ACDI/VOCA in the Post-September 11, 2001, Environment

ACDI/VOCA activities are more important than ever to those we serve. Further, new business opportunities in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy and U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq reaffirm ACDI/VOCA's value in creating a better, safer world.

ACDI/VOCA's Role in Central Asia

Suddenly the world is acutely aware of the problems faced by the people of Afghanistan and its neighboring countries, and a new emphasis on regional stability has emerged. ACDI/VOCA, active in the region since 1992, understands the inherent challenges in nations where a lack of private enterprise stunts income and employment growth, there is little participation in governance and social services are insufficient.

ACDI/VOCA is committed to Central Asia, its people and the stability of the region. ACDI/VOCA has been active in all five Central Asian republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Projects emphasize increased economic opportunities through private enterprise development.

In Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ACDI/VOCA manages microcredit programs. Both have been tremendously successful, operating at a profit with low risk rates and tapping a growing market of small and medium-sized businesses that desperately need access to capital.

ACDI/VOCA also conducts microfinance activities in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, particularly the Ferghana Valley Region, home to a quarter of the population in Central Asia and the region's major agricultural production center. Through its Farmer-to-Farmer and small and medium-sized enterprise development programs in the region ACDI/VOCA has also emphasized improved businesses practices, particularly management, marketing and accounting. Other programs have focused on the creation of a grain warehouse receipts program in Kazakhstan and the facilitation of trade opportunities throughout Central Asia.

In Iraq, ACDI/VOCA is responsible for a community action program to promote citizen involvement in grass-roots mobilization and cooperation, infrastructure development, job and income generation and environmental protection. These activities mirror other successful ACDI/VOCA projects in Serbia and Central Asia. Iraq obviously provides a difficult but high-stakes environment, but ACDI/VOCA is eager to do its part to give this nation a fresh start.

Safety: Job 1

The safety of our volunteers, consultants and staff is paramount and, for that reason, ACDI/VOCA continues to closely monitor the conditions in the above countries and others that are potential hotspots. Our staff overseas is evermore alert to political situations that affect our activities and the welfare of our personnel. Because we are so well integrated into the societies we serve, we are especially sensitive to, and to some extent even insulated from, untoward developments.

We take note of official travel advisories of the U.S. government and, in addition, rely on private security firms and other resources in order to monitor conditions, anticipate problems and plan accordingly. We frankly discuss security concerns with our staff and travelers and provide as much background information as possible so that prudent decisions can be made.

ACDI/VOCA has well-founded contingency plans. Our emergency hotline, recent communication upgrades, iJet service, assignment of specific emergency responsibilities and detailed instructions to all our projects are examples of our preparedness.

Now More than Ever

We need to continue being engaged with our clients overseas and if possible spread the ACDI/VOCA grassroots approach. U.S security demands that we look upon global problems as our problems. Over the long term what ACDI/VOCA does addresses the root causes of disaffection, strife and terror, and for that reason we are more committed than ever to being effective agents of prosperity and civil society.

The needs of Central Asia and Iraq are enormous. However, poverty exists in many nations. Ignoring the needs of many for the problem du jour nations will only create more hotspots down the road.

While opportunities for new ACDI/VOCA business may derive from an American recommitment to its world neighbors, we must be careful about positing foreign assistance as a response to terrorism. It is an oversimplification that poverty and terrorism go hand in hand. Of the world's 6 billion people, 2.8 billion live on less than $2 per day. Does this mean that half of the world people are prone to terrorism? Those who hijacked planes on Sept. 11 were middle-class. Could any amount of U.S. aid have mattered to them? What is not at issue is that people in many parts of the world need our help, and some wars can be won without fighting.

Market research shows that most Americans view the world as a scary place. Promoting the specious message that poverty leads to terror only reinforces that view. We want to mobilize support for our work without alarming our citizenry and stimulating their desires for immediate security. Otherwise foreign assistance may suffer as people clamor for immediate defense over long term security. Americans support ACDI/VOCA's work because it is the right thing to do, it is cost-effective and ultimately it does make the world a better place. We should continue to encourage such thinking.

No Magic Bullet

ACDI/VOCA believes that we must not be too facile in arguing that we can take on terrorism, nor too sanguine in our promises of results. We can concentrate on building lasting alternatives to the environments that foster terrorism—not quick-fixes, but long-term society-building—and give Americans something meaningful to think about, and do, that gets us all out of the threat-response mindset.

We have seen the world community come together since September 11 in an appreciation that it takes teamwork to build a better, safer community. Americans now know, if they ever doubted before, that the rest of the world matters. There are many positive ways in which we are all connected, and many good things have been accomplished. It remains to be seen or if we are sufficiently resolved to build upon this record or if we just want to settle the score in a fight against terrrorism.

Since September 11, 2001, the work of ACDI/VOCA has been reaffirmed. Our mission will enjoy more support and become more effective if we continue to provide hope and expand the world community through economic development projects that provide food security, generate income, create jobs and empower people. And, though we lack a magic bullet, over the long term, with a lot of global cooperation, we can address conditions that breed terrorism.