. By improving maternal health care now, and putting these institutions in place, the US will save future foreign aid funds. The US has a moral responsibility as the worlds largest foreign aid donor to
26

uphold its standard of bettering the countries it is involved with.

Next Steps

Implementation of the Mexico City Policy has historically switched as the parties change between each presidential administration. Before the 2012 election, Congress needs to pass the Global Democracy Promo Talking Points Countries in which women are tion Act to prevent the Mexico City Policy empowered, valued, and healthy from being reinstated if President Obama is are more likely to succeed ecodefeated. Since the gag rule increases rates nomically and also experience of abortions, the GOP-dominated Congress substantive development, creatshould have an incentive to keep it abolished. ing a sustainable impact that will Furthermore, the Global Democracy Promoreduce the need for further aid.9 tion Act would improve national security Afghanistan, and other nations in fraught nations such as Afghanistan with with direct US influence, should American military presence. Congress should feel that US presence is beneficial. also reapprove aid to the UNFPA by overturn The Mexico City Policy fails to ing HR 2059, continuing support at the previreduce the number of abortions ous levels, if not higher. The President and or improve maternal health stanthe Secretary of State should create a foreign dards. maternal health task force, headed by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to help correctly channel aid to community-based NGOs and establish beneficial midwifery programs in countries with demonstrated need. Given its expertise, the UNFPA should be responsible for helping the U.S. investigate which foreign agencies to fund.

Endnotes

1. Tapper, Jake. Obama Overturns Mexico City Policy Implemented by Reagan. January 23, 2009. http:// abcnews.go.com/Politics/International/story?id=6716958&page=1. 2. H.R. 2059. May 31, 2011. http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/hr2059ih.pdf. 3. H.R. 4879. March 17, 2010. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4879&tab=summary. 4. Gorlick, Adam. Abortions in Africa increase despite Republican policy to curb payment for procedures. September 28, 2011. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/september/abortion-africa-policy-092811.html. 5. Coleman, Isobel. Maternal Health in Afghanistan. September 30, 2011. http://blogs.cfr.org/coleman/2011/09/30/maternal-health-in-afghanistan/. 6. Executive Budget Summary. Department of State. February 14, 2011. http://www.state.gov/documents/ organization/156214.pdf. 7. H.R. 2059 moves closer toward full House vote to defund controversial United Nations Population Fund. October 5, 2011. http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press_display.asp?id=2012. 8. Cooper, Frank. Americans Oppose Cuts in Education, Social Security, Defense. January 26, 2011. http:// www.gallup.com/poll/145790/Americans-Oppose-Cuts-Education-Social-Security-Defense.aspx. 9. Guidelines on Womens Empowerment. United Nations Population Information Network. n.d. http:// www.un.org/popin/unfpa/taskforce/guide/iatfwemp.gdl.html.

27

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