Former United Nations official to present case for U.S. increasing aid

October 4, 2002
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ANN ARBOR—The United States should not wait until another international crisis to offer more aid to other countries, according to the former United Nations World Food Program (WFP) executive director who is teaching for a semester at the University of Michigan. "The USA proved in Afghanistan that significant amounts of donated resources can make a huge difference to the entire population," said Catherine A. Bertini, who is in the Policymaker in Residence program. "This level of generosity could pull many more nations from the brink of malnutrition and poverty and on the road to recovery."

Catherine A. Bertini

Bertini—who led the largest humanitarian agency in the world from 1992 to 2002—will discuss "Why Wait for Another Afghanistan? The Case for Increasing U.S. Aid" at 4 p.m. Oct. 16 during the inaugural lecture of the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence program. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Schorling Auditorium, U-M School of Education, 610 East University Ave. The lecture is presented by the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Bertini is teaching a class about her experiences this semester at the Ford School. At WFP, Bertini managed emergency, refugee and development food aid operations designed to reach people in great need. She recently worked in Afghanistan, Kosovo, North Korea and the Horn of Africa, which is considered Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. The Towsleys, both deceased, were long-time Ann Arbor residents and U-M graduates. Dr. Towsley was a professor emeritus of pediatrics and communicable diseases at U-M. The Towsley Foundation in Midland, Mich. has a long history of support at U-M. In September 2000, the foundation gave $2 million to endow the Policymaker in Residence program to bring high-level policy makers to the Ford School. The person chosen for this position teaches a seminar and presents public lectures on a topic in his or her field of specialization. For additional information, browse www.fordschool.umich.edu or call (734) 764-8593.

 

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