Human Rights At the Heart of Change Building Resources and knowledge, strengthening civil society actors

 

 Grant duration : from July 1, 2011 to July 30, 2013

Funding organisation :

Open Society Foundations (OSF) 

Summary/ introduction:

The important recent changes in the Arab region, mainly the revolutionary process in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, the movement of protests in other countries (Algeria, Bahrain, Morocco, and briefly in Oman) have created a new positive context of real coming democratic transition, after decades of dictatorships, lack of democracy and human rights, with no rule of pacific change of power, and no political participation for citizens.

Under the effect of these two revolutions and the important changes already resulted in both Tunisia and Egypt, and as a consequence of ongoing movement of protests in the other countries, a "context of democratic opening" is being established, and the governments of concerned countries (e.g. Algeria, Morocco, Bahrain, Syria, Oman) are promising deeper political and social reforms to their populations.

The reforms, either achieved by the new "revolutionary governments" or implemented by the existing governments in the framework of the reforms promised by most of them, should include human rights and gender equality on a universal based approach as a major component of the democratization process. This may include a large scale of initiatives, like ratification of international human rights conventions (especially the CEDAW convention, the convention on forced disappearance, the Internal Penal Court convention, and others, etc.), the modification of national legislation in adequacy with international human rights instruments, the establishment of national human rights protection plans and mechanisms, etc.

Civil society organizations (human rights organizations, women rights organizations, labor trade unions, lawyers associations, etc.) played, directly or indirectly, an effective role in these movements and in the achievement of this process of reforms. On the other hand, the changes in Tunisia, and the expected changes in the other countries of the Arab region, opened large perspectives for the emergence of a large number of independent and effective civil society organizations, young bloggers groups, initiatives of artists and movements of citizenship.

It is important to emphasize that civil society that is, at the same time, a component and an actor of the democratic process. In the same time, successful transition to democracy depends at a large scale on an effective contribution of civil society organizations. As part of the emerging new actors within the civil society, a large number of CSOs have been created and played an important role during the protests, and during the first transitional phase. These new actors aim actually to play a role in the transition to democracy, and initiatives and programs should be conducted in order to include them in the transitional democratic process.

However, an assessment of the CSOs situation shows that actions are needed mainly in the field of capacity building (especially for the new created CSO). Collaboration and networking is also of the most important field of action. Training on democracy transition, work plans and strategies related to democratic changes are also necessary.

AIHR is distinctively positioned to undertake a re-granting project and support civil society due to its thematic expertise, positioning, and institutional capacity.

The AIHR is aiming through the activities planned within this project to contribute to the transitional democratic process by focusing on Building strong human rights voices, including organizations (already established and newly created), initiatives, and individuals for democratic transition.

The duration of the project is 24 months and is being realized in Tunisia to the benefit of new CSOs, initiatives and social actors.

AIHR identified for this project four specific objectives that are being achieved through a series of activities:

I. – Supporting CSOs through a re-granting programme

Methodology:

The new context imposes a new work methodology. The AIHR capitalized all its activities made after the revolution to identify the NGOs, associations and the new actors with whom we will be working and that was realised through the public debates organized in different areas all over the country, many training sessions, meetings, seminars ...

After being identified, the AIHR organised with NGOs representatives, individual meeting and forms and questionnaires were elaborated and distributed to the new CSOs. That was the fist step of collecting information. We proceeded after that to make a capacity evaluation of those selected CSOs by co-organizing several activities in different regions of Tunisia and by re-granting some of those actors through a small grants program. It is also through this capacity evaluation that we identified the needs and priorities of the emerging civil society which is directly linked to the population's needs, observing and evaluating if those CSOs are making a change in their own local environment.

Our work methodology is based on integrated and inclusive approach through the mentoring of new CSO s using participatory methods.

According to the needs of civil society organizations during this period the AIHR aimed through re-granting at supporting 20 national and sub-national NGOs, associations and informal groups in Tunisia. Two main types of grants were planned:

First, Thematic projects closely connected to the main issue of democratic transition and participation.

Second, non thematic projects focusing on enhancing the organizational capacities and sustainability of civil society actors and programs, as well as building alliances and networks and increasing coordination and collaboration between different actors and sectors within civil society. This kind of support is helping civil society organizations and other actors in order to ensure sustainability for these organizations and actors.

Selection process:

In preparation to the granting process, a scientific committee was created. It is composed by experts and civil society activists from Tunisia and the Arab region. The members of the scientific committee are: Mrs. Soumicha Riyaha (Morocco); Mrs. Joumana Marhi (Lebanon); Mrs. Rola Badran (Lebanon), Mr. Yousry Mustapha (Egypt) and re-granting project coordinators from the AIHR.

The scientific committee has met twice. First on the 7th and 8th of October 2011, in which the working methodology and the agenda was set. Second on the 19th and 20th of December 2011 and dealt with elaborating selection criteria and the content of the call for proposal.

The scientific committee has a consultative role concerning the content and the methodologies of the projects, contribution to the elaboration of those projects by identifying the needs, planning and defining the tools of their implementation as well as following up this implementation and contributing to projects sustainability.

Selection criteria were determined during the two committee meetings.

Re-granting Criteria :

Priority is given to newly established NGOs, and NGOs active on the ground and to projects to be implemented in regions outside the capital. Other criteria are used: existence of formal structure of direction (board of directors), existence of regular report of activities, especially financial reports. The projects targeting women, the youth and rural areas are encouraged.

The criteria of selection combine between theorical criteria, mainly related to reference to universal approach and principals of human rights and democracy, and to more practical criteria related to the existence of formal structures, the ability of working on the ground, the ability for networking and outreach of the projects. The involvement in the democratic transition process should be one of the most important criteria.

The activities include conferences, publications to be disseminated to the targeted population, campaigns, training activities, and artistic initiatives, realized with creative and non traditional tools.

The selection of the proposals was achieved by the scientific committee composed of national and regional experts and the team of the project.

This re-granting project team is ensuring the follow-up, the accompanying of the implementation, and the assistance of the grantees for achieving their projects. Regular contacts; meetings and discussions were done between this team and the grantees.

In preparation to the granting process, a model of project proposal and financial budget was sent to those NGO's with the necessary explanations to help those NGO's in drafting their request for funding. AIHR held several meetings with those NGO's in order to clarify the objectives of the projects, the definition of the specific objectives of the proposed project and to define the suitable activities regarding target groups and beneficiaries. The project financial officer and the project coordinator with the assistance of the other AIHR staff ensure a permanent follow – up and assistance to the persons in charge of implementing the new project whether through direct meetings or by email, phone and Skype.

The criteria of selection were as follows:

- New Organization/initiatives who worked with AIHR and cooperated in implementing some activities in the regions,

- New Organizations/initiatives who benefited from AIHR training activities,

- New Organizations/initiatives who benefited from AIHR small grants and proved capacity of execution of projects.

- Creative proposals using non-traditional tools,

- Proposals including participatory approach.

- Outreach

In preparation to the granting process, a model of project proposal and financial budget was sent to NGO's with the necessary explanations to help those NGO's drafting their request for funding. AIHR held several meetings with those NGO's in order to refine the projects.

During the first phase of the projec, ,AIHR received 35 proposals and identified as a first step 8 programs that will benefit from the sub grants.

Supported projects are those focusing on one or more of the following topics:

1. Participatory democracy

2. Local democracy

3. Empowerment of marginalized groups

4. Empowerment of young people in democratic participation

5. Political empowerment of women

6. Media role in enhancing participation

7. Education and democratic participation

8. Citizenship and democratic participation

Map organizations granted :

According to the Call for proposals, 11 projects obtained the support of the Arab Institute for Human Rights. Dealing with those projects the main issue of them is raising the awareness of the values of citizenship and dissemination of the culture of human rights especially in the marginalized areas. While the subject was common among the different projects, the strategies of work and intervention are various according to the identity of each association and the field of intervention which allowed a diversity of the mechanisms of work.

Grants awarded can be summarized as follows:

1- Human Rights civil society capacity building program in Southern Tunisia - AIHR program in the South of Tunisia

The project consists on creating a kind of umbrella for emerging CSOs in the south in order to building their capacity and improving their participation to the democratic transition.

Background/ program -initiative: Thinking about this project began right after:

• The field visit performed by the « Commission to support Relief efforts for refugees in the south of Tunisia » in August 2011.

• Trainings and activities organized by the AIHR in southern governorates of Tunisia.

• Transition open forum held at Tatouine on December 10th 2011.

• Emerging civil society identification

• Needs' assessment

• Working with potential CSO's on targeted projects such as child's rights

• Establishing material resources and ways of managing projects

• Identification of an interesting human force that exists in these regions and that showed willingness to provide efforts in order to make up significant civic and social changes.

Main objective: Empowerment of the newest civil society in southern Tunisia in order to succeed the democratic transitional process.

Activities:

 Training sessions

 Public debates

 In-schools cultural activities

 Human Rights' week

 National conférences

Duration:

16 months.

Regions: 6 governorates in the South of Tunisia

• Medenine

• Tataouine

• Gabes

• Gafsa

• Kebili

• Tozeur

2- Program on Human Rights and citizenship in schools – AIHR program in the North of Tunisia (Bizerte)

This project consists on arming educational program in Tunisia by Human Rights and Citizenship through training educators, elaborating educational courseware based on human rights and creating clubs of citizenship in the educational establishments.

Background/ program initiative: AIHR signed a partnership convention with the Tunisian education Ministry in order to create clubs of citizenship in schools aiming to promote Human Rights' culture amongst young pupils and teenagers. This convention encouraged the establishment of a program in the North of Tunisia (Bizerte) on human rights and citizenship in schools. This program will facilitate the collaboration between the educators, the formal education institutions and the pupils.

Main objective: Insure an education of future generations integrating the values of human rights and citizenship.

Activities:

 National Forum about the role of school in emerging human rights culture.

 Training sessions

 Artistic workshops

 Practical workshops conducted by the teachers-trainers with the pupils

 TOT's sessions for educators

 Critical studies of the educational curricula and proposed alternatives

 Elaboration of educational courseware and training units based on human rights

 Establishing open space for free expression, creativity and debates animated by amatory artists and young jobless

Duration:

12 months.

Regions:

All over Tunisia

3- Documentary Caravan – documentary and citizenship : "Cinq sur cinq productions" initiative: -

Cinematographic and cultural festivals under the title of "Caravan documentary- Documentary and citizenship":

Background initiative:

• Role of Audio-visual tools used by young people during the Tunisian revolution.

• Creating regional media

• Success of the experimental phase and the documentary festival organized in the south (Tozeur) on December 2011 and in the North (Tazarka) in July 2011.

Main objective: Dissemination of the values of citizenship through audiovisual culture.

Activities:

 Documentaries festival throughout the country

 Workshops introducing the public to practice a kind of broadcasting inspired from reality

 Helping out youth from different regions to make up documentaries and films about their specific environment.

 Thematic movies projections followed by debates

Regions:

All over Tunisia

Duration:

12 months.

4- Kindergarten of Human Rights/ Research and studies club in Hammet Gabes:

Opening Kindergarten in the benefit of low-income families with a specific program about children's rights and human rights.

Background initiative:

• High school incubators prices

• 150,000 pupils do not pass annually

• High number of Koranic incubators with low price and with absence of modern pedagogical approaches to teaching children

• A new law that organizes the school incubators sector.

Main objective: make possible to the children from poor families in the industrial zone of Gabes briefing educational and psychological culture based on human and children rights.

Activities:

 Artistic clubs in the incubator

 Internet and computer education

 Educational and recreational trips

 Sport

 Workshop with the parents of the children

Regions:

Gabes/Southern Tunisia

Duration:

12 months.

5- Cybernet of Human Rights « Rights@net »/Challenge Association.

The project consist on opening a public space of Internet in the Attadhom city (a poor neighborhood of Tunis) with a very nominal price in order to make possible the access of poor young people to the right of information and to enable them to use internet as a tool of spreading human rights culture.

Background initiative:

• Official statistics show that users of the Network in Tunisia equals 3,590000 million users, according to statistics released by the Tunisian Agency for Internet for the month of February 2010 and the Social site «Face book» today includes more than one million subscribers.

• Participation of internet and social media in the revolutionary process.

• Unless of the internet in the popular and marginalized areas.

Main objective: make possible to the young people from marginalized areas to have access to the internet as a source of knowledge and information about human rights.

Activities:

1. Opening space "Rights@net" as a center of the public Internet in Attadhamon City where delinquency, unemployment and violence rate are very high.

2. Electronic guide for Human Rights: Design Guide on CD-ROM containing the most important mechanisms related to human rights, the most important texts of international human rights, and a map of human rights organizations in Tunisia.

3. Panel discussion

4. Competition for the best virtual space on human rights

Regions:

Attadhamon/ City Tunis

Duration:

12 months.

6 - Revival of the city of El Kef through culture of Human Rights/Association of Theater Arts and cinema

The projects consists on the rehabilitation of the Pocket Theater in Kef City neglected from 30 years ago and work to promote through arts the economic and politic life in the city.

.Background initiative:

• After thirty years of negligence, Association of Theater Arts and cinema signed an agreement disposal with the municipality of El Kef to rehabilitate and to animate the pocket theater.

Main objective:

Promote cultural act as a mean to deepen the community dialogue.

Activities:

1. Rehabilitation campaign of the Pocket Theater with young people and inhabitant of El Kef.

2. Cinema Club and permanent workshops for children and young from the schools.

3. Physical and rhythmical expression for people with special needs.

4. Human Rights Film Festival.

5. Forum of Citizenship Cinema.

6. The first session of the alternative Arts Festival in El Kef.

Regions:

El Kef/Western Tunisia

Duration:

12 months.

7 - Scouts and Human Rights/Tunisian League of Human Rights and the Tunisian Scouts Organization

Training50 young activists from Scouts and Tunisian league for human rights to animate workshops in the camps of the scouts in order to enhance human rights values for child .

Background initiative:

Tunisian League of Human Rights signed a partnership convention with the Tunisian Scouts Organization in order to promote Human Rights' culture amongst young pupils and teenagers in the camps of scouts. This program will facilitate the collaboration between the scouts, the traditional human rights organizations and the children.

Main objective: Deeping citizenship and human rights values for children.

Activities:

 Training of the trainers

 Workshops in the camps of the scouts

 Competition for the best expression written by the scouts children about the values of citizenship and human rights

Regions:

Sousse/Nabeul/Tunis/Monastir

Duration:

5 months.

8- Artistic Bus/ Colors of Freedom Association

The project is to revive an old tradition in Tunisia, a cultural and artistic bus visiting remote and marginalized areas into communicate culture and arts to children and approaching the poor people .

Background/ program -initiative: Thinking about this project began right after:

• The field visit performed by a group of young artists in collaboration with AIHR on December 2011 to the schools of Southern Tunisia which organized cultural workshops that produced a book with paintings of pupils .

Main objective:

Provide an opportunity for children in the Interior schools to enjoy arts and culture to express their concerns.

Activities:

 Create a mobile art space in the form of a car equipped with a library, data show, films, ...

 Cultural and artistic tours in 15 regions

 Concerts in hospitals.

 National Exhibition of children's products

 National report about children's needs

Regions:

15 governorates

9- Strengthening associations for the promotion of economic and social rights/ Association of Citizenship and Democracy

The project consists of assembling NGOS working on economic and social issues in order to define a unified vision and strategy of development.

Background/ program -initiative: Thinking about this project began right after:

• The social and economic request during the revolutionary process.

• The decision taken by the world social forum to organize a session in Tunisia on March 2013.

Main objective:

Civil mobilization for a participatory model of development.

Activities:

• Artistic activities in the preparatory Social Forum.

• 6 regional seminars with the CSOs working on social and economic issues in different governorates of Tunisia.

• 6 public debates about worksheet suggested by CSOs in the 6 seminars.

• Database of CSOs working on scial and economic rights.

• Press conference to announce the recommendations of civil society in the field of economic and social rights.

Regions:

6 governorates.

Duration:

12 months.

10- Booklets of human rights /Association for Civil Work

The project aims at contributing to the expansion of the use of the concepts of human rights by people and belief in the right to free expression. The project works with students in schools, university students, unemployed, CSOs and will produce and distribute 500,000 copies of a manual that provides accessible explanations for the concepts of human rights.

Background/ program -initiative: Thinking about this project began right after:

• Lack of human rights education in the school.

• Difficult access of human rights concepts to large categories of the Tunisian society using traditional means and wooden discourse.

Activities:

• Elaboration of 8 simplified booklets about the concepts and values of human rights by a committee of volunteer Tunisian writers and artists.

• and distribution of 500.000 copies

• Training courses for 100 young people for the concepts and methods of communication on human rights

• Distribution campaign of the booklets in the public spaces (markets, institutes, universities ...)

• Workshop writing about the experience.

• Press conference

Regions:

All over Tunisia.

Duration:

12 months.

11. Moving for social and economic rights / Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights

The project focuses on economic and social rights and organizes dialogues on human rights and development priorities based on a human rights perspective. It does this through regional forums that enlist the participation of citizens and civil society organizations in the formulation of development of priorities with the aim of civil society advocating on development issues.

Background/ program -initiative: Thinking about this project began right after:

• The decision taken by the world social forum to organize a session in Tunisia on March 2013.

Activities:

• Organizing preparatory Social Forum to the World Social Forum in Tunisia .

• 3 regional social forum

Duration:

7 months.

The previous period of the project allowed to leave a number of lessons learned:

- Funded projects answer to an important social need that emerged during the democratic transition which is the knowledge and spread human rights.

- Funded projects represent a strategic extension of the Arab Institute for Human Rights work in the field of human rights education, but with adoption of modern and diverse methods which are able to attract large groups of society.

II. - Building the capacities of new actors in the field of human rights, democratic transition and citizenship issues:

Activities planned:

• National program comprising 8 training activities on the field of strategic planning, advocacy, investigating, documenting and reporting human rights violations, good governance,

• National program enclosing 6 onsite- training activities on building the capacities of the new civil society actors on building professional, accountable, sustainable and socially responsible conduct of civil society actors

Activities achieved during the first phase of the project :

• National program comprising of 6 on-site training activities on building professional, accountable, sustainable and socially responsible conduct of civil society actors:

-Training internship for the manager and responsible of "Human Rights civil society capacity building program in Southern Tunisia - AIHR program in the South of Tunisia"

The Arab Institute for Human Rights organised, an internship for the project managers and responsible for the administrative management of this project. It lasted a week from January 2nd till January 7, 2012.

The internship took place in the AIHR headquarters and its program was as follows:

• Project planning in the field of human rights: choice of project background and justification

• Project planning in the field of human rights : defining goals and identifying problems

• Project planning in the field of human rights : identifying programs and activities

• NGO's Financial and administrative management.

• Project planning in the field of human rights: how to prepare for fundraising and how to prepare grant proposals.

• Accountability

• Follow up, evaluation and impact measurement

The project team and AIHR trainers' staff insured the coaching and the realization of the internship program.

- Training internship for the leaders, manager and members of the 11 grantees

The Arab Institute for Human Rights organized an internship for the CSOs leaders, managers and members from the grantees for the communication about the projects and the collaboration between different associations in the implementation of the projects. This internship took place in the AIHR headquarters on the 15th of May, 2012.

The program of the internship was as follows:

• Presentation of the 7 projects and exchange of experiences.

• Mechanisms of collaboration between CSOs.

• Tools of communication about the implementation of the projects.

• Presentation and discussion of the manual of procedures.

Outputs;

- CSOs Mailing list created.

- Page in Face book for the 7 grantees created.

Onsite training on organization of cultural event:

The Arab Institute for Human Rights organized onsite training for managers, members and staff of the Caravan Documentary for the organization of cultural events, communication about the cultural projects and the collaboration between different artistic associations in the implementation of the projects. This onsite training took place in the governorate of Tozeur where the most important activity of the caravan "Documentary Citizenship Festival" was organized from the 26th to the 30 of December, 2012. Mr. Alex Moussa, trainer and artist from Burkina Faso, resident of Berlin has provided the training.

The main objective of this training is to create both personal development of the managers of the project and enhance their skills to have a professional cultural management.

• National program comprising 8 training activities on the field of networking, strategic planning, advocacy, documenting and reporting human rights violations and good governance.

1- Training session on the networking (Tunis, June 4-8, 2012).

During the reporting period, an assessment of the CSOs granted and Potential applicant's needs in the field of capacity building showed that actions are needed mainly in the field of collaboration and networking. That's why AIHR organized the first training session about this topic.

The training session took place in Tunis, 22 members of the grantees, the new CSOs and 3 journalists participated in this session.

Objectives of the training session were:

• The importance of networking in the work of the association.

• Concepts and elements of networking and building alliances.

• The practical and legal steps necessary to configure networks.

• Best practices in the networking.

Ms Fadia Gasmi , consultant of national and international NGOs ensured the different themes and concerns of the session with interactive and participative tools.

After five days of work, and as an output of the session, a kind of informal network aiming at the promotion of human rights culture was established and organized joint workshops and cultural activities in the framework of the word social forum on 12 and 13 of June 2012 in Monastir.

2- First training session on the new tactics of advocacy in human rights

The AIHR organized jointly with New Tactics in Human Rights which is a project of the Center for Victims of Torture a Training session on the new tactics of advocacy in human rights targeting non-governmental organizations working in the field of human rights, in order to enable them to learn and use the New Tactics methodology to advance current and future human rights efforts.

The training took place in Tunis on 19 to 23 of June 2012, 27 members participated.

Objectives of the training session were:

• Familiarize participants with the methodology of "five steps effective advocacy for human rights" and how to apply them.

• Develop the skills and the tools to use for the preparation of effective strategies

• Acquire the means to identify the relationships and relevant parts of the topic / problem, and increase the size of the potential allies

• Exchange of a variety of tactics, and develop awareness and knowledge related

• The development of knowledge and skills necessary to design and prepare an action plan for the organization and its partners.

Miss Darin Alhaj and Mr Julien Courson, the trainers in New Tactics program, ensured the different themes of the session.

3- Training session on financial and administrative management

The Arab Institute for Human Rights organized a one day training session for the partners associations about financial and administrative management for associations, animated by Professor Muhamed Hadar Tunisian trainer, in Tunis city center (AFRICA Hotel), on the 27th of September 2012. 26 members of associations participated in this training session, 16 men and 10 women.

This session aimed at enabling the participants of different associations in financial management mechanisms according to the new Tunisian law of associations to realize good and transparent governance within emerging organizations.

4- Second training session on the new tactics of advocacy in human rights:

The AIHR organized jointly with New Tactics in Human Rights a second session of the training on New Tactics methodology to advance current and future human rights efforts. The second session targets a second group of civil activists in order to enlarge the number of participants in the training of trainers' session.

The training took place in Sousse on 14 to 18 of November 2012, 22 members participated.

Objectives of the training session were:

• Familiarize participants with the methodology of "five steps effective advocacy for human rights" and how to apply them.

• Develop the skills and the tools to use for the preparation of effective strategies

• Acquire the means to identify the relationships and relevant parts of the topic / problem, and increase the size of the potential allies

• Exchange of a variety of tactics, and develop awareness and knowledge related

• The development of knowledge and skills to design and prepare an action plan for the organization and its partners.

Miss Eman Al Nmiri and Mr Julien Courson, the trainers in New Tactics program, provided the different themes of the session.

As an output of the session, training to trainers' session will be organized on April 2013. The major purpose of the TOT is to Form a group of young Tunisian trainers coming from different regions around the advocacy for human rights and who can assist the AIHR as well as the rest of civil society organizations in the process of training and transfers their expertise to other young people.

An integrated process of follow up is defined by the team of the project with the staff and the trainers of New Tactics.

On 18th of November, a joint meeting between 1st (June 2012) and 2nd group (November 2012) was established three objectives:

- Linking the participants of the 2 training sessions.

- Listening to and evaluating the use of the methodology by the first group, challenges, etc ...

- Providing a follow-up process with the two groups based on the modeling that was established during the first training.

- Presenting the ToT's process to the participants.

The meeting was conducted by Mr Julien Courson and Miss Eman Al Nimrian from New tactics program and Miss Yosra Frawes AND Miss Moufida Missaoui from the AIHR. Miss Phelastine Ibrahim, evaluator from New tactics program has elaborated the results and the lessons learned from the joint meeting.

5- Training session on follow-up and evaluation of projects in the work of civil society organizations

The AIHR organized a training session of three days about Follow-up and evaluation of projects in the work of civil society organizations. The training took place in the Tunisian south, at the city of Tozeur, on 24th, 25th and 26th of December 2012.

The session was assured by Mister Muhamed Abdelhafiz, Egyptian trainer, and Mister Kacem Abdellatif, Moroccan trainer. 27 members of associations participated to this training session, 8 women and 19 men.

Objectives of the training session were:

• Increase the effectiveness of the projects carried out by emergent associations and civil society initiatives, through the development and rehabilitation of projects' managers to make them able to apply the concepts and practical tools of monitoring and evaluation.

• Develop the capabilities and skills of the participants to conduct follow-up and evaluation of the projects.

• Familiarize participants with the concept, the importance, types and fields of action of follow-up.

• Provide participants with the skill of using means and methods of follow-up, and prepare them to master a follow-up plan.

• Familiarize participants with the concept, importance and types of evaluation process.

• Provide participants with the skill of mastering the evaluation process.

6- Training session on Mechanisms of involving marginalized people in the work of civil society associations

The AIHR organized a 3 days training session about mechanisms of involving marginalized people in the work of civil society associations. The training was in the Tunisian south, at the city of Tozeur, on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December 2012.

It was assured by Mister Muhamed Abdelhafiz, an Egyptian trainer, and Mister Imed Zouari, a Tunisian trainer.

On the afternoon of 27th of December, participants and staff of AIHR visited different sites of local civil society in cities around Tozeur, and some of the participants assured animation by music and poetry in the seat of General Union of Tunisian Workers- Nafta section where members of civil society made speeches about the importance of bringing closer civil associations with different regions of the country.

Objectives of the training session were:

• Increase the effectiveness of emerging associations and civil society initiatives in adopting and applying mechanisms socialization / involvement of marginalized people in the civil action.

• Provide participants with the necessary skills and knowledge socialization mechanisms / involvement of marginalized people civil work.

• Familiarize participants with the difference between the concepts of marginalization, deprivation and vulnerability

• Identify the reasons for the reluctance of the marginalized people to participate in civil work.

25 members of associations participated to the training, 15 men and 10 women.

• Participation in the democratic transition reforms: Tunisian Pact on Rights and Liberties campaign:

➢ Context and major goals:

The Revolution of Freedom and Dignity in Tunisia has opened the horizons of our people's history to the possibilities of freedom, dignity, equality and justice. This revolution wanted to break with the legacy of oppression and the pain of abuse of human dignity, marginalization, exclusion, reduction of individual and collective liberties and violation of the right to democratic participation and social justice.

But the break with the system of tyranny and corruption once and for all is a long and arduous path which requires establishing a system of rights and liberties by constitutionalizing them and embedding them in the legislation and establishing the necessary guarantees and institutions to achieve and activate them.

All the rights and liberties remain vulnerable and threatened all the time if they are not transformed into a program of action adopted to build a democratic society that respects diversity and the right to difference and rejects violence, discrimination and exclusion. All the rights and liberties remain at risk if they are not converted into a common minimum serving as a basis for the social contract and living together. That's why the Arab Institute for Human Rights supported by the traditional and biggest civil society organizations which are the General Union of Tunisian Workers, the Tunisian League for Defense of the Human Rights, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists and the Tunisian National Bar launched a national campaign around the Tunisian Pact on Rights and Liberties (TPRL).

The TPRL was elaborated with a participatory method involving experts from AIHR: Mrs. Hafidha Chekir, Mr. Wahid Ferchichi, Mrs. Asma Nouira, law professors at the University of Tunis and members of the commissions of democratic transition, Mr. Abdebasset Ben Hassan and Mrs. Yosra Frawes from AIHR have all contributed to the writing of the pact.

On 5th of July 2012, the Scientific Committee of the AIHR, composed of Mrs. Soumeicha Riaha, Mr. Taher Boo Jlel, Mr. Ahmed Karood, Ms. Joumana Marii was concerted about the pact and has enriched its contents in a meeting that took place in Tunis on the occasion of the 22th session of the training of trainers on human rights "Annabtewi" organized each year by AIHR.

On the initiative of the Arab Institute for Human Rights and with the participation of the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LTDH), Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), Tunisian National Lawyers Order (ONAT), Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD), the TPRL was declared on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 in a press conference organized by those organizations on the occasion of the National Republic Day.

A weekly meeting of representatives of these NGOs was held during the month of July to form a steering committee of the National Mobilization campaign around TPRL committed to the following:

1. The TPRL became a reference of the shared values that bring together and unite Tunisian people, base of principles for the constitutional, legal, economic, social, and cultural reforms and creative tool contributing to develop and liberate the cultural and educational discourses on human rights.

2. The TPRL contribute to make human rights and liberties a shared social responsibility to be used to combat the abuse of human dignity, authoritarianism, corruption, monopoly of decision, violence, marginalization and impoverishment.

3. To work in solidarity to protect the rights of every citizen, woman and man, without discrimination and to establish a civil dynamism that guarantees equal dignity for all Tunisians, women and men.

➢ 3 important orientations of the campaign:

• Structural organization:

In terms of structure and organization, the campaign is based on a participatory approach permitting each actor to contribute in the process of collecting signatures, advocacy and protection of the rights and liberties enshrined the TPRL.

• At the national level, the campaign is managed and supervised by a steering committee composed of the representatives of the different organizations that launched the pact (Arab Institute for Human Rights, General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LTDH), Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), Tunisian National Lawyers Order (ONAT), Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD)),.

o This committee is mandated by those organizations to define strategies and general guidelines of the campaign at the national level, to monitor the action plan, and to evaluate the whole process.

o The steering committee is open to all initiatives, civil society organizations, experts and activists wishing to participate in the campaign. It works in horizontal and thematic commissions:

• -Advocacy Committee: defines the plan of advocacy.

• -Communication-committee: that defines the communication plan.

• -Logistics-Committee: responsible for the practical organization of actions and events.

All the members of the steering committee are volunteers. Committee meets on average once a month.

• At the regional level, regional coordinations were created in different governorates. These coordinations are composed of representatives of regional and local organizations that have launched the pact, activists and local associations surrounded by dozens of young volunteers.

14 regional coordinations are constituted and many actions are taken to promote the TPRL and human rights in general. These coordinations have organized events in their governorates to prop up the pact and were thus able to collect tens of thousands of signatures.

To ensure the good coordination between the Steering Committee and regional coordinations, two major events have had place. The first was organized in cooperation with the Tunisian Association of Defence of individual Rights in order to prepare the action plan of the campaign in the country it took place in Tunis on 1 and 2 September 2012, the second took place on December 29, 2012 to evaluate the process, discuss advocacy mechanisms and define the next steps to influence the process of drafting the constitution from the pact.

• Communication strategy

As defined by the communication's Commission, the strategy promoting TPRL has opted for the use a simple speech accessible to the wider public breaking with classical discourse of human rights and enhancing the constitutional, legal and intellectual Tunisian heritage in the matter.

• Two communication ways were used in parallel:

Direct communication in public debates, seminars...organized in unusual spaces (markets, cafes, theater ...)

Indirect communication through the media, websites and social networks...

• The commission has used a variety of tools, as follows:

- workbooks for the signature

- Brochures simplifying the pact in the Arabic and French languages

- An advertising stand

- Drape

- t-shirts and vests

- Posters

- Spot advertising done free by a famous professional audiovisual society (Propaganda) as their own participation in the campaign and distributed free to two private television channels (Hannibal TV and Nessma TV). It was well broadcasted on national television during a week following an agreement signed with AIHR.

- updated information on the campaign on the website of AIHR: http://aihr-iadh.net/pdf/revue_de_presse/IADH%20-%20Human%20rights%20Press%20Review-%202013.02.18.pdf

- Electronic petitions for the signature of the pact http://www.petitions24.net/le_pacte_de_tunisie_pour_les_droits_et_les_libertes

http://www.avaaz.org/fr/petition/Hml_twqy_wthyq_hd_twns_llHqwq_wlHryt/?cegkudb

- Face book page https://www.facebook.com/PACTEDROITSLIBERTES?fref=ts

- Large extensive media coverage of the activities of the campaign.

- press conferences to inform about the results of the campaign

• Mobilization's strategy:

To mobilize as many people aspossible around the Pact, the advocacy's commission and the logistics' commission defined their general orientations as follows:

- Targeting a wide range of traditional and emerging associations in the capital and in the regions in order to involve them in the process of the TPRL. So more than 200 associations were contacted and mobilized to participate in the collection of signatures and promotion of the Pact.

- Touching sectarian organizations (judges, pharmacists, farmers, investors ....) those are representatives of a large range of Tunisian people.

- Involving political parties.

-Associating artists, academics, intellectuals and influential national personalities in the campaign.

Activities have been diversified according to the audience and according to the partner who have organized it. Therefore, under this campaign, seminars, public debates, meetings of associations, press conferences, cultural activities, training sessions, open days and other activities were organized.

➢ Most important activities of the national campaign:

• Open days:

In order to promote human rights, to popularize the content of the pact, and to call for its signature open days were held in different governorates and cities to announce the beginning of the campaign there with the collaboration of local CSOs:

• Open day in Kelibia hosted by the Coalition of association of kelibia on 10th of August 2012. Mr Abdelbasset ben Hassen made a presentation to introduce the TPRL and 20 associations signed it.

• Open day in Sfax Hosted by the Sfax International Festival's committee, and the branch of philosophical association in the cultural center "Mohammad Al Jamoosi" on 25-august-2012.

• Open day in the vocational training center in Amdoun- BEJA( western north of Tunisia)t was organized by ALHASAD association for culture and development. and a delegation from TPRL under the leadership of Mr, Abdel baset Ben Hasan , Mr. Marwan Alsharif , member of the board of the General Union of Tunisian Workers , Mr. Ali Zidini, member of the board of Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights participated in this event , on 15-september-2012 .

• Open days in Sidi Bouzid city (center region of Tunisia) was organized by the Institute from 18 to 19 September 2012.

• Open day organized in Ain Drahem -Jandouba in the cultural center Abou Alkassem Achebbi with the collaboration of Jossour association on 21th of October 2012.

• Open day organized in Kairouan in the presence of Mr. Ben Moussa Abdessatar president of Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights with Mrs Anissa Saidi member of the executive board Tunisian Association of Democratic Women on 21th of October 2012.

• Open day organized in Al Mahdia in the presence of Mr. Ben Moussa Abdessatar president of Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights with, and Mr. Samir Cheffi member of the board of the General Union of Tunisian Workers on October 2th 2012.

• The Arab institute for human rights, Bizerte branch, organized an open day to sign the pact in the cultural center "Alsheikh idriss "on 13th of October 2012.

• Open days organized in the popular market "bab elfallah "in Tunis on September 8, 2012.

• Open day organized in Gabes city (South of Tunisia), under the slogan "let's sign "in the cultural center on 15TH of October-2012.

• Open day organized in the site of the General Union of Tunisian Workers- Ariana branch on 17TH, November-2012.

• Open day organized in the site of the General Union of Tunisian Workers- Sousse branch on 25th of December2012.

• Open days organized in the universities of Tunis, Bizerte, Jandouba and Medenine from 15 September to 9 December 2012.

• Political meetings:

• On 10th August 2012 a delegation of the steering committee met the president of the Constitutional Assembly in order to present the initiative and to request the adoption of the TPRL in the new Tunisian constitution.

• On 31th of August 2012, on the occasion of its National Congress, and in the collaboration with the United Democratic National Party 2012, at the Conference Palace in Tunis, the TPRL was open to the signature of the militants of this party. 560 signatures were collected.

• On 7th September 2012 a delegation from the Arab Institute for Human Rights headed by Mr. Abdel basset Ben Hassan met Mr. Mohammad Abbou, the general secretary of "Conference Party for the republic" (a part of the actual Tunisian government) at his office. The meeting focused on the different elements of the TPRL. Mr. Mohammad Abbou appreciated this initiative and promised to discuss the pact in the structures of the party.

• The signing of the pact's document on Public meeting, to announce the establishment of "Popular Front" (coalition of 14political party) at the Conference Palace in the capital Tunis on 7th of October 2012 .

• Signing the pact of Tunisia during the activities of the 15th conference of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and of traditional crafts on 17 January 2013.

• Cultural and artistic activities:

Thanks to the partnership and the collaboration with cultural organizations in Tunisia, the signature of the TPRL took place on the occasion of the most important national and cultural celebrations in various art spaces allowing the support of a large number of famous artists and Tunisian intellectuals to the promotion of this text.

Such as:

• International Film Festival of Amateur Kélibia (FIFAK - Tunisia 27th Festival-26th of August to 1st September 2012).

• National Amateur Theater festival Korba (Korba 30th August 2012).

• Inauguration of the cultural year in the center of the dramatic and scenic arts of kef (10th September 2012).

• Signing of the pact during the cinematographic days of Carthage (24th session on October 2012).

• A ceremony of Signature of the pact during Tunisia International Book fare (29th session) on November 2012 with the collaboration of Tunisian Publishers Union and Tunisian Writers Association.

• Music concert in the University of Manouba December 5, 2012.

• Training sessions:

With the support of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 3 training sessions about the mechanism of communication and promotion of the pact were organized. The first session took place in Bizerte on October, the second in Tunis on November and the third in Tozeur on December 2012.

75 young activists in different associations and from different regions of Tunisia implicated in the campaign participated to the training and produced some supports of communication about Human Rights and the TPR .

Mr. Hmida Chaouech, Mrs. Hafidha Chekir and Mrs. Asma Nouira provided the different components of the training.

Actually, our partner Cawtar is organizing a session about the TPRL in its training program.

• Seminars and public debates:

TPRL content has sparked debate and reflection in traditional settings such as universities, civil society seminars and in the broad public open spaces local and regional public debates organized within the framework of the preparation of world social forum.

Among these activities are mentioned:

• A public debate about constitutional reforms and aspirations of civil society which took place in the headquarters of the AIHR.

Mr. Mokhtar Trifi previous president of the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights gave a presentation on the situation of human rights in the transitional period in Tunisia, Mr. Samir Cheffi executive board member of the General Union of Tunisian Workers made an intervention on socioeconomic rights in the new constitution and Mr. Wahid Ferchichi presented a comparative study between the TPRL and the first draft of the constitution. The grantees in the hole project participated in this seminar and signed the pact.

• On Wednesday 5th of December -2012, with the collaboration of the University of arts and humanities In Manouba, a seminar about " the TPRL, and the future of human rights "was organized. Academics had the opportunity to dissect the different aspects of the pact from different perspectives such as philosophy, literature ... and from papers presented by Ms. Hafidha Chékir and Pr. Yadh Ben Achour (President of the High instance of the protection of the revolution).

• On Saturday 26th of January, 2013 in Soussa, "the first scientific forum" was organized to read the draft of the constitution, under supervision of the local branch of lawyers in Soussa , with a presence of members of the National Constituent Assembly and a group of jurists and journalists. During the forum, there were some interventions and readings from Mr. Abdel Basset Ben Hassan, Dr. Amine Mahfoudh, and Pr. André Roux...

• Workshops organized about Human Rights in the Democratic transition process starting from the TPRL in the framework of the different regional social forum took place in Gafsa, Jandouba, Kairouan...

• Press conferences:

The beginning of the campaign was announced in a press conference on July 25, 2012 that the Arab Institute for Human Rights organized to submit the document of "the TPRL by the framework of the celebration of the Republic of Tunisia. The different speakers explained that this document is intended to promote the values of human rights and freedoms in Tunisia that it has been inspired by the content and spirit of all the initiatives and texts elaborated by a large number of Tunisian civil society organizations in order to participate in the constitutional reforms of the country.

A press conference was held on the honor of 14 parties signed the TPRL, The symposium was convened in the Conference Palace in Tunis on 28, September 2012 in the presence of all the organizations backing the campaign, all the head of the signatory parties and a large number of artists and journalists. During the conference, two other parties joined the initiative and signed in the presence of the media.

In their relative speeches, the heads of the political parties have called for the Insertion of the pact into the new constitution.

A third press conference was organized on the honor of 60 members of the constitutional assembly who signed the TPFL and asked to use this later as a reference in the elaboration of the constitution. The 60 deputies are part of different parties; some of them are from a not signatory party.

• Advocacy events:

Thanks to tens of thousands of signatures collected, to its wide media coverage, the civil political and popular scale that took the TPRL, and after a coordination meeting taking place on December 9, 2012, decisions in terms of lobbying were taken:

- Reinforcing actions aimed at creating pressure on the Constitutional Assembly.

- Participating actively in the process of the national consultation about the draft of the constitution launched by the assembly on 14 December 2012.

- Strengthening the role of regional coordinations in lobbying through meetings and discussions with parliamentarians in their regions.

- Extending the collection of signatures and orienting the campaign to other categories of Tunisian society as well as to the Tunisian emigrants.

- Strengthening international lobbying by soliciting the support of the international civil society.

According to these decisions, a number of events were organized:

• On the occasion of the celebration of the universal declaration of human rights, on 10th of December 2012, AIHR and its partners in the campaign organized a sit in, front of the seat of the Constitutional Assembly claiming TPRL insertion in the constitution. Important participation of activists from the regions, the signatory political parties, civil society was covered by the media.

A delegation of representatives of partner organizations launched the pact, accompanied by Ms.Yadh Ben Achour, the president of the High Authority for the protection of the revolution, constitutional rights experts, activists in the regional coordinations and young among volunteers were received by Mr. Mostapha Ben Jaafer, President of the Constitutional Assembly, who expressed his institutional and personal support to the content of the pact.

The delegation presented the results of the campaign and explained the importance of the Tunisian popular adhesion to the pact in the democratic transition and focused on the freedom aspirations of the people in the new constitution.

• The Constitutional Assembly decided to make a national consultation around the second draft of the constitution. The members of regional coordinations have registered to attend the debates and mobilized local civil society to discuss the constitution from the continent and the rights in the TPRL.

• In order to clarify and explain to people the gaps in the draft of the constitution, and to deepen the approach of human rights in their universality and unity, the AIHR has published THE recommendations of regional coordinations meeting (29 December 2012) for the new constitution, thus recommendations are founded on the comparative work between the two texts developed by a committee of experts.

5000 copies of the recommendations were disturbed all over the country.

• For inaugurating the campaign at the international level and to engage Tunisians abroad, a meeting is planned for February 25 in France-Paris and in other countries.

➢ Documentation:

To better manage resources and informations, and in the perspective of the sustainability of the campaign, an interesting documentation effort has been provided. This is how a database of signatories has been established. It is also in this perspective that all debate, meetings, actions are recorded on audiovisual supports.

➢ Outcome of the campaign:

- A large networking between CSOs is created around the issues of Human Rights.

- 14 regional coordinations were created in the different governorates.

- 400 CSOs signed the TPRL.

- 16 political parties signed the TPRL (2 parties are in the actual government).

- More than 50.000 signatures collected.

- 5 ministers signed the TPRL.

- 60 member of the Constitutional Assembly signed it.

- Continuous media coverage in international, national and regional audiovisual and written media.

- Constitutionalization the issues of human rights, gender equality, independence of the judiciary, social justice, etc.. Are parts of the most recurring debates in the media.

- Social movements, demonstrations, the participation of citizens in various forums and meetings organized by civil society organizations in the region, the remarks made by the citizen media show that these issues are no longer limited to an elite of militants and activists, but have gained the support of a large number of citizens.

- The debates in the Constituent Assembly on issues of rights and freedoms.

Revision of objectives and goals:

During the implementation of the project, and through visiting the deep regions of Tunisia and studying the needs of the emergent civil society organizations, the Arab Institute for Human Rights identified the priorities of building capacities of those new civil society actors. In fact, new associations and citizenship initiatives that have emerged after the revolution are abounding of young human resources that showed their willingness to contribute to the democratic transitional process.

But those emerging CSOs lack the necessary knowledge in the field of human rights and the ability to coordinate and network. The marginalized areas where they are working are poor on old CSOs having the capacity and the experience to assist and help new CSOs. For those reasons, the Arab Institute for Human Rights thought about creating centers and programs specialized on accompanying, training and linking emerging associations to be able to participate effectively in the transition path.

AIHR noted that it's not enough to have new enthusiastic CSOs, it is essential for their sustainability to accompany them through mid and long-term programs based in their local environment to give them the necessary support in the field of human rights.

That's why the AIHR judged that's beneficial to have a proximity approach by creating branches and programs in those regions aiming at promoting the culture of human rights and empowerment of youth and women in the field of political, social and economic participation.

Those programs/branches would be open spaces for all components of civil and political society to enhance free expression, reflection, research, creativity, education, exchange of experiences and expertise between traditional and emergent CSOs and actors.

Those programs/branches or "Human rights houses"are managed by young and old social local activists in order to promote a participatory democracy and to enhance the Human rights approach in different fields of the democratic transitional process.

AIHR during the reporting period began by creating a branch in Southern Tunisia as it is conceived to be a priority due to its urgent need for capacity building as recommended also after the democratic transition forum organized in Tataouine on December 10, 2011.

In this context, and to guarantee the success of the mission of the CSOs, creating other sections in different regions that haven't been planned at the beginning of this project seemed beneficial for the empowerment, the visibility and the sustainability of those CSOs .