Regional Programs
EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT
- USAID has trained more than 4,000 young people in the region in leadership activities.
- USAID has strengthened civil society efforts to fight corruption by supporting four National Integrity Systems Studies.
- USAID has trained over 200 journalists, contributing to a more professional media that provides citizens with accurate and balanced information.
CONTACTS
Office Director
Jim Harmon
USAID
1/A Ahmed Kamel off El-Laselki
New Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: 20-2-2522-6846
OMEP Desk Officer
Christopher Kisco
Tel: (202) 712-1027
Email: ckisco@usaid.gov
The University, a USAID-supported youth drama, premiered throughout the Middle East and North Africa in December 2010. The program promotes positive messages of tolerance, critical thinking, and common values for success in a global society. (Photo: Al Karma Edutainment) Overview
The United States has long supported a prosperous, stable, and democratic Middle East and North Africa. USAID's Office of Middle East Programs, based in Cairo, Egypt, seeks to advance peace and prosperity for the citizens of the Middle East and North Africa. It works on regional and transboundary programs that empower youth, promote a culture of democracy, and improve water governance. Regional programs are intended to complement USAID's country-specific programs and increase their impact. USAID is establishing a Regional Partnership for Culture and Development, which supports the dissemination of regional research on development issues, shares best practices and lessons learned from international development programs, and provides a forum for knowledge sharing and intellectual innovation.
Programs
Peace and Security
The Middle East and North Africa faces a demographic explosion. More than half of the region's population is under the age of 24, and more than one-quarter of its young people are unemployed. This massive youth bulge is both an opportunity and a challenge. USAID invests in young people so they have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to succeed in today's society. This includes investing in leaders and role models, supporting educational media, and offering practical and job-related training and opportunities.
Working closely with an Arab production firm and a regional satellite broadcaster, USAID completed production for a full season of a compelling social drama, The University, for youth audiences. The drama’s main messages are designed to build tolerance, promote critical thinking, and encourage common values for success in a global society. The University premiered throughout the region in December 2010 on the Middle East Broadcast Corporation network.
USAID's Mentouri University Partnership program seeks to expand job opportunities for Algerian graduates by strengthening business training and job placement programs at Algeria’s Mentouri University through a U.S. university partnership. The Peace Scholars program brought 47 promising young leaders from across the region to the United States for one year of undergraduate study. The program emphasized leadership, community service, and opportunities to explore America’s culture and values.
Talented young leaders must be nurtured and encouraged. In partnership with local organizations, USAID programs have supported training, activities, and networks that develop the potential of promising young men and women to contribute to their communities. USAID provided grants to civic leaders carrying out creative programs that make a significant impact on their communities. USAID has also worked across borders to mobilize Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian champions to help restore the Lower Jordan River and to show that they can achieve important results by working together.
Governing Justly and Democratically
Corruption diverts billions of dollars from social services and development. It also drains the credibility and legitimacy of governments and political leadership. Addressing this issue requires a culture of democracy that values pluralism, participation, and accountability. USAID works with civil society and the media to strengthen regional linkages and increase access to information.
USAID supports a regional network of anticorruption activists analyzing the legal environment for corruption and creating tools to advocate for more transparent systems. A new regional NGO/Media Networks program builds connections among civil society and media practitioners in the region to improve their effectiveness. Freedom of information enables citizens to hold governments accountable for public services and just governance.
Investing In People
In the Middle East and North Africa, water is used faster than it can be replenished. Host to 5 percent of the world's population, the region has only 1 percent of the world's renewable fresh water.
USAID equips professionals in the region with the tools they need to better manage scarce water resources. In partnership with NASA and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, USAID uses satellite remote sensing to collect water data to provide policy makers and managers with accurate information upon which to base water resource management decisions and address the impacts of climate change.
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