USAID/OTI Iraq Fact Sheet
March 2004
FY 2004 Budget - $126,388,000
(Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund)
Background
The USAID Office of Transition Initiatives program in Iraq supports critical initiatives that build and sustain Iraqi confidence in the transition to a participatory, stable, and democratic Iraq. Working closely with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the USAID Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) identifies and fills crucial gaps in the U.S. Government’s assistance efforts at national and local levels and increases Iraqi support for the transition to sovereignty by providing quick-disbursing, high impact small grants. Originally part of USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), OTI was one of the first USAID offices on the ground in April 2003, implementing small grants as soon as areas of Iraq were deemed permissible for relief and reconstruction efforts.
Program Goals and Objectives
OTI programming complements USAID Mission local governance and community development initiatives. The Iraq Transition Initiative has initiated more than 650 small grants in various stages of development, totaling more than $43 million. The Iraq Transition Initiative currently focuses on areas crucial to the implementation of the November 15 Agreement, including civic education, civil society and media development, women’s participation, conflict mitigation, and transitional justice.
Current Program Activities
Civic Education, Civil Society, Media, and Women: At the national level OTI collaborates with CPA on public information efforts related to the constitutional process, development of election plans, and the transition to Iraqi sovereignty. Activities include civil society support, civic education, and media outreach to expand Iraqi understanding of and participation in the establishment of Iraqi institutions. Groups targeted for OTI assistance include women’s and youth groups, professional associations, and human rights organizations. At the local level, OTI supports programming that engages communities and emerging Iraqi leaders in helping them to address local needs.
Conflict Mitigation: OTI focuses small grant activities in current or potential conflict areas, using participatory methods to manage and mitigate sources of tension. OTI draws heavily upon its close working relationship with Civil Affairs—particularly U.S—units present in areas prone to or experiencing conflict. Geographic locations of focus include the Sunni Triangle, south and south-central areas, and ethnically mixed locations in the north.
Transitional Justice: OTI supports nascent Iraqi institutions and emerging local citizen groups in their efforts to document human rights abuses of the Ba’athist regime and promote peace, tolerance, and reconciliation. OTI has helped local organizations preserve evidence of past abuses, has provided training to groups conducting mass grave exhumations, and has assisted a network of Iraqi human rights advocates. OTI works closely with the CPA Office of Human Rights and Transitional Justice to develop information campaigns on transitional justice issues and to support Iraqi efforts to persecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity. In addition, OTI is providing appropriate expert advice and technical assistance to key justice-focused institutions.
For further information, please contact:
Jeanne Briggs, Program Officer for Iraq, 202-712-5017, jbriggs@usaid.gov
|
