Inspiring Words for Aspiring Young Development Workers

On May 19, USAID Administrator Gayle Smith delivered the commencement address to graduates of the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.  While still in her first year leading USAID, she has fundamentally shaped the pattern of US foreign assistance over the past eight years, and led the effort that generated the US Government’s first-ever Presidential Policy Directive on Development.

From where I sat on the dais, Ms. Smith achieved that rare feat of a truly inspirational graduation speech, drawing on her experiences as a journalist, human rights activist, and senior government official.  While aimed at recent graduates, her words are relevant for seasoned development practitioners, as well.

Ms. Smith’s call to public service closed with a moving tribute to Xulhaz Mannan, the USAID employee and LGBT activist brutally slain in his home last month by radical terrorists connected with Islamic State.

In taking the time to tell Mannan’s story, Ms. Smith reminded us that those working on development and social change often do so at considerable personal risk. Ms. Smith noted how even after his death, Mr. Mannan remains a source of inspiration to many in Bangladesh and around the world to strive for a development process that enhances personal liberty and human rights.

Georgetown University has posted a video of the graduation ceremony. You can skip to the 23:30 mark to hear me read a 5-minute citation of Ms. Smith’s career, and then again to the 29:45 to hear Ms. Smith’s 12-minute commencement address.

Dr. Franck Wiebe is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Director of the Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) Program at the McCourt School of Public Policy. Prior to joining the Georgetown faculty, Wiebe was Chief Economist at the Millennium Challenge Corporation from 2006-2012.