2007 Activities2007 Activities
OSI’s Middle East and North Africa Initiative in 2007 continued promoting human rights, women’s empowerment, education, and arts and culture in the Arab region. In the field of human rights, the initiative supported the monitoring of human rights violations; advocacy at the local, regional, and international levels; and improving public awareness of rights.
In Algeria, OSI supported the Collective of the Families of the Disappeared, an organization that advocates on behalf of the families of persons who disappeared in the country during the turmoil of the 1990s. The organization, which brought international attention to the issue by submitting a report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, continues to provide psychological assistance to families of victims and to press for the establishment of an independent truth and justice commission.
The Middle East Initiative supported the Kayan Feminist Organization, the only organization that provides legal services in an accessible and supportive manner to Palestinian women in Israel. Kayan promotes women’s rights by raising awareness of the law, especially the prohibitions on domestic violence, as well as personal status issues and employment rights.
In Egypt, OSI funded the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance to conduct research, undertake advocacy efforts, and build coalitions to combat violence against women. The center, which has formed a coalition of 65 nongovernmental organizations in southern Egypt, is one of the few organizations speaking out about incest, honor crimes, forced marriage, and deprivation of inheritance. It is encouraging the media, judiciary, and religious authorities to pay attention to these largely taboo topics.
The Middle East Initiative sponsored a first-of-its-kind regional workshop titled “Best Practices in Shelters and Services for Abused Women” in Amman, Jordan. The workshop was conducted by Karama, a regional Arab network that strengthens efforts to end violence against women, promotes regional cooperation, and breaks down the isolation Arab women’s organizations have suffered as they worked to combat domestic violence. Karama is a major partner of OSI’s International Women’s Program as well as the Middle East Initiative.
With significant technical assistance from OSI’s debate and early childhood programs, the Middle East Initiative continued to support the development of a wide-reaching and locally sustainable debate program among Palestinian youth in Israel in partnership with local nongovernmental organizations. The critical thinking, research, and rhetorical skills honed through debate are contributing to a more vibrant, open, and empowered Palestinian community.
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, an organization to which OSI has contributed significant financial and technical assistance, began providing support to artistic projects in the Arab region that cultivate creativity, independent thought, and regional exchange.
