Resources

Inaction and Delayed Response to Famine Cost Thousands of Lives

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February 1, 2012

Despite early warning signs many months in advance, the international response toward the 2011-2012 famine in the Horn of Africa region has been inadequate to meet the needs of nearly 13 million people at risk, says a January 2012 report from Oxfam and Save the Children. A Dangerous Delay says the scale of death and suffering, and the financial cost, could have been reduced if warnings from 2010 had triggered an earlier, more substantial response. The report calls on governments, donors, the UN and NGOs to adopt different response strategies to future emergencies by managing the risks, not the crisis. This means orchestrating meaningful action partly based on information learned through early warning systems and tackling the root causes of vulnerability through long-term development strategies.  

PVS: Flawed Assumptions about Effective Vetting of Humanitarian Activity

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February 1, 2012

The purpose of the Partner Vetting System (PVS) is to vet individuals in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who apply for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) or State Department contracts and grants, in order to ensure that USAID-funded activities are not inadvertently providing support to entities associated with terrorism.  Under the proposed PVS pilot program, the U.S. government will collect personal data, including name, government identification number, date of birth, country of citizenship, home address, email address, employer information, and job title, from applicants who wish to use federal money for humanitarian purposes overseas. The certification on the form also states that the NGO official signing the form must take “reasonable steps in accordance with sound business practices” to verify the information without defining what those practices are.  Numerous NGOs oppose its implementation.

Department of State’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)

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January 26, 2012

Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are foreign organizations that are designated by the Secretary of State. As of September 2011:

How to File Comments to the OMB on the Partner Vetting System

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January 25, 2012

On the Jan. 18, 2012 Federal Register, the State Department announced that it is seeking regulatory approval for its proposed Partner Vetting System.  (Vol. 77  Fed.  Reg. No. 11, page 2601) The Federal Register announcement is available here. Instructions for submitting comments to the Office of Management and Budget are below.

Department of State Responds to Comments on Partner Vetting System

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January 23, 2012

On Jan. 18, 2012, State responded to the comments submitted in December by NGOs critical of the proposed Partner Vetting System (PVS). The PVS  would require State Department (State) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on foreign partners for screening against secret government databases. Complete comments, news and background on the PVS is available here.

Oxfam America Report: Managing Donor Risk when Building Partnerships

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January 19, 2012

A December 2011 report by Oxfam America focuses on the complex nature of providing foreign aid, where donors must often assume risks related to corrupt governments and partners with low capacity to alleviate suffering. The report urges that, “instead of trying to avoid risk, donors should accept and manage the risks associated with building more-effective partnerships.” To navigate these risks, nine suggestions for donors are offered:

Manage the corruption risk:

News Index for Somali Famine: October 2011 to January 2012

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Date: 
January 17, 2012

This index provides summaries of news articles from October 2011 to January 2012 on the responses of humnitarian organizations, governments and others to the widespread famine in Somalia. In July 2011 famine was declared in several regions of Somalia. Click on the headings below to see the full articles. 

NGOs Explain How USAID’s Partner Vetting System Hurts Humanitarian Action & Is Contrary to U.S. Interests

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January 14, 2012

Below are excerpts from comments written by a diverse range of nonprofits and experts in response to two Federal Register announcements inviting comment on the burdens USAID’s Partner Vetting System (PVS) would impose on its grant applicants; one from the Department of State (Oct. 2011) and USAID (Dec. 2011). PVS would require NGOs receiving USAID funds to collect personal information on local partners for submission to the U.S. government. If implemented, the proposed PVS pilot would create hazards for aid workers and undermine program effectiveness. It will prevent some potential grantees from applying for funds, and will hamper the efforts of others to deliver services and programs that serve the best interests of the United States.

U.S. Muslim Charities and The War on Terror: A Decade in Review

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December 21, 2011
A December 2011 report published by the Charity and Security Network, U.S. Muslim Charities and the War on Terror: A Decade in Review, examines the challenges American Muslim charities have faced since 9/11 and how they have successfully responded. 

The report is an update to the OMB Watch March 2006 report, Muslim Charities and the War on Terror: Top Ten Concerns and Status Update. The update summarizes action by the U.S. government to shut down American Muslim charities since 2006, and gives updates on the status of litigation and other efforts by charities. It also details the unwarranted government investigation and surveillance of Muslim communities and charities. The report concludes by examining how the American Muslim charitable sector has addressed government scrutiny by implementing rigorous due diligence procedures, and educating politicians and the public to combat Islamophobia.
 

Report: Terrorist Lists Impede Peace Processes

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December 20, 2011

A November 2011 report from Berghof Conflict Research analyzes the impact and effectiveness of terrorist ‘blacklisting’ regimes on peace processes with non-state armed groups, and argues that they interfere in finding political solutions to armed conflict. Anti-Terror Legislation: Impediments to Conflict Transformation says the inconsistent and secretive application of terrorist designations by governments is also commonly being used to blur the distinction between legal and unlawful political activism.  The report offers a range of recommendations to reform the terrorist listing process, including the development of more transparent listing regimes and carving out protected space for peacebuilders to ply their craft without fear of prosecution.