On May 21, 2003, President George W. Bush expanded his call to service and announced “Volunteers for Prosperity,” a new volunteer-based initiative designed to support major U.S. development initiatives overseas using the talents of highly skilled Americans who will work with U.S. organizations helping to promote health and generate prosperity in countries around the world. A Presidential initiative of the USA Freedom Corps, Volunteers for Prosperity provides opportunities for highly skilled American professionals in a variety of fields to volunteer for a flexible term in developing countries and emerging economies overseas.

President Bush launched the Volunteers for Prosperity initiative to help those individuals with skills in such areas as health care, information technology, financial services, trade and investment, education, and agricultural development, to answer the call to service and help meet global needs.

In September 2003, President Bush signed the Volunteers for Prosperity Executive Order directing appropriate federal agencies and departments to look for ways to expand, promote, and enhance volunteer service opportunities overseas for American professionals. The Executive Order also directs appropriate agencies to
evaluate prospective grantees in part according to their ability and plans to use highly trained volunteers in carrying out assistance activities to be implemented abroad.

How It Works

Coordinated and administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), federal departments and agencies overseeing major U.S. development initiatives in countries abroad will seek ways to expand and enhance volunteer service opportunities for international development activities. As part of Volunteers for Prosperity, the USA Freedom Corps will match doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, economists, computer specialists, and others with U.S. organizations working on specific U.S. development initiatives including: the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; the Trade for Africa Development and Enterprise Initiative; the Water for the Poor Initiative; the Digital Freedom Initiative; the Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

For example, a doctor in Chicago who wants to volunteer for three months to help HIV/AIDS patients in Uganda can contact the USA Freedom Corps and be matched with an organization that is working in Uganda and needs highly skilled volunteers.

Major U.S. Development Initiatives

Volunteers will work on projects that advance the objectives of specific federally-supported programs, beginning with the following initiatives:

Digital Freedom Initiative

The goal of the Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI) is to promote economic growth by transferring the benefits of information and communication technology (ICT) to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the developing world. Elements of this initiative include:

• Placing volunteers in small businesses to share business knowledge and technology expertise,
• Promoting pro-growth regulatory and legal structures to enhance business competitiveness, and
• Leveraging existing technology and communications infrastructure in new ways.

The Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief

The Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief is a five-year commitment to turn the tide in combating the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. The initiative will help the most afflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Specifically, the initiative will:

• Prevent 7 million new infections,
• Treat 2 million HIV-infected people, and
• Care for 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS orphans.

Middle East Partnership Initiative

The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) reaffirms President Bush’s commitment of the United States to promote and support reform in the Middle East. The initiative:

• Promotes financial sector reforms,
• Supports business linkages, and
• Develops entrepreneurship among Middle Eastern youth.

Millennium Challenge Corporation

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funds initiatives to improve the economies and standards of living in qualified developing countries. The goal of the MCC is to reward sound policy and decisions that support economic growth and reduce poverty. MCC funds will support developing counties that demonstrate a strong commitment toward:

• Good governance,
• The health and education of their people, and
• Sound economic policies that foster enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The Trade for African Development and Enterprise Initiative

The Trade for African Development and Enterprise (TRADE) initiative is a multi-year trade capacity building initiative. It supports:

• Linking American and African business,
• Strengthening the business environment for African businesses, and
• Developing public services and policies that support trade.

Water for the Poor Initiative

This initiative improves the sustainable management of fresh water resources in developing countries. It supports:

• Access to clean water and sanitation services,
• Improved watershed management, and
• Increasing the productivity of water.

To find out more information about Volunteers for Prosperity, visit www.volunteersforprosperity.gov.