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9 ways USAID strengthens democracy [photo gallery]
11 MINUTE READ
September 27, 2021

The U.S. Agency for International Development works with countries and communities around the world to promote democracy and human rights, including advancing protections for the LGBTQI+ community in Georgia (above).

This photo gallery captures some of the many ways USAID supports democracy. Programs in Serbia, Ukraine, Jordan, Iraq, Mongolia and Jamaica are highlighted in these photos, all winners and finalists of the 2021 USAID Democracy, Human Rights and Governance photo contest.

A person standing next to a solar panel in a field.
2021 DRG Photo Contest second place winner. / USAID ACCESS Program

In 2019 and 2020, USAID helped bring internet access to remote mountainous communities in Georgia for 1,291 people. This was a challenging feat, as much of northern and eastern Georgia is isolated from the rest of the country.

Promoting accountability in Serbia

2021 DRG Photo Contest third place winner. / Jelena Popovic, USAID/Serbia 3. Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Serbia: The “Red Badges” initiative, supported by USAID’s Civic Action for Accountability rapid response program, organized a guerrilla campaign in front of the Smederevo City Assembly in Serbia in order to raise awareness about the negative consequences of polluted air in February 2021. Activists left 223 pairs of shoes as a tribute to all those who passed away within one year as a result of air pollution.
2021 DRG Photo Contest third place winner. / Jelena Popovic, USAID/Serbia

The USAID-backed “Red Badges” initiative left 223 pairs of shoes in front of the Smederevo Municipal Assembly in Serbia in February 2021 as a tribute to those who died in a year because of air pollution. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of local authorities’ inaccurate reporting about air conditions in Smederevo.

Curbing COVID-19 during Ukrainian elections

2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Roman Shalamov, IFES 4. Ukrainians Face Down COVID-19: In October 2020, Ukrainians faced down the COVID-19 pandemic to vote in local elections. These were the first nationwide local elections involving more than 1,400 newly consolidated communities. To help promote democratic electoral processes, the USAID support focused on electoral administration, civil society, media, and decentralization.
2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Roman Shalamov, IFES

USAID helped train more than 8,000 local election commissioners on measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when Ukrainians went to the polls in October 2020. The elections were the first nationwide local elections involving more than 1,400 newly consolidated communities. An analysis after the elections showed no spikes in COVID-19 cases that could be attributed to election day itself.

Improving service delivery in Jordan

 

2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Omar Khiyami, Trademark contracted by USAID CITIES 5. Supporting Service Delivery and Economic Development in Jordan: On May 18, Asma Arabiyat, a young engineer, pointed at old buildings in Al-Salt City, Jordan, a USAID partner municipality located 22 miles north of Amman, while holding a street naming and building numbering map. With the expansion of new neighborhoods, buildings, and streets, the USAID CITIES project supported 99 municipalities in Jordan with street names and building numbering maps and installed 5,062 street signs and 153,625 building numbers. This facilitates service delivery and fosters economic development by making the delivery of goods and services more efficient through the use of GPS navigation and location-based services.
2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Omar Khiyami, Trademark contracted by USAID CITIES

The USAID CITIES project worked with 99 municipalities in Jordan to install 5,062 street signs and 153,625 building numbers. This helps improve the quality of the cities’ maps and makes it easier for delivery and other location-based services to use GPS navigation systems.

Providing reliable drinking water in Iraq

2021 DRG Photo Contest Finalist. / Maria Lourdes Luces, IGPA/Takamul Project 6. Streamlining Operations for Better Service Delivery in Iraq: Located in Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Ifraz Water Treatment Plant provides clean water to over one million citizens in the urban and rural areas, as well as to vulnerable populations, including those living in the refugee camps. This photo depicts a USAID-trained technician on March 26, 2018, adjusting the water intake settings at the water plant, according to the new operations and maintenance protocol.
2021 DRG Photo Contest Finalist. / Maria Lourdes Luces, IGPA/Takamul Project

USAID is helping water directorates in Iraq provide reliable access to potable water by reengineering the water system’s workflow and operations. Above, a USAID-trained technician adjusts the water intake settings at the Ifraz Water Treatment Plant, which supplies water to more than 1 million citizens.

Stressing importance of voting in Iraq

2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Ibtisam Rahmatallah, IRI 7. Educating Community Leaders on the Importance of Voting in Iraq: In preparation for the anticipated elections in October 2021, USAID has been supporting seminars in rural Iraqi villages to educate community leaders — including prominent tribal sheikhs, mayors, professors, and clerics — on the importance of voting and their role in encouraging other residents to participate in the democratic process. One seminar (pictured), held in Hawija village in Kirkuk on September 20, 2020, was organized outside to ensure safe COVID-19 protocols, with participants seated on rugs in a traditional manner that fostered discussion.
2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Ibtisam Rahmatallah, IRI

USAID sponsored seminars in rural Iraqi villages to educate community leaders — including prominent tribal sheikhs, mayors, professors and clerics — on the importance of voting and their role in encouraging other residents to vote. The seminar above was held in Hawija, in Kirkuk, on September 20, 2020, and organized outside to ensure safe COVID-19 protocols.

Helping legislators engage constituents in Mongolia

2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / International Republican Institute 8. Promoting Legislative Strengthening Capacity in Mongolia: In collaboration with the State Great Hural’s Parliamentary Research Institute (PRI) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, USAID hosted a workshop in May 2021, to strengthen the capacity of parliament members (MPs) and staff on citizen engagement in the legislative process. Participants included 12 MPs, the Senior Advisor to the Speaker, the General Secretary of the Parliament, and more than 50 officials. The event was the latest in a series of USAID-supported workshops on legislative transparency, and utilizing both traditional media and new digital platforms to engage constituents, as well as best practices and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / International Republican Institute

Working with the State Great Hural’s Parliamentary Research Institute in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, USAID provided parliament members and staff tips for using both traditional media and new digital platforms to engage constituents. USAID also shared best practices and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Promoting alternatives to at-risk youth in Jamaica

2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Marie Bellon, Senior Program Officer 9. Promoting Alternatives to At-Risk Youth in Jamaica: Jamaica’s homicide rate is currently the highest in the Latin America and Caribbean region — with the primary source of social and community violence stemming from gangs and youth violence. In response, USAID is implementing activities in several high-crime communities, strengthening select government agencies, civil society organizations, and private entities that work to advance youth crime and violence prevention in hot spot communities. In this photo, Jamaicans Krystal Yates, Nicholas McKenzie, Deavournie Wright, and Oniel Ferron unwind with a domino game after a skills training session at the USAID-supported Forward Step Foundation in St. Catherine, October 28, 2019. The USAID-funded activity offers at-risk youth an alternative to crime through skills training in music production and jewelry making.
2021 DRG Photo Contest finalist. / Marie Bellon, Senior Program Officer

Above, several young people unwind with a domino game after a skills training session at the USAID-supported Forward Step Foundation in St. Catherine, Jamaica. The program offers at-risk Jamaican youth an alternative to crime through training in music production and jewelry making.

This article abridges a longer article USAID published on Medium.