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Hello, everyone.
Believe me: I understand it’s hard to keep up with everything the Trump administration has already taken a hatchet to and torn down. On the world level, though, nothing quite matches up to the devastating impact of dismantling USAID and foreign assistance.
Still, there is a potential future in which a new administration wants to rebuild the foreign humanitarian aid model that has now been destroyed. Whoever sets out to do that formidable task, argues Laurence Claussen, should not merely try to replicate USAID; rather, they might want to take a look at PEPFAR, the widely successful effort to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip has escalated once again, putting Palestinians in the besieged enclave at even greater risk of harm or death. In a powerful and heart-wrenching piece, longtime Inkstick contributor Issam Adwan, who used to write under a pseudonym, spoke with Palestinian parents who have lost their children during the onslaught that began in October 2023.
That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube.
“Want to Rebuild US Foreign Aid? Look to PEPFAR” by Laurence Claussen (May 5)
In this new landscape, those who work in or care about international development must think deeply about what foreign aid is for — about the objectives and values that should direct its course. A simple return to the status quo won’t cut it.
“Sudan’s Diplomatic Imbroglio” Dan M. Ford (May 6)
The geographic importance of Sudan, which is nestled in the geopolitically tense Horn of Africa region and which has a 530-mile-long coastline running along the Red Sea, has attracted the interests and influence of both regional and global powers.
“In Memoriam: DEI at the State Department (1869–2025)” by Steven E. Hendrix (May 7)
The pursuit of a more representative US diplomatic corps spans over 150 years, tracing back to pioneers like Ebenezer D. Bassett, appointed in 1869 by President Ulysses S. Grant as the first African American diplomat.
“Gaza’s Grieving Parents” by Issam Adwan (May 8)
According to the United Nations, more than 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. Thousands more have been orphaned, their lives cleaved into “before” and “after” by bombs that make no distinction between militants and babies.
“Deep Dive: The Timber Threat to Malaysia’s Indigenous Iban” by Inkstick (May 9)
A new report paints a stark picture of the ongoing struggle between the Iban indigenous community and the timber industry in Sarawak. The findings document the severe impact of logging activities on the Iban community of Rumah Jeffery.
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