Central Asia: Community Action Investment Program

Released by the U.S. Agency for International Development Press Office
July 11, 2002

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded five grants, totaling $22.2 million, as part of a regional conflict prevention strategy in Central Asia. These grants are part of USAID's Community Action Investment Program (CAIP), a program designed to build social stability and alleviate sources of potential conflict in the five Central Asia republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. CAIP will focus on communities where the potential for conflict is most acute, such as the Ferghana Valley.

USAID's Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia, Dr. Kent R. Hill, noted: "It is indeed fortunate that USAID in Central Asia focused on conflict mitigation as a core element of its assistance programs prior to September 11th. This foresight enabled the rapid rollout of the CAIP program, now a centerpiece of USAID's conflict mitigation activities in Central Asia, demonstrating the Bush Administration's strong commitment to this region."

The root causes of potential conflict in the Central Asia Region are dynamic in nature, including border disputes, inter-ethnic tensions, poverty, and arguments over natural resources. USAID will implement CAIP through several international nongovernment organizations (NGOs), which will work with local NGOs to launch innovative conflict mitigation activities. These local NGOs will work at the community level to 1) bring groups together to address common concerns, 2) provide technical assistance to strengthen democratic processes, create new employment opportunities, and improve social services, and 3) fund small-scale, relatively labor-intensive, community infrastructure projects.

Examples of infrastructure projects include: constructing, refurbishing and re-equipping schools, recreation facilities, youth and community centers, health clinics, and small-scale water supply and sanitation systems. By focusing on local infrastructure, CAIP hopes to reduce the risk of conflict by encouraging community participation in solving local problems and improving the overall quality of life.

NGOs working under CAIP will provide communities and groups with the skills necessary to improve their public dialogue and effective communication. CAIP fosters new community-government partnerships by providing training and technical assistance to help local governments increase their ability to respond more effectively to community needs, and by involving citizens in the rehabilitation and development projects. This gives citizens a sense of ownership and personal stake in their society, and increases the likelihood that the communities' newly constructed or repaired infrastructures will be maintained by the local governments.