The End of US Global Leadership? Foreign Assistance, US National Security, and the Case for Human Rights
With Dr. Bama Athreya, Former Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships and Innovation, moderated by Professor Amy Harris, Lecturer at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
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Dr. Bama Athreya, Amy HarrisDate & time
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About the Event:
This event will offer a timely and thought-provoking discussion on the implications of the suspension of U.S. foreign assistance, with a particular focus on the nation’s role in supporting international human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. In light of recent decisions to terminate grants deemed not to serve core national interests, we will explore why the U.S. has supported human rights and democracy efforts as a fundamental aspect of its foreign policy since the Carter Administration. What has changed in the U.S. perspective since then? We will also examine the Biden Administration's stance on expanding support in this area and ask: Is there a compelling case to be made that international protections for rights and the rule of law ultimately benefit the U.S.? Join us for a deep dive into these pressing questions shaping the future of U.S. foreign policy.
From the Speaker’s Bio:
Dr. Bama Athreya, Ph.D, most recently served as Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships and Innovation, where she managed global portfolios related to gender equality, child protection, youth in development, and ensuring the rights and inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented populations. She has been a senior leader in the public and nonprofit sectors. She has led interagency and multilateral engagement and represented the US government in delegations to the UN General Assembly, Commission on the Status of Women, G20 and COP28. She previously held an Economic Inequality Fellowship with Open Society Foundations focused on the digital economy and served as a senior advisor for gender, equity and inclusion to Laudes Foundation. Past positions include a previous stint at USAID’s Center for Democracy, Rights and Governance, where she worked on new policy guidance and developed global programming to advance labor rights and women’s economic empowerment. She also spent several years leading human rights advocacy as the Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum. She has a longstanding affiliation with the University of Michigan. She has previously served on the Board of Advisors for the Erb Institute, taught short courses as a visitor at Ford School, and completed her. Ph.D. in cultural anthropology at the Rackham Graduate School.
Amy Harris is a lecturer at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Her research interests are in foreign aid, international development, public participation and public contracting. She examines the relationship between foreign aid contracting and on-the-ground international development work. Her current research in this area looks at how government contracts influence participatory development approaches that seek to engage project beneficiaries in decision-making about aid activities. She uses qualitative and mixed methods approaches in her research, including fieldwork in developing countries. Prior to starting her PhD, Amy worked as a project manager in foreign aid implementation with Chemonics International, managing both U.S. Agency for International Development and World Bank projects. Amy received her PhD from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance in 2020, where she also received an MS. She has an MA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a BA from Middlebury College. She received an award for excellence in teaching from the Evans School in 2017, after which she was an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University’s Institute for Public Service.
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