Final report : Near East human rights evaluation

The program comprised projects 3980054 and 3980280 and was implemented by AMIDEAST. Participant training for law faculties and judiciaries, almost all of it conducted at an annual month-long seminar in Strasbourg, was the most significant component of the program. The program effectively introduced participants to the world of human rights, although reaction varied by country (e.g., Egyptian participants were highly critical of the course, while the Moroccans valued it highly). A 1991 training program held in Siracusa, Italy, for media professionals was valued highly by participants, most of whom felt it should be continued and extended to other groups. On the other hand, observational tours of the U.S. judicial system for parliamentarians and justices proved costly and ineffective due to language barriers and the significant disparity between the Near East and the U.S. approach to law. The above assistance has yielded practical benefits. Legal professionals spoke of how the training changed their views and practices on human rights issues, and judges have begun deciding cases differently. In addition, human rights content has been incorporated into law school curricula, one law professor produced a textbook on human rights, and a Moroccan participant came home to organize an organization for human rights. Networking was cited as a significant benefit of training. By contrast, the project had little success in assisting local human rights advocacy groups. Some groups felt that A.I.D. assistance could jeopardize their independence, while in other countries governments have discouraged the formation and activities of such groups. Assistance to the Tunisian League for Human Rights was possible only because AMIDEAST respected the League"s independence and the assistance was not identified as coming from the United States. On a brighter note, assistance to women"s organizations for educational and advocacy work in Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco was well received. The Tunisian organization successfully lobbied parliament to pass new family laws protecting women"s rights related to child custody and alimony. While decentralization of project management to USAID and AMIDEAST field staffs in 1989 did not hinder the project, A.I.D."s limitation of funding to one-year increments undercut the project"s ability to develop a long-term strategy. There was also a fair amount of A.I.D. micro-management of the project. Currently, Missions have little interest in managing a human rights program, which is seen as political and a diversion from their primary task of promoting development. Embassy staff have a deep interest in human rights, but most do not see themselves involved in implementing the program. Lessons learned included the following. (1) Significant short-term changes in human rights practices are more likely to be brought about by political events than by development programs. (2) U.S. institutions are effective administrators of A.I.D."s in-country human rights programs and an essential mechanism in supporting local advocacy groups. No regional institution with this capability yet exists, although the Arab Institute for Human Rights holds promise. It is important that the U.S. intermediary know the region well, however. (3) Education and training -- particularly of advocacy groups and opinion leaders -- are the key to changing human rights practices. (4) There is a lack of human rights material in Arabic. (5) Local human rights advocacy groups will require donor subsidies for some time if activities are to be sustained and expanded.