Tatweer contributes to the transfer of civil society to its identity bonds and promotes the sustainability of civic life.
Tatweer Project: Developed by the Italian organization “Un Ponte Per” and involved with its implementation in Erbil Governorate, Al-Masalla Organization. The project is funded by the European Union.
The main objective of the “Tatweer” project is to empower civil society organizations in Iraq to have a more significant impact on the promotion of human rights and the environment, respond more effectively to the needs of individual communities and cooperate with local and national authorities, as civil society organizations in Iraq need support to strengthen their internal structures and improve their advocacy skills, and to give sufficient space to women and youth within their leadership. External support needs to respect their ownership of any process of cultural and social change, so this project has been built and is being implemented with a participatory and gender-sensitive approach.
Slide-1
The project has three main centers:
Civil Society Service Center (Mosul)
This center is run by the Italian organization “Bridge to – UPP” and represents an open space for capacity building and the exchange of experiences for local civil society organizations in Nineveh and liberated areas. The Center provides services through face-to-face meetings, online applications, telephone or email, for each organization or network, based on common problems and specific difficulties, and advice needs. The Center organizes media events to share knowledge on topics of common interest, and CSSC also organizes seminars to discuss issues of interest to civil society organizations, with the participation of stakeholders. It also organizes training for organizations in all areas of community and organizational work.
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Civil Society Services Center (Basra)
This center is managed by the Italian organization “Bridge to – UPP” and represents an open space for capacity building and the exchange of experiences for local civil society organizations in Nineveh and liberated areas. The center provides services through face-to-face meetings, online applications, phone or email, for each organization or network, based on common problems and specific difficulties, and counseling needs. The Center organizes media events to exchange knowledge on topics of common interest, and CSSC also organizes Seminars to discuss issues of interest to civil society organizations, with the participation of stakeholders. It also organizes training for organizations in all areas of community and organizational work.
Civil Society Services Center (Erbil)
The center is run by Al-Masalla organization and represents an open space for capacity building and the exchange of experiences for local civil society organizations in Nineveh and liberated areas. The Center provides services through face-to-face meetings, online applications, telephone or email, for each organization or network, based on common problems and specific difficulties, and advice needs. The Center organizes media events to exchange knowledge on topics of common interest, and CSSC also organizes seminars to discuss issues of interest to civil society organizations, with the participation of stakeholders. It also organizes training for organizations in all areas of community and organizational work.
The Tatweer project provides all the legal, administrative, financial, and information needed by civil society organizations in Iraq and continues to provide support even after it launched calls for grants and several organizations received grants from Tatweer.
The following local organizations received the first grant and began to work on many important topics, which are as follows:
“We Are Peace” Organization for Voluntary Work: The organization has designed a project called “Combating Violent Extremism and Curbing Hate Speech in the Newly Liberated Governorates” where this project works in Salah al-Din, Anbar, Kirkuk, and Nineveh governorates.
Ajyal Charitable Society for the Development of Intelligence and Creativity: The association designed a project called (Balsam), which is a center for the guidance and empowerment of women and girls victims of physical harassment in the community in Diyala governorate.
Foundation for Sustainable Peace: The Foundation has designed a project called “Me Too”, a project that works to combat electronic gender blackmail in the Nineveh Plain and works to deal with victims of blackmail and establish a structure that works to raise awareness and combat this subject and get rid of it.
Youth Bridge for Development: The organization designed a project called ” Engaging Local Leaders and Youth in Combating Gender-Based Violence and Defending the Right to Education in Sinjar”, all segments of Sinjar society are aware of gender-based violence and the right to education.
Kurdistan Children’s House: The organization designed a project called “Protection of the Rights of Women and Girls” which works in Halabja to support women and protect them from violence, as well as reduce domestic violence and violence against women and girls in Halabja.
Aland Youth Democracy Organization: designed a project called “Establishment of the Web Journal of Youth Democracy” through which a safe online space will be activated to express the voices of Iraqi youth in Dohuk Governorate.
Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights: I designed a project called “Protection and Defense of Freedom of Expression” which includes contributing to the improvement of freedom of expression and the rule of law in the Kurdistan Region in the governorates of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil.
The Faili Kurdish Organization for Human Rights/Philly: I designed a project called “Protecting and Defending the Rights of Journalists” which includes strengthening the protection of the rights of journalists and advocacy and accountability mechanisms to protect them in Sulaymaniyah Governorate.
QAF Organization for Monitoring and Development: The organization designed a project called “Promoting Good Governance within Organizations to Protect Strong Society and Continuing Education” which includes promoting the promotion of the principles of good governance within organizations in Erbil, Dohuk, and Sulaymaniyah governorates.
Peace and Freedom Organization: The organization designed a project called “Azadiman: Promoting Freedom of Expression through Youth” which includes the promotion of freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region.
Nihan Organization for Education and Mental Health: The organization designed a project called “Raising Awareness to Protect Women from Gender-Based Violence” which includes contributing to reducing cases of gender-based violence in Erbil Governorate.
STEP Organization for Democracy and Elections: The organization designed a project called “Promoting Freedom of Expression and Media and Protecting Human Rights while Covering Crises” which includes promoting freedom of expression and media freedom in Erbil, Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah governorates.
Helm Organization for Humanitarian Aid and Public Services: The organization designed a project called “Raising Children’s Awareness of Human Rights and Calling for the Promotion of a Safe Environment for Children in the Karma Area of Fallujah” which includes improving the knowledge of the community and local authorities in the town of Karma of the rights and protection of children in Anbar Governorate.
Al-Fardous Peacebuilding Organization: The organization designed a project called “(Awareness) Increasing Leadership Awareness to Prevent Gender-Based Violence” which includes addressing the problem of violence and discrimination affecting women as well as minorities in Basra.
Summits of Hope Foundation for Relief and Development: The organization designed a project called “Clean Environment” which includes access to a clean and healthy environment in Anbar province.
Sanabel Al-Gharbia: The organization designed a project called “Access to Education” which includes giving all students in the targeted areas equal access to education in Anbar province.
While we published the second invitation to local civil society organizations in Iraq to apply for the Tatweer project grant and many organizations submitted and during the selection the evaluation team agreed to select the organizations that met the conditions in general, which are as follows:
Al-Ghosan Foundation for Agricultural and Environmental Development: FAO has designed a project called “Enhancing Community Resilience in Nineveh to Respond to the Impacts of Pollution and Climate Change” which includes increasing the resilience of the local community in Nineveh to respond to environmental challenges andtheir impact on people’s lives and economy in Nineveh Governorate.
Iraqi Love and Peace International Organization: The organization designed a project called “Improving the Environmental Situation in Anbar with Challenges, Implementation and Sustainability” which includes preserving the environment and improving the climate situation in Anbar province.
Nama Organization for Human Development: The organization designed a project called “Enhancing the Role of Youth in Preventing and Empowering Violence in the Media” which includes strengthening protection from violent extremism and empowering youth in the media in Nineveh Governorate.
Riyada Organization for Capacity Building: The organization designed a project called “Reassuring Families” which includes spreading awareness in the management of marital life and changing behaviors related to domestic violence in Nineveh Governorate.
Suqia Foundation for Relief and Development: The organization has designed a project called “Safe Complaint (Safe Complaint)” which includes improving complaints systems within the directorates of government services in Anbar.
An-Najah Center for Training and Development : The organization designed a project called “We Can” which includes empowering youth in Basra to be better able to build advocacy campaigns and develop plans to lead social and political activities in Basra Governorate.
Al-Sorour Association for Women and Children’s Affairs: The organization designed a project called “Promoting the Rights of People with Disabilities and their Inclusion in Basra” which includes improving attitudes, perceptions and beliefs about persons with disabilities, especially women and children with disabilities in Basra.
Anhar Foundation for Human Rights Education: The organization designed a project called “Center for Legal and Psychosocial Protection of Women and Girls against Gender-Based Violence and an awareness and advocacy campaign to combat gender-based violence” which includes the protection of women and girls from gender-based violence in Dhi Qar Governorate.
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The Tatweer project officially began in January 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus on the world, the Tatweer was no exception. UPP needed six months to restore and resume the implementation of its projects. In June 2020, the project technically began its preparations to open civil society service centers, recruit staff, and prepare training/educational materials.
Three civil society service centers have been opened in Erbil, Mosul, and Basra governorates. The center of Erbil covers the areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Mosul covers Nineveh and liberated areas, and Basra covers the southern provinces of Iraq.
It should be noted that we faced challenges and difficulties until we were able to open the centers and terminate employment for various reasons such as (the instability of the security conditions in the southern regions especially Basra, and the inability to find qualified staff since the talent pool. in Basra is very limited in the humanitarian field, and the difficulties of traveling to other cities in Iraq have obliged us to do most of the work online in 2020 and early 2021).
Staff are recruited and provided with training of trainers in 2021 on (strategic planning, good governance, project lifecycle/management, and training skills). The Center’s team began to arrange bi-monthly training courses on the mentioned topics and provided various legal and specialized consultations on (the registration of civil society organizations, income tax, social security, internal regulations, management, finance, procurement, human resources, and especially recruitment, etc.)
In 2022, more training has been arranged for project staff including management such as training of trainers to renew project management information, reports, and human rights and more will be delivered in 2022 on good governance, environmental rights, and advocacy.
Civil society service centers have been operating so far. In this period (July 2020 – September 2022), 502 civil society organizations benefited from the services of the Center. We were able to arrange 15 bi-monthly specialized training courses on (strategic planning, good governance, fundraising, proposal writing, project management, and logical framework design). On the other hand, the centers can arrange 34 ad hoc events based on focused group discussions arranged with local communities and civil society organizations on various issues they raise such as (vaccination campaigns, education during infection and challenges of the virus, environmental pollution, protection; water resources, electronic extortion and its threats… etc)
From the other branches of the sub-grant Tatweer project. The project launched two invitations for proposals in October 2021 and April 2022. Thus, more than 160 civil society organizations submitted their applications, among which, 24 were selected and sub-granted. The projects focus on thematic issues related to human rights, environmental rights, and good governance. Sixteen civil society organizations won the first call and 8 won the second call for project proposals. Covers geographical areas These civil society organizations are intervening in more than 12 provinces in Iraq. This project, what makes it distinctive and different from other projects is that we provide daily support to sub-awarded CSOs through teaching and mentoring activities as well as project field missions and CSO offices in order to ensure proper implementation, I recommend and apply changes within CSOs in order to develop policies and guidelines, and to ensure that their documentation is in line with donor standards.
The third aspect is the Tatweer platform which has been developed to facilitate access to training and consulting materials. The platform is available in three languages: English, Arabic, and Kurdish and the team is working on completing it so that it is available to everyone. 60% of this component has been achieved and there are still technical issues that need to be fixed in order to terminate the platform and make it available in all three languages to civil society organizations in Iraq.
Bahman Qadir is a civil society activist from Sulaymaniyah Governorate who managed the Tatweer project and contributes along with local staff, centers and organizations to serve Iraqis in promoting the concepts of civil society and empowering all local organizations that have received a grant from Tatweer project.
“Tatweer is one of the important projects implemented by our organization because it contributed to building bridges between local civil society organizations and Iraqi society, which contributed to serving many aspects of the Iraqi street, and this project strengthened social and cultural ties between Iraqi communities,” Bahman said.
“We work alongside Iraqi civil society to contribute to the development and strengthening of its position at the local and international level because we believe that the beginning of change begins with civil society,” Bahman added.
Raid Mikhail Shabba, Director of UPP in Iraq, affirms that “Tatweer project that was formulated by UPP was one of the pillars of the development of Iraqi civil society and the important organizations that were established in recent periods, as we have been working in Iraq since the nineties and since that time we have contributed to the establishment of Iraqi civil society and we continue to this day to contribute to the support and development of civil society and contribute to the provision of all services and all kinds of support to Iraqi civil society.”
“Tatweer project contributed to building strong relations with the Iraqi provinces as a project that includes Nineveh, Basra and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and in itself was a point to enhance cohesion and increase community rapprochement on the one hand and on the other hand to promote and cross-fertilize cultures and strengthen community ties,” Shabba explained.
It is worth mentioning that UPP is an Italian organization founded in Baghdad in 1991, to support the Iraqi people and stand with them in the face of injustice and wars, where the organization works in many areas, including in the field of health, education and reconstruction, as well as in peacebuilding programs and community cohesion in order to encourage young people to engage in useful sports, artistic and community activities.