Goal:

Reduce the risk of instability and increase resilience to violent extremism in the Sahel.

Life of Program:

11/2011-10/2016

Total USAID Funding:

USD 61,655,800

Geographic Focus:

Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger

Implementing Partner:

International Relief and Development (IRD)

Program Description:

The Peace through Development II project (PDEV II) assists communities in Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso to reduce their risk of instability and increase their resilience to violent extremism. PDEV II applies a holistic, community-led approach to address socioeconomic, political and cultural drivers of violent extremism. PDEV II focuses particularly on addressing the concerns of young men and women, who are at greatest risk of being targeted or recruited by violent extremist organizations.

Program Objectives:

• Empower youth through activities and trainings focused on civic education,  vocational and entrepreneurial skills and leadership
• Foster moderate (non-extremist) voices and attitudes through radio, social media, civic education and conflict resolution events
• Strengthen civil society through trainings and capacity building activities focused on advocacy skills, citizen-led accountability initiatives and issue-based campaigns integrated with radio and social media 
• Improve local governance through activities that build the capacity of local governance institutions and increase citizen participation in local government

Program Highlights:

• Reached over 3,000,000 people from groups at-risk of violent extremism through media activities promoting peaceful conflict resolution and moderate voices
• Trained over 1,400 community and religious leaders on conflict mitigation and resolution skills
• Reached over 35,000 people through civic education, moderate voice promotion, and youth empowerment themed events
• Trained over 1,000 government and community leaders on administrative and fiscal management skills to support decentralization efforts