USAID/OTI Macedonia Program Fact Sheet
FY 2002 Budget - $10,400,000
FY 2003 Budget - $6,600,000
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office
of Transition Initiatives (OTI) began its Macedonia Program
in October 2001, after a political settlement brought the
country’s armed conflict to an end. OTI’s Confidence
Building Initiative (CBI) is a two-year program designed to
mitigate political and ethnic tensions during the implementation
of the Framework Agreement. CBI supports the rapid implementation
of community-identified and prioritized projects as well as
other confidence building activities to allow time for political
reforms to take place.
CBI’s objectives are fourfold: to support positive,
community-based interaction among diverse groups of people;
to promote citizen participation in community decision-making;
to foster transparency, responsiveness and accountability
in the relationship between citizens and local government;
and to increase citizen access to balanced information and
diverse points of view. CBI works at the local level to bring
together diverse groups of citizens to identify shared priorities
and to help their communities develop and implement confidence-building
projects designed to reduce tensions.
The International Organization for Migration, OTI's implementing
partner, manages five field offices in Bitola, Kicevo, Kocani,
Skopje and Tetovo. In its first year, CBI funded 300 Confidence
Building grants.
Program activities include:
- Community Initiative Grants: CBI assists
informal groups of citizens in identifying their community’s
shared priorities and finding constructive ways to address
them. Community identified and implemented projects, such
as rehabilitation of schools and community centers, are
a means to encourage cooperation among diverse groups and
promote more participatory decision-making at the local
level.
- Civil Society and Local Governance Grants: CBI
works with locally elected leaders to facilitate more effective
relationships between citizens and their local governments
in order to address issues of common concern. CBI simultaneously
supports formal civil society groups, such as local associations
and non-governmental organizations, to promote participatory
decision-making at the local level, improve citizen access
to local government institutions and encourage constructive
community engagement.
- Media Grants: CBI supports a wide range of media
activities including print and electronic news media, film,
music, cultural performances and other artistic means of
communication and expression. Media grants are designed
to increase confidence and reduce tensions through the dissemination
of balanced information and the promotion of positive examples
of multicultural cooperation. Media coverage is also integrated
into other CBI projects to amplify their scope and influence,
both locally and nationally.
- Other Confidence Building Measures: In order to
reduce tensions, CBI remains flexible in the types of activities
it can support. Its quickly disbursed grant funds and flexible
programmatic approach permit the rapid re-targeting of resources
to respond to emergency humanitarian needs, if necessary.
For more information, contact Carlisle
Levine, Europe and Eurasia Program Manager.
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