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For more than six decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was America’s primary engine for distributing foreign assistance. USAID has provided critical support for global health initiatives, democracy promotion and civil society strengthening, conflict prevention and stabilization, disaster assistance, food assistance and security, and women’s empowerment among other programs. All U.S. foreign assistance combined constitutes less than 1% of the federal budget and has generally received broad bi-partisan support. On January 20, 2025, President Trump announced a pause on all U.S. foreign assistance pending an internal review, which has resulted in an 83% reduction of aid programs. The effects of these funding cuts have already been felt around the world as vaccination, nutritional support and maternal care clinics shutter, and implementing partners layoff staff and close offices for a lack of funds. Beyond funding cuts, recent memos outlining an ‘America First’ approach to foreign assistance, suggest that the justification, strategies, and objectives of foreign aid policy will change as well.

This Teach-In takes stock of U.S. foreign aid to educate the GW community on the broad range of programs that make up foreign assistance portfolios; discuss the significant role of the U.S. in global health, humanitarian, and development assistance and why US withdrawal might significantly transform the United Nations and the international aid ecosystem; consider the impacts of the funding freezes on communities worldwide who depend on foreign aid as well as broader ripple effects; and suggest points to watch in the months ahead.

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This event is private to the George Washington University community (students, faculty, staff, and alumni), closed to the media, and off the record. Panel information will be updated as new speakers are confirmed. Check this site regularly!

Event Details

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Roundtable 1: The Foreign Aid Funding Landscape and the United States’ Role

9:00AM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505/Hybrid

Speakers

Maryam Z. Deloffre, Associate Professor of International Affairs, George Washington University

Sean Roberts, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, George Washington University

Marvin Parvez, Regional Director, Community World Service Asia

Leslie Archambeault, Managing Director, Humanitarian Policy, Save the Children

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Roundtable 2: Food Assistance

10:00AM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505/Hybrid

Speakers

Eric Mitchell, President, Alliance to End Hunger 

Erin Kolodjeski, Democratic Appropriations Committee and State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee

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Roundtable 3: Programming for women and girls, GBV, protection

11:00AM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505/Hybrid

Speakers

Shirley Graham, Director, GEIA

Maureen Murphy, Research Scientist, Global Women’s Institute

Mary Ellsberg, Executive Director, Global Women’s Institute

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Roundtable 4: The Future of Refugees and Education

12:00PM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505/Hybrid

Bernhard Streitwieser, Associate Professor, International Education and International Affairs, George Washington University

Laura Wagner, Director of Refugee Access, President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration 

MaryAnn Chiu, Co-Lab Leader, Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory (REAL)

Mia Cleary, Co-Lab Leader, Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory (REAL)

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Roundtable 5: What is misinformation about foreign assistance and how to combat it?

1:00PM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505/Hybrid

Speakers

Babak Bahador, Director, Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication

Theo Dolan, SNF Agora Visiting Fellow, Johns Hopkins University and USAID

Silvio Waisbord, Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University

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Roundtable 6: Democracy, Rights, and Governance Development

2:00PM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505/Hybrid

Speakers

Sean Roberts, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, George Washington University

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Roundtable 7: Global health

3:00PM, Elliott School of International Affairs Room 505,Hybrid

Speakers

Steven Hansch, Milken Institute School of Public Health

Timothy Holtz, Redstone Chair, and Director of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness

Craig Redmond, Chief Executive Officer, Relief International

James Cobey, Founder, Global movement to ban landmines; Founder Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care (G4 Alliance); Professor of Orthopedics, Georgetown University Medical School 

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This event is sponsored and organized by the Humanitarian Action Initiative, GEIA, Global Food Institute, Global Women’s Institute (GWI), International Development Studies program, Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication, Media and Peacebuilding Project, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Refugee Educational Advancement Laboratory (REAL), Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness of the George Washington University.