OTI Special Focus Areas: Overview
Since its creation in 1994, OTI has operated in 27 diverse settings across the globe, in every major region. As a result of this experience, OTI has learned many lessons about the possibilities and pitfalls of operating in highly charged and fluid transitional settings. One of the most important insights is that while transitions to democracy and transitions to peace may seem rather different, there are important similarities.
Foremost is that both types of transition are rare periods that provide opportunities to remake a society socially, economically, and politically. Successfully operating in such environments depends on the skill to size up fluid situations, the expertise to respond quickly with activities that have a high impact and produce rapid results, a willingness to accept the risks and scrutiny associated with high-profile projects launched in volatile conditions, and the ability to identify strong, committed local partners also willing to take risks. Given the importance of these orientations to its success in promoting transitions to democracy and transitions to peace, OTI has worked diligently to develop practices and procedures that ensure that they are engrained in every program.
While each OTI program is designed and carried out based on existing conditions on the ground and carefully monitored to ensure that OTI's modest resources are invested in those objectives and activities that have the best chance of promoting change, the following eleven focus areas capture much of OTI's work. All address OTI's goal of advancing peace and democracy in conflict-prone settings though the actual emphasis will vary from country program to country program depending on the identified objectives.
- Community-Based Approaches
- Media Programming
- Conflict Management and Peace Initiatives
- Civil Society Development
- Election Processes
- Civilian-Military Relations
- Decentralization
- Judicial/Human Rights Processes
- Reintegrating Ex-Combatants
- Transparency and Good Governance
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