TAG #

Organization

Project Description

115

Nahwa al-Muwatiniya (Towards Citizenship)

To approach the problem of transparency and accountability in Lebanon, Nahwa Al-Muwatiniya will launch a Citizen’s Parliament Monitor that will provide Lebanese citizens with concrete information on the performance and achievements of their representatives’ track records on 20 key issues.  Through a partnership with a number of active NGOs, 20 issues deemed important which have been debated or are under debate in Parliament will be set as the benchmark issues for the monitoring process. A project website will be promoted through flyers & posters and Monitor reports will be published in some of Lebanon’s leading newspapers.  Nahwa Al-Muwatiniya will organize 5 accountability conferences in the five Mohafazat to question the parliamentarians and hold them accountable for their actions.  The project will be summed up with a booklet compiling the voting records and information on the project.  In addition to holding members of parliament accountable for their stands and work, the project aims to promote political awareness among Lebanese by making neutral information about parliamentary officials and government acts accessible.

114

The Bar Association in Tripoli

This project aims to enhance the capacity of the Bar Association in Tripoli through developing a tri-lingual portal hosting a variety of legal information for the use of the members of the Bar and the public.  In addition, the Bar will produce a brochure informing the members about the website.  The Bar’s IT committee will be trained on the maintaining and updating the website.  Such a website will facilitate and enhance the interaction between the Bar and its members on the one hand, and between the Bar and the general population of Lebanon and the North in specific, while enhancing the Bar’s effectiveness as a key civic institution in Lebanon.

113

InfoPro Center for Economic Information

The latest war on Lebanon resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe, destroyed infrastructure and  wrecked the economic environment.  The Government of Lebanon is leading enormous relief and recovery efforts with the help of many international organizations, countries, international and local NGOs.  Info Pro on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister will maintain and construct two portal websites.  The first portal is the relief portal (www.lebanonundersiege.gov.lb) that covers humanitarian efforts that will be continuously updated until the relief efforts in the country subside.  In parallel and as the first portal's objective fade away, Info Pro will be creating a new "recovery" portal focused on reconstruction and development efforts will be developed and launched under this grant assisting the government in leading these reconstruction and relief efforts in a more transparent and accountable manner.

112

In cooperation with the Institute of Finance at Ministry of Finance

In June 2004, Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) countries established a "Partnership for Progress and a Common Future" with countries of the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region to support efforts to advance freedom, democracy, and prosperity in the region.  As part of this initiative, Finance Ministers from the G8 and the BMENA launched the G8-BMENA Finance Ministerial process. The presidency of G8-BMENA revolves every year and this coming year Lebanon has been named the G8-BMENA Chair.  This TAG project aims to assist the Ministry of Finance to establish a dedicated stand-alone website for the G8-BMENA that would be linked to the Ministries of Finance of G8-BMENA members. The website will promote the G8-BMENA initiative, advertise its activities, and enhance transparency and outreach through the constant reporting done on the website.  The website will contain background information and FAQs on G8-MENA; past speeches, letters and material related to the G8-MENA initiative, the sub-initiatives, and all related activities; past and present G8-BMENA agendas; proceedings of G8-BMENA meetings; progress of G8-BMENA activities and sub-initiatives; sub-pages on each G8-BMENA member country with detailed information and data, in addition to links to related country websites.

111

The Daily Star

The Daily Star (DS) will produce a weekly one-page supplement under the title of “Reform and Transparency” both in their printed and on-line editions for a period of 26 weeks (6 months) which will focus on covering subjects related to the reconstruction and reform period after the Israeli war on Lebanon from the perspective of transparency, accountability, and good governance.   DS will investigate the management of the humanitarian crisis by the government, by the Higher Relief Commission, by the NGO sector, by the emergency institutions, by international organizations and other sectors. As an advocate for access to information for the public, DS will also inform the public on the activities and actions during the crisis of their elected representatives, leaders of opinion, and all those in positions of responsibility.  The supplement will also cover and investigate the Lebanese economic, social, judicial, and governmental sectors’ relief assistance news.  A final event will prepare for follow up on the subjects exposed.

110

Shou’un Janoubiyah Magazine

In an attempt to hold municipal councils more accountable and responsible towards their electorate, the Shou’un Janoubiyah Magazine team will strengthen the relationship between municipal councils and their constituents by conducting a number of joint seminars and meetings in 26 villages in South Lebanon.  The meetings will increase access to information about the progress of municipal councils’ work, develop action plans for each municipality, and encourage direct interaction between citizens and their municipal council members for better governance. Follow up meetings to review progress on the action plans will be held after six months in each locale.  Proceedings and recommendations from each seminar will be published in supplements within the magazine.  Shou’un Janoubiyah will also establish a free access website for the magazine and upload all the municipal seminars’ proceedings and recommendations.  

109

Justice without Frontiers

Justice Without Frontiers (JWF) is a nongovernmental organization working on juristic issues. It focuses on the principles of Human Rights and international humanitarian and criminal law, and works towards prosecuting violators and supporting victims at the national, regional, and international levels.  This project will assist JWF in building their capacity to implement and promote better rule of law within Lebanon through developing a comprehensive and informative trilingual website and training the JWF staff and legal volunteers on managing it.  JWF will also formulate a five year strategic plan for the organization and hold training sessions for its members and volunteers.  They will also produce and distribute promotional materials about their mission, strategy, goals, and activities.  Also, JWF will organize outreach activities and lectures in the regions to discuss specific issues that are important to the public and hold a major launching event during the International Human Rights week.

108

In cooperation with religious judges

This project will facilitate access to information for young Muslim women concerning their rights and responsibilities as stipulated by Islamic religious (shari’aa) law. Hala Badredine -- in coordination with Religious Shari’aa Judge of Beirut Shaikh Hassan Al Hajj Shehade and Religious Judge of Beirut Shaikh Abed Alhaleem Sharara -- will review Muslim women’s shari’aa rights, laws, explanations, and examples as applied in Sunni and Shiite Muslim religious courts and publish this information in a reference book on legal rights of Muslim women. The reference will focus on prenuptial agreements in which all necessary issues can be addressed by Muslim women prior to marriage. While the reference book will be distributed to a targeted list of professionals working with women, such as lawyers, judges, law schools, and women’s NGOs, the information will also be uploaded on a bilingual website for easy access by the public at large. In addition to the reference material, the site will also contain frequently asked questions, related information on women’s legal rights, and briefs on previous experiences.

107

International Management Training Institute (IMTI)

The civil society in Lebanon has been playing a larger role in public life for the last decade but their role in the public budget process is still very minimal.  This project aims to redress this situation by enhancing the capacity of civil society organizations to influence the public budget process and contribute to public policy formulation. A steering committee of professors from the Universite Saint Joseph, IMTI consultants, and CSO activists will be established to organize focus group meetings of civic leaders and activitists. These focus groups will outline intervention in the current budget process highlighting civil society areas of interest. The information will also be uploaded on a standalone website. Workshops will be conducted to familiarize CSOs with the project and review relevant budget sections in parallel with the budget review process in Parliament.  At the end of the project, the CSOs’ recommendations will be presented to the Parliamentary Committee of Finance in a national conference and a follow-up steering committee will be established.

106

Young Men Christian Association (YMCA)

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Lebanon will work with 50 agricultural cooperatives to improve their understanding of legal issues related to cooperatives, enhance their internal good governance practices, and build their financial and administrative capacity.  YMCA will develop a comprehensive manual addressing legal, financial, and managerial aspects of running a cooperative, and then conduct training sessions for members of these 50 cooperatives. Together with the General Union of Cooperatives (GUC) in Lebanon, the YMCA team will develop a website for the union and upload the contents of the manual so all cooperatives and interested parties can access the materials. Post-training, a follow up on the implementation of good governance principles will be conducted with the cooperatives and assistance or additional training provided according to specific needs.

105

Lebanese Intellectual Property Association (LIPA)

Lebanese Intellectual Property Association (LIPA) is a newly established NGO that promotes intellectual property issues and focuses on the practical attributes of intellectual property and its effect on Lebanese economy and culture. In order to more actively promote Intellectual Property Rights issues and educate the public on related procedures and rules, LIPA will launch a mulit-faceted IPR outreach initiative, including a comprehensive free access website, development and distribution of 30,000 copies of an Arabic guide tackling basics in the intellectual property field, and publishing 6,000 copies each of three issues of a newsletter dedicated to professionals in the field.  The guide will be widely distributed and uploaded on the Ministry of Economy and Trade and Beirut Bar Association websites, as well as the Ministry of Justice e-library.  In addition, LIPA will hold a launching event to be hosted at the Beirut Bar Association and other promotional events in various regions around Lebanon to ensure broad public outreach to citizens.

104

American University of Beirut (AUB)

This project aims to extend the already established Bicharaf (With Honor) program to 20 geographically dispersed high schools in Lebanon.  The Bicharaf program for high schools aims to shape the attitude of students concerning academic integrity.  Bicharaf will prepare promotional kits and train the Bicharaf team who will then visit the schools and conduct sessions for students on Bicharaf, recruit student volunteers, and launch the promotional campaign and school clubs.  Bicharaf program will also conduct an online survey for students in addition to familiarize the students with the Bicharf.org website and its utilities.  An e-learning module will be developed by the team who will then train the students on it.  With the students, Bicharaf will produce 4,000 copies of a trilingual student booklet for academic integrity and 4,000 copies of four newsletter issues.

103

Brand Protection Group (BPG)

Brand Protection Group will partner with the Ministry of Economy and Trade to address issues of counterfeit goods and products in order to protect customers.  BPG will train staff at the call center hotline (1739) in the Ministry of Economy and Trade to efficiently and effectively respond to consumers’ complaints and will also monitor the call center’s performance. In addition, BPG will launch a media and trade “Anti-Counterfeit” public awareness campaign on TV, radio, and by direct distribution of leaflets to promote the refusal of counterfeit products and better empowerment of consumers.

102

Byblos Ecologia

Byblos Ecolgia will work with 500 students from fourteen schools in the Batroun and Koura regions on themes of citizenry, transparency, accountability, and corruption.  Throughout the scholastic year, these students -- aged 15-17 -- will study these themes in an interactive way and will conduct related field activities.  Upon completion of the activities, the students will receive the “Good Citizen’s Passport” and will swear the “Good Citizen’s Oath” in a ceremony held at their schools and in the presence of their parents.  Mentors will assess the students’ knowledge in pre- and post-project questionnaires and disseminate the results and lessons learned to all key stakeholders. 

101

World Trade Center, Beirut (WTC)

The World Trade Center and their partners -- Professional Computer Association and the Union of Arab ICT Association (IJMA) -- will hold a forum in Beirut on February 23-24, 2006 entitled Middle East Cybercrime.  The Forum will establish a platform for key private and public sector stakeholders to address challenges related to cybercrime and develop recommendations on how to proceed.  The conference proceedings and recommendations will then be published in a catalogue and CD and distributed to all concerned parties in Lebanon. A follow-up committee representing both the private and public sectors will be established to ensure effective implementation of the forum's recommendations and assist in increasing awareness on cybercrime problems.

100

Sader Publishers

SADER Publishers, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, will develop a compendium of all international, multilateral, and bi-lateral treaties approved by the Lebanese Parliament and duly ratified for use by judges and courts nationwide. Because commitments in ratified treaties supersede any local laws, it is imperative to have a definitive reference on such legal treaty obligations. By developing a resource that includes all treaties as well as sophisticated indexing to facilitate the use of this resource, this activity will lead to stronger application of the rule of law, thereby benefiting citizens, professionals and investors. The International Treaties Compendium will have direct relevance for such legal topics as finance, commerce, culture, tourism, intellectual property, and crime, and will therefore have a great impact in all areas of the Lebanese legal system. Once developed, the project will offer all judges either a hard copy of the compendium or a CD version containing all treaties, compiled in a comprehensive, easy-to-understand and practical way with exhaustive indexes (by country, by subject and by dates) providing judges with the option to select a combination of different information fields to fit each case studied.

99

Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA)

This project will build on the successful effort initiated last year by YASA to develop comprehensive new traffic legislation, a draft of which was presented and registered in the Parliament by MP Mohammad Kabbani on June 2, 2005. In order to ensure the passage of this law and the mobilization of public support for it, YASA will launch a lobbying campaign to adopt the new traffic legislation currently pending in Parliament.  It is expected that the draft legislation will be studied by the Administrative and Justice Committee sometime in July 2006, after which it will make its way to the Joint Parliamentarian Committee for review and finally to the General Assembly in late 2006.  During this period YASA will train its members and volunteers to directly lobby members of Parliament in their districts and request that they sign pledges to support this law to ensure its passage.  As a parallel effort to the direct lobbying of MPs, YASA will also conduct a public awareness media campaign to create broad public support for the passage of the law.

98

Christian Association for the Blind (CAB)

This project will utilize the “Understanding Human Rights Manual - On Human Rights Education” produced by the Human Security Network (Austria, 2003) to help blind citizens better understand their rights in society. CAB will produce a Braille version of this guide in user- friendly language and distribute 800 copies to blind residents in Lebanon to better empower this marginalized group of citizens on their rights. In addition to the guide, CAB will be conducting awareness sessions to accompany the guide, and will be partnering with several local organizations that work with the visually impaired to ensure effective outreach to the blind community.

97

SAWA

SAWA Group will work to address children’s rights and promoting democratic values among youth residing in the Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon.  Their project will focus on awareness of specific children’s rights and duties of participation, the environment, and education. SAWA Group will produce and conduct 90 shows of a play with an accompanying brochure on these rights and themes in schools and in public parks around the Bekaa region. Through simplifying the material and offering it in an entertaining and interactive manner, they will be enlisting youth to better understand and advocate for their rights.

96

Women in Information Technology (WIT)

This project will develop the capacity of Women in Information Technology (WIT) to better serve as an advocate for women’s issues.  WIT is a recently established NGO whose aim is to improve the status of all women in Lebanon, especially working women.  This website will be a gateway for information designed for the empowerment and development of women, as well as a venue for networking between women in the community. It will strive to create a lobby to support women and promote their hiring in both the public and private sectors.  A sample of the initial information the portal will offer includes: Working Women’s Rights; Local development projects that women can benefit from; women’s networks (locally, regionally, and internationally); examples from other countries on how ICT was used to empower women; a database for all women’s associations; and an on-line newsletter to help members stay connected.

95

Sader Publishers

In partnership with the State Council, SADER Publishers will make the Council’s procedures and rules widely accessible to citizens through a user-friendly guide and a free access website explaining the State Council’s procedures, services, and work. In addition, around 1,000 summaries of important and relevant State Council decisions during the years 1985 through 2005 will be uploaded on the new website.  The contents of the citizen guide will be uploaded on the new website as well as on other key sites, such as the Ministry of Justice e-library, and the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations’ websites. The project will end with promotional activities to help announce these resources to the public at large, municipalities, universities, business associations, and practicing lawyers.

94

Center for Economic Information

InfoPro will assist the Ministry of Finance in improving its services and relations with citizens by conducting a professional citizen satisfaction survey and presenting recommendations for improvement to the Ministry.  2,000 interviews with private individuals conducting their work at the ministry and representatives of companies dealing with the Beirut and Baabda bureaus will be conducted.  The results and findings will be studied, following which InfoPro will develop a procedural and administrative restructuring plan and recommendations on how to improve the MOF’s services to citizens.  A press conference and media event to announce results and reform strategies will be conducted at the end of the project.

93

Lebanese Council of Women

The Lebanese Council of Women (LCW) will launch a public awareness campaign promoting a quota for women in the new Parliamentary election law, expected to be debated beginning in January 2006.  LCW will produce and air 30 second TV public service announcements on all key Lebanese TV stations (LBCI, FTV, NBN, TL) over a period of one month (30 days) in an advocacy campaign promoting fair participation and inclusion of women in the national decision making process.  All 153 member organizations will be participating in meetings to promote the concept of the quota in their regions. LCW will also conduct a survey to measure the impact of the campaign.  Upon the completion of the project, LCW will publish a final report and hold a press conference to announce the findings and results.

92

Kronfol Water

Dr. Kronfol, in partnership with the Parliamentary Committee for Energy and Water, will conduct a thorough quality assessment of treated water at the 21 public water authorities in Lebanon.  The project will survey water treatment procedures and techniques that the Lebanese water authorities follow.  It will also conduct 50 water sampling tests on treated and stored water for contamination and quality adherence to health safety standards.   Findings and recommendations will be published and documented in a report to be distributed to key stakeholders:  Ministry of Energy and Water, Parliamentary Committee on Public Works, Water, and Energy, and the water agencies and authorities.  The project will also increase general public awareness about the water quality by producing and distributing 50,000 copies of a brochure containing the findings.  If the project findings indicate a need for modifications to existing laws about the technical standards then legislation or legislative amendments will be drafted and presented to the parliamentary committee. A press conference will be organized to announce findings and project results.

 

91

 Fares Foundation Alumni Association

The Fares Foundation Alumni Association (FFAA) will conduct a program to empower women in the Akkar region with knowledge about their rights under civic and religious laws, and by developing their awareness of the laws that protect them.  Building upon a previous TAG project, the FFAA will partner with Dr. Julinda Abul Naser to reproduce the “We the People” booklet series that tackled the topics of democracy, civic education, human rights, and personal status laws in 20 short stories. The partners will conduct 12 training of trainer sessions for nearly 300 social workers and civic activists to then use the materials with 50 women each in the target region among their respective communities, reaching approximately 15,000 women in North Lebanon.

90

Technology SARL

Technology SARL aims to enhance interaction between public constituents and mokhtars and to facilitate public access to information related to mokhtars through developing a portal and launching a website for mokhtars in association with the Association of Mokhtars in Beirut.  A website and offline software application will be developed and installed at 110 mokhtar offices that will facilitate their work and public interaction. Technology SARL will undertake the training of mokhtars on computer and internet skills to allow them to maintain and update their specific sites.  The Mokhtar Association will also receive training to maintain and update portal contents to accommodate new mokhtars joining the association.  Once the technical work is completed the project will be launched in a media event coupled with wide distribution of promotional materials about the new service.

89

Art Pulse Productions

Art Pulse Productions will produce a pilot episode that will address and examine NGO transparency and accountability through the audiovisual media.  By putting willing NGOs under a TV station’s spotlight, depicting information about their services, in an investigative and interactive method, they will be exposed to the Lebanese public, their members, beneficiaries, volunteers, and staff who can then hold them accountable regarding their work and achievements.  If successful, a second grant will be approved for the pilot to be developed into a series of 9 episodes about 18 NGOs working in different sectors to be broadcast on local TV.

88

Fares Foundation

Fares Foundation will conduct a pilot project to protect and enhance children’s rights in the Akkar region of North Lebanon based on the UN “World Fit for Children” (WFFC) declaration.  2000 copies of a simplified Arabic version of the WFFC declaration will be produced and distributed to teachers, activists, NGO employees, municipal officials, and others concerned with childhood matters. A poster contest on WFFC themes among school students in Akkar will be conducted with the winning poster printed and distributed all over Akkar.  Concurrently, a training and awareness program will be conducted targeting 500 teachers and professionals and 2000 students in Akkar.  Discussion group meetings will be held to evaluate implementation issues that would allow Lebanon to meet the WFFC requirements.  Finally a regional conference will be organized to present findings and recommendations.

87

Institute of Finance

Produce and distribute 30,000 copies of a revised and updated guide on the income tax declaration transaction.  This is an update of an earlier guide supported by TAG to clarify regulations on a procedure at the Ministry of Finance that many professionals face problems with and find confusing. Following broad distribution nationwide for the last 3 years and the good impact achieved, the Institute will use its new grant to help revise and produce a newer edition. The guides will be available at Ministry of Finance and other public offices nationwide, with the updated information also uploaded on the Institute of Finance and Ministry websites.

86

Lebanese Council of Women

The Lebanese Council of Women (LCW) aims to build the capacity of the council and enhance its utilization of resources in LCW’s restructuring process toward stronger internal governance. This project will allow LCW to properly survey its 170 member organizations and gather information on accounting systems, compliance with employment laws, information and communication capacities, and volunteer programs.  A software application to manage all the information about LCW members will be produced and for this process.  At the completion of the project the LCW will publish a final report and hold a press conference to announce their findings.

85

Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (CESMO)

CESMO will promote and push for workers’ rights in North Lebanon by increasing both workers’ and employers’ awareness about the rights and responsibilities as stipulated in Lebanese labor laws.  Simultaneously, CESMO will encourage key persons in the civil society and labor syndicates and unions to resume their role in defending workers’ rights.  50,000 copies of a booklet on employees’ main rights and benefits will be produced and distributed by volunteers and university students to employees and employers.  Conferences and workshops will be organized for senior officials, NGO activists, volunteers, workers and employers’ representatives to promote the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers, and to discuss possible amendments to existing labor law.  At the end of the activity, and in partnership with the International Labor Organization, CESMO will launch a Workers’ Rights Observatory to follow up on and address workers’ grievances.

84

Ordre des Geometres Topographes du Liban

The Topographers Syndicate will promote good governance through the adoption of customized standards and a code of ethics for Lebanese syndicate members.  They will base their work on the International Federation of Surveyors’ professional standards and code of ethics. The Syndicate will produce and print 7,000 copies of the finalized professional standards and ethics, with the booklet also containing all the regulations that govern the topographers’ work. In addition to promoting these standards and ethics internally to its 1,200 member, they will also distribute copies to municipalities, government agencies, and other parties with whom they have common work. The contents of the booklet will also be made available on a bi-lingual Arabic/English website.  The website will also serve to help strengthen communication linkages between the Syndicate, its members, and the International Federation of Surveyors.

83

Jbeil Area Development Committee (JADCO)

In their effort to enhance good governance in the Jbeil area, JADCO will create a development monitor center in Byblos.  The center will survey all ongoing and planned development projects in the Jbeil area and publish findings in a reference book and website. Following the completion of this first stage JADCO will organize workshops and roundtables and then create follow up committees to pursue implementation of projects with the concerned authorities.  This activity will be widely announced in the Jbeil area, citizen’s complaints (calls, emails, visits,…) will be received and investigated by JADCO in their office, and all results, findings, and progress will be published and distributed in a quarterly newsletter.  

82

Collective for Research and Training for Development – Action (CRTD.A)

In their efforts and programs to enhance women’s political participation, networking, and building institutional responsiveness, CRTD will target four Lebanese NGOs and sponsor the participation of 4 representatives in a two-week intensive training course on Gender, Citizenship, and Participatory Governance in the Arab Region. Following the training CRTD will assist the participants in developing an action plan for their respective organizations and will work with these NGOs to adopt the lessons learned and incorporate them into their policies, actions, and programs.

81

International Management and Training Institute (IMTI)

In light of recent changes in the implementation of the VAT tax rules and regulations applicable to NGOs, and the subsequent confusion arising from this issue, IMTI will conduct focus group meetings for national NGOs to discuss taxation legislation (especially VAT) and the implementation problems. Following the focus groups, the issues raised will be discussed in a workshop with officials from the Ministry of Finance and a follow up committee will be formed to identify specific actions needed and work for their implementation by the relevant parties.  During this process, IMTI will update the Financial Procedures Manual to reflect these changes and will carry on conducting training workshops in various areas of Lebanon for local NGOs and CBOs.

80

Teachers' Union

In their continuing efforts to assist teachers who often lose rights or benefits due to lack of clear information regarding those rights, the Teachers’ Union will develop and produce a guide to provide Lebanese teachers with a comprehensive reference book which will include all laws and regulations governing their rights and responsibilities (e.g. appointment, contracts, wages, lay-off, dismissal, etc.). Once produced, a launching media event and promotional posters will kickoff the distribution of 35,000 guides to all private school teachers. Contents will be uploaded on to the Union’s website which also serves to help strengthen communication linkages between the Union and its members. Following the project completion, the guide will also serve as a valuable resource in future training workshops conducted by the Teachers’ Union.

79

Partners for Development

Develop and promote professional ethics and a code of conduct for community workers and public health students in Lebanon. Grantee will organize five conferences for the social workers of the Syndicate of Social Workers, Ministry of Social Affairs, and public health students and faculty members of the Lebanese University, American University of Beirut, and University of Balamand. 2,500 copies of the document will be printed and distributed to the same target groups.  Additionally, grantee will lobby the University of Balamand to adopt the code as a reference material and to organize yearly seminars for students on professional ethics in community work.

78

In Cooperation with Ministry of Finance

Produce and distribute 30,000 copies of a revised and updated guide on the inheritance and land registry transaction. This is an update of an earlier guide (TAG’s first project with the Institute of Finance which was launched in Feb. 2002) on a procedure at the Ministry of Finance that many citizens find difficult and confusing. Following broad distribution nationwide over the last 3 years, the Ministry has run out of the first set of 30,000 guides, and requested another grant to help them in revising and producing a newer edition. Since there were some changes in some of the required steps, a revision is necessary as well. The new information will also be uploaded on the Institute of Finance and Ministry’s websites.

77

Cultural Council of North Lebanon

The Cultural Council of North Lebanon, in partnership with both the Beirut and Tripoli Orders of Doctors, will produce and distrute 15,000 copies of a guide focused on the rights, responsibilities, and ethics of doctors.  A press conference launching event will be held, followed by targeted distribution of the guide to doctors, medical schools, and hospitals nationwide. The contents of the guide will also be uploaded on the Orders’ websites.

76

Sader Publishers

This activity will make Lebanese legal information and laws more accessible to the public by translating and making available the main Lebanese Laws in English for business concerns, chambers, professional associations, and the public on a free access website. Access to precise and reliable laws to a wide sector of the business community will encourage investment and commerce in Lebanon.  This project will be widely promoted and advertised to the targeted beneficiaries: practicing lawyers and judges, students of law and business schools, businesses, and the public in general.

75

Lebanese Appropriate Technologies Assocation (LATA)

This activity will investigate environmental abuses, report on them, and propose solutions to empower local communities to lobby local government and official bodies for corrective measures. By establishing and promoting a “hotline” and an email address to receive public environmental complaints from all over Lebanon, LATA will visit and investigate the problematic environmental sites in cooperation with local communities, NGOs, and other key local players and propose and lobby for corrective measures with the assistance of experts in the field. The lobbying efforts will involve wide media exposure, with training of local communities to follow up with both local and central authorities for implementing corrective measures.

74

Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace

This activity aims to promote a culture of fighting corruption in Lebanon by printing the Arabic translation of the book, Fighting the Mafia and Renewing Sicilian Culture, authored by Leoluca Orlando. Most of the copies of this Arabic translation will be distributed by the Foundation to schools, universities, public libraries, media, NGOs, politicians, etc as part of their civic education program. Approximately 400 copies will also be available for sale at the annual Arab Book Fair and through Librairie Orientale.

73

The Committee for Women Political Empowerment

This activity aims to lobby for the adoption of a transitional quota system for women’s representation in the Lebanese Parliament (12 extra seats) within an overall framework of achieving better representation of women in the different decision-making bodies in Lebanon. The committee will lobby to secure support from current members of Parliament for a quota system. Simultaneously, it will work to build public support prior to the Parliamentary elections in May 2005 with a campaign including regional meetings, billboards, and a petition drive.