2006 Activities

The Middle East & North Africa Initiative (MENA) supports organizations that defend civil liberties among Israel’s Arab minority, and in 2006 it funded the visit of Palestinian educators and activists to Lithuania, Moldova, and Kosovo to explore how education quality for minority populations can be improved. MENA provided financial and technical support for Amman Net, an Internet radio station in Jordan that has helped the public understand and resolve pressing local issues such as bad drinking water, potholes, and petty corruption. The initiative joined with a number of individuals and organizations to establish the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, which will begin operations in 2007 relying mostly on funding from within the region.

The following briefs describe some of MENA’s activities and achievements in 2006.

Law Fellows Meet in Middle East to Exchange Experiences

The first Middle East gathering of Open Society Justice Initiative law fellows allowed lawyers from around the world to exchange experiences and discuss regional issues with local colleagues and activists. At a meeting in Cairo organized together with the Middle East & North Africa Initiative, participants reported progress in promoting the rule of law in the region, but found legal approaches are underutilized in addressing issues of democratic governance and development.

Groups Challenge Exploitation of Foreign Laborers

Labor rights activists for the first time brought pressure on Middle Eastern governments to examine and change their labor laws. A roundtable sponsored by the Middle East & North Africa Initiative brought together activists and government officials to discuss the situation of domestic workers and garment industry workers in Jordan, Lebanon, and the Gulf countries. The discussions helped spark wider interest by local human rights groups and international organizations in defending the fundamental rights of migrant laborers working in the Middle East.

New Effort Targets Violence Against Women

OSI collaborated with the organization V-Day to launch V-Day Karama, a three-year initiative to end violence against women in the Middle East and North Africa. The new program will raise awareness about the problem in nine countries.

University Networks Increase Access to Information

OSI established networks at university libraries in three countries to increase public access to information. Working with the Electronic Information for Libraries project, a consortium in transitional and developing countries supported by OSI’s Information Program, the initiative helped university libraries in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan build an electronic network that makes the online data of all three universities available to the public, particularly students and faculty.