Richard Read
OregonianJune 6, 2003
Two major American aid organizations are refusing U.S. government money aimed at building democracy in Iraq because federal officials want to limit their freedom to speak openly about their programs.
Mercy Corps and Save the Children are objecting to conditions imposed by agreements for $7 million each with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Negotiations between the organizations and the federal agency continue. A copy of the disputed clause obtained by The Oregonian says that U.S. AID must approve and coordinate all contact with the news media, in Washington, D.C., or overseas, including interviews. While at least two humanitarian organizations have signed the agreements, Mercy Corps and Save the Children staff members say they don't want to sacrifice their independence.
"I actually worked for 24 years for AID, and I don't recall ever seeing anything like that," said Ann Van Dusen, executive vice president of Save the Children, a large aid organization based in Westport, Conn. "It's an unfortunate move, and I'm hoping that AID will rethink it."
The controversy comes as AID publicly promotes citizen participation in Iraq and the creation of open, pluralistic news media there. It exposes an unusual split between the U.S. government's main aid agency and the humanitarian organizations that depend on its funding. Others step back. The disagreement occurs after leaders of three other major U.S. humanitarian organizations decided not to apply for the AID grants, describing the Iraq reconstruction effort as chaotic. Managers of the International Rescue Committee, Care and World Vision objected to working under the military, to promoting democracy in a place that first requires basic services and to aiding Iraq when other countries need help more.
Top executives of Mercy Corps, the Portland-based humanitarian organization, are in Amman, Jordan, continuing negotiations with AID, which planned the meeting to divide assignments among five grant recipients. The Iraq Community Action Program grants are designed to involve Iraqi citizens of diverse backgrounds in grass-roots community-development projects.
Ellen Yount, AID press office director, defends the agency's restrictions on media contact as routine. She said officials merely intended to coordinate with grant recipients for a consistent message to the American public. She said she wanted to know in advance about news stories on AID projects. "I didn't realize it caused this much heartburn," Yount said.
An AID press officer deferred requests for a copy of the proposed agreement with Mercy Corps for five days. He said Thursday that officials decided to require reporters to request it under the Freedom of Information Act. The Oregonian obtained the clause concerning the media from a source outside AID and Mercy Corps. Revised language on Thursday, Yount released new contract language she said was under discussion with Mercy Corps. It said: "Contact with the news media, in the U.S. or overseas, shall be notified to and coordinated with" AID press officers.
A Mercy Corps spokeswoman said the proposed agreement includes multiple sticking points, but declined to comment on them. A spokesperson for Cooperative Housing Foundation International, one of the organizations that signed the agreement, declined any comment. "According to our contract," the Housing Foundation spokesperson said, "all press calls must go through U.S. AID."
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