To the editor:

At a time when global instability continues to rise — from Haiti’s unrest to Sudan’s civil war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza — the United States must double down on strategies that address the root causes of violence. One of the most effective tools we have is the Global Fragility Act, and it’s time for Congress to reauthorize it.

Originally passed with bipartisan support in 2019, the Global Fragility Act created the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. This groundbreaking initiative brings together multiple agencies — including the State Department, USAID and the Department of Defense — to implement long-term solutions that strengthen governance, reduce poverty and prevent violence before it erupts.

Reauthorizing this act ensures we continue investing in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and community resilience. It’s not only a moral imperative but a strategic one: fragile states are breeding grounds for extremism, displacement and instability that eventually impact us here at home. Prevention is smarter and more cost-effective than reaction.

As an ambassador with The Borgen Project, I’ve seen how U.S. foreign assistance plays a vital role in addressing global poverty and insecurity. That’s why I urge Representative Ann Wagner, Senator Hawley and Senator Schmitt to support the Global Fragility Reauthorization Act. It’s time to put prevention at the center of our foreign policy.

Let’s choose peace over crisis. The world is watching.

Avanti Srinivasan

Ballwin