A Mighty Purpose (42 page)

But the promise of the summit goals did not die when they expired in 2000. The time-bound, audacious yardsticks—perhaps too audacious in some cases—spurred the creation of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These eight bold, quantifiable targets, established in 2000, have catalyzed the most concerted effort ever undertaken to fight the worst aspects of poverty. The deadline is December 31, 2015. Each MDG contains several subgoals, some of which have already been met or are getting close. The world reached the MDG water subgoal of giving some 2.3 billion people access to clean drinking water since 1990. It also beat the poverty subgoal five years ahead of schedule, helping 700 million people escape the desolation of extreme poverty by 2010. Even if most are not met by the end of 2015 (and it looks like many will not be), the activity and resources mustered by the goals are aiding billions of people. These advances cannot be solely attributed to Grant and the MDGs, of course—the blossoming of democracy, the march of economic progress, the benefits of foreign aid, and the gain in living standards in many countries all undoubtedly played a role (though in many countries, these developments are likely linked to the goals). Perhaps the most important result is a radically changed set of expectations—before the MDGs, and before Grant, the world was not keeping track of the fight against poverty with much rigor or precision. It’s hard to be motivated to do better when you don’t really know where you’ve been. By demonstrating the power of measurable, time-bound goals—with clear plans of action to achieve them—Grant changed the modus operandi of the United Nations and
numerous organizations and donors now working to enhance global health and development.

The child survival revolution continues today, even without a galvanizing leader. There are many organizations and individuals—including the staff of UNICEF and its vast network of national committees and on-the-ground NGO and community partners—who work assiduously to save and protect the youngest inhabitants of our planet. Donors and volunteers and governments across the globe steadfastly support this critical effort. In recent years, the rate of decline for child mortality has, in fact, accelerated. UNICEF has recently made the issue more of a priority, and donor and partner interest has been somewhat reignited. Amid copious stories of waste and scandal and corruption in the UN system and a miasma of skepticism about foreign aid and development, the campaign against child mortality stands out as one of the world body’s most striking successes.

The most important people in all this, of course, are children and their parents. A lesson Grant’s father, John Black Grant, instilled in many of his medical students and in his own son: any effort to help people must grow out of their community and involve their participation—or it will not work. Jim Grant was erroneously accused of being “top-down” and of callously telling parents what they should do and how they should do it. But his ultimate aim was not to impose his or anyone else’s will on mothers and fathers in the developing world—it was, quite simply, to empower them to save their own sons and daughters. Regardless of “top-down” or “bottom-up,” all parents—no
matter where they live—want the same thing: for their children to survive and grow up and have a decent shot at life. Why should this be denied to any parent? Such an assurance doesn’t seem like too much to ask, yet for millions of families beyond the reach of vaccines, clean water, education, and the most basic health care, it still is.

The road toward human progress runs through a clamoring gauntlet of skeptics. Some will say that international development is a flawed process, riddled with failure and conflicting agendas. Many past efforts have done more harm than good. Aid fosters dependency. Top-down prescriptions risk unseen perils (especially without local buy-in). Poverty cannot be fixed or solved. It is not like putting a man on the moon. All of that, to some extent, is true. But complexity can also be a cop-out. As Peter Adamson points out, the child survival revolution is really about “taking up the slack.” There is no good reason that any child anywhere should die of a preventable disease or grow up illiterate or be physically and mentally stunted for lack of proper nourishment. There are ills in this world that can be stamped out, that
can
be fixed—Jim Grant proved it. His grasp of international aid and poverty was extensive, but his most basic belief—the belief that fueled nearly everything he did—was a simple one: the benefits of science and society should be made available to the many, not just the few.

One question that quivers on the lips of several former UNICEF staff: What if Jim Grant had lived another ten or fifteen years? He was in the midst of his crusade when cancer took him—he had many other plans. What else would have been
achieved had he been allowed to carry on? A few have suggested that polio would now be eradicated, measles consigned to history books, child mortality reduced to an even lower rate than it is now. Maybe the world would have already met the fourth Millennium Development Goal—to reduce child mortality by two-thirds, based on 1990 levels (we are currently not on track to reach the target, despite recent gains). All speculation, of course, but it’s impossible not to wonder about the what-ifs. Another question that has been bandied about: What would Jim Grant say now?

Jon Rohde attempted to answer this during a lecture he gave at George Washington University in March 2010. Somewhat indignant, his speech was also defiantly optimistic. He told the audience who Grant was, what he had done, and what lessons we could all learn from him—among them: bureaucracies can’t replace visionary leaders; precise, “doable,” time-bound goals are essential; be persistent—don’t abandon a valid program at the first sign of donor fatigue; good governance is key—Grant made children the “proof” of good governance. Then the brusque, insistent doctor told everyone what he thought Grant would be doing today. He would, said Rohde, “focus on those most left behind in the progress of the last decades … transform UNICEF back into the agency it was when he joined—known for field presence … defend the right to child survival with the same intensity we defend civil and political rights … strengthen UNICEF support for education, especially of girls.”

He would also “forge an alliance among partners” and would make “children the integrating catalyst.” Then with a jolt
of incredulity, Rohde added: “What political leader today consistently stands high to speak for children—their needs, rights and futures?… Where do we see that today? Why have they forgotten such a basic lesson? Jim would put children back on the political agenda.”

Indeed, were he here, Jim Grant would likely be decrying the continuing global scandal that still takes place every single day—17,000 children under age five dying needlessly today, tomorrow, and the day after that. Dying even though the vaccines and medicines and other means to protect them readily exist. That number is less than half of what it was when Grant took the helm of UNICEF in 1980. But in the twenty-first century, that’s not good enough. It’s a statistic of shame. We should no longer be keeping tabs on the number of children who die each day because we have not bothered to save them.

“Jim was a phenomenon,” says Dr. Bill Foege. “Now we take it for granted that the number of child deaths under age five has come down dramatically—it’s still far too high, and it’s still obscene, but it’s come down so much in the last few decades. Who thanks Jim Grant for that? But they should.”

This book would not have happened without the generosity and commitment of a large number of people.

My wife, Kathy, urged me to pursue this idea and has steadfastly supported me from the beginning. For several years, she put up with my ridiculous schedule and took care of our young kids on countless nights and weekends to give me time (and on some weekends took our son and daughter to her father’s place). I certainly would not have seen it through without her. I am also grateful for the warm encouragement provided by my parents and father-in-law.

My agents, Larry Weissman and Sascha Alper, believed in this book, and they believed in me. They guided me as I wrote my proposal and stuck with me throughout the entire process. I could not have asked for better or more devoted advocates.

Judith Gurewich, of Other Press, immediately understood the importance of this book and put her publishing house firmly behind it. Her passion and vision—and incisive editing—have
made the book stronger and more nuanced. I feel deeply fortunate to have a publisher who is so personally invested in my project. I have also been lucky to work with a top-notch staff at Other Press, including Marjorie DeWitt, Lauren Shekari, Jessica Greer, Terrie Akers, and Yvonne Cárdenas.

I interviewed eighty-six people in the course of my reporting, many of whom proved pivotal. I am particularly grateful for the time and attention of Mary Cahill, Jon Rohde, Peter Adamson, Kul Gautam, Richard Reid, Cole Dodge, Alan Court, Abdul Mohammed, Dr. Nyi Nyi, Richard Jolly, Sheila Barry, Fouad Kronfol, Manou Assadi, John and Mehr Kahn Williams, Yohannes Tsadik, Agop Kayayan, David Haxton, Ulf Kristoffersson, and not least, Jamie and Bill Grant. The assistance offered by Ted Thomas, Marea Hatziolos, Warren Unna, and Melissa and Sarah Young was also extremely helpful.

Mary Cahill truly went above and beyond, time and again providing me with important information and connecting me with dozens of Jim Grant’s colleagues and friends; probably a third of the people I interviewed were referred by Mary. She was also a wonderful source, who helped me understand her extraordinary and indefatigable former boss. Jon Rohde, Peter Adamson, and Grant’s sons, Bill and Jamie, were all very gracious, indulging numerous interview requests and e-mails; each also read a draft of the book and provided useful and meaningful feedback.

Many other sources were hugely helpful as well, and I apologize for not mentioning them all here.

It was a great privilege to tell this story. Thank you to everyone who enabled me to do so.

Most of the information in this book is based on interviews I conducted with Jim Grant’s colleagues, friends, family members, and others. Altogether I interviewed eighty-six people, many of them multiple times. I also relied upon a wide array of original material: internal and external UNICEF reports on numerous topics; official UNICEF board records; UN and UNICEF audits; memos; schedules; trip logs; press releases; Jim Grant’s oral history; John Black Grant’s oral history; UNICEF staff oral histories; UNICEF historical accounts; speeches; correspondence; Telexes; video footage; photos; Grant’s academic, military, and citizenship documents; and his personal letters, files, and notebooks. I acquired these items from a range of sources, including the UNICEF archives, the UNICEF Web site, the UN’s online document system, and Grant’s family members (John Black Grant’s oral history was obtained from the Columbia University Center for Oral History).

UNICEF’s annual flagship publication,
The State of the World’s Children
(which Grant launched with Peter Adamson), was a significant source of information, particularly for the early years of Grant’s tenure. I also relied upon facts, figures, and additional information from many other UNICEF publications, including
1946–2006: Sixty Years for Children; America’s Partnership with UNICEF: A Report to the United States on the Impact of Its Contribution to UNICEF from 1985 to 1995; Promises Kept: James Grant in South Asia;
the
UNICEF Annual Report
(numerous years); and
UNICEF Staff News
(the organization’s regular internal newsletter). Immunization coverage figures were provided by the World Health Organization.

I found many books, scholarly works, news articles, and other published accounts useful in researching this book, and I have listed here those that were especially helpful. Published works that I quote directly are attributed in the body of the text. Three books were especially important:
Jim Grant: UNICEF Visionary
, edited by Richard Jolly and published by UNICEF; and Maggie Black’s two volumes on UNICEF history (titles provided below). I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about UNICEF and/or aspects of the Jim Grant period not covered in these pages to read them.