Lebanon Centers

Known Centers based in Lebanon

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Lebanon Centers The Institute for Human Rights (Beirut Bar Association) The Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) The Lebanese Non-Governmental Organization Forum (LNF)

The Institute for Human Rights (Beirut Bar Association)

Year Established:

Short Historical Background

The Institute for Human Rights is a specialized body within the Beirut Bar Association. Headed by the President of the Bar Association, the Institute is run by a member of the Bar Association known for his competence and experience in the field of human rights. The director is appointed for a period of three years by the executive board of the Bar Association.

Objectives

The Institute aims at promoting universal values stated in the Lebanese constitution and in the United Nations conventions of human rights. The Institute strives to distribute the texts of these conventions, monitor their implementation in Lebanon by publishing special reports, as well as prepare draft laws designed to harmonize the domestic legislations with the international human rights standards. It also seeks to establish a series of precedents and special legal opinions which, in due time, will lead to the integration of principles of the conventions in local legislation.

Programs and Activities

Training - the Institute offers, in cooperation with international organizations and institutes specialized in human rights, training sessions on the subject of human rights, to all members of the legal, administrative and judicial professions. These sessions include practical training on the implementation of the principles of international conventions on human rights in the internal judicial system; training to study, in a comparative perspective, the judicial practices in other countries; and training sessions to understand the monitoring mechanisms and regulations adopted by human rights treaties in order to promote their implementation.

Seminar and Conference Organizing – since its establishment, the Institute has held periodic seminars and conferences on various issues regarding human rights in Lebanon in particular, and human rights in general. These events are held in Arabic, English, and French, and are attended by participants from Lebanon and abroad.

Research and Publication - the Institute distributes a series of publications including conference proceedings and various human rights materials. These materials range from books to newsletters and are available in Arabic, English, and French. Some of the institute’s works are accessible on its website (http://www.humanrightslebanon.org/index.html).

Publications

• Qadaya – periodic newsletter (Arabic)

• Combating Torture: A Compilation of International Instruments on the Elimination of Torture (2002)

• Introduction to the Lebanese Criminal Code (2001)

• Making Standards Work: an International Handbook on Good Prison Practice (1997)

Other Information

The Bar Association has a library located at the Courthouse in Beirut that offers various books and other publications on human rights in Arabic, English, and French languages.

Address

Institute for Human Rights

- Beirut Bar Association

Court House Beirut - Lebanon

ph (961) 01422204 /01-422205 ext. 220 or 222 /01-423943

fax (961) 01-423943

e-mail: idh@inco.com.lb

www.humanrightslebanon.org/index.html

The Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW)

Year Established: 1973

Short Historical Background

The Lebanese American University founded the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) in 1973. The history of the Institute is closely linked to that of the first women's college in the Middle East, the America Junior College for Women, which was established in 1924 by the Presbyterian Mission. The College, which educated Middle Eastern women for half a century, became coed in 1973. In order to honor the college's unique heritage as the first educational institution for women in the region, the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World was established that same year.

Objectives

IWSAW aims

1) To serve as a catalyst for policy changes regarding the rights of women in the Arab world

2) To engage in academic research on women in the Arab world

3) To empower women in the Arab world through development programs and education

4) To facilitate networking and communication among individuals, groups and institutions concerned with women in the Arab world.

Programs

IWSAW mainly designs and implements development programs aimed at promoting literacy and enhancing social and political awareness. Here are some examples of IWSAW's development programs:

Basic Living Skills - the Basic Living Skills Program is a non-formal integrated educational kit in Arabic geared towards illiterate and semi-literate women in the Arab world, available in both hard and digitized form. Its users are social workers and educators affiliated to non-governmental organizations, governmental institutions and international organizations involved in community development programs.

Empowering Arab Women Through Literacy, 2005 - Empowering Arab Women through Literacy is a series of twelve second-level literacy booklets based on IWSAW's Basic Living Skills Program. Through short stories, it addresses issues such as civic education and conflict control, women's empowerment, violence against women, health, and the environment.

Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Program for Women in Lebanese Prisons - in view of the precarious living conditions of incarcerated women in Lebanon and the overwhelming needs observed and expressed by these women, IWSAW initiated rehabilitation and intensive vocational training programs in the Lebanese women's prisons. Lebanese and non-Lebanese incarcerated women benefited from the program, namely in Tripoli.

Activities

Training - the IWSAW conducts training sessions on the use and implementation of the Basic Living Skills Program. Moreover, IWSAW offers training on the new literacy program throughout Lebanon.

Academic Activities - a variety of women's studies courses are offered at the Lebanese American University through IWSAW. The institute also sponsors research in women related issues.

Event Organizing - IWSAW hosts national, regional, and international conferences, in addition to seminars and workshops related to women's issues. Moreover, the institution hosts special events such as an annual Film Festival (since 2000) and the International Women's Day (since 1998).

Research - IWSAW undertakes research on various issues such as the following:

• Women and the Environment

• Women and Education

• Women in Literature

• Women and Economic Development

• Women in Management

• Women in the Media

• Women in History

• Women and Politics.

Publications

• Al-Jinsaniya Mouhemma (Arabic version of IDS Bulletin titled Sexuality Matters) (2008)

• Al-Raida - quarterly journal (Arabic and English)

• Women, media, and sustainable development (1996)

• Women and work in Lebanon (1985)

• Women in Islam (Arabic) (1990)

• Contemporary women's movement (Arabic) (1988)

• Women in time: Profiles of activists in the Lebanese women's movement up to 1975 (Documentary)

These documents are accessible online http://www.lau.edu.lb/centers-institutes/iwsaw/books.html

Address

Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World

Lebanese American University

P.O.Box: 13-5053,

Chouran Beirut: 1102 2801, Lebanon

ph (961)-1-791645

e-mail: dima.sensenig@lau.edu.lb

http://iwsaw.lau.edu.lb

The Lebanese Non-Governmental Organization Forum (LNF)

Year Established: 1991

Short Historical Background

The Lebanese Non-Governmental Organization Forum (LNF) was established in July 1991 to coordinate the activities of Lebanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) concerned primarily with relief and development (social, health, and educational) issues. The decision to establish the LNF was taken in 1988, in the midst of the Lebanese war, when several NGOs from different communities, religious and secular, agreed that a framework was required to bridge the gap between communities and citizens separated by war.

The LNF has been selected, by ministerial decree, to fill one of the five seats reserved for the most representative NGOs in the Economic and Social Council, which was established to allow participation of the different social and economic sectors in the formulation of the state policy. The LNF is also a member of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA-Geneva), CIVICUS, CIVICUS Arab Network, the Arab NGO Network (Cairo), and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (Copenhagen).

Objectives

The LNF primarily aims to promote specific programs which will help consolidate social cohesion and integration in Lebanon. In order to achieve this, it adopted the following guidelines:

1. It focuses on humanitarian social work, more specifically providing assistance to the needy in emergency situations. Its efforts also involve helping humanitarian associations

2. It works at upholding the rights of the underprivileged and vulnerable groups

3. It coordinates, when required, the humanitarian and social efforts of Lebanese NGOs, and acts as a clearing house for information necessary to enhance their operations

4. It collaborates regularly with state institutions, at times complementing their activities

5. It cooperates with UN agencies as well as with foreign humanitarian and voluntary organizations, and other associations.

Programs and Activities

The NGO Forum directs the following program and projects:

1. The Rights Program

This is formerly known as the "Migration Unit Project", which provides services to and information on vulnerable social groups, including the displaced, refugees, migrant workers, stateless and undocumented persons and, especially, women and children. The project involves:

a) Facilitating access to legal aid services free of charge in close cooperation with the Legal Aid Commission of the Beirut Bar Association;

b) Implementing the Legal Popular Education project for the displaced persons (1997-1998) which discusses their problems and includes the provision of legal aid.

c) Human Rights Information & Documentation:

- Gathering information on vulnerable social groups and disseminating it through bulletins, manuals, and brochures in Arabic, French or English

- Preparing and publishing in-depth studies on matters relating to vulnerable social groups

- Maintaining a specialized library

d) Monitoring legal instruments pertaining to human rights and preparing updated reports on the web for each of these instruments

e) Training of NGO workers on monitoring and reporting

f) Creation of electronic networks (the Women Rights Monitor and the Child Rights Monitor) to monitor the application of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Child Rights Convention (CRC)

g) Regional networking to cooperate on the advancement of human rights in the Middle East: the development of standard models, indicators and other relevant tools

h) Organizing seminars on international human rights conventions affecting vulnerable social groups, and examining their implementation in Lebanon

i) Participating, on an annual basis, in United Nations working committees, to present relevant information as well as recommendations

j) Working to improve the condition of prisoners in the context of the Committee for Coordination and Action for Prisoners (CAP).

2. Women’s Rights Monitor

This project aims at helping NGOs monitor women's rights and implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Lebanon by establishing a platform for co-ordination that will, at the national and regional levels:

a) Provide information about the Convention and the CEDAW Committee

b) Provide guidelines in view of helping NGOs to write their report to the CEDAW Committee

c) Establish a set of baseline data regarding women's rights in Lebanon in accordance with the guidelines of the CEDAW

d) Elaborate a permanent report regarding women's situation in Lebanon, based on the compiled data

e) Establish a bibliography on the subject of women's rights and facilitate the exchange of information and documentation

f) Provide a mailing list of participating NGOs.

3. Child Rights Monitor

This Project aims at helping NGOs monitor children's rights and implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Lebanon by establishing a platform for coordination that will, at the national and regional levels :

a) Provide information about the Convention and the Committee on the Rights of the Child

b)Provide guidelines in view of helping NGOs write their report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, in accordance with article 45 of the Convention

c) Establish a set of baseline data regarding children's rights in Lebanon in accordance with the guidelines of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

d) Elaborate a permanent report regarding children's situation in Lebanon, based on the compiled data

e) Establish a virtual library (bibliography) on the subject of children's rights in order to facilitate the exchange of information and documentation

f) Provide a mailing list of participating NGOs

4. Migration Network

LNF initiated projects to sensitize public opinion and raise the awareness of the Lebanese civil society on the problems facing foreign migrant workers in the country. The projects are part of the Migration Network of LNF which aims to come out with studies and reports, training, legal assistance and monitoring system on the situation of the foreign migrant workers.

Publications

The Rights Program

• Ebb ~ Flow - a quarterly Bulletin on refugees, displaced persons, stateless and "undocumented" persons in Lebanon

• A Study about stateless people (1993)

• A brochure about the refugee status (1994)

• A special file on the displaced people (1995)

• A guide-book about the means and techniques of implementing individuals' rights among these groups (1996)

• A manual entitled: "The Rights of People in their Own Language"

Women’s Rights Monitor

• Reports on the Convention on The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (2000)

• Brief reports on the status of women's rights in Lebanon

• Brief review of the current state of violations of women's rights in Lebanon

• Brief review of the government policies to diminish discrimination against women

• Brief review and presentation on the major NGOs mobilized for the advancement of women's rights

• Brief review on the NGOs that presented alternative reports to the UN CEDAW Committee

• Brief review of the situation of migrant women

Child Rights Monitor

• Reports on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (2000)

• Report on the implementation of the CRC in Lebanon (online - www.lnf.org.lb/child/report.html)

Migrant Workers Network

• Migrant Workers in Lebanon, Michael Young (2000)

• Foreign Female Domestic Maids in Lebanon, Ray Jureidini & Nayla Moukarbel (2000)

Other Information

The LNF has recently added the Prisoner’s Rights Monitor. Information (in French language) on this new project is available at the LNF website: www.lnf.org.lb

Address

Lebanese Non-Governmental Organization Forum (LNF)

Second Floor, Clémenceau 333 Bldg., Clémenceau Street

Beirut, Lebanon

P.O.Box : 11- 5520 Beirut - Lebanon

ph (961 1) 37 40 40 / 37 40 50

fax (961 1) 37 40 50

e-mail: lnf@lnf.org.lb

www.lnf.org.lb