US spending on overseas aid is expected to bear the brunt of dramatic cuts as part of Trump’s plan to increase defence spending by $54bn in his upcoming budget. The US operates the largest and most expensive overseas aid programme in the world, with a proposed federal spend of $50.1bn for 2017 alone. More than $18bn of that is made up of economic and development assistance, commonly referred to as humanitarian aid. 

When Australia’s Foreign Minister announced a $15 million contribution to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Data for Health initiative in March 2015, the program became a key way for Australia to improve outcomes of its overseas health aid. [...] Data for Health is showing its worth, allowing the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other partners to work with governments in developing countries on evidence-based health policies.

To improve the standard of living in refugee camps, a high-level of engagement must be on the table. Stefani Mikov and Emir Üçer, two young Turkish engineers from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), have come up with long-term answers to improving the lives of these temporary guests, whose socioeconomic problems are turning out to be more permanent.

Acclaimed Children of the World International Children’s Choir will perform free concerts Sunday, February 26 at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m., at Coweta Assembly, 29707 E. State Hwy. 51 in Coweta. The concert is part of the choir’s “Rescue Tour,” a national tour to raise awareness about the challenges faced by millions of orphaned and disadvantaged children around the world.

Everyone – from elected officials and bureaucrats to voters and taxpayers – can learn from the world’s largest charitable foundation about effective development spending. And these lessons are particularly relevant at a time when 56 percent of Europeans believe their governments should focus solely on domestic issues and let recipient countries deal with problems as best they can. 

The executive director, Isis-Women's International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE), Helen Kezie-Nwoha has called on African governments to put mechanisms in place to be able to address the challenge of refugees at home. Her call follows concerns over a number of European countries that have started rejecting refugees.

Harnessing young people's enthusiasm for football and sports in general is a useful and interesting way to offer opportunities for personal and professional growth, said Rubem Cesar Fernandes, executive director of Viva Rio, a Brazilian NGO focusing on development through innovative projects. [...] Viva Rio has established the Black Pearls Academy, a high-performance football training centre for young athletes from refugee and underprivileged communities in Brazil and Haiti.

Climate change and population growth are creating increasing pressure on food and water — and to solve the need, innovative solutions will be required. The issue of water scarcity in the near future is an issue Australia’s aid program is attempting to solve today. [...] Scientists, engineers, academics, entrepreneurs and other creative minds are encouraged to compete as a team or individual.