USAID/OTI Iraq Fact Sheet
August 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. The Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI) worked closely with the Coalition Provisional Authority and after the transfer of sovereignty continues to work closely with the Iraqi Interim Government and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. ITI identifies and fills crucial gaps in the U.S. Government’s assistance efforts at national and local levels and increases public support for the Interim Government. ITI provides 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 1460 small grants in various stages of development, totaling more than $109 million. ITI’s activities focus primarily on areas crucial to the development of Iraqi democracy, e.g. civic education, civil society, media, women’s participation, good governance, conflict mitigation, human rights and transitional justice.
Current Program Activities
Civic Education, Civil Society, Media, and Women: Nationally, ITI supports efforts to expand citizens’ understanding of and participation in the establishment of Iraqi institutions. Civic education and media outreach initiatives are used to inform the public about the constitutional process, election planning, and the transition to democracy. Locally, ITI helps to enhance citizen participation in governance by identifying and supporting new local government and civil society groups, especially women’s and youth groups, and human rights organizations. Using small grants, ITI projects engage communities and emerging Iraqi leaders and encourage them to address local priority needs together.
Conflict Mitigation: ITI focuses small grant activities on current or potential conflict areas, using participatory methods to manage and mitigate sources of tension. For these initiatives, ITI draws heavily upon its close working relationship with U.S. Military, Civil Affairs, and other Coalition Forces present in areas prone to or experiencing conflict. For example, ITI is working closely with the U.S. Army First Cavalry Division in priority areas of Baghdad. ITI and the 1st Cavalry’s joint efforts target immediate assistance to unstable neighborhoods. These activities are being replicated in other conflict-prone areas around the country.
Human Rights and Transitional Justice: ITI supports a wide range of activities related to human rights and transitional justice, coordinating closely with the U.S. Embassy and the Department of Justice. ITI activities in this area have included: funding nascent human rights organizations to take the lead on human rights advocacy in Iraq, increasing the capacity of the Ministry of Human Rights, supporting activities that assist the Iraqi people in accounting for and moving beyond past atrocities committed in Iraq, providing support for the establishment of the Iraqi Special Tribunal, and supporting the Iraqi commission to set up to handle property disputes.
For further information, please contact:
Jeanne Briggs, Program Officer for Iraq, 202-712-5017, jbriggs@usaid.gov
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