UNMC students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the 2023 Nebraska Ambassadors Forum, which will be held Monday, Oct. 23, from 8-10 a.m. in the Truhlsen Events Center. A continental breakfast will be available at 8 a.m. Ambassador talks will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Register online here.
Problems including refugee flows from famine and the attractiveness of criminal gangs demand sustainable development for a solution. In many cases, development and diplomacy are intertwined in the policy response. The challenge is large, as are the demands on leaders and policy. The 2023 forum will consider the problems of diplomacy and sustainable development from several perspectives.
The policy perspective: Sustainable development requires the right policies from donors and recipients. Development often is an essential part of accomplishing policy goals, from counter-terrorism to decreasing migrant flows. The Hon. Alonzo L. Fulgham, former acting administrator of USAID, will reflect on ways in which the policy perspective is central to the issue of development.
Public-private partnerships: Foreign assistance is no longer the exclusive preserve of government aid. Private investment is a huge driver of development. Non-governmental organizations influence policy, and private sector investment has an impact on development. Further, new approaches by the U.S. government leverage the private sector, as well as serve as contractors for government funding. Ambassador J. Peter Pham will offer insights into the complex intertwining of the public and private sectors.
Does aid succeed?: All too often, there is a perception that foreign aid is an endless black hole absorbing public money without result. In fact, there are success stories. They reflect the right mix of policy, assistance and leadership at the national level. Ambassador Dawn Liberi will look back at some of these episodes and their lessons.
Ambassador Ronald Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, will moderate the discussion.
The event is hosted by UNMC, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. For a complete schedule and more information about the ambassadors, visit the Nebraska Ambassadors Forum online.
If you have questions, email the UNMC Office of Global Engagement.