TAG #

Organization

Project Description

183

Injaz Lebanon

In partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), INJAZ Lebanon will implement a pilot “Business Ethics” program in schools located throughout Lebanon.  INJAZ will utilize its community relationships to recruit 80 corporate volunteers to coach nearly 1,500 students aged 16 to 18 years old in 80 schools nationwide.  INJAZ will work with these students on ethical decision- making that these youth will face once engaged in work environments. Topics will include such issues as challenging corrupt business practices, and instilling skills and attitudes needed to become active citizens who respect the importance of good governance systems in business ventures or in their own communities.  After delivery of the Business Ethics Program to the 1,500 participating students, INJAZ will evaluate the progress, impact and results achieved of this “Business Ethics” pilot program.

182

Beeatouna Organization

In a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Beeatoona will lead an effort to draft a decree for an environmental management policy system in the public sector, and also will lobby for its adoption.  The aim of the decree is to establish an e-waste management system for the public sector to sort, collect, and properly dispose of all e-waste from the various governmental ministries and agencies.  Beeatoona will assess the e-waste situation and base its advocacy campaign on the identified facts and figures.  Representatives from the different ministries will be trained on the proper management of e-waste and an inter-ministerial committee will be created to promote and monitor the newly developed safe e-waste disposal system. Awareness materials (flyer, posters, pamphlets) will be produced and disseminated to the general public and the project results will be publicized through a press conference, public service announcements, and social networks.  As well, the project will raise awareness on health and environmental risks associated with improper e-waste disposal.

181

Vision Association for Development Rehabilitation and Care

In a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Health,  and in order to improve the administrative and financial systems of public hospitals in Lebanon, Vision Association for Development Rehabilitation and Care (Vision) will review and develop amendments to the decrees that govern financial management of public hospitals in Lebanon. Vision will collect current regulations, laws, and procedures that govern the financial management of public hospitals and will conduct a preliminary study to assess hospitals’ current needs. A series of workshops will be held with key stakeholders in public hospital management to discuss existing problems and to propose suitable solutions, which will inform the process of drafting amended decrees to be presented to the Council of Ministers for adoption. Once submitted, Vision will partner with other public hospital administration stakeholders around the country to lobby for adoption of the amended decrees. 

180

Beyond Organization

Beyond Association will establish a women’s rights monitor that will gather information, monitor violations, and launch a website with an on-line forum as part of their ongoing effort to eliminate gender discrimination in Lebanon.  A network of NGOs working on women’s issues, rights, and needs will also be established to form a “Women’s Protection Network” nationwide.  After conducting a gender baseline analysis on selected women’s issues to be monitored in Lebanon, Beyond Association will train 26 women from qazas across Lebanon to establish this monitoring system and reporting of violations to the Monitor.  Findings of the baseline analysis and of the monitor will be disseminated widely through media and activities to both key stakeholders and the general public.  This project will enhance social inclusion and participation opportunities for women in Lebanon, through information sharing, networking, advocacy, awareness raising and enhanced community and civil society engagement.

179

Partnership Center for Development and Democracy (PCDD)

In partnership with the Ministry of Industry's LIBNOR – the official body responsible for developing and implementing standards in Lebanon – the Partnership Center for Development and Democracy (PCDD) will tackle consumer protection and access to information pertaining to the modernization of current standards for Lebanese bread, setting new standards and imposing new explicit nutritional labeling on bread bags. Given the status of bread as the main food staple of the local population, the lack of adequate standards results in the absence of authority to monitor bread quality and production nationwide. As a result, consumers’ health is at risk from various harmful additives, and there is no way for them to currently know the composition of the bread products they are consuming.  A random sample of Lebanese bread will be collected from various areas around Lebanon and analyzed for the bread’s constituent ingredients.  The findings will constitute the basis for the new, updated and detailed standards.  PCDD will work with LIBNOR on updating the bread standards and labeling requirements.  A comprehensive awareness campaign will be conducted announcing results of bread sampling through a conference, media campaign, roundtables in various locations nationwide as part of the lobbying process to ensure adoption of the updated standards.

178

Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC)

In partnership with the Ministry of Industry's LIBNOR – the official body responsible for developing and implementing standards in Lebanon – the Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC) will lead the path to energy efficient laws and practices in Lebanon.  LGBC will develop new standards for energy efficient air conditioning equipment and prepare for a law that regulates energy efficiency in the building code.  Given the inadequacy of current electric power generation capacity in Lebanon, as well as the old laws and codes that govern this sector, developing new standards is an important contribution to improvement in this sector. LGBC will draft the standards in consultation with key local stakeholders (developers, importers, engineers, contractors, and LIBNOR) and submit the finalized drafts to LIBNOR for its verification and approval.  LGBC will also utilize the network of key stakeholders developed to lobby for the adoption of the standards within the building code in Lebanon.

177

Lebanese Center for Civic Education (LCCE)

The Lebanese Center for Civic Education (LCCE) is partnering with the Lebanese University Faculty of Media (LU) to develop new curriculum material on “Fighting Corruption”. LCCE will work to incorporate the developed educational material within the LU journalism curriculum for master’s degree students.  LCCE will develop a module on new journalistic writing methods to emphasize the role of the media in promoting good governance and fighting corruption. This module will include production of a manual – with case studies and methodologies – on the means of fighting corruption. The project will train master’s degree journalism students at the Lebanese University Faculty of Media, young professional journalists, and interested undergraduate students on the role of the media in fighting corruption.   The materials and trainings will improve skills and raise awareness among these students who are soon to become this country’s future journalists.

176

Excellence in Learning and Leadership Foundation

Working together in a public-private partnership focused on accountability and transparency for NGOs receiving funding from the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA),  the Excellence in Learning and Leadership Foundation (ELLF) and MOSA will establish criteria and standards for institutional accreditation for these NGOs.  ELLF will work closely with the Minister of Social Affairs and other key stakeholders to both improve MOSA’s handling of NGOs receiving funding and implementing MOSA programs and also guide these NGOs to implement and abide by the newly developed standards system.  ELLF will train 250 NGOs on various issues related to the accreditation procedures and requirements.  They will also produce a guide explaining the methods to implement the standards and make it available in print and online on both the MOSA and ELLF websites.

175

KunHadi

The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities’ 2010 strategy includes the need to continue increasing Lebanese drivers’ awareness on driving issues and building a culture of safe driving and respect for driving laws.  Based on the successful and creative campaigns already created by KunHadi, the Ministry has decided to continue this partnership.  To support this effective public-private partnership, TAG provided another grant to KunHadi which will help them produce 20 new TV clips on important traffic safety issues and Lebanese traffic laws. These spots will be aired as public service announcements on major Lebanese television stations.  The TV clips are all 3-D, and help to demonstrate critical traffic safety issues and laws. Examples of the issues the new clips will cover include:
• Children seating in cars
• Drunk driving
• Speed limit and racing
• Driving within the lanes
• Safe distance between cars
• Respecting road signs
• Seat belts
• Car signals and lights
• Difference in lane markings

174

Lebanese Association of Societal Synergy (Synergy)

As part of its commitment to increasing the transparency of its transactions and combating petty corruption, the Basil Fuleihan Institute of Finance (IoF) at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has been producing a series of guides for citizens to better inform them about procedures for various Ministry transactions.  In partnership with the IoF, Synergy will produce a series of user-friendly pamphlets of the most frequent transactions undertaken by citizens at the built property and revenues departments in the Ministry of Finance.  Synergy will collect the relevant data, review transaction process, and interview key officials to define and draft the transaction tasks and procedures.  Informed by this research, Synergy will develop, produce, and widely distribute a pamphlet, Your Right to Object, and a guide, Your Duties When Starting Work: A Guide for All Income Tax Payers.  The IoF will then distribute widely the guide and pamphlet throughout many MOF offices and governmental agencies nationwide, as well as at public book fairs. The guide and pamphlet will also be uploaded on the IoF and MOF websites.

173

Lebanese Economic Association (LEA)

With a strong belief that taxpayers deserve to know how their contributions are being spent by elected officials, the Lebanese Economic Association (LEA) will use its TAG grant to lobby for legislative reform of public financial management systems to increase budget transparency.  In cooperation with the Bassel Fuleihan Institute of Finance, LEA will review reform initiatives and plans of the Public Accounting Law and develop a draft law on public accounting.  LEA will then conduct consultation meetings with key stakeholders to review the proposed draft law, finalize the comments, and present the draft law to Parliament.  Once the law has been submitted to Parliament, LEA will start an advocacy campaign to push for passage of the law.  Toward this end, the association will produce advocacy kits to help its activists in the lobbying and advocacy campaign.  Complementary media efforts to support the campaign for passage of the Public Accounting Law will include a comprehensive tri-lingual informational website, which will include documentaries, a YouTube channel, and other materials generated by the project.  The advocacy campaign also will include a media campaign to reach out to the biggest number of supporters possible.  LEA will also work on securing endorsement on the draft law by key stakeholders and will organize a national conference to present and discuss it. 

172

Brand Protection Group (BPG)

As part of its commitment to reach out and engage citizens to report consumer complaints, the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MOET) and Brand Protection Group (BPG) will work on increasing awareness about consumer rights through the production of TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs).  These advertisements will serve to engage citizens  to react to abuse and report it via the Ministry’s hotline number 1739.  Billboards and leaflets will be distributed and displayed nationwide to complement the TV and radio campaigns. 

171

The Lebanon Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU)

The Lebanon Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU) has been reaching out to members of civil society and other advocacy groups , through its Lebanon Budget Project, to familiarize them with the national budget process and their rights to affect the budget process and lobby for their concerns about the budget. Through a TAG grant, LPHU will build on this project to build the capacity of youth groups in advocating for a more accountable and transparent public budget process in Lebanon. A practical and entertaining training module on the national budget process – in the form of a Model Lebanese Cabinet of Ministers – will be developed to engage these youth in a more dynamic manner.  After developing the training kit, a cadre of trainers specialized in peer education outreach will be trained with specific skills in interactive knowledge sharing, dissemination of knowledge, budgeting process, and the functioning of the Cabinet of Ministers. These trainers will then mobilize youth in selected universities and high schools, who will in turn recruit a constituency of active students.  The recruited students will be trained on the public budget process utilizing the Model Cabinet of Ministers module and toolkit.

170

Lebanese Syndicate of Craftsmen

The Lebanese Syndicate of Craftsmen was founded in 2001 to support craftsmen and the handicrafts they produce in Lebanon, and also focus on reviving and protecting traditional handicrafts from extinction.  With a grant from TAG the Syndicate will focus on building its capacity to become a stronger advocate for its 200 current members and enhance its internal governance to become a more effective civic organization.  The board members of the syndicate will be trained on structural and organizational aspects of the Syndicate, with workshops for members on how to play a more effective and active role within the organization.  A permanent exhibition center will be opened to serve as a professional display and point of sales for members’ work and will include an office that all members can use for meetings. The Syndicate will develop several tools to enhance communication with its members and the public-at-large, as well as to better showcase their work. These tools include a bi-lingual website, poster, brochure and occasional newsletter and a promotional catalog.

169

The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS)

In a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOI) and the Youth Shadow Government (YSG), the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) will lead an effort to draft and present a law on administrative decentralization and lobby for its adoption, in support of Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud’s reform efforts.   LCPS will conduct a literature review on administrative decentralization initiatives, followed by in-depth interviews with experts and key stakeholders and 12 focused town hall meetings to assess citizens’ understanding of the issue.  Recommendations and findings will be published and made widely available to the public. The proposed draft law will be shared with Members of Parliament and Ministers to push for their support. The draft law also will be published and shared with citizens at 26 town hall meetings to help mobilize an active lobbying campaign including an on-line petition, media outreach, and mobilizing signatures from citizens, politicians, researchers and activists to lobby Members of Parliament and Ministers to push for adoption of the law.

168

Justicia Foundation for Development and Human Rights

By expanding its “Equal Under the Law:  Know Your Rights” project, Justicia Foundation for Development and Human Rights  aims to help citizens with access to legal information on key issues. This project will author, publish, and distribute three new legal rights guides: "Municipal Rights," "Bank Customer Rights,” and "Children’s Rights." By providing Lebanese citizens with knowledge about their rights under Lebanese law, citizens are better empowered.  A network of key stakeholders and organizations will be formed to ensure targeted distribution of the guides, which will also be available to the public-at-large on Justicia’s website to ensure broad accessibility.

167

Brand Protection Group – Lebanon (BPG)

In a partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MOET) , Brand Protection Group will improve consumer protection by integrating a new GIS application system into the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) at the Ministry.  This project will install, integrate, and set up a new GIS web-based application, train the Ministry technical staff on managing and updating the system, and train  CDP inspectors on how to upload their inspection findings and maximize the benefits GIS can offer the Department. When installed, this system is expected to improve performance and efficiency of CPD inspectors by better streamlining and focusing their work, thereby improving consumer protection nationwide. A public event will be conducted to announce the project.

166

Lebanese Association for Education Studies (LAES)

In a public private partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), the Lebanese Association for Education Studies (LAES) will lead an effort to draft a new law for the establishment of a National Quality Assurance (QA) body for higher education in Lebanon, in support of the ministerial declaration of the Lebanese government on December 8, 2009 to address the quality of higher education and its regulation. LAES will base its work on a comparative study of select countries and a review of previous Lebanese attempts to form higher education quality assurance bodies. A national seminar for experts in the field will be held to further discuss best options for the establishment of an higher education quality assurance body.   A draft law committee will then be established, in collaboration with the Minister of MEHE. Once the draft law is ready, an advocacy and lobbying media campaign will accompany the presentation of the draft to the Parliamentary Committee of Education and Culture and to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. 

165

Lebanese Association for Philosophy of Law (ALIPHID)

With the support of State Council President Choukri Sader, the Lebanese Association for Philosophy of Law (ALIPHID) will lobby for the amendment of articles under Law 93 pertaining to citizens’ monetary compensation.  This amendment will give rulings of the Judiciary the weight of a treasury bond that can be cashed with no delay by concerned citizens. ALIPHID will conduct roundtables and seminars for judges, lawyers, and parliamentarians to finalize drafting of Law 93 amendments. An explanatory pamphlet, as well as a reference guide containing project literature, will be distributed to law students, professors, and other key stakeholders to raise their awareness on this issue and secure their support for the lobbying efforts. The draft amendments of Law 93 will be presented to the Minister of Justice and the Lebanese Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee for passage and ratification.

164

Educational Association for IT Development (EAID)

In partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), the Educational Association for IT Development (EAID) will develop a project to facilitate processing of citizens' equivalence requests at the Ministry.  The partnership will include the automation of procedures and making all relevant information available online at the Ministry’s existing website.  Analysis of the current workflow at the Equivalency Department will be used to then design a file tracking system to track each citizen’s transaction.  Equivalence documents will be translated to cater to all citizens’ needs, making the regulations and forms available in several languages. The capacity of the Equivalence Committee will also be enhanced with IT tools and training of human resources, with a focus on serving the approximately 14,000 citizens annually who require equivalence in a more transparent, effective, and efficient manner. MEHE’s website will be modified to include all the equivalence regulations and related issues, and will allow citizens to follow up online and track their transactions.  Posters, brochures, and FAQ handouts that inform students on how and where to retrieve information online will be produced and distributed to all private and public schools in Lebanon, universities, foreign embassies, and Lebanese embassies abroad. 

164

Educational Association for IT Development (EAID)

In partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), the Educational Association for IT Development (EAID) will develop a project to facilitate processing of citizens' equivalence requests at the Ministry.  The partnership will include the automation of procedures and making all relevant information available online at the Ministry’s existing website.  Analysis of the current workflow at the Equivalency Department will be used to then design a file tracking system to track each citizen’s transaction.  Equivalence documents will be translated to cater to all citizens’ needs, making the regulations and forms available in several languages. The capacity of the Equivalence Committee will also be enhanced with IT tools and training of human resources, with a focus on serving the approximately 14,000 citizens annually who require equivalence in a more transparent, effective, and efficient manner. MEHE’s website will be modified to include all the equivalence regulations and related issues, and will allow citizens to follow up online and track their transactions.  Posters, brochures, and FAQ handouts that inform students on how and where to retrieve information online will be produced and distributed to all private and public schools in Lebanon, universities, foreign embassies, and Lebanese embassies abroad. 

162

Common Effort

Common Effort (CE) will recruit 100-150 youth from 10 villages throughout Lebanon to create 10 shadow youth municipal councils (SYMC) in these villages. The shadow municipalities’ members will be trained on issues of decentralization, transparency, accountability, leadership, teamwork, advocacy and lobbying to better equip them with the skills needed for municipal work.  The SYMCs will conduct two different needs assessment surveys in each of their villages: one among citizens to determine the needs of these villages, and another for current municipality members to determine what has been achieved by the municipal councils. The data of these surveys will be analyzed and a summary and priority list for each village will be developed to distribute to village residents.  Following the expected spring municipal elections, the SYMC will lobby the newly elected municipal councils to adopt the village priorities identified and to create a channel of cooperation between village youth and the councils.  The SYMC will also push the newly elected councils to sign transparency pledges.  A final one-day forum for all the SMYC will take place to publicize their achievements and announce recommendations for future municipal work and laws.

161

PVC Productions

In partnership with the Lebanese University Faculty of Arts, PVC productions will work with the Multimedia graduating class students of the in first and second branch, to produce around 20 documentary films promoting a culture of citizenship, and addressing key related issues of transparency, accountability, good governance, and corruption. PVC will also help the students design and produce promotional materials for each of the documentaries. The movies will then be screened both at the Lebanese University and also as part of a national film festival.   Discussion forums will be held after the screenings between the student producers of the films and the audience.  Opportunities to air the documentaries in other venues, such as TVs, other universities, and theaters will also be pursued.

160

The Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC)

In a public private partnership with the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD), the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC) will address early detection and intervention of children’s development and mental health problems at public schools. Such mental health problems, if not identified at an early age, have a lasting impact on academic achievement of children. Under this partnership, IDRACC and CERD will develop user-friendly instructional and interventional manuals for the pre-school, elementary, and intermediate academic levels at all public schools in Lebanon.  The manuals will provide an overview of the normal development of children and of developmental and mental disorders that affect children, and explain practical early detection skills to be implemented by teachers in classrooms targeting the three educational levels.  The manuals will also provide resource sections on additional organizations and resources available for the diverse stakeholders.  Training of trainers workshops on how to use the manuals effectively will be held for 206 teachers identified by CERD.  Following training, these teachers will disseminate the information to 1,200 teachers throughout public schools under CERD’s supervision. Evaluation of the trainings, manuals, dissemination of information, and the usefulness of the manuals will be conducted at the end of the project with the involvement of all stakeholders.

159

Social Service for the Welfare of Children in Lebanon (SESOBEL)

Social Service for the Welfare of Children in Lebanon (SESOBEL) will advocate for inclusion of children with disabilities in their communities through this innovative initiative to help children lobby for their own rights.  SESOBEL will create an expression forum and space for children from SESOBEL and other schools nationwide to advocate for specific children’s rights chosen by the youth.  SESOBEL students will hold outreach sessions in schools around Lebanon to explain their project, and recruit students from these schools into working groups to work collaboratively on issues of children’s rights and inclusion.  Rights will be expressed using music, arts, and theater with the outputs exhibited in an exposition for further public awareness. The children also will advocate for their rights in media forums and will lobby Lebanese decision makers to support their demands on inclusion and other children’s rights.

158

National Commission for Lebanese Women

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) is the official body responsible for developing and executing a national strategy for Lebanese women’s affairs, coordinating national dialogue and actions on women’s issues, and providing guidance and support to the Lebanese women's movement.  The project will create a state-of-the art e-portal as an essential tool to facilitate NCLW’s mandate as specified by the Cabinet decree and its further development as an effective representative of Lebanese women locally and internationally. It aims, via a distinctive specialized technical platform, to enhance the real-time communication and interactivity between NCLW, its members, women’s associations nationwide, leaders and activists in the Lebanese women’s movement, and the general public. The project will develop a comprehensive e-Portal formed of several independent centers, including an E-Library archive of important research already published; a Publication Center to host new publications;  an NGO cyber center with a searchable engine where all women’s NGOs will be offered a page of their own; an International Center to encourage connectivity with women’s organizations around the world; and a Women’s Forum to improve connectivity between women nationally.

157

Center for Economic Information

A public-private partnership between the Center for Economic Information and the Basil Fuleihan Institute of Finance (IoF) will develop an e-procurement portal for the Institute.  The portal will assist both public institutions in handling public procurement issues and also make this information available to the general public.  This new tool will include: samples of public bids, up-to-date information on awarded public bids, specification requirements of materials and services, figures on IoF related bids (i.e. purchases, offered prices, quantities purchased, etc.), lists of registered and prequalified suppliers, and other procurement process related information.  This project will assist the Ministry of Finance in its attempts to unify procurement procedures across various ministries and governmental agencies and begin shaping access to information about Lebanese government procurement for concerned public employees as well as the public.  The portal will serve as an informative tool where various reports, statistics, and procedural guidelines will be published.  It will also operate as an interactive platform to exchange ideas and information through an online debate and discussion forum on public finance and other related issues.  To better administer the portal services and other services provided by the Institute, a baseline survey to evaluate all services provided by the Institute to governmental agencies will be conducted, with survey results used to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the institute’s service and improve and develop new services. The database developed for this component will allow the Institute to regularly conduct this evaluation exercise in the future.

156

Justicia Foundation for Development and Human Rights

“Ignorance of the law is no excuse” is a legal principle that means a person who is unaware of a law is not excused from violating that law merely because he or she was unaware of its content.  Based on this legal principal, two civil society organizations – Justicia Foundation for Development and Human Rights (Justicia) and Synergy — are partnering to author, publish, and distribute three guides for citizens on their rights as employees, consumers and taxpayers, and patient and medical rights. These guides will help Lebanese citizens by providing a basic reference guide and equipping them with knowledge about their rights under Lebanese law. A network of other key stakeholders concerned with each of these specific issues will be organized to ensure targeted distribution of the printed guides. Justicia also will upload the guides on their website to provide wider access by the public-at-large to this tool which helps equip citizens with clear and important legal information to ensure their equality under the law.

155

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)

Through a public-private partnership between the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Child Labor Unit (CLU) at the Ministry of Labor, YMCA will promote the rights of working children and enhance the capacity of civil society organizations actively working on the issue of Child Labor.  The project will also establish a network to serve as a link among active NGOs working on child protection and the CLU. To facilitate the CLU’s ongoing contact with these civil society organizations, a database with key information of nearly 100 civil society organizations (CSOs) will be developed and installed at the CLU, along with training for CLU staff on updating and maintaining the database. YMCA will train participating CSOs on key related topics, such as international treaties on child labor, Lebanese labor law, and protection measures. A board game that targets working children will be developed and provided to these CSOs to use as an ongoing interactive tool to help educate working children about their rights and various protective measures. Game sessions will engage working children in South Lebanon, Bekaa, and North Lebanon. 

154

Transformative and Empowering Solutions

In partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH), and in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA), Syndicate of Hospital Owners, and Order of Medical Doctors, Transformative and Empowering Solutions (T&E) will address the current status of implementation of the health component of law 220/2000, which mandates that the MOH fully covers cost of hospitalization of the people with disabilities given that those people have registered with MOSA and have a disability health card with them also issued by MOSA.  All relevant information, policies, and procedures about Lebanese law 220/2000 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Article 25 will be gathered from visits to MOSA, MOH, the Syndicate and Order to identify the gaps between written commitments and implementation. The discrepancies between the law and its implementation will be mapped, with additional mapping of hospitals involved with MOH and their knowledge of the disability health card. A conference to discuss the identified issues and develop appropriate solutions will be organized for MOH and MOSA decision- and policy-makers, hospital owners, hospital staff, NGOs and activists to launch the implementation phase of this project. Implementation will include training workshops for the MOSA and MOH staff on the rights of people with disabilities and appropriate ways of implementing law 220/2000. Several workshops nationwide will also be conducted for the Order and for hospital staff responsible for patient admissions.  In addition, a brochure explaining the benefits provided for holders of the disability health card per the health codicils of law 220/2000 will be distributed to physically challenged individuals outlining their rights and providing a MOH contact number for hospital admissions use.  A post-intervention impact assessment will be conducted by measuring change in the number of complaints, adoption of new policies and decisions, and changes in hospitals’ practices.  A committee of diverse stakeholders including members from hospitals, the ministries, and civil society will be formed to ensure follow-up.

153

The Institute of Progressive Women (IPW)

The Institute of Progressive Women (IPW) will promote women's legal rights and empowerment on the level of access to financial services allowing mothers to open a deposit account in the name of minors, with the mother as a guardian.  IPW will conduct an innovative legal interpretation and study to be used to launch the project and a public awareness and lobbying campaign to promote women's legal financial rights.  The current Lebanese custodial and family law prohibits mothers from opening a deposit account in the name of their minor children, and only grant this right to fathers.  IPW will create an active pressure group of female bank customers that will press the case with the Association of Banks to allow mothers more freedom to open bank accounts for their minor children.  With the Association of Banks on board, the pressure group and IPW will work to make this new type of bank account available at commercial banks.  Once the new banking account products are ready, a conference announcing the achievement will be launched, marking this new milestone on the road to eroding discrimination against women as set by the Personal Status Code and Custodial Laws in Lebanon.

152

MAJAL (Urban Planning Institute of ALBA – Balamand University)

Through a public private partnership between the Directorate General of Urban Planning (DGUP), the Academic Observatory for Construction and Reconstruction in Lebanon (MAJAL), the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA), and other key-stakeholders, MAJAL will promote public participation in urban development projects through lobbying for legislative reform to include the principle of public consultation in urban planning laws in Lebanon.  Majal and its partners will develop a comprehensive lobbying campaign for legislative reform to propose a new draft or amendment of the urban planning law.  The draft or amendment will include public consultation principles and guidelines for public consultation in urban planning, to be adopted in urban planning projects in Lebanon.  This will empower the Lebanese public and civil society with legal tools to inquire into urban projects, influence decision-making, air their opinions, and hold authorities accountable.  In short, public consultation will promote accountability and encourage decision makers to adopt more transparency in urban development projects, increase the responsiveness of Lebanese public servants and institutions, and push for a true culture of public consultation on urban policy in Lebanon.

151

KunHadi

Through a partnership with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM), KunHadi will promote and spread a culture of road safety and respect for the driving law as part of a wider campaign launched by the organization.  In consultation with MOIM, KunHadi will launch an awareness raising campaign on road safety pertaining to the driving law and three selected issues to be featured on billboards nationwide.  With the help of Internal Security Force members themselves, flyers developed in tis project will also be distributed around Lebanon on the three road safety topics chosen.  The project materials will also be uploaded on KunHadi's website.  The media tools will run simultaneously with and will complement the 32 short TV clips KunHadi is developing as part of its wider campaign.

150

The Daily Star SAL

The role of the media as a provider of information is critical in the fight against corruption and transparency and accountability.  In addition to playing the role of a watchdog on governmental actions, transparency and access to information are major objectives of independent media and investigative journalism efforts.  With the belief that citizens must be equipped with the right access to information and knowledge, the Daily Star (DS) will produce a weekly one-page section in both its printed and on-line editions for a period of 20 weeks (6 months), serving as a cornerstone for transparency, accountability, and good governance issues in Lebanon.  The subjects covered will focus on non-political, non-polarized issues in the period prior to Parliamentary elections - such as education, environment, access to health, women's empowerment and rights, specific consumer concerns, protection of minorities, migrant workers, etc. - and will then focus on issues of reform following the elections.

149

American University of Beirut (AUB)

The American University of Beirut Faculty of Health Sciences, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor, Syndicate of Bakery Owners, and the Syndicate of Bakery Workers, will increase the awareness and enforcement of existing legislation that addresses workers' health and safety issues in bakeries all over Lebanon.  The project will review the Lebanese Occupational & Safety Legislation as set in Decree 11802 to identify the rules and regulations relevant to the health and safety of bakery workers.  It will also conduct and collect qualitative data on bakeries itemizing tasks undertaken by bakery workers in order to establish and recommend corrective measures and to lobby for proper monitoring of infringements of the law.  A brochure outlining the relevant issues in the law and preventive measures will be developed and distributed during brief presentations to bakery workers.  Town meetings will be held in Beirut, South Lebanon, and North Lebanon for all stakeholders to explain the project and stress the importance of complying with the legislation as well as to address these stakeholders' concerns. 

148

Contact and Resource Center

In order to help people with disabilities and their families in Lebanon to benefit from all the rights or services provided for by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (UN ENABLE), CRC will launch a public campaign and lobby the Lebanese Parliament for ratification of this Convention. The campaign will include organizing meetings with Disabled Persons Organizations and NGOs in the five districts of Lebanon and with heads of parliamentary committees and Members of Parliaments, preparing a full publicity campaign (producing and printing 250 booklets, 5000 pamphlets, and 200 billboards), producing a short documentary and a TV spot to be shown on TV as a public service announcement, developing and launching a web site, and convening a two-day workshop at the Parliament under the auspices of the Speaker of Parliament and including several sessions with the involvement of the five concerned parliamentary committees.  CRC will continue lobbying to ensure the Convention is placed on Parliament’s General Assembly agenda to be voted upon.

147

Lebanese Association for the Philosophy of Law (ALIPHID)

The Lebanese Association for the Philosophy of Law (ALIPHID) will work to introduce legal philosophy as a required course in the Lebanese University Faculty of Law, as the existing curriculum focuses narrowly on criminal, private and public law, but not the necessary reflective philosophical underpinings of the law which in a democratic state should respect the liberty of citizens and equality under the law with the judiciary operating fairly, efficiently, and free of interference.  By introducing legal philosophy of the Lebanese University curriculum, the project aims to develop a stronger understanding within the legal and judicial community on the relationship between power and society and the application of the rule of law.  ALIPHID will advance good governance and transparency by lobbying the Cabinet of Ministers to approve the inclusion of a "Philosophy of Law" or "Jurisprudence" course in the curriculum at Lebanese University.  This lobbying campaign will begin with the formulation and circulation of the decree proposal, course outline, and petition to be used with ministers, academic leaders, parliamentarians, and judicial officials who will be visited and lobbied on the importance of including this as a mandatory course in the curriculum.  An awareness campaign will also be conducted at all 4 LU Faculty of Law campuses, and in each of the other 3 universities teaching law in Lebanon, including the convening of 11 roundtable forums and a conference.  This project will continue by laying the groundwork for an expansion of legal philosophy studies by advocating for approval of a full degree program on jurisprudence in the Faculty of Law at the Lebanese University.

146

Green Hand Organization

Green Hand Organization (GHO), will work on empowering youth in the Aley region, in coordination with the Qa'im-Maqam of Mount Lebanon, to strengthen the relationship between youth and their municipalities in 10 villages of the Aley region.  GHO will conduct a field survey and assessments in these 10 villages identifying the weakness and strengths, problems and needs, interests and potential between the youth and the villages municipalities.  Youth will be selected to particiapte in training workshops on lobbying, accountability, good governance, and the role of municipalities, which will also include municipal council members and employees.  After the workshops, these youth will go back to their villages and develop and implement projects that aim to enhance youth participation in each of their 10 municipalities.  As part of the campaign, GHO's capacity will also be strengthened, with a comprehensive website and an organizational brochure developed to enhance their outreach to various youth groups and youth in the region.