The United States and India have agreed to establish the Gandhi-King Development Foundation (GKDF) by October 2024, formalized through a recent Statement of Intent (SOI) signed on June 17, 2024, during White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi, India.
This initiative stems from the US’s approval of the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act from December 2020, sponsored by US Representative Gregory Meeks, which authorized the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to create the Foundation.
On December 3, 2020, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 5517, known as the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act, through a voice vote. This legislation was introduced by the late civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis (D-GA).
US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, in a statement released through US Embassy in New Delhi, noted, “The Gandhi-King Development Foundation represents a transformative partnership between the United States and India, rooted in the visionary ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The Foundation underscores our shared commitment to forging global progress by leveraging our collective strengths.”
“USAID is proud to support the Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which will promote inclusive and sustainable development, symbolizing the friendship and common values of the United States and India,” said USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, Anjali Kaur, who signed the SOI on behalf of USAID in New Delhi.
Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory W. Meeks, who was present at the signing ceremony, said, “I was glad to witness this important progress towards establishing the Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which will further strengthen the bonds between the United States and India. The Foundation will honor two visionary leaders and leverage the strength of our private sectors to address important issues such as public health, climate change and air pollution, and the empowerment of women.”
The statement underscored that GKDF is a pioneering collaboration between the United States and India to tackle global development challenges. The Foundation will function within India, leveraging both public and private resources to further the country’s national and international development goals.
“These [goals] include addressing climate change, reducing tuberculosis, improving water and sanitation, minimizing the health impacts of air pollution, enhancing education outcomes, and promoting economic empowerment for women” it added.
In April 2022, during the 2+2 dialogue between US and India, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar launched the Working Group on Education and Skill Development, to explore a range of opportunities between the two countries in the field of education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
“We are also committed to taking forward the proposal for the Gandhi-King Development Foundation to implement social development projects in India. And in doing so, we would help realize the vision of Congressman John Lewis, who initiated congressional legislation in that regard,” said Secretary Blinken and Minister Jaishankar while speaking at the US-India Higher Education Discussion at Howard University in Washington DC.
