2005 North Africa, Levant, and Egypt Programs

Algeria

Saadi Film Documentary: Algerian Women Today
Algerian film director Hocine Saadi produces and distributes a documentary film describing the life and achievements of four Algerian women. The women include the president of a non-governmental organization for the disabled, the publisher of an Arabic-language newspaper, the youngest deputy in the Algerian National Assembly, and one of the top newspaper editors in the country. Saadi uses this film to demonstrate how the role of Algerian women has changed since the violence that shook the country in the 1990s, as well as the ability of these women and others to affect positive change.

ASP Boudiaf: Acting for Social Development
This project strengthens the capacities of local NGOs working on democratic reform initiatives through training programs and targeted consultations. The program also helps establish networks between local NGOs and other members of civil society, government agencies, and the business community. The core of the program involves management and financial training for the managers of 40 NGOs working on such activities as human rights, women's rights, and youth activities, with follow-on consultations for 10 of the NGOs to ensure that they are being effective in their work.

Information and Documentation Center on Women's and Children's Rights (CIDDEF): Campaign to Sensitize Citizens to Political Party Positions on Women's Issues
This grant helps CIDDEF publicize the positions of Algerian political parties on issues such as domestic violence, women's health, and employment ahead of the 2007 elections. After soliciting party views using a custom-designed questionnaire, CIDDEF will coordinate eight radio broadcasts with party members and hold a press conference to discuss the results. The grant also funds the production and distribution of posters and fliers to educate citizens about party positions, stimulate interest in the elections, and provide concrete reasons for people to vote.

Egypt

El Nakib Center for Training and Democracy Support: Training Young Lawyers on Principles of Human Rights and Democracy
This grant creates a cadre of 120 trained lawyers specializing in human rights issues to contribute to the enhancement of human rights, civil society, and democracy. The training enables lawyers to better support civil society movements and institutions, monitor executive bodies, and assist their communities with democratic and human rights development efforts. In an effort to sustain this initiative, 20 lawyers chosen from each of the four training courses will participate in a training-of-trainers program.

The Land Center for Human Rights (LCHR): Supporting Farmers Rights
This project safeguards the political, economic, and social rights of local farmers by developing awareness and spurring public debate on farming issues, while increasing participation of farmers in the political reform process. LCHR organizes educational courses for 40 farmers in different rural areas, prepare and distribute publications on farmers' rights, and provide legal assistance. Training sessions conducted in rural governorates address issues such as creating farmers unions and the effects of trade agreements on farmers' rights.

The Afro-Egyptian Human Rights Organization (AEHRO): Know Your Rights — Ahna Ashab El Haq
Working through its civil society advocacy group Shayfeencom, AEHRO promotes democracy in action by launching a civic education campaign aimed at raising public awareness throughout Egyptian society on the importance of rule of law and an independent judiciary. The grant also funds grassroots organization of peaceful sit-ins, Internet-based outreach to university students and other youth, as well as innovative marketing tools designed to build awareness among the executive branch on the widespread demand for change.

Lebanon

International Education Association: Nabatieh Youth Center
This project provides informal education for 300 girls and boys between the ages of 12 and 17 from 30 schools with after-school activities designed to promote a better understanding of democracy. The program trains trainers to lead youth in activities that relate to improving their respective communities. Trainers will work with youth in groups, providing innovative instruction on such themes as the media and free press, internet technology, and protecting the environment.

Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS): Launching a Transitional Justice Program in Lebanon
This grant includes a series of roundtable discussions to bring together participants from government, academia, media, and civil society groups to develop suggestions for practical transitional justice programs. These programs focus on four themes: recognition of the past and truth seeking, building trust between the state and citizens, reconciliation and public healing, and memory and memorialization. The grant also brings the Common Ground film festival, a series of films that emphasize the common humanity shared by people in conflict, to Beirut.

Nahar Ash-Shabab Association: Shadow Government Project
This grant empowers Lebanese youth through projects focusing on political engagement and education. It offers 31 students from 21 universities the opportunity to form a shadow government to monitor political developments and act as a watchdog over the real government's performance. Through a combination of academic training and practical application, students will be encouraged to become more active citizens, with an eye toward a future role in the government.

Morocco

Association of Cooperation for Development and Culture (ACODEC): Women and the Family Code
This grant strengthens and increases awareness of the Moroccan family code, women's rights under the code, and the role of women in local development. Fifteen one-day workshops will target 240 women from the Oujda region, a rural area in great need of assistance. Workshops will be conducted concurrently with a literacy project organized by ADODEC, in partnership with the secretary of state for literacy.

Forum for Moroccan Women (Joussour) and Aquarium Theater Company: Women's Empowerment
Building on the success of a previous MEPI small grant, this project uses theatrical performances to explain the Moroccan family code in an entertaining and non-confrontational manner. Two tours of 10 performances each reach large audiences of women and men, many of whom are illiterate, in an effort to inform a larger and more diverse population about women's legal rights. Each performance ends with an educational discussion group.

Tunisia

Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tunisia: Democratic Decision-Making Process
This grant funds training sessions for 175 JCI presidents and some 2,500 local chapter members throughout the country on the importance of Robert's Rules of Order as part of the democratic process. The training sessions address topics such as how to run a democratic-style meeting, how to work effectively with difficult members, and how to better collaborate with government officials. The program infuses JCI's many young leaders with a better understanding of democratic principles, including parliamentary and legal practices.

Institute of Journalism in Tunisia (IPSI): Creating a University Newspaper
This second year of MEPI funding assists IPSI, which produces most of the journalists in Tunisia, to improve and further distribute a student-run newspaper. The project promotes analytical thinking and problem solving skills, empowers students to undertake projects of their own creation, and provides practical training for future journalists on topics such as objective reporting and freedom of expression. The grant funds the exchange of American and Tunisian professors and students to both countries.

Regional Small Grant

Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR): MENA Civil Society Partnership for Democracy Expertise Building (PAD)
This grant supports the establishment of the Al Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center (KDTC) as a regional partnership to strengthen democracy expertise in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The grant supports creation of a MENA democracy expertise roster and the preparation of country and regional assessment reports for six countries; coordination of a workshop to define KDTC strategies; organization of KDTC's first board of trustees meeting; and the development of action-oriented projects.