As the year draws to a close, we at the Center for Global Development pause from our regular newsletters to thank you for your interest in our work and mission. We will be back in January with the weekly development updates and invitations to the lively, informative events that you have come to expect from us. Todd Moss, who has been serving as acting president during Nancy’s Birdsall’s fall sabbatical, would like to share some of CGD’s milestones in 2012 and a simple request.
December 18, 2012
Shifting dynamics in global power and wealth provided unique opportunities for the Center for Global Development in 2012. As fiscal austerity placed aid budgets under pressure, we responded to the rising demand for new and innovative ways to fight poverty. From our work on health, trade, aid, debt, private investment, or migration the Center’s focus remained, both publicly and behind the scenes, to make the world a more prosperous and safe place for us all.
My four-month stint as acting president during Nancy’s fall sabbatical at Williams College gave me a newfound appreciation for CGD’s ability to leverage high-quality research into actionable ideas for development. We are all pleased to be welcoming her back this month.
As we mature as an organization and expand our global reach in 2013 and beyond, we want to keep our culture of being a small and nimble "think and do" tank that Nancy and our founders believe is critical to our success. Maintaining this will keep us at the forefront of practical policy change that shapes financing for development, promotes the wellbeing of women, tweaks immigration policies, and enhances the value of every aid dollar.
I invite you to invest in our dedication to global prosperity by joining the CGD Society with a gift of $150 or more. As unrestricted support from Society members is not tied to specific programs, this gives us the critical independence and flexibility we need to respond to timely policy opportunities in places like Syria, Haiti, Europe, and Washington, DC. It allows our research and communications staff to pursue cutting-edge, evidence-based ideas that may still be at the periphery of donors and policymakers, but has the potential to truly make a difference.
Allow me to share how unrestricted support from our Society members has bolstered the Center’s research and analysis in the past year:
- In the run up to the 2012 US elections, CGD experts were frequently contacted by both campaigns. Our analyses of the administration’s record in Africa and foreign aid platforms, as well as our suite of short video clips suggesting five quick steps President Obama can now take, are already influencing the emerging development agenda.
- CGD shaped the global debate on the role and governance of international financial institutions during the selection of the heads of the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development by hosting public and online events with the candidates.
- We convened major public events, including with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, and White House National Security Advisor Michael Froman.
- A CGD working group, which I co-chaired with Jean-Michel Severino, is influencing the future of IDA as shareholders prepare for the next round of replenishment negotiations. Shareholders have welcomed CGD’s “positive disruption” while our ideas, through both quiet private consultation and the working group report, are already gaining traction.
- Responding to the tight fiscal climate, our Global Health Policy team has focused on enhancing efficiency through our working groups on Priority-Setting in Health and Value for Money. Our new Global Fund Forum will provide recommendations to Ambassador Mark Dybul and his team as they assume the helm of that critical organization.
- Though it’s been less than a year since we established CGD in Europe, it’s already paying dividends by strengthening our links to the European policy community. In addition to spearheading research on Europe Beyond Aid and social impact bonds for development, Owen Barder’s presence in the region has helped lead our engagement with key European policymakers.
By joining the CGD Society in 2013 with a check, wire transfer, or secure credit card transaction online, you can help us provoke, inform, and inspire policymakers to adopt practices that better the lives of the world's poor. Society members also gain preferred access to CGD’s events, conferences, and meetings throughout the year.
We will kick off 2013 by presenting our Commitment to Development “Ideas in Action” Award to Senator Richard Lugar, who during six terms in the senate overcame partisan divides to enact smart US policies that support widely shared global prosperity. You will be subscribed to our weekly newsletters, where you can connect with our experts and audiences through the work we share on our blogs.
Society members also receive complimentary copies of books and publications. You can be one of the first to receive our newest book, Greenprint: A New Approach to Cooperation on Climate Change, by senior fellow Arvind Subramanian who also leads our new Understanding India Initiative. In Greenprint, Subramanian proposes a new approach to climate change cooperation that enlists the help of industrial countries and the developing world alike. I know you will learn from and enjoy this thoughtful, balanced, and timely book.
Your unrestricted support is crucial to the many things to come for the Center in 2013. I hope you will choose to join me and this growing global network by becoming a 2013 CGD Society member today and taking advantage of the Hewlett Foundation's commitment to match your gift dollar for dollar.
Season’s best,
Todd Moss
Acting President
Center for Global Development
PS. Please consider sharing your commitment and interest in our work by liking CGD on Facebook and following us on Twitter.
