Tibor Nagy
Having served as a US diplomat in Africa over 23 years – including twice as Ambassador, and three times as Deputy Ambassador – I’ve known many organizations involved in trying to better the state of the Continent and its people. In all my experience, A Glimmer of Hope is unique for its pragmatic approach in applying a successful business model to sustainable development.
The first time I met the Berbers (A Glimmer of Hope’s founders) was while serving as Ambassador to Ethiopia, and I noted the sharp differences between their approach, and that of traditional aid organizations: they did not use the “buzzwords” common to the development “industry;” they were focused on results and NOT process; they were concerned with keeping administrative expenses to an absolute minimum; and – most importantly – they were keen to put themselves out of business as quickly as possible by helping Ethiopia move from
“developing” to “developed.”
Remarkably, this original approach has succeeded magnificently – as A Glimmer of Hope has exceeded its targets, and increased its scope from the original pilot community to larger and larger areas of Ethiopia. Most impressively, their achievements have come at administrative costs which are truly minuscule in comparison those of more traditional development groups. Instead of spending money on expensive houses for an expatriate director, fancy all-wheel drive vehicles, and foreign “experts” to advise local people on what they should do differently, A Glimmer of Hope’s funding goes directly to the projects. And the projects are never imposed on communities – they are developed in close consultation with those who will be affected – so there is always local “ownership.”
In sum, A Glimmer of Hope should be a model for other private and Government funded development organizations. It is not in the field to stay in business, but to truly achieve sustainable development and better the lives of the people of Ethiopia. I have the highest personal regard for the Berbers and recommend the organization heartily; my wife and I will make our own financial contribution to their work. They are truly unique in the most positive sense of the word – Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy Jr.
Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, Jr. joined the Foreign Service in 1978 as a management analyst in the Bureau of Personnel. His first overseas assignment was as General Services Officer in Lusaka, Zambia from 1979-81. After that, he was assigned to Victoria, Seychelles, for two years as Administrative Officer. He served as Systems Administrator for the African Bureau in Washington from 1983-84 and then returned overseas as Administrative Officer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1984-86. For the next eight years, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at Lome, Togo (1987-90); Yaounde, Cameroon (1990-93); and Lagos, Nigeria (1993-95). Ambassador Nagy was born in Budapest, Hungary on April 29, 1949 and arrived in the United States as a political refugee in 1957. He received a B.A. from Texas Tech University in 1972 and an M.S.A. from George Washington University in 1978. He speaks Hungarian and French, and has received a Superior Honor Award and five Meritorious Honor Awards. Ambassador Nagy is a resident of Texas, and is married to Eva Jane Nagy. The Nagys have triplets – two sons and a daughter: Peter, Stephen and Tisza.