David Beasley | |
---|---|
Executive Director of the World Food Programme | |
In office April 4, 2017 –April 5, 2023 | |
Secretary General | António Guterres |
Preceded by | Ertharin Cousin |
Succeeded by | Cindy McCain |
113th Governor of South Carolina | |
In office January 11,1995 –January 13,1999 | |
Lieutenant | Bob Peeler |
Preceded by | Carroll Campbell |
Succeeded by | Jim Hodges |
Member of the South CarolinaHouseofRepresentatives from the 56th district | |
In office January 9,1981 –January 1993 | |
Preceded by | Gary Byrd |
Succeeded by | Denny Neilson |
Personal details | |
Born | David Muldrow Beasley February 26,1957 Darlington,South Carolina,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic (Before 1991) Republican (1991–present) |
Spouse | Mary Wood Payne |
Education | Clemson University University of South Carolina (BA,JD) |
David Muldrow Beasley (born February 26,1957) is an American politician and the former executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme. [1] A member of the Republican Party,he served one term as the 113th Governor of South Carolina from 1995 until 1999 before losing reelection to Democrat Jim Hodges. He also served as a state representative from 1981 until 1995.
Beasley was born in Lamar,South Carolina. He is the son of Richard Lee Beasley and Jacqueline (Blackwell) Beasley. He graduated from Lamar High School in 1975,then attended the Capitol Page School in Washington,DC while serving as a page in the U.S. Congress. [2]
Elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives at age 20,Beasley transferred from Clemson University to the University of South Carolina where he received a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies in 1979 and a J.D. from the School of Law in 1983. [3] Beasley was a member of the South Carolina House representing the Society Hill area from 1979 until 1995,serving as majority whip from 1985 to 1986 and the majority leader from 1987 to 1989. [4] He served as the youngest Speaker pro tempore and majority leader in the nation. [5]
During the 1991–92 legislative session Beasley switched to the Republican Party. [6]
in the 1994 election for governor,both Beasley and his Democratic opponent Lieutenant Governor Nick Theodore faced tough primary opposition within their respective parties. Beasley defeated his toughest competitor,former congressman and state senator Arthur Ravenel Jr.,in both the primary and run-off,and went on to win the general election by a narrow margin of 50%–48%. [6]
South Carolina had a strong economy while Beasley was governor,with unemployment at a record-low 3.5% in 1998. [7] Beasley often made known his Christ-centered beliefs and conservatism in a state known for its strong ties to Christianity and conservative politics. [8]
Beasley strongly opposed gambling,which was legal in South Carolina until 2002. [9] At the time,many gas stations,convenience stores,and poker "casinos" were established across the state,and as Beasley supported legislation that would outlaw gambling,the video poker industry generated "Ban Beasley" billboards and radio ads. [10]
Until 2000,the Confederate flag flew atop the South Carolina State House. It had been raised over the Capitol dome in celebration of the Civil War centennial. This celebration started in 1961 with the raising of the Army of Tennessee Battle Flag over the State House Dome. The Army of Tennessee Battle Flags were also displayed in the inner chambers of the SC Senate and SC House of Representatives.
Beasley initially supported the flag's presence but announced on statewide television in 1996 that he had reversed his decision and believed the flag should be relocated to a monument elsewhere on the grounds. Beasley's position on the Confederate flag cost him many Republican votes in the next election. The flag was removed from the capitol dome in 2000 after Beasley left office. It was displayed on a pole in front of the statehouse until it was removed from the grounds in 2015 after the Emanuel Nine shooting. [11]
Beasley also faced allegations of having an affair with his former press secretary,Ginny Wolfe. Beasley refuted the claims,saying,"I can tell you right up front [my wife] Mary Wood and I love each other dearly. We both have been faithful to one another 100 percent."[ citation needed ]
In the 1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election,Beasley Ran for reelection against Democrat Former state representative Jim Hodges,Hodges took advantage of controversy and missteps Made by Beasley,namely Beasley's indecisiveness on allowing The Confederate flag to fly at the state capitol and call to eliminate video poker. While also Blaming Beasley for the poor SAT scores and the low achievement levels by the students of the state. Donations from video gambling interests helped Hodges narrow a near million-dollar fundraising gap with Beasley. On November 3rd 1998 Beasley Decisively lost re-election to Hodges 53%-45%. [8]
In 2000,after leaving office as governor,Beasley supported George W. Bush in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary. [12] He introduced Bush during a campaign speech at Bob Jones University,which drew controversy because of the fundamentalist school's anti-Catholic teaching and strict policy against interracial dating. Referring to Bush's anti-abortion stance,Beasley said Bush "shares our values." [13]
After his term as governor,Beasley was a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. In 2003,he received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award from U.S. senator Ted Kennedy for his controversial request to the South Carolina legislature to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse dome. [14]
In 2004,Beasley unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate to replace retiring Democrat Fritz Hollings. He lost the Republican nomination to Congressman Jim DeMint of Greenville,South Carolina. [15] In April 2005,Beasley,along with his administration's former chief legal counsel,Henry Deneen,incorporated the Center for Global Strategies,Ltd (CGS). CGS focuses on developmental initiatives in the non-integrated world. Beasley is chairman of the board. [16]
In 2007,Beasley endorsed Mike Huckabee in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. [17] In 2010,he endorsed Henry McMaster in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primaries.[ citation needed ]
In February 2017,United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (also a former South Carolina governor) nominated Beasley to be the next executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP). [a] [18] United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization JoséGraziano da Silva officially appointed Beasley to the post in March 2017,saying he brought "extensive experience with key governmental and business leaders and stakeholders around the world,with very strong resource mobilisation skills." [19] Guterres also said Beasley had been among 23 applications/nominations for the position. [20]
In his capacity as executive director of WFP,Beasley served at the level of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and was a member of the organization's Senior Management Group (SMG) under Guterres. [21] Since 2019,he has been a member of the World Economic Forum High-Level Group on Humanitarian Investing,co-chaired by Børge Brende,Kristalina Georgieva and Peter Maurer. [22]
In December 2020,Beasley accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the WFP for its efforts to combat world hunger. [3]
As the term of the director of the World Food Programme is five years,Beasley's term was originally set to expire in April 2022. However,United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres extended Beasley's term,citing the current food crisis of the Russo-Ukrainian War [23] and the COVID-19 pandemic. [24] President Biden initially opposed extending Beasley's term,but bipartisan support in Congress encouraged Biden to support the extension. [25] Beasley's term as executive director expired in April 2023. [24]
In 2023,he was made a Grand officer of the Order of the Two Niles by the Sudanese head of state General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. [26] [27]
An article in PassBlue said,"Given that Beasley now runs the world’s largest humanitarian-aid agency,how appropriate is it for him to declare his religious beliefs so openly? Some experts on the UN and those inside the organization who were interviewed for this article said they were uncomfortable by his doing so,while others thought he needed to just be more discreet." [31]
A January 2020 internal audit from the UN's Office of the Inspector General assessed the "Tone-at-the-Top and WFP’s leadership Arrangements" and said that "the outward focus of the Executive Director,and his extensive travel commitments" risked eroding trust in the leadership across all levels of WFP. "Some of the Executive Director’s authority or responsibilities being managed in the Chief of Staff’s office,have resulted in the further delegation of authority and activities which has,in the audit’s observation,caused extra unnecessary work,chatter,anxiety and frustration,as well as some confusion over some of the roles and responsibilities at the Leadership level," the report said. [32]
In 2021,Beasley,executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP),scheduled a flight to Khartoum,Sudan to get the country's military leader to negotiate with the prime minister that leader had deposed,to prevent further violence. The trip was not sanctioned by the UN,however,and was canceled after the UN special representative in Khartoum,Volker Perthes,asked Beasley to postpone the trip. [33]
In March 2022,the World Food Program’s emergency coordinator in Ukraine posted a photograph of Beasley on what was then Twitter alongside WFP staff in western Ukraine and nine other male employees. The now-deleted tweet said "The @WFP team in #Lviv #Ukraine. Dedicated and committed to support the civilians affected by the war. Gender balance is not there yet. Female colleagues are being deployed in the next days." The tweet included a sad face emoji. This prompted a March 16 letter to Beasley and his top management team signed by more than 250 employees,most of them women,which said,in part,"We are writing this in response to a Twitter post with a photo of the all-male and mostly white WFP Lviv team surrounding our Executive Director... The limited gender balance and diversity in the Ukraine crisis operations had already been noticed among WFP staff and flagged on social media... To us,it reflects the entrenched problem that WFP still is in essence a mainly white,male-dominated club,particularly in emergencies." The tweet has since been deleted. The letter was obtained by Foreign Policy,but the full text was not published. [34]
Beasley is married to Mary Wood Beasley.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961, WFP is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 87 countries. In 2023 it supported over 152 million people, and it is present in more than 120 countries and territories.
James Hovis Hodges is an American businessman, attorney, and politician who served as the 114th governor of South Carolina from 1999 to 2003. A former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Hodges is the most recent Democrat to serve as the state's governor.
The Working Families Party (WFP) is a progressive minor political party in the United States, founded in New York in 1998. There are active chapters in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Cindy Lou McCain is an American diplomat, businesswoman, and humanitarian who is the executive director of the World Food Programme. McCain previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture from 2021 to 2023. She is the widow of U.S. Senator John McCain from Arizona, who was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee.
Ambassador Josette Sheeran is a decorated diplomat, humanitarian, entrepreneur and technology leader.
The 1994 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. The contest featured two politicians from the Upstate and David Beasley narrowly defeated Nick Theodore to become the 113th governor of South Carolina.
The 1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Jim Hodges, the Democratic nominee, handily defeated Republican governor David Beasley to become the 114th governor of South Carolina. Beasley was the first incumbent governor to be defeated for reelection since Daniel Henry Chamberlain in the disputed election of 1876. As of 2022, this was the last time that a Democrat was elected Governor of South Carolina.
Nimarata Nikki Haley is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 116th governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and as the 29th U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018. A Republican, Haley is the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet. She was a candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries. Her victory in the Washington, D.C. primary on March 3, 2024, made her the first woman ever to win a Republican Party presidential primary contest.
Henrietta Holsman Fore is an American public health and international development executive who was the executive director of UNICEF till January 2022. Fore is chairman and CEO of Holsman International, a management, investment, and advisory services company. She served in three presidential appointments under President George W. Bush: Fore was the first woman Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, the 11th Under Secretary of Management in the Department of State, and the 37th Director of the United States Mint in the U.S. Department of Treasury. She was the presidential appointee for President George H. W. Bush at the United States Agency for International Development.
Manoj Juneja is the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Prior to joining WFP, he served in 2011-12 as Deputy Director-General for Operations at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and in 2003-04 as Executive Director at the International Labour Organization (ILO).
María Eugenia (Gina) Casar is a Mexican civil servant who serves as the Executive Director of the Mexican Agency of International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID). In 2020, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General Qu Dongyu appointed her as WFP Senior Adviser at the Assistant Secretary-General level.
James Charles Ingram was an Australian diplomat, philanthropist and author whose career culminated in his post as the eighth executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), a position which he occupied for ten years.
The 2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican governor Henry McMaster, who took office after Nikki Haley resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, ran for election to a full term. The primary was held on June 12, with the Democrats nominating State Representative James E. Smith Jr. McMaster failed to win a majority of the vote, and then defeated John Warren in the Republican runoff on June 26. In the general election, McMaster defeated Smith, winning election to a full term.
In the early months of 2017, parts of South Sudan experienced a famine following several years of instability in the country's food supply caused by war and drought. The famine, largely focused in the northern part of the country, affected an estimated five million people. In May 2017, the famine was officially declared to have weakened to a state of severe food insecurity.
The 2022 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican governor Henry McMaster ran for re-election for a second full term in office and secured the Republican nomination in the June 14 primary. Joe Cunningham, former United States Representative from South Carolina's 1st congressional district, was the Democratic nominee. McMaster won the general election with 58% of the vote — a larger margin than in 2018.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity intensified in many places. In the second quarter of 2020, there were multiple warnings of famine later in the year. In an early report, the Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) Oxfam-International talks about "economic devastation" while the lead-author of the UNU-WIDER report compared COVID-19 to a "poverty tsunami". Others talk about "complete destitution", "unprecedented crisis", "natural disaster", "threat of catastrophic global famine". The decision of the WHO on 11 March 2020, to qualify COVID as a pandemic, that is "an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people" also contributed to building this global-scale disaster narrative.
The following lists events that happened with or in collaboration with the United Nations and its agencies in the year 2021.
In mid-2021, a severe drought in southern Madagascar caused hundreds of thousands of people, with some estimating more than 1 million people including nearly 460,000 children, to suffer from food insecurity or Kere (famine). Some organizations have attributed the situation to the impact of climate change and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Grain From Ukraine is a humanitarian food program that was launched on November 26, 2022, on the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Holodomor of 1932–1933, by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to supply grain to the poorest countries in Africa.
The following lists events that happened with or in collaboration with the United Nations and its agencies in the year 2022.