"...Development assistance is all about moving people away from dependence. Like men and women everywhere, people living in poor countries want to be self-sufficient. They want decent jobs and a chance to improve their own lives. They're already working hard to reach these goals. They don't need 'tough love,' they need opportunities -- to attend school, to grow up free from chronic preventable diseases like malaria, and to enjoy the basic human rights we take for granted. When we help make these opportunities available, we're creating more independence, not less..."

"...When we invest in people by increasing their access to basic education and health care, we're helping to provide the resources they need to help themselves. Giving people an opportunity to improve their lives is what America is all about -- and we should be doing our best to make sure that our actions in the world are consistent with our fundamental values..."

"...All over the world, even in the most impoverished countries, people with vision and commitment are striving to lift themselves and their societies out of poverty. These men and women aren't waiting for foreign aid. But when aid comes, it can provide the additional resources that families and communities need to make real and lasting changes..."

"...The old saying about how 'it's better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish' still holds true. Fortunately, there's a lot we can do to help families and communities become self-sufficient and successful.We can empower people who are eager to improve their lives by investing in programs that provide basic education and health care. We can help clear the path to economic opportunity by funding microcredit programs that offer tiny loans to poor people -- mostly women -- who want to start their own small businesses, and by supporting efforts to clean up corruption. A little extra help goes a long way, when we join forces with other countries, nonprofit organizations, and local partners to implement these cost-effective strategies..."

"...People need tools and opportunities to help themselves; that's why building schools and hospitals in impoverished communities is an investment in self-sufficiency and success. And these strategies also help poor countries to help themselves. When we work with other nations to improve health care in the developing world, for example, responsible governments that have been spending billions of dollars fighting preventable diseases are freed up to invest in education and economic development. Our modest initial investments make their investments possible -- and in an interconnected world, that pays off for everyone..."