2012 Partners for Democratic Change International
Photo By: Benjy Feen
ANNUAL REPORT
WHO WE ARE Partners for Democratic Change International (PDCI) is a global partnership of twenty independent, local organizations in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East that works to advance civil society, good governance, and a culture of change and conflict management worldwide. Established in 2006, the network now has two hubs, one in Brussels, Belgium and the other in Washington, DC. What follows is a series of highlights from each member organization meant as a sampling of the meaningful work PDCI conducted in 2012. Table of Contents: A Letter from the President ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Partners Albania ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Fundacion Cambio Democratico- Argentina ............................................................................................................. 5 Parceiros Brasil ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 PDCI-Brussels ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Partners Bulgaria Foundation......................................................................................................................................... 8 Partners-Colombia............................................................................................................................................................... 9 Partners Czech.....................................................................................................................................................................10 Partners-Georgia ................................................................................................................................................................11 Partners Hungary Foundation ......................................................................................................................................12 Partners-Jordan ..................................................................................................................................................................13 Partners-Kosova .................................................................................................................................................................14 Centro de Colaboracion CĂvica- Socios Mexico.......................................................................................................15 Socios Peru............................................................................................................................................................................16 Partners Poland Foundation ..........................................................................................................................................17 Partners Foundation for Local Development- Romania.....................................................................................18 Partners Senegal .................................................................................................................................................................19 Partners Serbia....................................................................................................................................................................20 Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia................................................................................................................21 Partners for Democratic Change- United States ....................................................................................................22 Partners-Yemen ..................................................................................................................................................................23 Contact Information ..........................................................................................................................................................24
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A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends of Partners for Democratic Change International, 2012 was an important year of growth and consolidation for the Partners for Democratic Change International (PDCI) network. Our global association of 19 independent organizations now has the support of two official hubs in Washington D.C. and Brussels and has implemented an improved co-leadership structure. We convened the first ever NEXT Summit in Washington, D.C. in October where over 70 staff members from the network came together to share experiences, build new skills, and create synergies for more cooperation and joint work across PDCI. As one of the premier global organizations dedicated to building democratic stability through the application of conflict transformation methodologies, we are committed to living our values by ensuring broad participation and inclusive decisionPhoto by Benjy Feen making within our network. You will see on the following pages the great diversity of programs and expertise represented within PDCI; one of our biggest strengths has always been our commitment to autonomous local leadership and creative approaches to democracy and peacebuilding in the countries where our members work. Through our commitment to working together, PDCI represents a global community of professionals that support each other and promote a common vision for a peaceful and democratic world. As the President of Partners for Democratic Change, I am honored to also serve as the current President of PDCI. As we continue to strengthen the ties within our network, we look forward to building new synergies with all our colleagues and supporters around the world. Sincerely,
Julia Roig President Vision: PDCI envisions a global partnership that promotes a culture of peace worldwide and societies in which citizens’ participation is ensured at all levels. PDCI members are independent and interrelated, sustainable and growing, and seek to ensure a high standard of work.
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Our Mission is to advance good governance, civil society and a culture of change and conflict management world-wide. The network promotes exchange, collaboration and solidarity among its member organizations.
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We share and live the Values of participation, peaceful conflict resolution, respect for diversity, mutual understanding, innovation and respectful human relationships. 3|Pa g e
PARTNERS ALBANIA Highlight: 2012 Philanthropy Award As part of their efforts to promote the development of philanthropy, Partners Albania produced a publication entitled, A Historical View of the Development of Philanthropy in Albania, which traces philanthropy in Albania from the 19th century to present day. Additionally, they organized for the second consecutive year the 2012 Philanthropy Award in Albania. With over 150 honored guests in attendance, Partners Albania presented four awards and an appreciation certificate as part of the open public competition in philanthropy.
Partners Albania Director Juliana Hoxha with the winners of the Philanthropy Award 2012
In June 2012, Partners Albania organized the “Green Ideas” contest, an open call to all individuals, organizations, and small business ventures to present environmentally-friendly ideas using local human and material resources. At the end of the contest, they selected three ideas to enter the Philanthropy for Green Ideas Regional Competition at the 3rd Annual Forum on the Development of Philanthropy in the Western Balkans, where they would compete with 12 other ideas from Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, and Montenegro. One of Partners Albania’s ideas was selected as a winner and received $10,000 USD from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Using this experience as a model, Partners Albania will organize a National Green Philanthropy Competition of its own in Albania in 2013. Highlight: Corporate Social Responsibility Activities and Events In May 2012, Partners Albania organized a regional conference entitled, “Development of Corporate Social Responsibility – Challenges and Practices in the Region.” This was the first conference on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Albania, with over 120 representatives in attendance from civil society organizations, government institutions, businesses, and media from Albania, Montenegro, and Macedonia. The conference addressed important issues regarding local challenges and practices in the development of CSR, the potential role that government can play, and the role of media in public education. The event was so successful that the Albanian Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade, and Energy invited Partners Albania to be a future partner in the Ministry’s commitment to fostering an environment that provides incentives for the development of CSR in Albania. Partners Albania has developed a training module that focuses on the forms of cooperation between businesses and citizens and between communities and non-profit organizations. Using this module, they provided training programs on CSR targeting NGOs, businesses, and media representatives throughout the country. In addition, Partners Albania prepared a collection of Social Responsibility Best Practices, which offers specific examples of socially responsible activities of small, medium, and large corporate enterprises from Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. For more information, visit www.partnersalbania.org 4|Pa g e
FUNDACIÓN CAMBIO DEMOCRÁTICO- ARGENTINA Highlight: Argentine Social-Environmental Observatory In 2012, Fundacion Cambio Democratico (FCD) launched an innovative new project called the Argentine Social-Environmental Observatory. The Observatory aims to increase knowledge and understanding of social-environmental conflicts and, ultimately, to promote collaborative advocacy at the intersection of socioeconomic and environmental issues. The Observatory provides informational resources and news as well as a platform for analysis, discussion, dialogue, and debate on issues such as mining, agro-business, climate change, indigenous rights, and energy. This dynamic and collaborative tool is greatly increasing the production, systematization, and management of information about the complex social-environmental conflicts that Argentina currently faces.
Photo by Benjy Feen
Members of FCD with Partners Director of LAC Lelia Mooney at the PDCI Summit
For more information, visit www.cambiodemocratico.org 5|Pa g e
The Observatory is just one component of Fundacion Cambio Democratico’s focus on environmental issues. Argentina, like most other countries around the world, currently faces a series of pivotal conflicts over topics ranging from the exploitation of indigenous lands to the country’s sources of energy. Fundacion Cambio Democratico contributes to the transformation of these conflicts through capacity building in the areas of dialogue and advocacy, developing platforms that encourage discourse and consensus-building between civil society and government, and designing collaborative advocacy strategies to encourage participatory public policy-making in Argentina.
PARCEIROS BRASIL Highlight: “Education for Peace” Project The year 2012 was a year to remember for Parceiros Brasil – Centro de Processos Colaborativos. Most notable was the success of the “Education for Peace” (E4P) Project, in which Parceiros Brasil, in partnership with the Department of Education of the City of Rio de Janeiro and with the sponsorship of Petrobras and the Instituto HSBC Solidariedade, implemented more than 700 hours of activities in ten elementary and middle schools in the most violent areas of Rio. These activities spanned a wide range of themes, including raising the awareness of local communities to the presence of the project and conflict resolution training. The events involved more than 2,000 students, teachers, school staff, and community members, and even developed peer mediators in five of these schools. In recognition of Parceiros Brasil’s achievements, the Rio de Janeiro Department of Education adopted its School Conflict Resolution methodologies as part of the teachers’ annual continued education program. In addition to the “Education for Peace” project, Parceiros Brasil is continuously involved with many peer mediations. There are numerous examples of children that had previously been bullied, who are now regaining self-confidence and taking responsibility for their decisions. We are also proud to announce that we are the second organization to have a report approved without restriction in the entire history of the social projects sponsored by Petrobras. With great pleasure, we see that the techniques that the students learn are spread out beyond the school walls, reaching their families and friends, thus contributing to a more peaceful environment in their communities. Some of the students have even expressed an interest to work at Parceiros Brasil when they grow older. This is the beginning of a greater transformation in the culture of conflict resolution and a new period for peace, dialogue, and justice to take place.
Photo by Benjy Feen
Parceiros Brasil Director Gabriela Asmar (left) with Manager Luciana Gerber (Right)
For more information, visit www.parceirosbrasil.org 6|Pa g e
Parceiros Brasil Team and Friends
PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE INTERNATIONAL-BRUSSELS Highlight: Establishing conflict resilient communities in the North of Lebanon In 2012, Partners for Democratic Change International- Brussels (PDCI), in coordination with PeaceLabz and with funds from the EU, took action to strengthen peacebuilding activities in Northern Lebanon, specifically in the towns of Berkayel and Bedawi. Tension in the region due to religious disputes, communal fragmentation, and regional conflicts remained high. To resolve the conflicts, PDCI provided training for non-state actors to identify, analyze, address, and manage community conflicts in a participatory manner. Throughout the process, trainers provided mentoring and coaching to the locals to ensure that the training would result in sustainable conflict resolution initiatives. To kick off the activities, PDCI and PeaceLabz facilitated two workshops in which local community actors, mukhtars, NGO delegates, female leaders, and teachers exchanged experiences and discussed the root causes of conflicts that were spreading in their communities. Many of the participants wanted to learn the art of facilitation and community mediation and expressed interest in applying such skills to the well-being of their community. Highlight: Tribal mediation and conflict mitigation program in Yemen Tribal conflicts present a significant challenge to development and democratic reform in Yemen and threaten the stability of the region as a whole. While emerging state institutions are struggling to manage conflicts, the traditional conflict resolution system is deteriorating. PDCI-Brussels, working with Partners Yemen, conducted a country assessment in December 2012 that exposed gaps in the system and subsequent opportunities for conflict management and development programs in tribal areas, where most international organizations avoid working due to security concerns. The project that was eventually put into place helps state and non-state actors establish sustainable community structures to reduce conflicts over land, water, health services, and education. Supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom (FCO/UK) and the European Commission (EC), the program provides capacity-building trainings to create local mechanisms (Mediation Commissions) to address conflicts and foster indigenous skills for conflict prevention.
For more information, visit www.pdci-network.org 7|Pa g e
PARTNERS BULGARIA FOUNDATION Highlight: Promoting Child Participation through Strengthening the Role of Student Councils at School, Municipal, Regional and National Levels In November 2012, Partners Bulgaria Foundation (PBF), in partnership with UNICEF Bulgaria and the State Agency for Child Protection, launched a new project for promoting Child Participation. The aim of the project is to support the government’s vision for Bulgarian children to grow up as healthy, educated, informed, and responsible individuals in a safe and secure environment, so they feel confident in their development as young citizens. The project selected seventeen schools within eight different municipalities to serve as pilots for the project. These pilot schools then developed best practices to promote child participation. To date, the project team has completed a situational analysis and has created a document entitled, “Guidance for Promoting Child Participation,” which outlines the operational framework and principles of child participation at different levels of engagement. In addition to the comprehensive guide, the PBF team also developed a comprehensive model for interactive training sessions for children, which has been introduced by experts working with student councils. This model aims to support children by developing the knowledge and skills necessary to actively participate in decision-making processes at every level of society. The project’s first regional meeting brought 150 students together from all of the pilot schools. The convention provided the students a platform to share their challenges and good practices, and concluded with an outline of their future plans. The program is scheduled to continue through the upcoming school year, when it will also incorporate all stakeholders. At the conclusion of the project, the PBF team will issue a progress report that will include recommendations of how to incorporate youth councils into existing municipal and regional structures. The report will present the results from the pilot programs focused on developing the best practices to promote and facilitate youth participation in schools and at the municipal, regional, and national levels. It will also provide recommendations for necessary changes to the existing regulations.
For more information, visit www.partnersbg.org 8|Pa g e
PARTNERS-COLOMBIA Highlight: Peace in Colombia Partners-Colombia promotes the strengthening of institutions and civil society through facilitation methodologies and dialogue processes. Since 1998, the US Embassy has held a conference known as the “Houston Series” during which Colombia’s leading decision-makers debate key policy issues relevant to the country’s search for peace and democracy. After being initially sponsored in full by the U.S. Embassy, the conference has been planned entirely by Colombian organizations and led by PartnersColombia since 2011, with support from different donors. Due to the full “Colombianization” of this annual dialogue, the conference was renamed the Colombia Series. Each year, the Series Steering Committee decides on a different theme for the conference depending on the most pressing issues facing the country. Over the past 12 years, a number of diverse topics have been covered ranging from peace to business to democracy. In 2012, the theme was: “Peace in Colombia, Rural Development and Political Participation,” addressing some of the topics that have been included by the Government of Colombia on the peace agenda with the FARC, especially the national policy on rural development and political participation mechanisms for former guerrilla members. One notable aspect of this year’s conference was the presence of Colombian Vice President Angelino Garzon, who joined the event on Saturday, December 1, and even had lunch with the participants. The Vice President partook in almost all of Sunday’s sessions, and made the closing remarks at the event, where he thanked all of the guests for their efforts to improve the country, and invited all the participants to join him in constructing a major peace pact. The Colombia Series has enabled the construction of a space for transparent, neutral, and multi-sectoral dialogue against the backstop of the country's policy issues. Recommendations identified in 2012 will be presented to the country leaders negotiating at the peace talks in 2013.
For more information, visit www.partnerscolombia.com 9|Pa g e
PARTNERS CZECH Highlight: “If not now, then when? If not us, then who?” In 2012 Partners Czech celebrated 20 years of existence. Since its founding in 1992, the organization has been involved in conflict prevention and resolution, education, and social integration of disadvantaged groups. Currently, Partners Czech is mainly acting as a training organization focusing on the areas of citizen education, global development education, management skills trainings, facilitation, and mediation. Partners Czech is working on active citizen participation in public issues, strengthening dialogue and cooperation of citizens and politicians, and increasing the interest and involvement of young people in decision-making processes. One of its efforts in 2012 was taking part in the Let’s Take Care of the Planet project, which included young people’s participation in the European Conference in Brussels and in the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on sustainable development. The outcome of the young people’s work took form in an Open Letter to the Decision-Makers, which was spread throughout Europe and publicly presented at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference. The key message and call of the young Europeans was as follows: If you are concerned about the environment and the sustainable future of our planet, do not seclude yourself- be responsible and join us! If not now, then when? If not us, then who?
For more information, visit www.partnersczech.cz 10 | P a g e
PARTNERS-GEORGIA Highlight: Capacity Building Program for Regional CSOs in Georgia The Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC) program is a four-year, USAIDfunded initiative implemented by the East-West Management Institute (EWMI). One of the components of the program is aimed at strengthening Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) operating in Georgia, so that they are better able to advocate for citizens’ interests and engage more actively in the development and implementation of various important reforms countrywide. PartnersGeorgia is currently implementing the component on Capacity Building for Regional Civil Society Organizations in Georgia. The overall objective of the program is to increase the effectiveness of regional CSOs that include advocacy in their mission and have a record of involvement in advocacy initiatives over the last three years. With this purpose, Partners-Georgia has developed a tailored program for CSO beneficiaries addressing Research, PR/Public Outreach, and Negotiation skills. The first stage of the program involves beneficiaries participating in capacity-building workshops to receive basic knowledge and to practice essential skills in all of the aforementioned areas. The second stage of the program involves consolidating the results of the workshops through a series of tailored individual consultations (both in-person and virtually) which are provided to ten selected CSOs. In addition, per special request, Partners-Georgia also delivered online consultations to improve CSO project reporting to donors. Partners-Georgia provided the first workshops on PR and public outreach for 17 CSO representatives and demonstrated to participants the real meaning and significance of the PR process for supporting public dialogue among major actors. Following the workshops, G-PAC selected 10 regional CSOs in different parts of Georgia to participate in advanced on-the-job and online consultations in four subject areas: PR and Public Outreach, a Research Toolkit for CSOs, Negotiations, and Report Writing. Overall, the program was very successful. Partners-Georgia’s program reached 22 organizations from 13 towns throughout Georgia. 54 participants attended the workshops and consultants reached an additional 180 CSO representatives.
For more information, visit www.partners.ge
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PARTNERS HUNGARY FOUNDATION Highlight: Civil Society Monitoring of the Implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies – The “Shadow Report” During the Hungarian presidential term of the European Union in the first half of 2011, the EU developed the European Commission’s EU Framework of National Roma Integration Strategies. This framework explicitly called upon member states to design 10-year plans to improve the economic and social integration of Romani Citizens, comprising strong monitoring mechanisms and the incorporation of civil society, including Roma organizations, in the implementation process. These plans eventually came to be known as “National Roma Integration Strategies,” or “NRIS.” In 2012, Partners Hungary Foundation in its “Shadow Report” project (supported by the Decade of Roma Inclusion Secretariat Foundation and Open Society Foundation), created a coalition of NGOs to provide professional analysis of the implementation of the Hungarian NRIS. The main goal of this NGO consortium was to provide constructive feedback in order to improve the implementation of the strategy. The analysis focused on the priority areas of the action plan including employment, education, housing, health, anti-discrimination, gender equality, the fight against poverty, and structural requirements. The different fields were analyzed by expert NGOs that had experience implementing projects and monitoring different government initiatives in that specific area of Roma inclusion. For a summary of the report, go to http://romadecade.org/civilsocietymonitoring Highlight: Together for a Better Health, For Us, By Us Partners Hungary Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline, the global health care company, have launched a three-year project aimed at improving the health conditions of the Roma in Hungary. This will be achieved by supporting the systematic introduction of Roma healthcare mediation in the country, improving health awareness in their communities, and eliminating the gaps to accessing the health care system. The first step of the project, which began in August 2012, was to select the participating municipalities and the possible local Roma health mediators. Following this process, there were three mentoring meetings and four local roundtables, during which time, participants planned and prepared microprojects including a pest extermination campaign and a “Day of Healthcare.” Throughout the project, Partners Hungary Foundation identified indicators that would quantify the efficiency of the project, including a special focus on pregnant women and children. It is expected that by the end of the project, many scientific articles will be published based on these results. For more information, visit www.partnershungary.hu 12 | P a g e
PARTNERS-JORDAN Highlight: Empowering Women through Economic Mentorship Under the project “Empowering Women through Economic Mentorship,” implemented in cooperation with PDCIBrussels and funded by the European Commission, Partners-Jordan funded 10 small projects beginning on April 1, 2012 in 9 different areas throughout Jordan. The “Empowering Women through Economic Mentorship” project develops the capacity of vulnerable women to engage in and contribute to local development processes. It facilitates the empowerment of Jordanian women based on the premise that economic viability opens doors in all areas of economic and civic life. It enables women to find fulfilling jobs, access and benefit from financial services, purchase and own property, and share skills and information among a wider audience. Effective and equal economic opportunity allows women and men to actively contribute to and benefit from personal and community-wide enrichment throughout the development process. Authentic empowerment not only acknowledges the value of women’s contributions, but it also respects their human dignity and recognizes them as equal partners in negotiating an equitable distribution of the benefits of development and growth. Jordanian female entrepreneurs face a myriad of cultural barriers related to the role of women in society. In business, these barriers complicate access to finance, markets, networks, affordable transportation, and childcare. The process to register a business is lengthy, bureaucratic, and expensive. The women who persevere through the process are further thwarted by a limited ability to market their business through the usual public channels. Despite these severe limitations, educated and business-savvy women can both overcome local challenges and help drive changes to increase access for other women. This project works to educate women, provide business-management training and economic opportunities, and create a spirit of entrepreneurship that promotes and respects the contribution of women in business and in broader civic life in Jordanian rural areas. To watch the documentary on the Empowering Women through Economic Mentorship, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60e9ATqgjg4
For more information, visit www.partners-jordan.org 13 | P a g e
PARTNERS-KOSOVA Highlight: “Transcending Vulnerability through the Women’s Economic Empowerment Program” (WEEP) The Women’s Economic Empowerment Program (WEEP), conducted in partnership with PDCI-Brussels and sponsored by the European Commission, focused on supporting socio-economic initiatives of vulnerable women of both Turkish and Albanian descent in Krusha e Madhe. Many of these women are war widows and are responsible for supporting entire households. The project team assisted the women in developing income-generating activities that would help them become more self-sufficient. The small grants scheme in particular has been very beneficial for a large group of local women, as it supported women organizations that could multiply the benefits (awareness, knowledge, skills) to an even larger group of women. One of the small grants went to “Grate Fermere” in Krusha e Madhe, a group of women whose main activity was producing and selling agricultural products in the local market. Thanks to the WEEP, the business officially registered in the municipality, expanded its production, and engaged more local women to produce and supply the goods to the market. The second grant was given to “Perime te Fresketa” also in Krusha e Madhe, a small business of women that develop farming activities. The other two grants were given to small businesses in Mamusha, where women suffer both from ethnic and gender discrimination. The first business was composed of a group of women working as tailors and handcrafters. Thanks to the project support, they established themselves as independent tailors on the market in Mamusha. The other grant allowed a group of women to develop a small salon. Like the tailors, this group had the same composition of more experienced, older women and proactive young women. Through the small grant, the older women were able to provide the necessary training to the younger women and expand the hairdressing services to the community. Both groups in Mamusha have been closely supported by the municipal authorities including both Turkish and Albanian Gender Officers. For example, the municipality provided the location for project implementation. The WEEP created a productive atmosphere, causing women to take on initiatives more often, engage with community members, share opinions, and ask for support from Gender Officers. Women have developed a more proactive attitude and have continued to look for opportunities to gain new skills and knowledge. Furthermore, through this process, they became able to lead small businesses and were transformed into service providers in their community. For more information, visit www.partnerskosova.org 14 | P a g e
CENTRO DE COLABORACIÓN CÍVICA- SOCIOS MÉXICO Highlight: Human Rights and Security In the beginning of 2012, Centro de Colaboracion Cívica (CCC) facilitated the process of drafting a General Law for the Protection of Victims of Violence, which involved a coalition of civil society organizations and the Mexican Bar Association. The Law passed unanimously both in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and was recently signed by the President. Throughout the process, CCC facilitated dialogue between victims and law-makers so that their perspectives would both be included in the new law. The Executive Branch considered the citizen proposal for an amendment to the General Law of the National System for Public Security to include five Citizen Counselors on the National Council of Public Security. This initiative was drafted as a result of the Dialogue on Public Security with a Human Rights Focus, facilitated by CCC in 2010-2011. CCC’s role was to coordinate dialogue between the convening group and federal legislators to support and advocate for the inclusion of the five citizen counselors. In May 2012, CCC was in charge of the methodological design and facilitation of the First Citizen Summit to Build a Peaceful and Just Mexico, which gathered over 300 representatives from civil society to discuss and agree on a common agenda for urgent public policy matters. This agenda included demands for government and decisionmakers, as well as a long-term shared vision for the country drafted by the participants. In this way, the dialogue created a common front across a pluralistic platform. Workshops were held to create proposals to face challenges in the following areas: strengthening civil society, citizen participation, transparency and access to information, social inclusion, education, decent employment and sustainable development, and citizen security with a human rights focus. Out of this dialogue, a document emerged that expressed a vision and proposal agreed upon by a large majority of participants. This document was presented to each of the four presidential candidates on May 22, and was the main tool for civil society organizations to follow up on the proposal with the elected government during the transition period. In 2011 and 2012, CCC worked on a dialogue process whereby civil society experts shared knowledge on sustainable mobility in the metropolitan area of Mexico City in order to inform public policy. As part of a larger project initiated by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, CCC’s role was to coordinate the Convening Group for the dialogue, carry out the stakeholder mapping, design and facilitate the dialogue process, and disseminate the findings. The result was a document with priorities and eight strategies to address the mobility challenges in the metropolitan area, which was presented to the Governor of the State of Mexico and the candidates for Mexico City mayor.
For more information, visit www.colaboracioncivica.org 15 | P a g e
SOCIOS PERÚ Highlight: Process of Implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights in Peru In the year 2000, a collective group of 8 countries, 24 companies in the extractive and energy sectors, and 11 NGO’s developed the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) in an attempt to offer guidance to companies for maintaining the safety and security of their operations, while ensuring respect for human rights and humanitarian law. The VPs cover three key elements: (1) Risk assessment, (2) Public security providers, and (3) Private security providers. In this regard, Socios Peru is committed to the promotion Socios Perú Director Carlos Salazar and implementation of the VPs as a strategy aimed at social Speaking at the global Voluntary conflict prevention and human rights protection. Therefore, Principles meeting in 2012, Socios Peru promoted advocacy activities in the Peruvian Government and the private sector and has strengthened the VP Working Group in Peru. Members of the VP Task Force include NGOs (Aprodeh, Socios Peru), businesses (Newmont, Xstrata Copper, Anglo American), representatives of signatory governments (Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, United States of America, and United Kingdom), and the Peruvian government (Ministries of Mining, Justice and Internal Affairs). Under the project Sustainable Connection for Sustainable Development, this task force has worked on the state of public and private security in Peru.
Voluntary Principles Working Group in Peru
For more information, visit www.sociosperu.org.pe 16 | P a g e
PARTNERS POLAND FOUNDATION Highlight: Against Digital Divide: Solar Computers in Nairobi Slums In 2003, the Kenyan government proclaimed free elementary-level education for all. Though a positive change at first glance, further analysis reveals that many of the schools, which had not been renovated since their colonial days, had infrastructures unfit to accommodate such an influx of students. Records show that in 2003, 1,500,000 more students across the country were enrolling in schools and today, ten years later, 18,000 schools still do not have the capacity to accommodate their students. Classes of 70 students are attempting to squeeze into rooms designed for a mere 30 students, leading to a setting unfit for learning. Furthermore, annual government subsidies amount to $20 USD/student, causing a dire challenge for both students and teachers.
Students working in the computer lab in the Mathare slum
In 2012, Partners Poland Foundation (FPP) attempted to improve the academic situation by implementing the Super Science Classes program in the Mathare Slum in Nairobi, Kenya. This program aimed to raise the quality of science education for students living in poverty, as part of FPP’s larger strategy to support countries of the Global South through investments in teachers and organizations critical to the development of professionals in the technology sector. The Super Science Classes program in Kenya spans a broad range of activities targeting both students and teachers The Computer Lab at Karura Forest including training workshops in interactive science for School Mathare teachers and investments in school infrastructure such as mobile teaching laboratories for science lessons in 10 schools. Furthermore, Partners Poland, using funding by Polish Aid, launched the first solar-powered computer education center in the very heart of Mathare slum. The computer lab, independent of unreliable and expensive power supply, is open free of charge to all teachers and students from Mathare. This ecological solution allows teachers in the Mathare Slum to work for long periods of time, putting them on the map with teachers and students around the world. By the end of 2012, 18 teachers completed intense IT courses, enabling them to work with both the new equipment and educational resources available online. Additionally, Partners Poland Foundation provided teachers with supplies that will allow them to conduct their own research and further improve quality of education for their students. The achievements of this project have led to such enthusiasm among donors that the project has been extended into 2014.
For more information, visit www.fpp.org.pl 17 | P a g e
PARTNERS FOUNDATION FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT- ROMANIA Highlight: Cities without Corruption, Cities with a Future Applying the Innovative and Internationally Awarded FPDL Anti-Corruption Methodology Cities without Corruption, Cities with a Future is a project conceived and implemented by Partners Foundation for Local Development (FPDL), in collaboration with the World Bank Institute, as part of the WB-Austria Urban Partnership Program for South Eastern Europe. The program focuses on disseminating the anticorruption methodology developed by FPDL, which was inspired by the successful experience of Mayor Ronald MacLean Abaroa and his consultant, Professor Robert Klitgaard in treating and preventing corruption in La Paz, Bolivia. Project achievements from 2012 include:
FPDL Founding Director Ana Vasilache (Left) with FPDL Executive Director Olivia Baciu (Right)
12 Anticorruption Practitioners (AP’s) from 6 different countries were trained to support mayors and public managers in the anticorruption methodology. Mentors included Ana Vasilache (FPDL), Ronald MacLean Abaroa (WBI), Robert Klitgaard (Clermont University California), and Anton Florjan Barisic (Chronos Info Croatia). Over 140 mayors and public managers from 7 countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia - increased their awareness and understanding of the anticorruption methodology. 4 Local Governments from Albania (Kucova), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zenica), Croatia (Krizevci), and Serbia (Boljevac), underwent a self-diagnosis process in which they identified areas of their organizations’ activities and services that were potentially vulnerable to corruption and developed solutions that would improve integrity, transparency, and accountability. These solutions were also meant to limit the discretion in decision-making processes and diminish the monopoly that some organizations have in the public service industry. Anticorruption practitioners, representatives of local governments, local government associations, NGOs, members of the World Bank, WBI, and representatives from other international organizations including USAID and UNDP all took part in networking and knowledge-sharing.
Graphic facilitation was used during a December 2012 regional meeting that brought together 60 Anti-Corruption Practitioners and Local Government representatives from 7 countries in South Eastern Europe. Ana Vasilache used graphic facilitation to define conference structure, to highlight the main ideas generated, and to provide participants with a visual aid.
For more information, visit www.fpdl.ro 18 | P a g e
PARTNERS SENEGAL Highlight: Guinea Citizen Security Project (GCSP) In June 2012, Partners Senegal began implementing the second year of a two-year program known as the Guinea Citizen Security Project (GCSP). With the GCSP, a program supported by the National Endowment for Democracy, Partners Senegal is providing members of civil society, government, and the security sector throughout Guinea with the skills they need to actively participate in the country’s ongoing security sector reform effort with the goal of improving citizen security. Partners Senegal believes that achieving security sector reforms that have an impact on the way security is experienced at the local level requires a diverse and active group of leaders with the ability to advocate for the changes needed in their communities. Having brought trainings to three of Guinea’s four regions in the program’s first year, Partners Senegal has since expanded the program to ensure impact throughout the country. In 2013, Partners Senegal will replicate a symposium held in early 2012 by bringing participants to Conakry for a national-level dialogue with national policymakers. This dialogue will provide an opportunity for participants to talk with leaders about the key security challenges facing their communities and the available opportunities for working together to address them. The GCSP approach begins with a series of Community Security Workshops during which time participants are given the opportunity to deepen their awareness and understanding of the core components of citizen security, security sector reform, and security management. Following these workshops, Community Security Forums take place, where participants can use the skills they’ve developed to analyze and prioritize the main security challenges facing their communities and begin to identify possible approaches for resolving them. Finally, as the capstone event for each year of the program, participants are brought to Conakry for a two-day discussion with nationallevel government and security leaders, giving individuals an opportunity to present their findings from the forums and to begin identifying opportunities for collaboration with national leaders to improve citizen security on the ground. Excited by the strength of the GCSP program, Partners Senegal is now working to bring a similar program to Mali, following that country’s elections in August 2013.
For more information, visit www.partners-senegal.org 19 | P a g e
PARTNERS SERBIA Highlight: Criminal Defense Capacity Program (CDCP) Since June 2012, Partners Serbia, in coordination with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) and with support from the U.S. Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), has been implementing the Serbia Criminal Defense Capacity Program (CDCP). Under this 30-month award, Partners Serbia and ABA ROLI are increasing the capacity of Serbian advocates and lawyers to effectively represent clients under the newly revised Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) by providing training in the provisions of the new CPC and trial advocacy skills. The goal is to improve citizens’ access to justice by improving the capacity of the defense attorneys to provide competent legal representation for their clients. The Program strengthens the ability of defense attorneys to understand and enact changes put in place by the new CPC and to improve their ability to protect the rights of the accused through trial advocacy skills. One special facet of the program is its dedication to increasing the awareness of defense attorneys and the general legal public of the possibility of concluding plea agreements and agreements on testimony, as well as to develop attorneys’ abilities to effectively negotiate plea agreements. Partners Serbia and ABA ROLI work closely with local legal and judicial institutions and organizations including the Bar Association of Serbia, regional bar associations, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), the Ministry of Justice and State Administration (MoJ), and the Judicial Academy. During the first six months of the program, Partners Serbia and ABA ROLI not only educated 25 attorneys and future trainers on new aspects of trial advocacy, but also equipped them with the skills and tools needed for training their colleagues in the nuances of Serbian criminal procedure legislation. In October 2012, Partners Serbia and ABA ROLI also held a conference in Belgrade to discuss proposed changes to the Serbian Criminal Procedure Code taking into consideration the role of the Bar. More than 200 attorneys from all of the regional bar associations in Serbia, as well as representatives of the MoJ, local and international organizations, and the legal community participated in the conference. In 2013-2014, Partners Serbia and ABA ROLI will organize a series of seminars for attorneys and trainees in order to equip them to act upon the new CPC, as well as implement other educational and awareness-raising events (mock trials, trainings, panel discussions). These seminars will bring together defense attorneys, judges, and prosecutors, allowing for the exchange of experiences and enabling them to better understand each other’s roles under the new CPC. Partners Serbia and ABA ROLI are also developing an E-learning program using a modern internet based training methodology that will be available to attorneys and trainees from all parts of Serbia.
For more information, visit www.partners-serbia.org 20 | P a g e
PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE SLOVAKIA Highlight: Strengthening Fundraising Capacities of Non-Governmental Development Organizations in Central Europe In 2012, Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia (PDCS) completed a major international project entitled, “Strengthening Fundraising Capacities of Non-Governmental Development Organisations in Central Europe” (http://www.ngdofundraising.net). The project was funded by the European Union and implemented with financial support by Slovak Aid. In the course of 30 months, PDCS and its partners in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and the United Kingdom managed to strengthen the capacity of NGDOs in Central Europe to win financial support for their international development and humanitarian causes among individuals and businesses. The effort included authoring Hearts and Money Beyond Borders, a publication highlighting best practices and addressing dilemmas on fundraising aspects ranging from transparency and ethics through the use of digital media, to advocating for better legislation on fundraising. The publication includes over 20 case studies from five countries and has been translated into five different languages. Fundraising practitioners from four Central European NGDOs and the United Kingdom worked together to not only raise more funds for international development from private sources, but also to promote transparency and accountability of development organizations in their money-raising initiatives with the public. Highlight: Post-Conflict Intervention - Saturday Simulations For the second year in a row, PDCS is implementing the program, “Post-Conflict Intervention: Saturday Simulations for Students- Learning by Doing.” This creative project is designed for students interested in issues related to conflict transformation and principles of nonviolent intercultural communication, development, and change. One Saturday per month, students attend workshops comprised of films and discussions to familiarize them with the nature of conflicts in various regions throughout the world. Each simulation workshop covers a different country or region, Two participants from the Simulations such as Liberia, Israel / Palestine, a Roma settlement in Slovakia, Georgia, Czechoslovakia in 1990's, or Nepal. Development workers, mediators, or analysts involved in the region give presentations to the students as well. Through such programming, the students gain an understanding of the conflict and play out the roles of the different groups involved. By acting out the issues, the participants gradually acquire real skills and techniques of negotiation and conflict intervention, and a familiarity with problematic moments of international development work. The “Post-Conflict Intervention: Saturday Simulations for Students- Learning by Doing” project allows students to take part in many types of negotiations including multi-party/multi-issue negotiation, facilitation of conciliation committees, crisis management in a violent conflict, mediation in post-conflict de-escalation, participatory needs assessment in the international development context, working with women, and interreligious dialogue. The project currently has two groups of 15 students participating and results have been extremely positive. For more information, visit www.pdcs.sk 21 | P a g e
PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE- UNITED STATES Highlight: Engaging Democratic Activists for MENA Advancement (EDAMA) EDAMA, or “sustainability” in Arabic, is an initiative created to strengthen the capacity of activists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) who support democracy in their countries. The EDAMA project is designed to encourage the proactive engagement of democratic activists in ongoing and potential transitions and reforms throughout the region. The project facilitates in-person and virtual learning exchanges and opportunities among activists and provides ‘learn-by-doing’ opportunities to apply new EDAMA Participants skills, ideas, and resources. EDAMA is funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative and is implemented by Partners for Democratic Change, in coordination with Partners-Jordan, the Centre for Applied Non Violent Action and Strategies, and the Institute for War & Peace Reporting. The Regional Forum for Arab Democracy, held in Amman, Jordan, in September 2012 was the first in-person learning exchange hosted by EDAMA. The forum brought together 76 carefully selected democratic activists from the region (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen) together with 24 democratic activists and leaders from 18 different countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and South East Asia. Participants represented a wide range of activists, including a large number of Partners for Democratic Change Staff women and youth. The Forum provided basic skills training in community mobilization, cooperative advocacy, coalition building, and facilitation. It also accomplished the goal of creating an informal global network of democratic activists, building inter-cultural relationships that have allowed EDAMA to foster on-going support and virtual exchanges. Activists from diverse backgrounds continue to share transition experiences and lessons learned using the EDAMA Facebook page and the website created expressly for this purpose, www.edamaplatform.net. The EDAMA team has been coordinating follow-up country visits to Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. These trips focus on face-to-face mentoring and support to activists as well as identifying new trends and the needs of activists in each country. Using the information gathered, Partners for Democratic Change and its partners are designing more specific trainings for three in-person sub-regional workshops. EDAMA culminates with a final “lessons learned” regional conference in which participants will strengthen their network, assess the changing situation, and plan a support structure for the future.
For more information, visit www.partnersglobal.org 22 | P a g e
PARTNERS-YEMEN Highlight: Yemen Community-Based Conflict Mitigation Program (Y-CCM) The overarching goal of the program is to increase in-country capacity to manage conflicts over natural resources, education, and health services. The Y-CCM program focuses on building the capacity of key local actors, authorities, councils, community-based organizations, and youth and women of the tribal areas to mediate disagreements, resolve conflicts, and establish sustainable systems and structures for both short and long-term interventions. These interventions address the root causes of conflicts as well as disputes between corporations and local communities. Though during the implementation of this program several success stories emerged, the most prominent was the creation of the women’s commission in the most difficult and complex tribal area of Yemen, the Al-Khaleq District in the Al-Jawf Governorate. In this area, tribal girls want to use the local water resources to wash their clothes, while male youth want to bathe, causing conflict among the women, youth, and family members. To resolve this conflict, Partners-Yemen constructed a water tank to store the water, while keeping the old area for bathing.
The community built a wall to provide privacy and added 8 water taps to avoid crowding.
Participants constructed an irrigation system to make use of the excess water.
For more information, visit www.partnersyemen.org 23 | P a g e
CONTACT INFORMATION
Partners for Democratic Change (PDCI Hub) 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 515 Washington, DC 20036 Tel +1.202.942.2166 Web www.partnersglobal.org
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PDCI-Brussels (PDCI Hub) 205 rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel +32.2.230.7110 Web www.pdci-network.org