The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is a United States State Department program that fosters meaningful and effective partnerships between citizens, civil society, the private sector, and governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to resolve local challenges and promote shared interests in the areas of participatory governance and economic opportunity and reform.
Focusing on promoting stability and prosperity in the region, MEPI supports partnerships through projects that are responsive to emerging opportunities by being field-driven, applying evidence-based decision-making, and designing results-oriented projects.
Four of MEPI's most prominent leadership programs are its annual Student Leaders program that brings students from all over the MENA region to participate in an intensive leadership training course of approximately 5 weeks in the United States, its Leaders for Democracy Fellowship program that provides early and mid-career professionals from the MENA region with the opportunity to complete training in participatory governance, conflict resolution, and political mobilization and communication, and its Tomorrow's Leaders undergraduate and graduate program which provides scholarships to promising, under-served students from the MENA region through accredited regional institutions.
Assistance objectives
Participatory governance
MEPI advances participatory governance in viewing citizens' role as direct deliberative engagement with decision-makers and processes. Broader citizen participation in governance ensures inclusive decision-making and transparent political processes, promotes stability and enhances citizen confidence in government. MEPI empowers citizens to engage with governments in shaping their demands for services and opportunities on the local, regional, and national levels. MEPI bolsters civil society to effectively interact with government officials to increase their responsiveness to citizen needs and with citizens to channel their participation in decision-making. MEPI supports government officials' efforts to increase their engagement with and responsiveness to citizens to resolve issues of shared concern. Increase citizens' civic engagement to foster partnership and mutually beneficial dialogue with civil society and public officials. Strengthen individuals, including youth, with knowledge and skills to advocate for their interests at all levels of government. Utilize MEPI leadership training programs to provide economically disadvantaged individuals the opportunities to build their leadership skills to effectively engage with civil society, the private sector, and/or government actors. Professionalize civil society organizations and build their organizational and communication capacity to connect effectively with decision makers and/or citizens. Strengthen civil society's ability to act as a credible mediator between governments and citizens, and channel citizens' concerns in an effective manner. Enhance governments' efforts to be representative of, responsive to, and trusted by their citizens. Support governments' efforts to increase their transparency, access, and accountability. Increase women's representation in government institutions, and promote their civic and political participation.