U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, also known as the USGLC, is a influential, broad-based organization formed by a coalition of 400 American businesses and NGOs, senior national security and foreign policy experts, and diverse range of community leaders from across the country who promote increased support for the United States’ diplomatic and development efforts amongst both politicians and the public.

Based in Washington D.C., the USGLC advocates for a stronger International Affairs Budget in order to enhance national security, forward American business interests, and improve humanitarian assistance around the world. The International Affairs Budget (a.k.a. the 150 Account) is a component of the U.S. federal budget that funds a breadth of U.S. State Department activities, aid to Israel, international development programs, and many other civilian-led programs abroad (including civilian reconstruction teams and democratic governance projects in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

).

Leadership

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition has multiple Leadership and Advisory Boards consisting of some of the nation’s most prominent corporate, non-profit, military, and political leaders. The Washington Post has referred to the USGLC as the “strange bedfellows” coalition because of the diverse mix of corporate and non-profit members that often don’t see eye-to-eye on other issues but has united behind calls for a stronger International Affairs Budget.

The two branches—the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign and the Center for U.S. Global leadership—maintain separate boards, which are chaired by George Ingram of the Academy for Educational Development
Academy for Educational Development
AED, formerly the Academy for Educational Development, is a 501 nonprofit organization that focuses on education, health and economic development for the "least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world." AED currently operates more than 250 programs in the...

 and Daniel Glickman of the Bipartisan Policy Center
Bipartisan Policy Center
The is a non-profit organization that "drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue." Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell, "BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking...

, respectively.
The Advisory Council is led by former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...

 and includes numerous former Secretaries, Senators, Representatives, and National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor (United States)
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...

s of both political parties, from Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...

 to Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...

 to Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...

.

The USGLC also maintains two issue-specific Advisory Councils, one that focuses on the importance of the International Affairs Budget to national security, and one that focuses on its importance to American businesses. The National Security Advisory Council is made up of 67 retired military officers (53 of whom were four-star Generals or Admirals) and the Business Advisory Council is chaired by Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes is a member-owned agricultural cooperative based in Arden Hills, Minnesota, focusing on the dairy industry. The co-op states that it has about 3200 producer-members, 1000 member-cooperatives, and about 9000 employees who process and distribute products for about 300,000 agricultural...

 CEO Chris Policinski.

Liz Shrayer is the Founder and Executive Director.

History

USGLC was established in 1995 as the “U.S. Global Leadership Campaign” when a diverse group of companies, NGOs, and foreign policy experts rallied together in response to Congressional funding cuts to the International Affairs Budget. Viewing diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...

 and international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...

 programs as essential to improving national security and creating conditions for business expansion into new and friendly markets, the Coalition sought to engage with Capitol Hill, the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

, and local organizations from across the United States and educate them on the importance of the International Affairs Budget to Americans’ security and prosperity.

In July 2009, the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign and the Center for U.S. Global Leadership, which had been created in 2004 to focus on the education rather than advocacy piece, restructured and took on the single name of “U.S. Global Leadership Coalition,” while still retaining their separate 401-c(4) and 401-c(3) legal statuses.
Since the USGLC was formed, the International Affairs Budget has grown by more than 40%.

Impact `08

During the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, the USGLC ran a campaign entitled “Impact `08: Building a Better, Safer World” to engage with each campaign and with voters and shine the spotlight on the International Affairs Budget. Former Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....

 Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...

 and former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci
Frank Carlucci
Frank Charles Carlucci III is a former official in the United States Government, associated with the Republican Party. The most prominent office held by Carlucci was as Secretary of Defense from 1987 until 1989 in the Reagan Administration.-Early life and career:Carlucci was born in Scranton,...

 signed on as National Co-Chairs and launched the effort at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in July 2007.

Impact `08 held events throughout the country (particularly in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, and other battlegrounds) that brought together each state’s most prominent political, business, and community leaders to discuss specifically how federal diplomacy and development programs abroad benefited their local economy. USGLC leadership also met with senior figures on every candidate’s campaign pressing them to provide a more detailed plan on foreign policy and the role of development and serving as a resource for campaigns’ questions regarding the International Affairs Budget. The Coalition also hosted a series on “Salon Dinners” during the election with policy and journalist elites to discuss the role of diplomacy and development in the forthcoming Presidency. Attendees included Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...

, Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...

, Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....

, and others.

The same day that the government published its “Plum Book” listing of available jobs for the incoming Administration, the USGLC released the “Global Plum Book,” a document that cataloged the top 100 positions across the new Obama Administration that would strongly impact the policies and programs for development and diplomacy. The Coalition identified hundreds of Democrats and Republicans that could potentially fill these positions and held meetings with these individuals to educate them on the Coalition’s priorities. The book was released during a widely attended forum on the transition moderated by Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer
James Charles "Jim" Lehrer is an American journalist and the executive editor and former news anchor for PBS NewsHour on PBS, known for his role as a frequent debate moderator during elections...

 of the PBS NewsHour.

Putting Smart Power to Work

After the 2008 Election, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition launched “Putting Smart Power to Work,” an initiative to work at both the grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...

 level and directly with members of Congress in prioritizing and expanding the International Affairs Budget during the Obama Administration. The Coalition has continued to expand its grassroots network to develop a stronger voice amongst politicians’ constituents
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...

and meets frequently with members of Congress and the Obama Administration.

As part of “Putting Smart Power to Work,” the USGLC announced that it is partnering with numerous veterans groups under the banner of “Veterans for Smart Power” to encourage veterans to voice their support for civilian programs that complement the military’s efforts abroad. The Coalition is expected to launch the petition on July 4, 2010.
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