End of Afkar 1 and launching of Afkar 2 for the support of civil society:
No social development without a partnership with civil society

The Minister of State for Administrative Reform, Mr. Jean Oghassabian, declared: We are fully convinced of the importance of our work with  civil society since the partnership between the public sector and civil society lays the grounds of a just State based on the promotion of citizens’ rights, human rights and the principles of democracy.

Minister Oghassabian’s statement came during the closing conference of the first stage of the Afkar program for the support of the Lebanese civil society, which was managed by the Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform and funded by the European Union. The European organization Emergences, which organized the conference, had provided technical assistance and training for the organizations that implemented 16 projects during 8 months since the beginning of 2005 in three main fields: supporting the culture of citizenship, promoting dialogue and reconciliation between confessions, and supporting marginalized groups. 

                        

Minister Oghassabian seized the opportunity during the closing conference of Afkar 1 to launch Afkar 2, also funded by the EU, for the support of civil society to promote civil and political rights as well as the rule of law in Lebanon. His Excellency announced that all Lebanese NGOs could obtain the required information and conditions to submit their projects to OMSAR until September 12, 2006.

The conference was also attended by the representative of the Delegation of the European Commission in Beirut, the economic and political affairs’ advisor Mr. Francisco Acosta, the director of international affairs and studies in Emergences, Mr. Pierre Coutaz, and a number of eminent personalities and officials, as well as representatives from all sectors of civil society.

The conference started with the national anthem followed by the speech of Afkar program coordinator, Mrs. Youmna Chakar Ghorayeb who said: “This meeting is of primary importance not only because it includes an objective assessment of the project’s pros and cons but also because this meeting is being held at an important crossroads marking the end of Afkar 1 and the beginning of Afkar 2. It allows us to benefit during the coming period from the conclusions that will be presented for a better performance and a greater impact in the future”. Ghorayeb also emphasized the necessity to “generalize this unique experience that allowed us to get to know the strong and weak points of civil society and proved the importance of a true partnership between civil society and the public sector, which should serve as an example for the future. Moreover, Afkar 1 created a space for dialogue and freedom based on the exchange of expertise, ideas and opinions regarding crucial matters for the Lebanese civil society, as well as cooperation in many fields”.

Afterwards, “Afkar 1 = 16 plants”, a documentary produced by Emergences and directed by Dar Qomboz, was projected  and gave the audience a broad idea about the 16 selected projects in Afkar I.

Then the director of international affairs and studies at Emergences, Mr. Pierre Coutaz, enumerated the lessons learnt by Emergences during its technical assistance to the NGOs in the Afkar program. He then called to “provide and adapt training according to the special needs of each project manager even if it meant providing different trainings to each different project holder. The training should include Lebanese trainers with recognized experience in the field to support the Lebanese NGOs in the Afkar program, in addition to other organizations”. Coutaz added that “the management of technical assistance showed the importance of exchange and participation. In fact, the meetings and round tables served as an anchor for the promotion of relationships and strengthening of projects, in addition to the exchange of experiences and elimination of all kinds of doubt. They also contributed to the promotion of the Lebanese civil society, both individually and collectively.”

Speech of the European Commission:
Mr. Coutaz’s speech was followed by the speech of Mr. Francisco Acosta, the representative of the Delegation of the European Commission in Lebanon, who spoke highly of “the true trust reflected by the cooperation between the Lebanese civil society and OMSAR which showed very rare independent and technical capacities in the Afkar program”. Acosta insisted on “the necessary involvement of civil society in promoting democracy in Lebanon and truly believing that the citizen’s ability to influence and pressure his/her government is a positive endeavor. Thus, it is a win-win situation both ways: the government for proving its legitimate capacity to respond to the voters’ aspirations and citizens for fighting for a fair, effective and independent justice in their country”. The European representative also added that “the European Commission is launching new initiatives for the benefit of civil society, be it through human rights projects or the Euromed program for youth, or even the new 2006 Afkar program whose budget is three times the budget of Afkar 1. The European Commission also strives to promote civil society’s relationship with the Lebanese State, particularly in the implementation of the action plan between Lebanon and the EU that was negotiated with the Lebanese government”. On the other hand, Acosta shed light on the highly criticized European methodology. He clarified that the European administrative system aims at guaranteeing fairness and transparency. “It is a matter related to the European taxpayer’s funds”, he said, “and the European accounting office does not forget this and regularly audits accounts to make sure that all rules and regulations are effectively implemented”.

Oghassabian’s speech:
Minister Oghassabian said in his speech: “I am pleased that the closing press conference of Afkar 1 for the support of the Lebanese civil society coincides with the launching of Afkar 2, a fact that renews support for the promotion of political and human rights, as well as the rule of law in Lebanon. I had the honor to sign in March 2006 the financial convention where the EU offers a 3 million euro donation to fund Afkar 2. This is yet another step made by the EU to encourage Lebanese NGOs to promote the citizen’s and human rights through a budget that is triple  that of Afkar 1. The continuation of this project clearly translates this partnership between Lebanon and the EU represented by the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Lebanon, Mr. Patrick Renauld. It also reflects the success of the project’s first phase and the trust in the Lebanese civil society. Today, more than ever, we are convinced of the necessity to work with this civil society which is full of brilliant ideas and young potential committed to defending the Lebanese society’s causes and citizens’ rights. Enriched by this unique experience, we are confident that this partnership between the public sector and the civil society will reinforce a just Lebanese State based on the respect of citizens’ and human rights, as well as the promotion of democracy in Lebanon.
It is evident tthere will not be any development or progress in society without a tripartite partnership between the public sector, civil society and the private sector. The success of Afkar 1 proved that this partnership is both effective and useful, especially if it is based on mutual respect and serious cooperation in a climate of freedom, democracy and acceptance of others. We are gathered today to maintain and reinforce this partnership because we are determined to collaborate with civil society. We also aspire to generalize the concept of the Afkar program through Afkar 2 and other possible initiatives. Our team in the Ministry is working on the second phase of the program, after benefiting from the first phase’s experience which constitutes the basis for Afkar 2.

Moreover, I would like to thank Emergences for the effective role it played in this program, particularly regarding the data about the Lebanese NGOs and its study on the Lebanese civil society. The technical assistance offered by Emergences contributed for 18 months in the implementation of 16 projects funded by Afkar. It also helped the NGOs which executed these projects to reinforce their capacities and knowledge. Emergences also organized training sessions and round tables that played a predominant role in creating a space for the exchange of expertise and the promotion of dialogue between all the society’s factions. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Starting today Lebanese NGOs may get all the necessary information and conditions for submitting their projects to OMSAR (deadline is September 12, 2006). Announcements will be published in newspapers and we are hoping that many NGOs will take part in Afkar II, especially since it has a larger budget than Afkar 1. We believe that Lebanese NGOs will respond positively to Afkar 2 and we shall work towards the adoption of scientific and transparent mechanisms to assess and select the winning organizations. Finally, we wish you success in this new phase of the Afkar program”.