Supporting Democratic Activists Across the Middle East and North Africa
Partners for Democratic Change launched our Empowering Democratic Activists for MENA Advancement (EDAMA) project in September 2012 with a four-day “Regional Forum for Arab Democracy”
Participants wrote "Thank You" on their hands to express their appreciation of the Forum
In September 2012, Partners for Democratic Change (PDC) held a “Regional Forum for Arab Democracy” in Amman, Jordan to kick off our new Empowering Democratic Activists for MENA Advancement (EDAMA - sustainability in Arabic) project.
The Forum launched an informal network of like-minded individuals committed to the advancement of democratic principles throughout the Middle East; provided skills training on key democratic concepts; and encouraged discussions about the development of a virtual platform to share transition experiences and lessons learned.
The Forum was attended by 76 activists from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen, including a large number of women and youth. PDC invited 24 activists from 19 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, North and Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa to share their personal experiences of democratic activism and facilitate interactive workshops.
The Forum began with an Inspirational Opening led by five activists from Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen, addressing the challenges of building a democratic state, challenges facing civil society in a post-transition context, and women’s role in democratic transitions. The Forum included a variety of workshops on key democracy skills such as community mobilization, cooperative advocacy, and coalition building.
To ensure ongoing networking and encourage peer learning, the activists will stay connected via social media to share articles and videos as well as discuss issues related to recent events in their respective countries.
The Forum and the EDAMA Project are being implemented by PDC in coalition with Partners-Jordan, and the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR). The main goal of the EDAMA project is to promote the development of participatory societies where all citizens have the opportunity to play an active role in making decisions that affect their lives and to hold their governments accountable. For more information, please contact Dina Dukqhan, ddukqhan (at) partnersglobal (dot) org.
Activists from around the world gathered in Jordan for PDC's Regional Forum for Arab Democracy
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