Washington, D.C. — President-elect Obama’s foreign policy will be shaped by a team of leaders who understand the strategic importance of development as a full partner to diplomacy and American military strength, the global advocacy group, ONE, said Monday.  As this new team was announced in the presidential transition, ONE applauded their selection and pledged to offer support to realize President-elect Obama’s vision for fighting global poverty and disease.

The individuals nominated today — Senator Hillary Clinton, Secretary Robert Gates, General James Jones, and Dr. Susan Rice — have indicated that addressing extreme poverty abroad is a necessary component of smart national security policy.  By providing for basic needs such as food, health care to counter preventable diseases, and education, America can fill the vacuum that may otherwise be occupied by proponents of extreme ideologies.  Such preventive policy not only saves lives and spreads goodwill around the world, but secures Americans at home.

David Lane, President and CEO of ONE, made the following statement:

“A new American foreign policy in line with our long-held values that stresses development can reap enormous dividends for the United States.  At a time of increasing global economic marginalization, America’s greatest security challenges are no longer just state-based, but are also bred in the despair of poverty and human insecurity.  Creating opportunities for trade and helping to provide a modicum of basic human dignity — basic health care, primary education, and clean water — is not only what America does best, it’s also what’s best for our country.  This national security team understands the need for America to craft a comprehensive and sustainable foreign policy that confronts the long-term security challenge that global poverty presents.”

During the campaign, President-elect Obama committed to doubling foreign assistance and to prioritize the provision of basic medicine, food and education in areas where people are living on less than $1 per day. Through the selection of these individuals, President-elect Obama has put in place the leaders who can help to make these goals a reality. President-elect Obama’s commitments on HIV/AIDS, hunger, and child and maternal health, basic sanitation, and primary education can be viewed at http://www.ONE.org.

Background on the nominees

Senator Hillary Clinton supported the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a proven initiative that has provided millions of people with lifesaving drugs as well as care and treatment for millions more people. Senator Clinton is also a champion for universal primary education and strong advocate for debt cancellation.

Throughout the 2008 campaign, Senator Clinton repeatedly called for diplomacy of goodwill.  In a speech at George Washington University on February 25, 2008, she said, “We need a president who understands there is a time for force, a time for diplomacy, and a time for both, who understands that we enhance our international reputation and strengthen our security if the world sees the human face of American democracy in the good works, the good deeds we do for people seeking freedom from poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, and oppression.”

Secretary Robert Gates has led the way ensure that economic development and health care become a pillar of American foreign policy.  The Secretary pointed out the benefits of this strategy at a speech at the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign in July.

“Broadly speaking, when it comes to America’s engagement with the rest of the world, you probably don’t hear this often from a Secretary of Defense, it is important that the military is – and is clearly seen to be – in a supporting role to civilian agencies,” Secretary Gates said.  “What the Pentagon calls ‘kinetic’ operations should be subordinate to measures to promote participation in government, economic programs to spur development, and efforts to address the grievances that often lie at the heart of insurgencies and among the discontented from which the terrorists recruit.”

General James Jones is the former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and the Commander of the United States European Command.  He also served as the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps.  When commander of the European Command, Gen. Jones testified before the Senate and House Armed Services committees, “African security issues will increasingly continue to directly affect our homeland security.”  He continued, “For relatively small, but consistent investments, our theater efforts in Africa will have major impacts on … challenges we face.”

Dr. Susan Rice, the former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, is a long-time advocate for African countries.  As Assistant Secretary, Dr. Rice pressed to increase foreign aid to the region. She has also studied the effect of global poverty on national security in weak and failing states.  As a senior foreign policy for President-elect Obama’s campaign, she emphasized the connection between poverty and security at the “Building Better, Safer World” panel hosted by Impact ’08 during the Democratic conventions.

“Brokering and supporting peace in conflict zones around the world from the Middle East to Africa, to South Asia, and investing in global poverty reduction, and building the capacity of people in states to provide more effectively for their people, and for their societies, and to govern democratically and responsibly — all of these are part of an affirmative agenda that Senator Obama is powerfully committed to pursuing,” Rice said.

ONE is a global organization uniting millions of people to press government leaders to address extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world. For more information, visit www.ONE.org.

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