The Middle East Partnership Initiative
The U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative provides tangible support to reformers in the region so democracy can spread, education can thrive, economies can grow, and women can be empowered. The U.S. has devoted more than $293 million in four years to support reform through the Middle East Partnership Initiative, in addition to other significant U.S. investments in the region. Get more information about MEPI.

U.S. Agency for International Development
USAID’s historic partnership and collaboration with the higher education community has repeatedly demonstrated that institutions of higher education are important engines of development, economic growth, good governance, and healthy societies. The community’s contributions in the areas of training, applied research, program evaluation, policy analysis, and program implementation have been critical to USAID’s portfolio. USAID has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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Get more information about USAID's Democracy and Governance Office.

USAID and MEPI Civic Education Activities in the Near East and North Africa
In 2002, USAID/DG launched a major initiative to advance civic education programs in the formal education systems (K-12) of selected countries. Broadly, civic education refers to efforts to instill in students and communities the knowledge, skills and values that are necessary for effective civic participation. Civic participation is linked to the recognition by individual citizens that they are responsible not only for themselves and their immediate families, but also for their communities, be they local, national or global. Civic education provides citizens with the tools they need to make a difference in the civic life of their community.During the past several years, particular priority has been given to programs in the Near East/North Africa region, where there has been little investment in civic education for youth.

Initial activities supported by the USAID/DG Office include pilot projects, conferences of civic educators, and visits for educators to observe civic education programs. These endeavors supported the incorporation and expansion of innovative civic education programs into a number of countries in the Near East/North Africa region. Two of the flagship programs are Project Citizen and Foundations of Democracy, both of which were developed by the Center for Civic Education. These programs are aimed at elementary and secondary school populations; however, they have also been used at the university level and with out-of-school populations.

An important 2002 conference in Amman, Jordan, funded by USAID/DG, brought together educators from ten Arab countries to discuss civic education. The delegates promoted the idea of establishing an Arab Civitas regional organization to support the introduction of pedagogies and curricula that feature active learning for civic engagement. Shortly thereafter, MEPI funded the establishment of a regional headquarters in Amman, Jordan to support expansion of Arab Civitas throughout the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on introducing Project Citizen and Foundations of Democracy programs. Pilot projects with MEPI support were underway with Project Citizen in eight Near East and North African countries by 2004.