USAID/Russia Assesses North Caucasus Program
Following a recent two-day conflict programming training in Moscow led by experts from USAID/Washington, USAID/Russia sent an eight-member team to the North Caucasus to conduct an on-the-ground assessment of program opportunities in the region. The goals of the assessment were to: consolidate USAID’s knowledge of the regional context; develop a proposed five-year strategic results framework for USAID’s work in the North Caucasus; and put forth recommendations on emerging assistance opportunities in the region and on USAID management, oversight, and coordination of programs in the North Caucasus.
The team visited the Republics of North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, Adygeya, Karachayevo-Cherkessk, Kabardino-Balkaria, and also spent several days in Krasnodarsk and Stavropolsk Krais. Team members met with a variety of government officials, donors, journalists, human rights activists, NGO leaders, youth groups, community and business leaders, and farmers. Despite the need for special security measures, the team found a number of effective assistance efforts underway and envisions a range of new efforts to help breakdown the isolation of the region, create jobs, and further develop mixed communities, thus reducing the drivers for violence and conflict in the region.
The complete assessment is slated to be submitted to the USAID Mission Director on January 19, 2009.
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| USAID’s Mark Hannafin (far left) and Jim Carlson (far right) participate in a tree planting in Dagestan to commemorate a new partnership among the International Rescue Committee, a dairy cooperative, and a dairy processing plant that will open new markets for the products of local farmers. |
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