Gender Awareness Campaign - Female students lead a discussion in Tripoli

USAID

Bolstering responsive governance to support a more stable and unified Libya.

WHY USAID/OTI IS IN LIBYA

Despite Libya’s promising post-Arab Spring elections, the country’s political divisions derailed the transition and degraded the state’s authority. This led to conflict and a proliferation of smuggling networks, militias and extremist groups. Robust civilian governance offers a pathway to consolidate state institutions, resolve conflict and achieve a sustainable peace for the Libyan people. However, both national and local governments continue to lack the credibility and capacity to respond to citizens’ needs, and struggle to provide services to the people.

USAID/OTI’S ROLE IN LIBYA

USAID/OTI bolsters U.S. Government efforts to support a stable and unified Libya. A stable and unified Libya will reduce the ability of violent extremist groups to exploit local conflicts, operate unhindered, and allow Libyan authorities to more effectively combat the trafficking of goods and persons. USAID/OTI’s Libya Transition Initiative (LTI) strengthens the Libyan government’s credibility with its citizens by improving government’s responsiveness to the needs of communities. LTI research also shows that local reconciliation processes are integral to countering the appeal of extremist groups and to encouraging the recovery of areas previously under extremist control. To achieve this, LTI leverages timely and locally driven activities that support:

• Local authorities’ ability to carry out governance functions; 

• Boosting governance bodies’ public outreach capacities; and

• Reconciliation initiatives and training for communities to recognize and address drivers of violent extremism.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

USAID/OTI’s recent work capitalizes on more than five years of programming in-country and relationships with more than 160 local partners:

• Enabling municipal councils across the country to conduct high-visibility community service projects that open pathways for coordination with national ministries and opportunities for ongoing engagement with constituents;

• Inspiring and mobilizing civil society contributions to governance bodies as expressions of support for the authorities’ relevant and timely responses to community needs; and

• Reinforcing family relationships to counter violent extremism and support reconciliation of local conflicts that extremist groups have exploited in the past.