OTI Mission Statement

In support of US foreign policy, OTI seizes emerging windows of opportunity in the political landscape to promote stability, peace, and democracy by catalyzing local initiatives through adaptive and agile programming.

Since 1994, OTI, part of USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, has laid the foundation for long-term development in conflict-prone countries by promoting reconciliation, jumpstarting local economies, supporting nascent independent media, and fostering peace and democracy through innovative programming. In countries undergoing a transition from authoritarianism to democracy, violent conflict to peace, or pivotal political events and natural disasters, initiatives serve as catalysts for positive political change. 

OTI works closely with regional bureaus, missions, and other counterparts to identify programs that complement other assistance efforts and lay a foundation for longer-term development. OTI programs often are initiated in fragile states that have not reached the stability needed to initiate longer-term development programs. OTI strategies and programs are developed and designed to meet the unique needs of each situation.

OTI is currently operating in Burma, northern Cameroon, Colombia, Honduras, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine.  Programs are designed to impact the country’s transition and are not limited to particular sectors.