Bill R Miller

Economic Development in Poland and in Armenia 1991-2000 Bill R Miller

My motivation for writing about THR POLISH/AMERICAN EXTENSION PROJECT in Poland and the USDA Marketing Assistance Project (MAP) in Armenia was to show the importance of new institutions, academic and business, as they work in the slow, sometimes halting progress of economic development. The slow speed and lack of drama, unless occasional human failing counts, is in sharp contrast to the obvious speed and drama of events that accompany the exploding steel of a cruise missile. But for less than the cost of cruise missiles fired in a single attack, economic development can provide the only effort of the type that will result in a complete victory for U. S. foreign policy. In Armenia, USDA MAP was unusually successful in establishing new market structure and new institutions (CARD and ICARE) to support new agribusiness firms and farms that have the organic, living quality required to last and continue to develop long after the American experts and their dollars have gone home.