2023 Nebraska Ambassadors Forum

Problems from refugee flows through famine to the attractiveness of criminal gangs demand sustainable development for 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 Ambassadors 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 is often an essential part of accomplishing policy goals from counter-terrorism to decreasing migrant flows.  Former Acting Administrator of USAID Alonzo Fulgham 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 governmental aide.  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, ever gaping and bottomless, 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.