What happens when the systems designed to support global stability quietly fade into the background—or worse, get ignored altogether? In this episode of We Vote Too, host Leise Winny sits down with Clifford Brown, a retired Senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer and author of Inside USAID: An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance, to unpack the role the U.S. Agency for International Development actually plays in the world—and why most Americans don’t think about it until it’s too late.
From his early days working on tugboats and traveling through Latin America during moments of political upheaval, to leading U.S. development missions in West Africa, Clifford brings decades of firsthand experience to a conversation that feels more urgent than ever. Together, we explore how foreign aid connects directly to U.S. national interests, what happens when that support is reduced or politicized, and why development work is often misunderstood at home.
This episode challenges the idea that foreign aid is optional—and instead reframes it as a critical tool for global stability, diplomacy, and long-term peace. Because when we “forget” about institutions like USAID, the consequences don’t stay overseas—they come back home.
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