Middle East and North Africa Program Highlights 2010

As Yemen’s economic and security situation continued to deteriorate, the government halted its political reform process, and increased its violations of human rights and freedom of expression. Journalists were imprisoned, protestors were killed and political violence spread to many provinces. With NED support, local groups monitored and documented human rights violations, developed uncensored digital media, disseminated civic values, and advocated reforms to counter rising extremism. Women Journalists without Chains (WJWC) trained young activists to use new media to document and raise awareness of human rights violations, and continued to act as the country’s most vocal defender of freedom of the press and the right to peaceful assembly.

The West Bank and Gaza faced another year wracked by divisions that have retarded democratic reform. Despite a highly polarized and tight environment, NED reached out to independent groups with innovative projects to overcome frustration and stagnation. With NED support, the Holy Land Trust cultivated youth leadership to tackle community problems constructively and creatively.

In Lebanon, national politics and municipal elections were shadowed by communal tensions and a UN investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri. At the grassroots level, Lebanon’s vibrant civil society advocated an alternative to identity politics and launched civic campaigns on cross-communal social and economic concerns. Sho’oun Janoubia monthly magazine provided a critical space for marginalized voices to report on local developments, discuss community concerns, and promote greater engagement of women and youth.

Turkey made significant constitutional reforms towards European Union accession. But its rapid economic growth and political reforms were overshadowed by competing visions of national identity, religion and ethnic minorities. There is a noticeable level of acrimony between Turkey’s political parties that has increasingly negative ramifications for the country’s media, judiciary, and education system. NED supported advocacy campaigns and initiatives combating discrimination, as well as aid groups working to professionalize and protect independent journalism. NED also diversified and expanded its reach to rights-based NGOs outside of Istanbul and Ankara, and helped civil society benefit from the experiences of other transitional democracies.

Despite significant advances in empowering women and past efforts to redress violations of human rights, Morocco’s democratization process remains fragile and is facing setbacks, particularly in the areas of freedom of information and freedom of expression. The king’s powers remain absolute, and democratic institutions have little substantive authority. Economic and social problems and widespread corruption in the public sector further contribute to the fragility of the democratic transition. To address these challenges, NED continued to promote government accountability and local governance by encouraging greater collaboration between grassroots organizations and municipalities to achieve a participatory approach to policy-making as envisioned in the 2009 Municipal Act. All NED programs prioritize youth involvement and activism as a means to nurture the next generation of Moroccan civic leaders.

These highlights were written for the 2010 Annual Report, published in August 2011.