Transition Initiatives
The USAID Office of Transition Initiatives supports U.S. foreign policy objectives by helping local partners advance peace and democracy in priority countries in crisis. Seizing critical windows of opportunity, OTI works on the ground to provide fast, flexible, short-term assistance targeted at key political transition and stabilization needs.
Since 1994, OTI, part of USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, has laid the foundation for long-term development in thirty-one conflict-prone countries by promoting reconciliation, jumpstarting local economies, supporting nascent independent media, and fostering peace and democracy through innovative programming. In countries undergoing a transition from authoritarianism to democracy, violent conflict to peace, or pivotal political events, initiatives serve as catalysts for positive political change. OTI programs are short-term -- typically, two to three years in duration. OTI works closely with regional bureaus, missions and other counterparts to identify programs that complement other assistance efforts and lay a foundation for longer-term development. OTI programs often are initiated in fragile states that have not reached the stability needed to initiate longer-term development programs. OTI strategies and programs are developed and designed to meet the unique needs of each situation.
Recent Highlights and Successes
|
|
|
Nepal - The Power of Radio: Siraha Station Steps Up for Peace - May 2009
Radio Samad, a station in the troubled Terai region of Nepal, used lessons it gained through an OTI-support activity to help defuse intercommunal tensions. The station hosted an on-air discussion between opposing leaders and stopped a dangerous situation from getting out of hand.
Read More >>
|
|
|
|
Lebanon - Citizenship Clubs Unite Students in Baalbeck - April 2009
The "citizenship academy"—designed by the OTI-supported Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training—seeks to empower youth with skills that open doors to civic activism. And when more than 2,000 students from Baalbeck took part in a recent academy, their lives began to change as they became more active in their communities.
Read More >>
|
|
|
|
Kenya - Peace Committee Sparks Interest in Reconciliation - April 2009
The Nakuru District Peace Committee (DPC) is beginning its work coordinating conflict prevention and peace building in the district. The committee, which received operations and communication support from OTI, will serve not only as a model but also as the secretariat for all of Kenya's DPCs.
Read More >>
|
For media inquiries, please contact the Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs at 202-712-4320.
|
