The founding of USAID marks a pivotal moment in international aid, driven by the visionary economist Barbara Ward. Discover how her insights shaped U.S. foreign assistance during the Cold War, particularly through projects like the Volta River Dam in Ghana. Archival recordings reveal the conversations with President Kennedy, illuminating strategies to combat totalitarianism. This intriguing narrative connects pivotal historical events and influential figures, showcasing the evolution of global aid in the context of geopolitical tensions.
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insights INSIGHT
Aid As Strategic Soft Power
JFK framed foreign aid as essential to US security during the Cold War and as a tool to prevent nations turning to totalitarian blocs.
He positioned aid as a cheaper, non-military means to maintain global freedom and influence.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Rose Garden Speech To New Mission Workers
JFK addressed new overseas mission workers in the White House Rose Garden shortly after USAID's founding.
He reminded them there would be no parades but emphasised the program's vital security role.
question_answer ANECDOTE
First Meeting With Young JFK
Barbara Ward met JFK during the 1945 UK election when he visited a campaign meeting she was speaking at.
That first meeting launched a long advisory relationship spanning decades and global visits.
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On 3 November 1961, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was founded, bringing all existing aid work under one single agency.
A key proponent of it was Barbara Ward, a pioneering British economist and journalist who had the ear of presidents and prime ministers across the world.
Later known as Baroness Jackson, she spoke to the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Oral History Program in 1964 about how the newly independent West African nation of Ghana was one of the first countries to benefit with funds to construct the Volta River Project.
Surya Elango listens back to those archive interviews.
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