With Syria’s crisis now into its fifth year and no sign of a solution in sight, hope is dwindling for many refugees. Feelings of uncertainty about the future are compounded by miserable conditions, fuelling a sense of despair and desperation.

Deepening poverty, aid shortfalls, feeling unsafe, lack of educational opportunities, and limited livelihood opportunities leads to loss of hope; and the numbers of migrants and refugees continue to rise. 

This is smart aid at its best. And at a time when there is much talk about voter anxiety on America’s role in the world, lawmakers have actually worked together on these issues. This Congress has not only made these programs stronger, but Republicans and Democrats alike clearly recognize how American foreign assistance is transforming communities abroad—and impacting our security and economy here at home.

Reliable funding for CVE programs is hard to come by, and donors have generally failed to coordinate their contributions and embrace the experimentation that experts argue is essential to reaping the full benefits of CVE programs. The result is that the world’s increased attention to violent extremism has not produced CVE programs that are as effective as they should be. These problems have some clear solutions, and donors should embrace them quickly