Iraq
Ensuring Iraqi Communities Benefit from Local Oil Wealth
When you arrive in Basra in southern Iraq for the first time, all you are able to see is desert and the occasional smoke plumes from the oil fields. The city of Basra has a storied history that ranges from a possible site for the Garden of Eden to being the hometown of Sinbad the sailor, but years of civil unrest have turned it into a gray and melancholy place. At least on the surface. When you look closely, you will see that the city is full of life. Children are everywhere-they run and play, laughing and shrieking in family parks that have recently popped up around the city. The busiest of all is a newly completed family park in Al Nashwa, a working class neighborhood of Basra. The beautiful, green park, opened a few months ago- complete with tricycles and benches- has brought a splash of color and hope to the children and families of this hardscrabble district. As day stretches into night, the warm natural light fades and is replaced by the cool light of overhead solar lamps. Children boast of their clean playground, families linger, chatting and relaxing —comfortable in the safety of the well-illuminated grounds.
The solar-lit park is the product of a partnership between an international oil company and the local community in Al Nashwa. But it wouldn’t be what it is today without USAID’s efforts training a local community action group that wanted to do more in its community.
Representatives from an oil company and Al Nashwa community preside over the opening ceremony for the family park and solar lighting installation. Photo Credit: Mercy Corps
The company had originally proposed the installing solar street lighting to benefit pedestrians and drivers. However, in the course of engaging with the community and the USAID-trained community action group, another more pressing need was identified: creating a safe place for children and families to spend time. Working together, the community was able to prioritize their needs and present the project to the potential donor.
This successful partnership between an oil company and the Al Nashwa community has inspired further collaboration in Basra on significant infrastructure projects, such as road expansion and crosswalks.
USAID’s Community Action Program is the model being used to ensure community participation in the processes that shape projects sponsored by the international oil companies and the local government. Since 2003, the program has worked with Iraqi communities to assist them in identifying and prioritizing their needs while promoting improved engagement with local governments and other stakeholders.
In Al Zubair, initial discussions between an international oil company and the USAID-trained local community action group identified unemployed widows as a priority for the community. The company agreed to fund a sewing cooperative that would give training and equipment to 15 disadvantaged local women. The project suits needs all around: not only can the company save time and money by having company uniforms produced locally, but the women can earn income and gain valuable sewing, embroidery, and business management skills. In the coming months, the Al Zubair sewing cooperative hopes to find new clients with the growing oil industry in Basra. (more…)
From the Field
In Iraq, we will be participating for the first time in the Baghdad International Trade Fair. Seventeen countries total will be in participation. We are planning a powerful social media campaign to engage with visitors about opportunities to partner with U.S. companies and USAID. We are anticipating half a million visitors to the fair.
In Uganda, on our Embassy YouTube page, we recently posted an interview with a successful women farmer who benefited from a USAID program which guaranteed a loan that allowed her to start her own seed business. Click here to hear her story.
Why Development and Diplomacy Matter in National Security
U.S. national security rests on three pillars: Diplomacy, Development, and Defense. Although other departments and agencies of the U.S. government certainly contribute to the nation’s security, these three Ds, represented by the Department of State (State), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Department of Defense (DoD or Defense) provide the foundation for promoting and protecting U.S. interests abroad. Each represents a critical component of national security with unique roles and responsibilities. The functions performed by each of the “three Ds” provide greatest value to the nation when they are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
State and USAID’s diplomats and development experts work hand-in-glove with their military counterparts to promote growth and foster stability. They don’t think about which subcommittee funded them or what their respective agency budget allocations are. All they know is that they work together, with a common purpose, and often in dangerous and deadly environments. We need a budget that reflects that reality.
Here are some examples of the integration of our civilian and military efforts in some of the most critical areas around the world:
In Afghanistan, USAID programs are designed to support US foreign policy, with military stabilization programs informed by USAID technical expertise. Funding is provided by USAID/Kabul for Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) activities in the field as well as national-level programs. It would be physically impossible for USAID to operate independently in Afghanistan without close military support. USAID field program officers serve alongside military counterparts in forward operating bases and PRTs, where they undertake jointly planned civil affairs and quick-impact development programs. (more…)
From the Field
In Batticaloa, Sri Lanka we held a friendly cricket tournament between youth from the East and South to mark International Peace Day.
In Jaffna, Sri Lanka we opened a collection center and distributed “freezer trucks” to farmers as part of USAID’s public-private alliances program. This hand over of equipment, tools and grants will improve productivity and profitability of fruit and vegetable cultivation in the conflict-affected Northern Province. These partnerships will not only provide employment to young men and women in the conflict-affected districts but also offer training and social integration among members of diverse ethnic groups.
In Vavuniya, Sri Lanka under our Office of Transition Initiatives program, we will hand over a large truck to recently resettled farmers in the North in a bid to enhance their marketing potential and to foster relations between the North and the South. Farmers will also receive water pumps and sprinklers on a credit basis.
In Iraq, as part of an ongoing effort to improve local governance and build local capacity, we held a competition for the best District Council website. The websites will evaluated based on their content quality and quantity, layout/ organization, update frequency, and objectivity/reliability.
In Jordan, as part of our water resources management program, we began work at a new wastewater treatment plant. Jordan is one of the ten most water-deprived countries in the world. The treatment plant will help improve the health and environmental conditions of the surrounding areas.
In the Ukraine, we will hold a 10th Anniversary celebration of Telekritika, a key media watchdog in Ukraine and a long-standing USAID partner. The celebration includes award ceremony to honor TV producers and TV journalists whose activities represent the highest ethical reporting standards to strengthening independent media in Ukraine.
From the Field
In Serbia, we held a launch event for an environmental joint initiative to reform waste management practices and achieve a sustainable long-term solution for waste management. The initiative is designed to strengthen the work of civil society organizations who are focusing on this issue. The group consists of five core members: the Center of Modern Skills, Young Researchers of Serbia, Yurom Center Nis, Group 484, and the European Movement in Serbia.
In Iraq, to commemorate International Literacy Day, we handed out 1,200 certificates to women who have graduated from the Women’s Awareness and Inclusion Program. The program provides basic literacy courses for women in south Iraq. Over 23,000 women have participated in the program to date.
In Sri Lanka, we opened a garment factory as part of USAID’s Public Private Alliances program that allows USAID to work collaboratively with the private sector to create job opportunities, jump start economic growth in former conflict areas and help build lasting peace. This partnership will not only provide employment to young men and women in the conflict-affected district of Ampara, it will also promote training and on the job interaction among members of diverse ethnic groups in the area.
The Role of Honor Related Violence in Sex Trafficking
In many societies, maintaining family and personal honor is integral to upholding cultural norms. The burden of upholding such honor codes weighs more heavily on women and girls. In countries such as Iraq, programs designed to combat human trafficking must address severe cultural stigmas about honor in conjunction with protection and prosecution efforts.
Female victims of sex trafficking are often detained and charged with prostitution. They generally spend six months incarcerated before their cases are heard. Photo Credit: Kamaran Najm/ Metrography
Vian* was 14-years old when her neighbor Ahmed, an 18-year old police officer, persuaded her to have a relationship with him by promising to marry her. Their relationship only lasted a short period before Ahmed ended things, threatening Vian that he would kill her if she told anyone about them. When Vian’s father became suspicious, he beat her and demanded to know if she was in a relationship. Fearing for her safety, because the relationship, if discovered, would damage her family’s honor, Vian asked for Ahmed’s help in running away. Ahmed tried to take Vian to Iran, but she escaped by taxi to another city to look for her friend’s house. The taxi driver drove her to a brothel where Vian was forced into prostitution. Several months later the police arrested and detained her and charged her with engaging in prostitution. Once in jail, Vian learned she was pregnant.
Iraqi women and girls are expected to uphold the honor of the family and tribe by adhering to rigid sexual and social norms. Though not an exhaustive list of reasons, common breaches of these norms include perceived or real actions such as premarital sex, adultery, divorce or exercising freedom of choice in selecting a marriage partner. Honor related violence is widely viewed by Iraqi society and the law as justified when it’s in response to what is deemed immoral behavior. Retribution takes the form of ‘honor’ killings, forced marriage – including to rapists, – and severe restrictions on the mobility of women and girls. (more…)
Empowering Women in Iraq through Literacy Program
To commemorate International Literacy Day, USAID/Iraq, through its Community Action Program, handed out 1,200 certificates to the graduates of women literacy program called “Women’s Awareness and Inclusion Program (WAI)”.
USAID’s Women’s Awareness and Inclusion (WAI) program, implemented across the southern provinces of Basra, Dhi Qar, Muthanna and Mayson, empowers women through literacy and social inclusion programs. With over 23,000 participants since 2005, USAID supports women in shaping Iraq’s future by providing one-year basic literacy and numeracy trainings which are supplemented with educational modules on cultural and social awareness topics, such as democracy and governance, human and women’s rights, needs identification and prioritization – vital tools for women, as they work to become powerful advocates and leaders in their communities.
Elderly student takes her final literacy exam to qualify for graduation. Photo Credit: Mercy Corps
Many women in Iraq are unable to independently read and complete forms, do basic arithmetic and money management, help their children with schoolwork, and participate meaningfully in basic household and community decision-making. The official government statistics say that 29.2% of Iraqi women living in rural areas, between the ages of 15-49, have never received any basic education and are unable to read and write. This statistic does not reflect the number of women and girls who were unable to attend school in the last six years due to violence and insecurity in their communities, or those who received some schooling, but dropped out due to cultural, economic or security restraints.
As a result of their lack of education, Iraqi women struggle to engage meaningfully with their communities, advocate for their needs and those of their families, obtain employment, utilize public services and participate in the governance process. Their voices are often lost in elections, and in conversations about social and political issues and they are practically excluded from helping to shape today’s Iraq. In order to truly engage in community and in national decision-making, Iraqi women need the knowledge and skills learned through basic education.
To begin responding to this need, USAID, together with its implementing partner Mercy Corps, piloted its Women’s Awareness and Inclusion Program (WAI) in Maysan governorate of south Iraq in 2005, as part of its Community Action Program (CAP). Beginning as a “Literacy Campaign for Women”, the small program was met by increasing demand from women and community leaders and continued to expand in response to this overwhelming level of interest.
Today, over 10,000 women and teenage girls are enrolled in the program through 226 WAI centers across the southern governorates of Basra, Maysan, Muthanna and Thi Qar. The WAI program provides women with the basic literacy and numeracy skills they need to become involved in their communities and engaged in the governance process. Community support for the program has been strong, and provincial-level Departments of Education have contributed to the initiative through the donation of school facilities, textbooks and supplies.
In addition to empowering beneficiary women, this program provides an opportunity to work with and build the capacity of women-led and women-focused NGOs in South Iraq, helping them to provide quality services to women.
Benefits cited by participants include the ability to read and write without assistance, negotiate better prices in the markets and assist their children with schoolwork. Participants also reported higher levels of self-confidence and independence as well as an increased ability to participate in household decision-making. This information has been obtained through beneficiary interviews, small-scale surveys and periodic focus group discussions with participating women.
From the Field
Our weekly feature highlighting upcoming events at USAID Missions around the globe.
In East Africa, The East African Community (EAC) will hold a regional consultative forum on Electronic Single Window Systems in East Africa. EAC is a regional intergovernmental organization of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Burundi EAC. A Single Window System is a trade system that improves cross-border trade efficiency by streamlining customs information flows. You can read more about Single Window Systems (pdf, 331 KB) from the United Nations.
In Iraq, we will hold a Youth Employability Skills Training for beneficiaries of USAID’s Iraqi Youth Initiative. The Iraqi Youth Initiative provides training in basic English, computer operation, interview skills, and business etiquette to prepare participants for interviews with local sponsors who offer three-month apprenticeship positions.
As Featured in FrontLines: Many Paths to Better Health
Kelly Ramundo is Managing Editor for FrontLines Magazine.
The U.S. Government, through USAID and other agencies, is working with the developing world to improve health care and health outcomes on myriad fronts. When it comes to improving global health, there is no magic elixir. Instead, progress comes by way of the compounded hard work of dedicated professionals across sectors and regions. Although paths may diverge along with way, the goal is shared: saving and improving lives worldwide.
Mass vaccination campaigns using the new vaccine reached nearly 20 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Photo Credit: Gabe Bienczycki
From keeping life-saving health care facilities on the electrical grid in Haiti, to contributing to the decade-long quest for an epidemic meningitis vaccine in Africa, to partnering with the government of Swaziland to ensure that a crippling HIV_AIDS epidemic does not become a legacy of future generations, to building up the capacity of Iraq’s civil Service, USAID’s efforts are having an impact in line with our nation’s values and true to our mission of contributing to a more stable and secure world.
Visit the current edition of FrontLines for these and more stories on the various paths USAID is helping to forge to improve global health and shape a better future in Iraq.
USAID in the News
Weekly Briefing (5/16/2011–5/20/2011)
May 16 AFP reported that the Central Bank of Iraq, with support from USAID, will be working to bring mobile banking to Iraqis. USAID is working to unify Iraq’s banking system, where only one fifth of Iraqis have bank accounts, while 70 percent have mobile phones.
May 17 MSNBC reported that USAID recently appointed four new members to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD). The seven member board is a presidentially-appointed advisory committee whose primary role is to advise and assist the USAID Administrator on food security-related issues and the role of higher education in international agricultural development.
May 19 Voice of America wrote that at a special State Department press briefing to discuss the future of Sudan, USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah stated how the two states can become economically viable. “They need to reinvest in agriculture, which continues to be the area of employment for 80 percent of the population.”
