When your work feels like it's being bulldozed

A heartfelt message from Cuso International’s CEO, Nicolas Moyer

The latest foreign aid freezes and plans to dismantle USAID don’t just affect budgets—they shake the foundations of trust, progress, and global partnerships. We're witnessing something essential being undermined, without having the power to stop it. This is already affecting lives and will have huge negative impacts that we see listed across the sector. Yesterday, the leader of Canada’s official opposition in the House of Commons suggested this country should follow suit.

I’ve been wrestling with my feelings in the face of all this that I have struggled to name. I realize now that watching international development come under attack has brought up the same emotions as I felt the year I was bullied in grade school. The same helplessness and anger, and the sleepless nights wondering how to make it stop.

For those of us in this sector, this is more than policy and lives at risk—it’s personal. It’s the communities we serve, the partners we stand with, and the missions we’ve dedicated ourselves to. The impacts are real, the uncertainty is frustrating, the setbacks disheartening. My only solace just now is that at least we’re not alone in all this. We’re a sector that works for a better world and we have each other.

To everyone feeling exhausted, discouraged, or even bullied by these shifts: your work matters. We stand together.