Program Data Sheet
521-005

USAID MISSION: Haiti
PROGRAM TITLE: Democracy and Governance (Pillar: Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance)
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND NUMBER: Genuinely Inclusive Democratic Governance Attained, 521-005
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $2,500,000 ESF
PRIOR YEAR UNOBLIGATED AND FUNDING SOURCE: $0
PROPOSED FY 2003 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $2,000,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1991     ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2004

Summary: The continued deterioration of Haiti's economic, security, and human rights situation can be tied directly to a failure of democratic governance in Haiti. Despite the emergence of a nominally free press and a vibrant civil society, failure to address the gross irregularities of the May 2000 local and parliamentary elections has resulted in severe political tension and a growing culture of impunity. At root is the issue of power sharing, a concept that, despite the best efforts of USAID and other international actors, has not yet taken root in Haiti.

Given the political situation, USAID has shifted away from its previous efforts to strengthen public institutions such as the judiciary and the national elections commission, and launched a new program to strengthen civil society and develop political parties by:

• developing political leadership;
• helping non-governmental organizations resist Haiti's growing trend toward authoritarian rule; and
• strengthening the independent media.

Inputs, Outputs and Activities: FY 2002 Program: USAID will strengthen civil society organizations by funding technical assistance and training for grassroots organizations around the country in order for them to better understand and practice democracy, build coalitions, and advocate for their interests. This type of activity includes assistance for politically active organizations in a number of areas: the academic, legal, business, labor, journalism, and religious communities, and advocates for judicial reform. USAID will also fund technical assistance to domestic election observer organizations and train an elite corps of observers. USAID will foster political leadership by providing technical assistance and training to political organizations at the grassroots level and training leaders in organizational development, leadership, and democratic practices. USAID will also fund nationwide civic education radio campaigns to deepen understanding and practice of citizens' awareness of their rights and responsibilities. USAID will strengthen the independent media by training journalists in the fundamentals of democracy.

USAID also plans to conduct a conflict vulnerability assessment aimed at pinpointing potential crises in Haitian society and -- to the extent that USAID is not already helping to mitigate those sources -- develop appropriate responses.

Planned FY 2003 Program: Assuming program success, the above activities to strengthen civil society, foster political leadership, and strengthen an independent media will be continued at a reduced funding level in FY 2003. Adjustments may need to be made in the event a political accord is reached and the United States is asked to provide assistance for new elections. Up to $2 million will support USAID's conflict prevention initiative.

Performance and Results: Program impact will be measured in terms of advocacy actions by civil society and increased acceptance of election results by political parties.

USAID's impact on the civil society sector has been highly significant and in many ways irreversible. The fact that nearly 1,000 civil society organizations have now been trained to understand and practice democracy cannot be changed. Nor can the fact that the USAID-supported non-governmental observer organization fielded over 22,000 volunteers who monitored and subsequently publicized the gross irregularities of the May 2000 election. Likewise, training for journalists and support to human rights monitors have established the foundation for a more open society once the current political impasse has been resolved.

In 2001, USAID and its partners trained nearly 11,000 people in almost 1,000 organizations with total membership exceeding 200,000 people throughout the country. As a result of this training, civil society organizations made over 500 attempts to engage government and advocate their interests or defend their rights. Well over one-third of these attempts were successful in leveraging assistance, resources, or services from the government.

The civil society program is having a broad, self-sustaining effect. To date, nearly 100 initiative committees representing about a quarter of the population have been formed. These democratically-run entities plan and execute community projects on a routine basis, relying for the most part on state or community resources. They play a potent role on the local scene, confronting issues head-on and directly engaging local and national leaders. In almost all the communities where USAID has been active, local government personnel have received training alongside the members of civil society organizations, so each has a better understanding of the role of civil society in a democracy. The training has significantly reduced the level of suspicion between the groups and local elected leaders, which in turn appears to have greatly reduced the number of incidents and misunderstandings.

Despite systematic attempts to stifle them, civil society organizations are building on the high level of citizen participation and voter turnout in the May 2000 election by continuing to exercise their political rights and participate in the political process. Meetings between civil society organizations and government at the national level quintupled in 2001 (from 57 in 2000 to 270 in 2001), and groups formed 40 regional-level coalitions to advocate positions in public decisions.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Principal partners are: International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Creative Associates International, and America's Development Foundation. There are numerous subcontractors, including Haitian human rights organizations, business associations, media organizations, election observation groups, labor, political parties and other pro-democracy organizations.

US Financing in Thousands of Dollars