University media students attend a debate to raise awareness about media-related issues and encourage accountability of the media to the public.

USAID

USAID promotes innovation in public service by providing in-kind competitive grants to address the governance and economic development needs identified by citizens, civil society and municipal governments. This program provides resources to municipalities with outstanding leadership that demonstrate commitment to engage citizens, promote economic development, and support the decentralization of local governance, yet lack the capital to realize their visions. The program implements activities that support local governments nationwide.  USAID works side by side with municipalities and unions of municipalities to expand their financial, human resource and project management capacities. 

Our impacts in this sector include:

• Support for the establishment of an environment hotline that received 5,000 complaints and provided solutions for 1,000 citizen complaints during its grant period; two years after the conclusion of USAID funding, the hotline is still operating and receives 150 to 200 calls each month.
• The successful efforts by women’s NGOs for a quota for women representatives in Parliament resulted in 104 of the then-current MPs committing their support and the inclusion of a quota for women candidates on electoral lists in the new election draft law formulated by the National Commission on Parliamentary Electoral Law and submitted to the Government of Lebanon in May 2006.