USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives’ (OTI) mission is to support U.S. foreign policy objectives by
helping local partners advance peace and democracy in priority countries in crises. Seizing critical
windows of opportunity, OTI works on the ground to provide fast flexible short-term assistance targeted at
key political transition and stabilization needs. OTI launched a program in Haiti, the Haiti Transition
Initiative (HTI), in May 2004 in response to the political turmoil surrounding the resignation of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004. OTI’s goal in Haiti was to “support a peaceful transition by
helping volatile communities create stability and progress.”