Dear Friends,

Two years ago, while attending a private dinner hosted by Dan Doctoroff, New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, to drum up support for the City's bid for the 2012 Olympic games, I found myself seated between Doctoroff and AAI Trustee, Richard Holbrooke. The seating arrangement was not by accident: mindful that the African members of the Olympic Committee would cast pivotal votes, New York 's bidding team was reaching out to members of the African Diaspora community to gather insights on how to make the best impression. For me the occasion presented an opportunity to cultivate additional support for AAI's mission; and so I was pleased when the conversation amongst the three of us turned to events on the ground in Africa.

Acknowledging that he had no first-hand knowledge, but shared the widespread impression of an impoverished, embattled and diseased continent, Doctoroff turned to me and posed a question that was also a challenge: “What,” he asked, “is the single most important thing the United States should do for Africa?” As Doctoroff and Holbrooke—two masters of the art of making a pitch—awaited my response, I thought for just a moment before answering: “Do no harm.”

This was my opening to summarize the history of disruptive and harmful—even when well-intentioned—Western-led interventions to “develop” Africa; and to make the case for advanced education and training as the most worthwhile investment. Doctoroff seemed to be listening intently, but as I finished my spiel, one of his aides signaled to him that it was time to begin the agenda at hand. I never determined whether he found what I said to be at all convincing.

Just recently I was reminded of this conversation when I picked up the September/October issue of Foreign Affairs and noted the lead essay entitled,“Do No Harm”, authored by the award-winning journalist Laurie Garrett. In the essay, Garret asserts the ominous possibility that although:

“[m]ore money is being spent on global health than ever before… because the efforts are narrow, uncoordinated, and heedless of the 'brain drain' on local health systems, the current age of generosity might actually make things worse instead of better.”

Garrett cites examples that confirm what many people, especially in Africa, had long feared and tried to warn against. Because the focus of the essay is on “the global health challenge,” the admonitory title is especially evocative. But the overall thrust of the argument—that well-wishers outside the Continent can avoid inflicting damage, and have a great chance of doing good by making long-term investments in the African know-how needed to build and sustain infrastructure, systems and markets—applies to virtually every sector. This approach has governed AAI's work for more than 50 years.

With each passing year, my conviction that “doing no harm” should be the litmus test for every development strategy aimed at Africa grows stronger. Moreover, we have evidence that AAI passes this test with flying colors.

The beauty of our work is that even when we fall short of our high standards, we are assured that we have not, as has so often been the case for Africa, made matters worse; and when, as is most often the case, we do succeed, the results are transformative.

Professor Phumla Mtala, recipient of the 2006 AAI Distinguished Alumna Award, captured this in her acceptance speech when she said:

"Education is now widely acknowledged as the…resource needed…to expand our knowledge base and to discover the new, to exercise our intellectual capacity, to extract meaning [from] our world, expand our social and intellectual horizon, to gain insight, skills and knowledge which in turn can add value to our natural surroundings."

"The educational opportunity provided to me by AAI empowered me with most if not all of these beneficial factors. But most importantly, education coupled with international experience liberated me from the inferiority complex baggage which I carried for years as a South African black woman."

Along with these kinds of testimonials from AAI alumni (of which there are many; see, for example, the AAI 2004-2005 Biennial Report) we can point to at least three other major factors that substantiate our value proposition and distinguish our program results in a positive way:

First, analysis of data from around the world shows a correlation between those countries that have strong education systems and those having strong human development indices. With education, people are better prepared to prevent disease and maintain good health; individual wages and national economic growth rates increase; and democracy and political stability are more likely to take root and be sustained.

Moreover, the vitality of higher education in particular correlates with technological advancement, political stability, global competitiveness and economic prosperity. This is true for countries, such as China and India as well as the industrialized West where the United States is perhaps the most prominent example.

Second, there is not a single development challenge facing Africa—whether it involves illiteracy, lack of access to quality education, weak infrastructure, environmental degradation, conflict, HIV/AIDS, or underdeveloped private markets—that does not cry out for some form of capacity-building.

Third, AAI alumni are high performers in academics and in their respective professions. Approximately 90% of all AAI alumni return to their home countries to make major and meaningful contributions. AAI's track record in this regard is verified in a 2004 three-volume impact assessment report commissioned by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The report, entitled Generations of Quiet Progress, concludes that:

“USAID's multi-million dollar investment in long-term training [under the African Graduate Fellowship Program (AFGRAD) and Advanced Training for Leadership and Skills Program (ATLAS), which were managed and run by AAI] for over 40 years [1963-2003] produced significant and sustained changes that furthered African development in measurable ways.” (Bracketed text added.)

Using the concept of “do no harm” as my point of departure, in this letter I've endeavored to put forth the basic standard that should govern all U.S-Africa relations—whether public or private sector-driven—and to illustrate how AAI continually works to maintain that standard and measures itself against it.

With the revival of our online newsletter, AAIONLINE, I embrace this platform as providing an opportunity to flesh out some of the data, analysis, ideas and trends that inform the trajectory of our work at AAI. With this and future installments, I hope to also engage you and other readers in dialogue about issues as they relate not only to Africa and Africans but also to the United States and the rest of our world community. We invite and welcome your feedback.

Best regards,

Mora McLean
President & CEO
The Africa-America Institute