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Contact: Patricia Coen (609) 258-5764
Date: March 13, 1997


Assistance to Post-conflict Regions
to be Discussed at Princeton

Princeton, N.J. -- Frederick Barton, director of USAID's office of Transition Initiatives, will speak on "Making a Difference: Post-conflict Political Development in Perspective" at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs on Monday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. in Robertson Hall, Bowl 2.

Barton is the first director of the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), which was established by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1994 to increase the relevance and impact of foreign aid to countries that have been through a crisis, including Haiti, Bosnia, and Rwanda. Described by Barton as "fast, flexible, and decentralized," OTI is proving that USAID can be an effective catalyst for fundamental political change.

In Haiti, for example, OTI developed more than 2,000 projects, including the retraining 5,000 soldiers for civilian professions. In Bosnia, the organization promoted pluralism through civic groups and media outlets. In Angola, OTI advanced peace negotiations through a demobilization plan and aided freedom of movement with de-mining activities. And in Rwanda, OTI helped promote public confidence by support for human rights monitors.

Barton had previously been a democracy trainer in Haiti, Poland, and Ethiopia, president of the Maine-based management consulting firm of Barton, Gingold, Eaton, and Anderson, and chair of Maine's Democratic Party.

His talk is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

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