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Saints or Suckers?
The Ethics of Foreign Aid
Does the United States have a moral obligation to help people around the world when so many challenges remain at home? Is foreign aid an expression of American values, a strategic investment, or an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars? In today's political climate, foreign aid has become one of the most debated aspects of U.S. foreign policy—but much of that debate is shaped by misconceptions about how aid is funded, where it goes, and the oversight that governs it. At the same time, history shows that not every aid program has achieved its intended goals, raising important questions about how the United States can provide assistance more effectively while balancing the needs of Americans at home.
Join the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire and the Center for Ethics in Society at St. Anselm College on November 10 for a moderated Q&A featuring retired Ambassador Mark Storella. Through this moderated Q&A, this global community will grapple with the challenging questions surrounding the ethics, effectiveness, and future of U.S. foreign aid, with the goal of fostering a deeper understanding of the realities of this field.
Some questions that this community conversation will focus on include:
- whose interests are served in providing aid,
- does aid create dependency,
- is it ethical to cut aid abruptly and what are the consequences if you do,
- is it ethical to support some crises and not others,
- how does one balance the ethics of humanitarian aid and the moral question of the means it might take to deliver that aid?
WACNH and the Center for Ethics in Society at St. Anselm College invites anyone interested in this conversation to participate in this fascinating community conversation, no international aid work experience required. This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Advanced registration is highly recommended. A pre-event reception will be held to welcome the community together.
About the Speaker
Ambassador Mark Storella is professor of the practice of diplomacy at Boston University the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. Ambassador Storella was a United States Foreign Service Officer for over three decades serving as Ambassador to Zambia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, and Dean of the Leadership and Management School of the Foreign Service Institute. Other postings include as Deputy Chief of Mission in Brussels, at the U.S. Mission to the UN in Geneva and in Phnom Penh.
Ambassador Storella is recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Excellence in Service Award, the Thomas Jefferson Award presented by American Citizens Abroad, and several Department of State superior and meritorious honor awards.
He was Senior Department of State Fellow and Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses. His areas of expertise include humanitarian crises, health diplomacy, multilateral diplomacy, as well as diplomatic negotiation and theory.
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