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Advocacy Blog
Friday, August 31, 2007
Partner Vetting System Now Modified; Opposition Remains
After news that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was holding off implementation of the Partner Vetting System (PVS) until the agency reviews comments, more news reveals that the program will be altered to only target aid recipients in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. USAID officials met with some of the nonprofit organizations who submitted comments. At the meeting the changes to the proposed program were announced, and that it is operational but has not been implemented. USAID presented the nonprofit representatives with a power point presentation explaining the program. According to the Washington Post the materials defending the program included a reference to a report by the Palestinian Media Watch, an Israel-based organization. The report said that Al-Quds Open University (a USAID recipient) "hosts branches of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations."
The organization said the university had received in $100,000 in 2006 in "in-kind" aid from USAID, and it also complained that USAID planned to provide $2.4 million in scholarships for about 2,000 Palestinian students without a guarantee that recipients are not "members of the Hamas or Islamic Jihad student unions, have participated in their events, or have given any support to Hamas or Islamic Jihad, including voting for them in the council elections."
The fact that the U.S. government is responding to the appeals of an organization which is concerned about the political beliefs of students who receive scholarship funds from U.S. funds and may or may not have voted for Hamas is disturbing. This politicizes aid and violates the principle of a secret ballot.
In addition, if the program is about stopping money from going to terrorists, or those associated with terrorist, shouldn't such a vetting program be applied to contractors as well?
Posted by Amanda Adams
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