I am not suggesting that this nation does not need a strong and robust national defense. Not by any means. What I am saying is that we need to make sound investments in helping the poorer nations develop because it is in our best interests to do so. The education of girls and young women has been acclaimed as the most important investment countries can make to improve their economies and their societies. Research shows that the children of a mother who has even a single year of education, has a 9 percent better chance to live to the age of five.
Gains increase substantially with each additional year of schooling.
I highlight education because it is a very important area in which we work, but it is only one issue that must be tackled if we want to achieve lasting development in many countries. In Brazil, we have a program to deal with street children. In Angola, Liberia and elsewhere we are working to help demobilize what are known as child soldiers -youth as young as 13 or 14 years old who have fought on the frontlines of their nations' civil conflicts. In countries throughout the world, our microenterprise programs are helping families start small enterprises so their children won't have to be forced into child labor. Meeting the immense challenges we face in the developing world demands an improved and more vibrant partnership between government, developing countries and their peoples, the corporate community, U.S. and international nongovernmental organizations, universities and concerned citizens.