USAID/OTI East Timor Program Description
FY2001 Budget - $10,967,000
The USAID program in East Timor supports two key strategic objectives: strengthening democratic institutions and promoting economic recovery. OTI's goal in East Timor is to help secure and encourage a political, social and economic environment conducive to the democratic nation building process.
The USAID democracy and governance assistance program centers on support in four areas: new national and local legislative and executive bodies; the justice sector; local and national-level civil society; and the media. The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) works closely with the democracy program in implementing activities in civil society strengthening, media development, rule of law, and pilot projects in community policing and civilian-military relations.
The USAID economic growth assistance program focuses on agricultural development and trade. This includes support for Cooperative Café Timor (CCT), a federation of Timorese-owned organic coffee cooperatives, through a technical assistance grant to the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA). OTI activities focus on economic recovery and stabilization. The program includes small innovative grants with a view toward supporting the development of more diversified income sources during the current transition phase. The program also includes supporting policy analysis, advocacy, and capacity building for key economic transition issues.
Currently, OTI's activities are targeted on the following areas:
- Civil Society: Activities are targeted towards increasing their participation in the political transition and the development of a peaceful and democratic society. OTI supports organizations engaged in reconciliation, human rights, women's rights and leadership training, and good governance.
- Media Development: OTI's media programs are aimed at increasing the flow of information to communities in East Timor to contribute to transparency and participation in the nation building process, as well as to address communal anxieties caused by lack of information.
- Rule of Law: OTI supports efforts to build institutions critical to fostering justice and human rights, as well as furthering citizen understanding of and ability to access the judicial system. Given the widespread lack of understanding about the justice system and legal code, information and outreach activities are critically important.
- Civilian-Military Relations: OTI's programs are focused on the democratic development of the security sector through confidence-building, education and capacity-developing activities for civilians withing society and within newly elected governing bodies.
- Economic Recovery: OTI grants support local economic organizations, financial intermediaries, business associations, socially conscious enterprises and informal groups along with government and advocacy groups. In addition to East Timorese organizations and groups, OTI supports international organizations with an established presence and core funding from other sources to support economic recovery, particularly when they work with OTI's local partners. The approach is to facilitate the groundwork for longer-term development interventions, and to fill the gaps as other funding comes on line.
OTI's implementing partner in East Timor is Development Alternatives International (DAI).OTI plans to hand-over the East Timor program portfolio to USAID in September 2002.
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