Basic Lines of Operation: Governance, Development and Security
21st-century global environment demands that good governance and development must be incorporated in security strategies. How and when can the security sector shift from mere affording physical protection to the long-term benefits of human security and development needs? In this VantagePoints piece, James Creighton, a former commander of Combined Team Uruzgan and Chief of Plans for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan shares how the interconnected challenges of governance, development, and security require significant integration within and ...
The Future of Development is Agile
Innovation is very key. The rate of change is so fast, and innovation is very key. Now, with innovation comes a level of disruption. It’s almost creating some level of chaos. As practitioners of projects and project management, we’ve got to understand that things are going to be chaotic, and we need to adapt our structure to be able to deal with the chaos.
PARTNERSHIP, TRUST, RISK: DANIEL BADER ON THE PRACTICE OF PHILANTHROPY
"It's all about partnership at different levels. We take our concept of partnerships very seriously. We're not just merely an organization that gives money to nonprofit organizations. We work in partnership with nonprofit organizations—and it starts from the very beginning, from the very first conversation."
THE ART OF EFFECTIVE HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS
In the future, I think there’s going to be much more emphasis on local procurement than on the old model of shipping of containers from other countries. I don’t see the old model completely disappearing—there is a legitimate place for excess usable goods, especially new, to be utilized in the humanitarian sector rather than ending up in landfills—but it’s going to be much more thoughtfully and philosophically done going forward.
Justice is Key to Social Stability and Lasting Peace in Iraq
"There is an immediate need to bring to justice all those who have committed crimes and violated the rights of Iraqi civilians, not only members of terrorist organizations but all who have, in personal or official capacity, committed vicious crimes. A credible justice system should give no consideration to political affiliations, social status, or religious and ethnic identities."
Economic Empowerment is a Civil Right
"Operation HOPE is the first nonprofit banker in the United States. Our programs serve as a model for economic empowerment that have been acknowledged by President Bill Clinton, Oprah, the United States government, and other leaders and partners around the world. "
Bridging the Gaps Between Intentions and Outcomes
"Structures are the organizing components of how you’ll work together. Without a structure, you have people doing things, but cohesion is missing. This makes it hard to prototype and move forward from failure or to the next success. Without a structure, the odds are high that you’ll be unable to do what you said you would do."
Institutional Memory at the United Nations
"One of my goals was to maintain an institutional memory for the UN because everything that’s going on in the world comes through the Secretary-General’s office. You might assume that much of this material has already been digitally captured through email or other sources, but it hasn’t."
Religion is the Neglected Part of Civil Society
"With billions of followers, record charitable donations, and unrivaled societal influence, religious society must make its way into the foreign policy community’s definition of civil society. By elevating the stature of religious engagement on the international level, the U.S. and the West will begin to see significant breakthroughs in traditionally anti-Western parts of the world and create opportunities that benefit national security, diplomacy, trade, and cooperation."
Engaging Community Responses to Crisis Situations
"What worries me most is that, as time passes on, we're all spending more time concentrating on our differences than our similarities. At the end of the day, there's a lot more similarities."
