The Changing Face Of U.S Ngos In State Public Diplomacy

The significance of global assistance and foreign aid has a larger scope of howpeople and more importantly states assist each other, and the benefits they receive as aresult of providing assistance to foreign states. The subject of humanitarian relief aidby the United States is one that receives much attention. The U.S is undoubtedlyrecognized as the most powerful nation in the world, and with that power comes thedefinitive sense of responsibility for other states. Since the end of the Cold War, theUnited States foreign aid has been increasingly distributed through major non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It is a key diplomatic strategy tool of the U.Sforeign policy.The purpose of this research study is to determine the increasing impact of U.SNGOs in providing humanitarian foreign aid through private funding to undevelopedstates in comparison to the U.S Government Foreign Aid Program, USAID. Results ofthis study support the argument that U.S NGOs are developing an increasing role inthe U.S Public Diplomacy strategy with undeveloped states. The Haiti2010earthquake case provide the platform to test the study and determine the individualefforts of top U.S NGOs response to the humanitarian relief aid following theearthquake, with a six year timeline for comparative analysis.Chapter one, the introduction of the thesis outline the motivation and researchobjectives of the study and the intended working plan to successfully execute thestudy and present a comprehensive report on the findings of the research. Theintroduction create the foundation for the research by explaining the importance of thestudy and its contribution to future supporting debates surrounding the role of U.SNGOs in the nation’s overall public diplomacy strategy through foreign humanitarianaid assistance, with particular focus on the Haiti2010earthquake.Chapter two provides a comprehensive literature review report on existingliterature in the field of NGO studies and foreign aid, the general relationship betweenstates and NGOs in foreign policies, overview of U.S foreign assistance program, withspecific attention to USAID and the dynamics of its structural operations with respectto strategic foreign relations. Foreign Aid is dissected into categories to make acomparable study specifically on humanitarian foreign aid between USAID and U.SNGOs. Scholarly articles were analyzed with critical thinking to support the argumentthat U.S NGOs contribute more to foreign humanitarian aid through private funding than the state funded USAID program, and is therefore a strategic part of the U.Spublic diplomacy campaign with specific states. Chapter II also focus on trying todevelop a theoretical understanding of conceptual theories and ideologies that supportthe understanding of NGO vs. State foreign assistance to other states. Supportingtheories dissect the concepts of foreign humanitarian aid, economic development,public diplomacy and soft power to support the research hypothesis. The theories ofsoft power by Joseph Nye and theory of obligation by Immanuel Kant are featured assupporting ideologies that shape the practical existence of both entities and their rolein foreign humanitarian assistance for economic development of the global society.Chapter three introduce the case study of the Haiti2010earthquake and take acloser look at both entities through comparative analysis in their response to theearthquake. Relevant background information were outlined with key focus on thecategories of disaster relief humanitarian aid provided by each entity separately andjointly in response to the earthquake. A descriptive economic review on the impact offunds allocated by each entity to the country pre and post-earthquake recoveryhighlights the legitimacy of U.S foreign aid in Haiti, and its overall strategy of softpower through humanitarian aid in Haiti. Additionally, the U.S public diplomacystrategy for Haiti is outlined, with key interest on the bilateral agreement betweenboth countries from2009to2014and the overall motivation of the U.S and itsintended objective of strengthening its presence and relations with the state of Haiti.In Chapter four the working hypothesis was examined and analyzed throughbasic methodology techniques and statistical analysis. The study focuses on two majorworking hypotheses, using the2010earthquake in Haiti case with comparative dataanalysis of pre-earthquake in2009to post-earthquake to2014. This six year timelineprovide a snapshot study of U.S NGOs and USAID foreign aid contributions to Haiti,with an overall view to assess the increasing role of U.S NGO in U.S foreign relationdevelopment and public diplomacy strategy with foreign states.The intended working hypothesis of this study tested the following arguments:Working Hypothesis1: U.S NGOs provided more humanitarian disaster reliefaid through private funding than USAID to the Haiti2010earthquake.Working Hypothesis2: U.S NGOs play a significant role in the State’s publicdiplomacy strategy with Haiti post the2010earthquake.Chapter four also capture the design of the research with focus on clearlydefining the proposed hypothesis of the study and its relevance to the geopolitical view of the U.S and Haiti. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of empirical data onboth U.S NGOs and USAID response to the Haiti earthquake were assessed tosupport the argument that NGOs contributed more to humanitarian disaster relief aidthrough private funding than USAID in Haiti pre/post the2010earthquake. Keyvariables that contribute to the support of the hypothesis were underlined as majorfactors for influence in the strategic scope of any successful public diplomacy plan.Chapter five of the thesis provides the conclusion notes of the study. This chaptersummarizes the general findings and contribution of the study, with a thumb nailanalysis of limitations, possible errors and challenges encountered during the researchprocess. It also discusses elements for revision of the study with future expansion ofthe study and recommendations for developments of future studies surrounding thesubject content.