Members of the business community, representatives of labor unions, government officials, staff of nongovernmental aid-implementing organizations, academics, and others presented differing perspectives on the challenges currently facing the United States and the use of foreign assistance to meet them. Despite the disparate views of many participants, several key themes emerged that found consistent approval and might be said to constitute the chief findings of NPA's Aid and Development Project to date. The United States must take a leadership role in the world. Participants agreed almost unanimously that U.S. global leadership acts both to further U.S. national interests and to project U.S. values to others. This leadership must be maintained.
Foreign assistance is an important instrument of U.S. leadership.
Foreign aid, like the U.S. defense establishment, the diplomatic corps, and exchange programs, is an important tool of U.S. influence in the world. Many NPA project participants view foreign aid as a better instrument than others because it addresses the root causes of conflict and prevents future military involvement. Foreign assistance can and should be used effectively to support U.S. political and strategic interests. From Europe under the Marshall Plan to the Alliance for Progress in Latin America to the Middle East peace process, foreign assistance has been used, in many cases with great success, to promote U.S. political and strategic interests. Today, foreign aid continues to be used to further such important U.S. interests as peace in the Middle East, a stable democratic and free market Russia, and the defeat of terrorism.