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MENA Director Testifies on Capitol Hill on “Democracy and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa”
On November 7, 2017, IFES Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Zeinab Abdelkarim provided testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. She was invited to speak to Members of Congress about “Democracy and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa,” in particular about impediments to reforms and what Congress and the administration can do to better achieve democracy and governance goals in the region.
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Technical Assistance to Election Management Bodies
Iraq has undergone dramatic change in the past decade. The U.S.-led war in Iraq that began in 2003, and the subsequent de-Ba’athification process led by the Coalition Provisional Authority, spike in sectarianism, advancement by the Islamic State (IS) and push by the Kurds for independence, all continue to impact the country’s political and security environment. It is within this complex context that the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) worked in Iraq for the 12 years, providing capacity building for Iraq’s election system from 2003 until September 2015.
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New Version of Moroccan Sign Language Mobile App Released
On September 22, IFES Morocco released an updated version of its electoral lexicon mobile phone app. The app, named صوتي حقي , or “My Vote, My Right,” is an accessible civic education tool created for Moroccan citizens, particularly for those in the Deaf community. The app features live-person videos of all terms of the Moroccan sign language electoral lexicon in French, Arabic, and Moroccan sign language, as well as definitions of the terms in all three languages.
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Leveraging Technology to Promote Active Citizenship
“A hackathon creates a space for exchanging ideas and expanding your network,” declared Ahmed, a Tunisian from the Nabeul governorate who participated in IFES' first Hack4Democracy (H4D) camp. “At first, [a H4D camp] doesn’t seem very different from a standard hackathon. But here, technology is mixed with democracy while combining useful information with fun content!” The H4D initiative was implemented by IFES in partnership with the Tunisian Youth Forum with the aim of increasing young Tunisians’ participation in public life through technological innovation.
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Egyptian Students Visit IFES as Part of ACYPL Exchange Program
On September 7, IFES hosted a delegation of eight Egyptian college students to discuss projects in Egypt and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Visiting the United States as part of the American Council of Young Political Leaders’ “Model American Congress” exchange program, the delegation took part in a question and answer session with President and CEO Bill Sweeney, MENA Regional Director Zeinab Abdelkarim, and IFES Egypt program staff.
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Survey Reveals Illiterate Tunisians Plan to Participate in Upcoming Elections
An IFES quantitative survey, conducted from December 2016 to January 2017, aimed to gain a better understanding of illiterate Tunisians’ levels of political participation and civic engagement and identify obstacles preventing or discouraging them from voting. This information will inform the design of outreach campaigns aimed at increasing illiterate Tunisians’ understanding of political and electoral processes, as well as more targeted voter information campaigns to encourage illiterate Tunisians to register and participate in elections.
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IFES Celebrates International Youth Day
The United Nation’s International Youth Day 2017 is dedicated to “Youth Building Peace.” As a global leader in democracy promotion, IFES recognizes the importance of cultivating the next generation of leaders. On International Youth Day, we celebrate the contributions of young people to peace and justice.
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Youth Forums Offer Hope to Young Syrians
In 2016, IFES assisted Syrian organizations based in Gaziantep, Turkey to found Musharaka, a forum to encourage civic engagement of Syrians living in Gaziantep. Through the Musharaka Forum, IFES and its local partners have been able to establish a beacon of hope and optimism where few others have realized success and meaningful impact.
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Hack4Democracy Supports Tunisian Youth Civic Engagement
Tunisian youth played a significant role in the lead up to the 2011 revolution. Despite being at the forefront, many young Tunisians now feel that the gains of the revolution were stolen from them, with the older generation benefitting while youth remain politically and economically marginalized. IFES and the Tunisian Youth Forum are working to transform Tunisian youth’s online engagement into active civic engagement through an innovative new initiative called Hack4Democracy camps.
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Women's Empowerment
Women have true talents and are just as capable as men - that was Noura Mohamed Al-Tabalgi's first breakthrough revelation during IFES' Women's Leadership Program in Libya. She serves as an example of how providing women knowledge, tools, and opportunity in a supportive environment can create dedicated agents of change in a country undergoing great transformation.