USAID cooperative agreement no. ANE-0375-A-00-1027-00 with America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) in support of a project entitled development of democratic institutions

(AMIDEAST) to build its capacity to strengthen democratic institutions in the Middle East. The project will be implemented initially in six countries (to be selected from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen); another two countries may be added in year 2 (probably Algeria, and Syria or Yemen). While activities will vary according to the local context, the project will support USAID"s Near East Democratic Pluralism Initiatives (DPI) program, which aims to: (1) increase citizen participation in public policy formation by strengthening legislatures, municipal and local councils, political parties, electoral institutions, and constituent and/or public advocacy NGOs (business, labor, farmers, professional, tribal, etc); (2) promote the rule of law through efforts in judicial development, legal education, legal reform, and legal services, as well as by efforts to reduce official corruption and violent intergroup conflict; and (3) increase the free flow of public information by reducing censorship and encouraging independent journalism, strengthening journalistic ethics, increasing media professionalism, and making bureaucratic decision making more transparent. To these ends, AMIDEAST will: provide U.S. and in-region short-term education and training to leadership and staff of democratic institutions; arrange conferences, symposia, and workshops; support research and publications; arrange short-term TA; and procure limited materials and equipment for libraries and resource centers. Within 3 years, AMIDEAST hopes to establish largely self-financed, in-country DPI programs. This project includes funding for three new staff members (Program Director, Program Officer, and Administrative Assistant), to be based at AMIDEAST/Washington, as well as limited funding for seed activities in the region, including pilot activities already identified in Tunisia and development of a DPI program strategy in Lebanon.