Speeches Shim
Thank you. It's great to be here with you in person, I think I parachuted in virtually the last time. But, it's really great to meet each of you face to face, some old friends, some new ones, I hope. I want to also just take note of the space that we are in. Because as many of you know, this U.S. Institute for Peace was designed by Israel's greatest architect Moshe Safdie, who designed, of course, Habitat Montreal, but also Yad Vashem, the most powerful architectural experience many of us have ever had. And you could just feel – actually the Jerusalem stone – sort of emanating here. So, both the mission for peace and the structure here should connect us to the work that we're trying to do out there in the field – in the real world.
Ambassador Liman-Tinguiri, you carried with you a tiny little post-it. And he said, ‘I have no paper.’ He did – you had a little paper. But you managed to deliver a kind of magisterial account of the importance of the relationship between USAID and Niger, the United States and Niger, the range of interconnected challenges that your country is facing. But also in your words, in your powerful accounting of the relationship between development and democracy, you affirm for us why it is so important that we have a full fledged presence again in Niger to partner with you. And it is really, really great to have you here with us, and to have heard directly from you about why the work that Maria and her team, our wonderful Chargé, are doing, why that work is so important, and how we have such a willing and engaged partner in your government.
On behalf of the Government of the United States, I extend our sincere congratulations to the Government of Liberia for the establishment of this Oxygen Production facility. And I thank the German and Canadian Governments whose funding made this possible. As we celebrate the opening of this facility, we join Liberians in celebrating another major health achievement.
In response, USAID is investing in the food systems that farmers, but especially women farmers, rely on, systems that weren’t necessarily designed – weren’t designed – with women in mind. Food systems include expanding access to new seeds, digital innovations, and financial resources, as well as ways to store excess harvests and prevent food loss.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here with us today, and thank you, Monde, for kicking us off.
Good morning everybody. ¡Buenos dias, todos! It’s great to be with all of you today – hello to the folks in the room, to the folks online – on the final day of USAID’s second annual Hispanic Serving Institutions Conference and Career Expo, fittingly titled “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger World.”
MS. STINSON: Thank you Administrator Power. What an amazing travel through, not only the history, covering so many dimensions, but also, giving us the optimism and hope that we are trying to ground this entire discussion in. Because, while there is so much going on that is so terribly challenging and devastating, and you painted that picture, there is so much reason for hope. And that's part of our foundation, in our discussion this entire week – is to understand those areas for hope, and action. And you've depicted tremendous areas of action that the U.S.
There are many culprits behind today’s food crisis, you know them well. The COVID-19 pandemic grinding economies to a halt, splintered supply chains, causing huge spikes in inflation, everywhere it seems. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, holding hostage global supplies of food, fertilizer, and fuel, denying food to the world’s poorest communities – and that’s one of the many conflicts actually that is contributing to hunger around the globe.
If you’re tuned in to today’s event, you are likely aware of how difficult it can be for USAID to work with local actors. It is hard for us and as we’ve heard repeatedly, hard for our partners. So over the years we have relied heavily on our Foreign Service Nationals like Laura to provide advice to USAID’s technical offices and implementing partners on practical strategies to help strengthen the capacity of local organizations.
Hello, everyone! I am so thrilled that USAID is once again gathering some of our nation’s brightest and most globally-minded students for our second Hispanic Serving Institutions conference.
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Last updated: November 07, 2022
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