EDITORIAL

Strengthening Links between Research and Policy Advocacy Among Grantees

The Arab Human Development Report paints a grim picture of a growing knowledge gap between the Arab region and the rest of the world, citing statistics that the Arab region publishes only 1.1 percent of the worlds books, translates fewer books annually than Spain, hosts high rates of illiteracy, and suffers from low national internet penetration rates from roughly 10 to 40 percent in 2009. Knowledge is necessary to achieving sustainable human development, which can be acquired by adapting the information available elsewhere, absorbing learning through universal education, and communicating findings using new technology. But how can this knowledge be transmitted when the freedom of press is muzzled in the Arab World, as our grantee, MADA, shows with its legal study of the Palestinian Territories press laws? How can knowledge be effectively implemented when over half of society is voiceless, as Attanweer and Development Dimensions Society shows of Yemeni and Pakistani women and the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace shows of local communities in Lebanon?

The Foundation for the Future strongly believes that our grantees have an important role to play in the creation of a knowledge society in the Arab region. As a Foundation, we conducted several field missions, mapping surveys and action-oriented research studies to identify the characteristics of a new Civil Society in a region in transition and better understand how to effectively make an impact in these new settings. On the other hand, we also supported many of our grantees in the production of research documents and publications for their beneficiaries, totaling over 50 major publications since our launch 6 years ago. We have long counseled our grantees on the importance of policy-oriented research, as it provides policy-makers with proof of the severity of a given problem, as well as providing a starting point upon which to build policy that inspires economic and social transformation. In this issue, we celebrate their contribution to the body of Arab knowledge in the fields of freedom of press, womens participation, local governance, and many other topics.

Respectfully yours, Nabila Hamza, President

INDEX
1- CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE BMENA REGION 2- ACTIVISTS 3- FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS 4- FFF ANNUAL REPORT LAUNCH 5- AGENDA 2-5 6-8 9-11 12 13

CIVIL SOCIETY IN BMENA REGION

CELEBRATING GRANTEE RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN 2012

Womens Political Participation, Legitimacy and Vision Development, Attanweer, Yemen The Second Legal Monitor Report for the Situation of Justice in Palestine, Musawa, Palestine Political Empowerment of Marginalized Yemeni Youth at the Local Government Level in Taiz, Al-Wadi al-Jadid, Yemen Freedom of Expression and Information between Theory and Practice, Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedom, Palestine Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Migrant Workers Caught Between Employers Abuse and Poor Implementation of the Law, Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights, Jordan Breaking the Silence!! Irregular Migrant Workers in Jordan: Between Marginalization and Integration, Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights, Jordan Promoting the Culture of Democracy within Lebanese Families, National Committee for the Follow up on Womens Issues, Lebanon Case Studies on Inclusion of Women Victims of Violence, Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Programme, Pakistan Expenditure Control in the Electoral Campaigns in the Arab World, FFF and Al-Badeel Studies and Research Center, Jordan The Role of CSOs in the Political Reform in Jordan, FFF, AECID and Center for Strategic Studies, Jordan Integrity, Transparency and Accountability in the Work of Civil Society Organizations, Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN), Palestine Public Concern at Local Level in Lebanon, Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace, Lebanon Prisons in Lebanon: Legislation, Rights and Recommendations, Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace, Lebanon Tolerance Values in Arab School Curriculums, Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies, Palestine Living Together, booklet by AFAK, combining different experiences and thoughts on how to live with each others differences, Algeria Human Rights Training Manual, SHAMS, Palestine Womens Awareness of Her Right of Inheritance, Zakher, Palestine Press and Cultural Freedom In Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine: Annual Report 2012, Samir Kassir Foundation

www.foundationforfuture.org

STUDY SUMMARY

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND INFORMATION BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE

Summary of a comparative legal study published by our Palestinian grantee MADA in 2012
Reporters Without Borders Freedom of Media Index from 2011 to 2012 ranks Palestine 153 out of 179 countries in terms of media freedom, considering it a nonfree state. Though the Palestinian government has committed itself to democratization and the promotion of human rights as a UN non-member observer state and a member of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, it often violates the freedom of expression guaranteed in Articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Freedom of press and expression is primarily limited by the Penal Code of 1960, the Press and Publications Law of 1995, and the Palestinian Basic Law, which is comparable to the Jordanian Constitution of 1952. Essentially, article 19 of the Palestinian Basic Law grants freedom of thought, conscience and expression and publication of his opinionsubject to observance of restrictions by law, without including the conditions for legal restrictions allowed by international law, namely, that the 1) restrictions be specified by law, 2) aim to achieve a legitimate and urgent interest, 3) be necessary to achieve this, and 4) be proportionate to the interest to be achieved. After a brief review of international legal norms governing freedom of expression, the report continues with a discussion of the philosophical basis for freedom of expression. According to philosopher John Stuart Mill, freedom of expression is necessary to discovering the truth, arguing that open public debate will discredit incorrect ideas. American founding father, James Madison, and professor Frederick Schauer argue that the freedom is speech is necessary to keep the government in check. Next, the report moves on to a comparative study of legal jurisprudence in democratic and non-democratic countries, comparing the Palestinian system to rulings from Egypt, the US, and the EU. Topics reviewed include the governments responsibility regarding facilitating access to information, the protection of information sources, coverage of legal trials, speech that incites violence, slander and libel, if public institutions can be subject to slander, the right to silence, and the necessity of clarifying vague laws that invite arbitrary interpretation. In the case of Palestine, the government licensing of new news outlets is limited by a high capital requirement and restrictions on editor-in-chief eligibility. Though prior censorship is theoretically abolished, Article 41 of the Press and Publications Law requires 4 copies of any non-periodical be filed with the Press and Publications Department before distribution. In terms of prohibited content, Article 7 prohibits the publication of material which may contradict the principles of freedom, national responsibility, human rights and the respect of truth and Article 37 prohibits material that harms national unity, which shakes belief in the national currency, secret information about the police, armed forces, Palestinian National Council or Council of Ministers, or which is inconsistent with morals. In addition, Article 278 of the Penal Code of 1960 limits the publication or the expression of anything that would insult anothers religion. Though publishers are only required to reveal their sources by order of the court, in slander and libel cases, the burden falls on the publisher to prove their claims true, essentially requiring the divulgence of sources for evidence. Several of these prohibitions prescribe corresponding punishments, including fines and imprisonment of up to three years, although at least Article 15 of the Basic Law defines punishment as personal, making only the writer criminally responsible and not the publisher, editor-in-chief, or owner of the publication. The report concludes by giving recommendations to improve freedom of expression in Palestine. These include reviewing the legal system to ensure the separation of powers and judicial independence, educating judges on human rights precedents, eliminating corporal punishment for libel and slander cases and media licensing requirements, clarifying vague legal phrasing, guaranteeing the right to information, and protecting journalists legally.

www.foundationforfuture.org

STUDY SUMMARY

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION FOR WOMEN: LEGITIMACY AND DEVELOPMENTAL VISION

Summary of womens political training booklet distributed by Yemeni grantee Attanweer in 2012
Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world with high rates of illiteracy and infant mortality, all of which impede womens political participation. On the other hand, women are able to drive, unlike their Saudi counterparts, and have served as Ministers of Human Rights, Social Affairs and Labor, Health, and Education, though few women have been nominated by their parties to run in the parliamentary and local elections. Yemen has also signed all international declarations supporting womens equal participation in public life. In 2003, the date of the last parliamentary elections, about 72.4% of eligible women registered to vote as opposed to 75.4% of eligible men, though women only made up 41.2% of the total voters on election day. Women are on an equal footing with men and as half of society, they must be involved in the political process and economic development in order for society to reach its full capacity. Therefore, discrimination against women must be eliminated and there should be no distinction between womens political and social involvement. This is especially necessary when considering the Islamic basis of female political participation. In the time of the prophet, women were involved in all aspects of public life, and were expected to be cultured, interested in public affairs and political movements, and know the difference between right and wrong. The report elaborates on this point with a number of Quranic citations. There are many ways that women can participate politically, including as a voter, candidate, advisor, legislator, administrator, and leader. She can also participate in clubs or local affairs or otherwise indirectly affect public policy, political decisions, and leaders choices. Women should recognize that it is not necessary for everyone to serve in political ofce to be politically active, but she can also simply show an interest in public affairs or join in political activities. Though there are many barriers to womens participation in Yemen, one of the possible solutions are quotas. Quotas are a common solution in many other countries, though they are imperfect, since women still do not achieve the same representation as their share of the population would demand. At least female representatives can use their position to raise the concerns of women to the public policy level. Though some argue that quotas detract from the rights of voters or bring to power female representatives who do not have leadership qualications, in Yemen, voters choose party rosters rather than candidates, it is up to the party to nd qualied women who would serve their goals well.

www.foundationforfuture.org

STUDY SUMMARY

PUBLIC CONCERN AT LOCAL LEVEL IN LEBANON: INITIATIVE, PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Summary of local governance project ndings published by grantee Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace in (2012)

In Lebanon, all is politicized. Even municipal improvements become stalled in an atmosphere of party and family rivalry, blinding residents to the mutual benets of projects like water, sewage, and beautication. Municipal problems can be seen as trivial in comparison to national problems like poverty and corruption, but in fact, corruption is best tackled from the bottom, in neighborhood schools, buildings, and streets. In addition, municipal governments are seen as formal institutions whose only function is to impose penalties and taxes on citizens, rather than as an organizer of community life, with families equally affected by the municipalities successes and failures.
Today the Lebanese Foundatin for Permanent Civil Peace (LFPCP) has turned to local governance projects to unite Lebanese communities and hold local public institutions to account. With its project entitled Strengthening Unity and Participation at Local Level: Initiatives for Participation and Citizenship in 8 Selected Lebanese Localities, the organization conducted needs assessment polls among 100 citizens and held four town hall meetings in each of the 8 target villages. The town hall meetings consisted of women, youth, civilians, activists, local ofcials, and religious leaders, and were deliberately kept to a small number of around 50 participants to encourage active participation and dialogue. During these meetings, attendees discussed various community needs and proposed projects to address

those needs, and in the end, each village chose two projects to carry out with the technical and nancial assistance of LFPCP. Selected projects included, among others, writing a city tourist guide, raising bees for honey, undertaking recycling and environmental protection initiatives, holding a youth summer camp, and training local journalists. In partnership with other funders, LFPCP followed up on their successful project by publishing a resource guide for local government and citizen committees and by disseminating legal and technical information on municipal laws to interested public and private sector actors. For a program like this to be successful, projects must be of a small enough scale to be accomplished by the citizens themselves rather than the public sector. The citizens benetting from the project must be involved in its implementation, rather than serving private or exclusive interests. Finally, sustainability must be ensured with projects that will change behavior and will involve youth. Municipalities themselves should take the initiative to call town hall meetings to open channels of communication between public ofcials and citizens and raise awareness on both sides of community needs. All must be understood as an integral member of the community, with an equal voice in its development.

www.foundationforfuture.org

ACTIVISTS

CREDIBLE DATA FOR BETTER POLICY IMPACT

Interview with Mr. Tahir Mahmood, Director of Planning Research & Development, at our Pakistani grantee, Development Dimensions Society. The organization is currently researching the reasons for low young female voter turnout in the country and advocating for policies to encourage participation.

1)

Tell us about your Smart Vote Project

Project Smart Vote II is an awareness and civic educational program for voting rights, targeted to young women between the ages of 18-35 in Lahore and Kasur districts of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Local community leaders, women-led organizations, women rights groups, women unions, school teachers, parents, media, caregivers and members of the local government employees will be engaged in the project activities through Smart Youth Groups (SYG). During previous interventions in the targeted districts, young women were engaged in the similar activities but their level of participation was very low. This project provides young women with trainings and advocacy tools on leadership, community mobilization, and sustaining the Smart Youth Groups so that they can share their knowledge of the democratic process and voting with their peers.

The Smart Vote II project conducted research on 1,500 young women to identify the causes for low female voter turnout and to create linkages among civil society, political parties, and other stakeholders that can engage with elected representatives and relevant public bodies to work for higher female voter turnout. They will be encouraged to properly implement existing laws and to make new ones when needed to increase the low female voter turnout in electoral process. 2) Why is research such an important part of the project? Even though most of the reasons identied in the report are somehow already known, to address the issues, it was necessary to have credible data for stakeholders to have better impact and a starting point to address the issues in the pre-election period. Post-election, Development Dimensions Society (DDS) will utilize its Smart Youth Groups to strengthen advocacy and awareness around the research ndings and recommendations.

www.foundationforfuture.org

3) Is much research being done in a similar eld to yours that you can use for reference and collaborate with, or are you the rst ones? General elections in Pakistan were held in Pakistan on 11th of May 2013, so a number of national and international government and non-government organizations were conducting research and survey to back their point of view within their own context and target audience. DDS has instead focused its research on young women (18-35) from the urban Lahore and rural Kasur districts, regardless of their income and education level. 4) How is the research conducted? Have steps been taken to include marginalized portions of the population, such as illiterate or impoverished respondents? Research had been conducted through the following steps: 1. Two survey forms were developed. a. Survey form for young women both in English and Urdu b. Survey tool for gathering recommendations from political partys representatives and civil society representatives. 2. Data collections was mainly done by the research associates from two districts by the following: a. Reaching university and college students in their institutes b. Door-to-door data collection to cater to marginalized, rural communities c. Engaging local women groups, women labor groups, and youth groups for their members participation 3. 500 forms from Kasur district and 1,000 forms from Lahore district were collected. 4. Results of the data analysis were shared by the Smart Youth Groups with different political party representatives and civil society representatives during 3 consultative workshops and the resulting recommendations were incorporated in the nal report 5) What have been some of the most important/ surprising ndings of the research thus far? Are the reasons for not voting substantially different from one respondent to another or from one village to another?

There are surprising ndings, though the issues were the same across the survey sample: Educated young women are more willing to take part in electoral process than those who are less educated or illiterate. Though women mentioned verbally that they often voted as their fathers or husbands dictitated, when lling out the survey, this was not mentioned. The biggest reason for not voting is the lack of National Identication Cards. Even though it is national law that everyone should get their government CNIC cards at the age of 18, common perception is that this is unnecessary for women beyond admission or settlement of property. Many women had difculty registering themselves as voters with the election commissions of Pakistan. For those who were registered, either because of voting previously or being entered automatically upon receiving their computerized National Identity Card, it was hard for them to access information about their polling station locations.

www.foundationforfuture.org

6) Do you think your research can affect policy? If so, how? Do policy-makers put much importance on the research or do they think it is somewhat useless? During Consultative workshops, the research report was shared with elected representatives. Elected representatives showed their full support to implement the ndings of the research report on the assembly oors. For sustainability, SYG members will be linked with female provincial assembly members, who will than take up matters on the assembly oor. During the rst meeting of SYG held in the Lahore district, one of the newly elected

female Provincial Assembly members, Mrs. Kawal Noman, was invited as a guest speaker. She shared her experience as a rst-time elected representative and showed her full support for presenting the recommendations of the research report to the oor. A National Assembly member, Mrs Shaista Pervaiz, was also invited to present her partys perspective and recommendations based on research data ndings and present the issue to her party at the national and provincial levels.

www.foundationforfuture.org

FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS

NEWLY BOOMING TUNISIAN CIVIL SOCIETY FOCUS OF RECENT MAPPING STUDY

On March 25th, the Foundation for the Future launched its civil society mapping study at an event held in Tunis, Tunisia. To add to the recent research conducted since the revolution by organizations like the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights, UNDP, the Commission of the European Union in Tunisia and the African Development Bank, the Foundation surveyed a representative sample of nascent Tunisian NGOs about their strengths, weaknesses, focus, and relationship with the government. This information will serve useful for future funding efforts that are beginning to pour into the country, particularly the Foundation for the Future as it formulates future capacity-building and grant-making strategies. The event welcomed 50 representatives of local CSOs, donors, INGOs, and consultants and was covered by three newspapers and one radio station.

ARAB WOMEN MUST BE INCLUDED IN PLANS FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
From April 3rd-5th, the OECDs headquarters in Paris hosted an expert workshop on Dening and Measuring Inclusive Growth for Shared Prosperity and a Global Forum on Development, featuring discussions by renowned experts and leading policy-makers focusing on the global development agenda beyond 2015. Although the whole world is suffering from an economic crisis, some groups feel it more acutely than others as the gap between rich and poor increases, both in OECD countries and in developing economies. Speaking of the importance of including women in development schemes, Ms. Hamza said in her intervention: Inclusive growth is also about raising womens economic participationThere is a paradox in gender equality in the MENA region: while, for the most part, MENA countries have made admirable progress in closing gender gaps in education and health outcomes, these investments in human development have not yet translated into commensurately higher rates of female participation in economic and political life.

www.foundationforfuture.org

BRAINSTORMING WAYS DONORS CAN FORWARD DEMOCRACY IN MENA AT THE ANNA LINDH FOUNDATIONS SUMMIT
From April 4th to 7th in the French city of Marseille, 1500 citizens from the Euro-Mediterranean region, representing youth leaders, civil society, non-state actors, parliamentarians, and elected ofcials gathered to debate the top issues facing the Euro-Med region today and build the foundation for further regional partnerships. Ms. Hamza was asked to comment in the session titled Partnerships with Civil Society: From Policies to Practice on the extent of civil society and donors participation in national and regional decision-making processes in the wake of the Arab Spring, and what steps might be taken to improve that dialogue. This is the time to force cooperation between governments and civil society, she said.

FFF SUPPORTS NEW CIVICUS STUDY ON THE STATE OF CIVIL SOCIETY

On Tuesday, April 9th, Foundation President Ms. Nabila Hamza joined other CIVICUS Board Members at the United Nations headquarters in New York to discuss the launch of the 2013 State of Civil Society Report, particularly the link between an enabling environment for civil society and the successful implementation and integration of key global development agendas. In the days prior to this panel discussion, Ms. Hamza joined the CIVICUS Board of Directors in a regular meeting to nalize the CIVICUS 2013-2017 Annual Strategy.

www.foundationforfuture.org

10

FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS

LIBYA AND TUNISIA OFFICES TACKLE POLITICAL VIOLENCE, SUPPORT NASCENT CSOS
On April 1st, the Foundation for the Future held a meeting on political violence in Tunisia and how civil society can combat it. The meeting welcomed 50 participants from a variety of civil society groups and political ideologies, including the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights and the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, and was an opportunity for the representatives to meet their counterparts. Ms. Nabila Hamza opened the session with a speech on Tunisias failure to achieve pluralism, a failure that threatens the countrys post-revolutionary unity and encourages violence. She warned that Islamic discourse was not the only one calling for further fanaticism and violence, and pointed to dialogue between civil society and politicians as well as within civil society itself as the only means to combat social violence. In the month of May, the Tunis ofce held two leadership trainings for the womens conventions of two major trade unions in the country, UGTT and UTICA. The trainings were held in Northwestern El Kef and Southwestern Tozeur and welcomed 40 women in total. 8 workshops and 2 conferences will inspire womens political leadership within the union and later to public ofce. In addition, 20 CSOs from throughout southern Tunisia were invited to the islands of Djerba to take part in a training on human rights violations reporting. The training covered international human rights agreements, data collection, reporting at a national and international level, and the difference between monitoring and reporting. Finally, 24 CSOs specializing in local governance in addition to local and national public authorities will be trained in the participatory budgeting process by renowned Senegalese trainer Mr. Bachir Kanoute. The Foundations grantees have also seen a number of successes in the past few months. 1) Association Tunisienne des Urbanistes held 2 townhalls for citizens, civil society, and public authorities to brainstorm a new strategic development plan for the town of Siliana. 2) Ingenieurs Sans Frontieres held 3 days of workshops in Tarbake for 30 youth activists on ethics and anti-corruption. 3) La Ruche de la Citoyennete Active held 2 townhalls that brought together public authorities and civil society to open channels of communication on good local governance

In early June, the Foundation for the Future sponsored a mission to Libya to sign the rst three of its seed grantee agreements with organizations working on constitutional and human rights awareness as well as the eradication of racial discrimination. These organizations were based in Tripoli, Mirzeq, and Zawiya and have already benetted from FFFs training on project management and proposal writing. Given that the regulations governing civil society in Libya are still in ux, the delegation visited the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Civil Society to speak with Mr. Abdel Salam Sabri Sharif, Undersecretary of Civil Society, on the Foundations plans. In the next month, the Foundation will be holding a training on internal governance for 15 nascent CSOs.

www.foundationforfuture.org

11

FFF ANNUAL REPORT LAUNCH

How has Civil Society changed over the past two years? Read our 2012 Annual Report and nd out!
Features: * Country Summaries * 2012 in numbers * Interactive timeline * Report on Foundation Support of Debate, Dialogue, Network ing, Grant-making, Capacitybuilding, and Advocacy * Challenges Ahead

Find the PDF Reports on our Website

Press and Cultural Freedom In Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine Annual Report 2012 Samir Kassir Foundation
(EN/ FR/ AR)

www.foundationforfuture.org

12

AGENDA Reform-oriented Knowledge Amid Political Transitions: The Role of Think Tanks in Supporting Policy Dialogue and Consensus Building July 2-4, Amman
More details: communication@foundationforfuture.org

Release of Project Coming Soon!

Libyan CSOs Mapping

More details: communication@foundationforfuture.org

Al Badeel Study Launch Jordanian Youth Movement June 18, Amman

More details: communication@foundationforfuture.org

S TAY C O N N E C T E D
FFF on Facebook

foundationforfuture

Follow us on Twitter

@Foundationff

Watch on You Tube

fffcommunication

www.foundationforfuture.org

13