Still Here
A Guide to the Platforms, People, and Organizations Keeping Global Development Alive
This week’s GDI Insight is a little different.
Over the past year, something remarkable has happened. As everything fell apart, people built something new. Across Substacks, advocacy groups, alumni networks, podcasts, and informal spaces, a new ecosystem has emerged: people documenting what was lost, reporting on the rapidly changing foreign assistance landscape, helping the community stay connected, and finding new ways to continue the work.
This week, we’re sharing a curated list of some of the platforms, organizations, and voices that rose up in response.
This is not a complete list. What did we miss? Share your favorites in the comments.
On the Ground
Organizations doing active work to fill the gaps left by the withdrawal of U.S. foreign assistance.
Crisis in Care — A group of global health professionals focused on filling the gap left by the withdrawal of U.S. support for HIV/AIDS care around the world.
Reimagining Conservation — A growing coalition doing the groundwork to ensure the U.S. can return to global conservation leadership when the moment comes.
One Earth Partners — Advisory and strategy support for funders, governments, and organizations navigating today’s climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges.
Stay Informed
Substacks on foreign assistance and global health — plus one more.
Demography Matters by Apoorva Jadhav — A former USAID senior demographer making the case, one country at a time, that population data is the foundation of every strategic decision that touches a human life.
The Crossroads by Nadia Olson — A former JSI director with two decades of experience across 23 countries writing about global health financing, supply chains, and the systems that keep women, children, and families healthy.
With & For by mike Reid — A former global health leader writing about scalable solutions and breakthrough science, exploring what comes next for sustainable global health.
Foreign Aid Explained by Gretchen De Silva — A former USAID staffer dismissed after the foreign assistance stop work order, now distilling news and information to help everyone understand the foreign aid space.
Alexanderia Haidara — A former U.S. diplomat and USAID specialist offering sharp analysis on foreign policy decoded through 15 years of experience in Latin America and Africa.
The Last Mile with USAID — Analysis and commentary reminding us why democracy, development, and humanitarian work are still worth fighting for.
USAID Media by Scott McKissock — A hub for news, stories, and updates on U.S. foreign assistance.
Listen Up
Podcasts bringing human stories and plain-language explainers to the world of foreign assistance and diplomacy.
SoftPower/Ful Stories by Chris Wurst — A weekly storytelling podcast exploring the personal, human side of American diplomacy, foreign assistance, and cultural engagement.
Unsung Americans by Alex Natsio — A weekly podcast about the frontline aid workers who delivered U.S. foreign assistance and why it matters, in plain English.
Follow Along
Instagram accounts making the case for foreign assistance and diplomacy to broader audiences.
Average American (@thisaverageamerican) — Making the case for foreign assistance to everyday Americans, in plain language.
Friends of USAID (@friendsofusaid) — Former USAID staff sharing real stories, policy analysis, and advocacy resources.
Voices of State (@voicesofstate) — Former diplomats using their experience and voices to advocate for a humane, principled American foreign policy.
Take Action
Organizations mobilizing the global development community to advocate for foreign assistance.
Aid on the Hill — Turning the expertise of aid professionals into advocacy, with tools and resources for anyone who wants to fight for foreign assistance on Capitol Hill.
Civil Service Strong — A nationwide effort standing behind the civil servants who have dedicated their careers to public service, led by Democracy Forward.
Find Your Community
Networks and resources for foreign assistance professionals navigating this moment.
OneAID — A community and network born in the midst of mass layoffs following the dissolution of USAID, serving as a connector and information hub carrying forward the knowledge, expertise, and dedication of a community that transcends borders.
Career Pivot — A community of action providing holistic support for people navigating chaotic career transitions out of federal service, with resources, job boards, events, and practical guidance.
Pivoting Parents — Support, resources, and community specifically for parents and caregivers navigating job loss and career transitions.
USAID Alumni Association — A home for the community of people who served with USAID, preserving the legacy and continuing the mission.
Read
First-person accounts of the dismantling of USAID, written by the people who lived it.
These three books tell the story from the inside. Their authors came together for a conversation moderated by former USAID Administrator Samantha Power — you can watch it at OneAID.
I Said My Piece with Peace by Keisha Effiom — A firsthand account from one of only eight African American women ever to serve as a USAID Mission Director, sworn in for Rwanda and Burundi in July 2024 and five months later handed an impossible deadline: dismantle two missions, transition hundreds of staff, and relocate her family while the institution she served for 18 years collapsed around her.
Into the Wood Chipper by Nicholas Enrich — A New York Times bestseller and whistleblower account from USAID’s former lead official for global health, who watched the agency be dismantled before his eyes and ultimately blew the whistle on DOGE’s destruction.
The World in My Bones: The Diplomat Queens Made by Jennifer Erie — A debut memoir from a former USAID Foreign Service Officer who spent 15 years leading global health programs across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, tracing a deeply personal story of service, identity, loss, and resilience
.
Thanks for the list of resources. Readers should be aware of the Center for Development History (https://sites.lib.jmu.edu/cdh/), a long-term effort to collect, preserve and make available the experiences and lessons learned of people who worked for development NGOs and contractors. There are more than 50 oral histories (transcript and audio) on the website, with more interviews being conducted and added to the collection weekly. Those interested in helping (as storytellers and interviewers) should write to centerfordevelopmenthistory@gmail.com
Jerrold Keilson
This is a fantastic list! Suggest adding this podast: https://www.itwasneverajob.com/ and this community organization: https://formergov.com/ .