Counting down to USGLC's Global Impact Forum on June 3 -- more announcements coming next week! RSVP to join virtually at forum.usglc.org

As Kenyan 🇰🇪 President William Ruto visits the U.S. this week, learn about the important role the African diaspora plays in the U.S.-Africa partnership, helping strengthen cultural and economic exchanges between the U.S., the diaspora, and Africa ⬇️
usglc.org/blog/kenyan-pr…

Counting down to the Global Impact Forum! RSVP here to join virtually as we convene top national security, business, humanitarian, and policy and political leaders on the stakes for U.S. global leadership in the face of growing global threats. #GIF2024 forum.usglc.org

Grateful to join USGLC in Columbia w/area leaders re: US diplomacy & development role, w/defense, in world both in peace & crisis. USGLC SC Advisory Committee brings together business, faith, non-profit, political leaders who understand how US global leadership matters for SC.

'It is striking to me… that a growing share of the US assistance budget has been oriented…to helping countries respond to & recover from these emergencies…In 2010, we're talking about 17% of assistance. Now it's over one third as of 2021.' - AidData’s Samantha Custer

'We are missing a huge bet when we neglect trade as a key element of of our overall… national security strategy... [and] the role it can play in development assistance.'- Former Secretary Gates on why trade & international development are key to our national security strategy.

'It would be easy for somebody listening in to assume we're talking about a fairly meaty part of the US budget and US economy when we talk about development assistance, but… that is misinformation. We're talking about >1% of the federal budget.” -AidData's Samantha Custer.

'When you ask an African, and say my old country of Tanzania, when they think of America, what do they think of… it's the vision of America, a growing economy and compassion. It's Coca Cola, it's Apple, it's all of those big business brands.' -The Wilson Center Mark Andrew Green

'We need partners. We need to share burdens. We need to work together to try to benefit some of those countries out there that are facing challenges… There's plenty of room for us to all be involved.' - The Wilson Center Mark Andrew Green on burden sharing w/ our allies.

“[Other countries] have very effective programs, but we don't really have any kind of a mechanism for how we can… contribute to each other's efforts and how can we amplify our impact by working together.' - Former Secretary Gates on working w/ allies for development programs.

'95% of the 🌎 population lives outside the borders…of the U.S.. We need to have open markets, we need to have consumers, we need to have economic relationships that help our own economy grow.' -The Wilson Center's Mark Andrew Green on how our global leadership boosts our economy.

'Poverty does not cause terrorism…destitution left unchecked can lead to despair & despair is a condition that bad guys know how to exploit & exploit effectively, so this really is in our own security interest.' -Mark Andrew Green on the importance of int. development programs.