I. Public Benefit
The United States must provide for the safety of Americans at home and abroad, protect against threats to its interests worldwide, and honor commitments to its allies and friends. The activities of USAID are cost-effective means for enhancing and ensuring stability in all regions of the world through understanding, addressing, and responding early to the causes and consequences of violent conflict, instability, and extremism. Through development assistance, USAID builds and strengthens relations with neighbors and allies worldwide by promoting peaceful regional environments and by educating foreign audiences in ways that can prevent, manage, and mitigate conflicts and instability and foster cooperative efforts. The benefits to the United States are greatest when the world is safer and more stable. Early action to address failing, failed, and recovering states, or "fragile states," is central to promoting regional stability and addressing the source of the nation's most pressing security threats. Factors that contribute to fragility and regional instability include, but are not limited to: weak or poor governance; economic and political instability; health crises; the illegal trade in toxic chemicals and dumping of hazardous wastes; corruption; violent ethnic conflict; influence of neighboring country interests; population movements; landmine contamination; exploitation of natural resources; proliferation of small arms and light weapons; trafficking in persons; the trade of illegal conflict diamonds; natural disasters; and systemic, state-sponsored denial of political and legal rights. USAID advances U.S. national security interests through the resolution of regional instability, so that Americans, at home and abroad, are safe from violence.
II. Resources Invested
III. Selected Performance Trends
IV. Illustrative Example of Significant Achievement
War-to-Peace Transition in Liberia
A Turkana warrior and Pokot warrior
pledge reconciliation at the Women's Peace Crusade.
Photo: USAID/Richard Grahn, AU/IBAR |
In Liberia, sustained donor involvement has supported crucial transitional programs and preparations for elections late in 2005 that will lead to a new government. A significant aspect of USAID intervention in Liberia involves increasing the capacity of civil society to fill the void left by the failed state and the inability of government to provide fundamental services. Against this background in 2004, USAID support helped rebuild the capacity of 27 local non-governmental organizations (NGO) and develop five new community radio stations. This assistance focused on key areas, including human resource and financial management, outreach, strategic leadership, and technical management. Utilizing a specialized index of organizational capacity, management practices and policies were developed to address specific weaknesses. As a result, service delivery and management capacities of the local NGOs were substantially improved; overall index scores increased from 52 percent in 2003 to 74 percent in 2004.
USAID support during 2004 also helped organize 97 community
development committees. The com-munity development committees
are charged with managing the communities' socio-economic
development initiatives, and they interface with local leadership
for decision-making on community driven development and peace
building initiatives. Employing the Regenerated Frierian Literacy
through Empowering Community Techniques (REFLECT) methodology
for economically disadvantaged areas with high illiteracy,
community residents participate in community development committees,
water and sanitation committees, and parent-teacher assoc-iations.
Community residents involved in REFLECT activities focus on
project development, resource mobilization, and advocacy toward
the overall community development. Through USAID assistance,
local communities have improved attitudes toward development
and increased the number of community development projects.
Ensure that Tsunami Relief Funds are Not Fueling New Conflicts
Delivering USAID tsunami relief. Photo: USAID/Sri Lanka |
USAID has provided almost $1 million in program support to Sri Lanka's peace process. The Sri Lanka Peace Support Project encourages dialogue between political parties and fosters public support for the peace process from civic groups, businesses, and media outlets. Project activities include peace advocacy training for civil society groups, a pro-peace teledrama, and a national peace survey. Through another grant, USAID is building the capacity of citizens at all levels to engage in conflict mitigation activities.
USAID is helping Sri Lanka ensure that tsunami relief funds are not fueling new conflicts and that the funds are being fairly distributed among all recipients.
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