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Latest NGO's News Dated on February 10th,2012

2012-02-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

Egypt relations with US, Europe tense amid NGOs crackdown

CAIRO: A fierce face-off is looming between Egyptian authorities and the West after 44 officials working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were referred to the Cairo Criminal Court under allegations of receiving illegal foreign funding.

Observers debate whether this will affect the future of aid given to Egypt by the United States and Europe, amid increasing calls by US lawmakers to halt military aid.

"I think the whole probe was a proxy battle between Egypt and the West and these NGOs are being used as a pressure card," head of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights, Nehad Abou El-Komsan, told Daily News Egypt on Thursday.

"I doubt that the ruling military junta ever thought of the political and economic repercussions of such a move. Egypt is suffering economically already. Egypt is paying too high a price for that," she added.

Among those referred to trial are 19 Americans, including the son of US Transport Secretary Ray LaHood. Also facing charges are five Serbs, two Germans, two Lebanese, one Jordanian and one Palestinian, in addition to 14 Egyptians, all of whom have either been banned from travel or have been placed on inbound watch-lists if they are outside the country.

The referral came one day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Egypt that failure to resolve the dispute may lead to the loss of American aid.

"I think we have to have every aspect of our relationship with Egypt examined until these people are removed from any indictment and allowed to leave or do whatever they need to do," The Associated Press (AP) quoted Republican Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, as saying in Washington.

The straining of relations was evident when an Egyptian government delegation abruptly canceled its meetings with US lawmakers in Washington set for Monday and Tuesday.

"We understand that we have a real strategic interest in keeping good relations with the Egyptians. It's the biggest country in the Arab world," Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Independent from Connecticut told AP.

"But on the other hand, we can't just sit back when Americans get charged and potentially incarcerated for what are trumped up charges, ridiculous," said Lieberman, who together with McCain spoke to reporters after a meeting with the Israeli foreign minister.

Abou El-Komsan said that the escalation of the case along with the timing are perplexing and unjustifiable, what with Egypt requesting financial support from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as it struggles to plug a budget deficit and depleting foreign reserves.

"If we take the German foundation of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung as an example, which has been operating legally in Egypt for 30 years, what is the reason behind referring two of its workers to trial? If they are operating illegally, why did authorities let them operate for 30 years?" Abou El-Komsan asked.

On the other hand, political researcher at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Hassan Abu Talib told DNE that the investigation will not affect Egypt's relationship with the international community, echoing the official line.

"From a merely legal perspective, the probe will not and should not affect the relationship with the West. These organizations operated illegally and do not have licenses, and according to the law, they should be referred to court," he said.

Abu Talib argued that bilateral relations with the US and Europe are a two-way street, and if the US uses the aid card to pressure Egypt to stop the probe, Egypt has its own ways to pressure the US.

"The US has to revisit its stance towards Egypt because after the revolution, Egypt will not be the country pressured by a $20 billion loan like in [Hosni] Mubarak times. Conditions have changed," he said.

Egypt has been receiving $1.3 billion in annual military aid from the US since it signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1979.

Abu Talib said that with Egypt holding many of the keys to the regional peace process, it is not easy for the US and Europe to give up this unique partner.

"Using financial and military aid as a pressure card will have a counter affect in the regional balance of power. Egypt is already suffering economically whether the government receives aid or not," he said.

Abou El-Komsan said there are better ways to resolve the issue without harming the national interests of the country.

"Egypt can warn these organizations by ordering them to issue licenses and work in line with Egyptian law, and if they are reluctant, authorities then have the right to shut down these organizations," she suggested.

"Escalating the matter in this way will make the situation worse," she said.

The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) criticized earlier in a statement the campaign against NGOs, labeling it a plot by the ruling military junta to tarnish the reputation of rights organizations that have worked to expose violations by the military since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

"[The campaign casts] doubt over the real role played by these organizations and defames them, using one of the most prominent figures of the Mubarak regime, Fayza Aboul Naga, who found in this campaign an opportunity for vengeance [targeting] the human rights institutions that contributed to toppling the regime to which she belongs," the statement said.

ANHRI claimed it was also personal vengeance since rights groups exposed the rigging of elections in 2010, through which Aboul Naga had won a seat in parliament. Both houses of parliament were dissolved following the Jan. 25 uprising.

"ANHRI believes that the practices of US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson have paved the way for and fueled the campaign led by Aboul Naga against civil society. The ambassador breached rules of transparency and credibility by refusing to announce the names of the institutions that received millions of dollars from the US during the year 2011, despite the many requests submitted to her to announce these names," ANHRI said.

"The ambassador knows very well that several civil society institutions in Egypt, especially the serious human rights ones, refuse to deal with her as a representative of a government known for its repetitive human rights violations and lack of credibility for its double standards … which is the US government."
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Dempsey to visit Egypt amid NGO tensions
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet with military leaders as 19 Americans face prosecution.

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey is scheduled to visit Egypt this week, AFP reported Wednesday.

According to the report, the visit was planned ahead of time, and includes meetings with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the general running the country, and Dempsey's counterpart Lieutenant General Sami Enan.

"With the Egyptians, Gen. Dempsey will discuss common interests, choices and consequences," Dempsey's spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan told AFP in an email.

The episode comes amid rising tension between the United States and Egypt over the prosecution of NGO workers in Egypt, including 19 Americans.

Egypt said on Wednesday it would not be swayed by threats to aid when probing NGOs over charges they received foreign cash without official approval, a case that has led Washington to warn that $1.3 billion a year of military aid may be at risk.

A total of 43 foreign and local activists have been banned from leaving Egypt and their cases have been referred to a criminal court. Egypt said top US army officials would visit Cairo soon in an attempt to resolve the impasse.

In Washington, the US State Department said it had received a "formal charging document of foreign-funded pro-democracy groups and non-governmental organizations.

The United States wants Egypt to drop travel bans on at least 19 US citizens involved in the case, but the Egyptian government says it cannot intervene in the probe. It has given no details of who has been charged with what, saying it was still working through the more than 100-page Arabic document.

"Egypt will apply the law ... in the case of NGOs and will not back down because of aid or other reasons," army-appointed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri told a news conference.
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NGOs in plea for Aids, TB funding

South African recipients of money from the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria have pleaded with the health minister to intervene as they continue to wait for overdue funds.

Failure to do so would see several programmes closing and people losing their jobs.

The group, including Soul City and the Treatment Action Campaign, were due to receive payments from the fund in July 2011 and last month. None have materialised.

“This grant funds life-saving programmes that we implement. These payments are late. Some of us have continued to implement our Global Fund-sponsored programmes using reserve funds and other income, but we can no longer continue to do this. The consequence is that our programmes will have to close and many people will have to be retrenched,” the group said.

“The Department of Health is the principal recipient of the grant. It is unclear to us why the grant has been delayed continuously. Our understanding is that the Global Fund systems are extremely complex and that the fund is not satisfied that the Department of Health has met its stringent criteria.

“We also understand that the effort to consolidate the round 6, round 9 and round 10 grants into a single stream has contributed to the delay,” the letter said.

“Whatever the reasons, we know that each of us has made a great effort to meet the demands of the principal recipient and the Global Fund. It is unfortunate that the Global Fund has failed to make contingency plans and defaulted its payment. The situation is now dire.”

Fidel Hadebe, spokesman for Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said the country could not afford to see any of these organisations closing down. He said, however, that “these are circumstances not in our direct control”.

“We are doing all we can to ensure that those resources due to the country are disbursed. We have come a long way and we cannot afford for these kind of problems to take us backwards,” Hadebe said.

Signatories of the letter include the Community Media Trust, Humana People to People, Mindset, Redpeg, Society for Family Health, Soul City and the Treatment Action Campaign. It is estimated that the Global Fund saves up to 100 000 lives each month. – Health-e News Service
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US seeks 'clarification' on Egypt activist trials

WASHINGTON — The United States demanded "clarification" Sunday over Cairo's apparent plans to put dozens of pro-democracy activists, including 19 Americans, on trial over charges of illegal funding of aid groups.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was "deeply concerned" over the developments, which threatened to further strain ties with Egypt's post-Arab Spring military rulers.

A top official at Freedom House, one of the groups targeted, called Egypt's handling of the matter "a disaster."

A judicial source in Cairo told AFP 44 people, including Egyptians, would be tried over alleged illegal funding of aid groups, a day after the United States said it would review aid to Egypt, $1.3 billion last year, over the crackdown.

"We have seen media reports that judicial officials in Egypt intend to forward a number of cases involving US-funded NGOs to the Cairo criminal court," Nuland told reporters traveling with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"We are deeply concerned by these reports and are seeking clarification from the government of Egypt."

The offices of Freedom House and the International Republican Institute were among 17 local and international NGOs raided in December by Egyptian authorities as part of a probe into alleged illegal funding.

The aid workers are accused of "setting up branches of international organizations in Egypt without a license from the Egyptian government" and of "receiving illegal foreign funding."

A travel ban on all the NGO workers who were detained remains in place.

The decision to try the foreign workers comes as Egypt remains beset by unrest sparked by the perceived failure of its military rulers and police to prevent football-linked violence following a match in the northern city of Port Said on Wednesday that left 74 people dead.

The decision to forward the NGO workers' cases for trial drew condemnation from US groups with staff in Egypt and from Germany's government.

"The Egyptian military's handling of this issue has been a disaster," said Charles Dunne, director for Middle East and North Africa programs for Freedom House.

"This represents another escalation by the Egyptian government in its war on civil society -- and it's not just the US organizations, it's the Egyptian organizations," he told AFP.

"I find it astounding that they would do this while you still have a delegation of Egyptian general officers here in the United States to talk to the Congress and the administration about continued US military funding."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle slammed Egypt's decision.

"It is unacceptable to harm organizations that have a real international mission which they take on seriously," he told ARD television, according to an early release transcript.

"We shall act, in the framework of our foreign policy towards Egypt, in such a way as to ensure that political organizations that have a worldwide reputation are allowed to continue working as they have done."

Egypt's ruling military council, which took power after an uprising toppled veteran president Hosni Mubarak last spring, has accused foreign groups of funding street protests against them.

The move will further strain US-Egypt ties after last year's raid during which Cairo prosecutors confiscated computers and paperwork from NGO offices.

Egypt then barred some US members of the NGOs from leaving the country and American officials said "a handful" took refuge inside the US embassy.

On Saturday, Clinton warned that Washington's aid to Egypt would be reviewed, highlighting the continued deadlock over Cairo's crackdown.

In a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Clinton said she "had a chance to once again express our deep concerns with what is happening to our NGOs."

"We do not believe there is any basis for these investigations, these raids... the seizure of their equipment and certainly no basis for prohibiting the exit from the country by" NGO members," Clinton said.

"We have worked very hard the last year to put into place financial assistance and other support for the economic and political reforms that are occurring in Egypt.

"And we will have to closely review these matters as it comes time for us to certify whether or not any of these funds from our government can be made available under these circumstances," Clinton added.

Senior Egyptian military officers visited the United States last week in a bid to defuse the row.

Among those barred from leaving the country is the Egypt director of IRI, Sam LaHood, the son of US Secretary for Transportation Ray LaHood.
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Environmental Groups to Take Root in Singapore: Rikvin

Company registration specialists Rikvin has determined five factors that will continue to attract international NGOs to set up in Singapore in the coming years.

Singapore (PRWEB) February 09, 2012

According to a recent news report, more international environmental advocacies are following in the footsteps of NGOs like World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Conservation International, choosing Singapore as a base from which they will serve Asia's needs. Singapore company registration specialists Rikvin is optimistic that the strong government support as well as a rising interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the region will translate to a continued uptrend in eco-business setup in the garden city.

The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is optimistic about the industry based on an encouraging trend which saw the doubling of NGOs (from 30 to 60) and an estimated 120 jobs created between 2005 and 2008. In 2008, it led the launch of the International Organisations Programme Office (IOPO), an initiative that facilitates international NGOs with their transition to Singapore. EDB anticipates an estimated 150 international NGOs across various industries and correspondingly, 2,500 related jobs to be created in Singapore by 2015.

Many of the environmental NGOs in Singapore have cited government support, in the form of grants, tax incentives and setup advice, as a major factor driving them to form a Singapore company. Other factors include access to environmental and conservation experts and Singapore's strategic position in the heart of Southeast Asia. Furthermore, as CSR gains traction in Asia, many NGOs recognize the potential for generous funding and partnership with a vast pool of multinational firms based in Singapore.

Rikvin agrees that strong government support is a vital contributor to the growing presence of international social benefit organizations in Singapore. As discussed in our press release on the rise of Singapore NGO setup over the past decade, the number of charities in Singapore has more than doubled between 2001 and 2010. By the end of 2010, a total of 2,028 charities were established in Singapore.

Rikvin has determined five other factors from a corporate secretarial and taxation perspective that are beneficial for international NGOs namely 1) low setup cost for charities, 2) Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status in Singapore, 3) VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF), 4) exemption from auditing and 5) Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) Scheme.

LOW SETUP COST FOR CHARITIES

Many charities or NGOs choose to register a Singapore company limited by guarantee. According to the Companies Act, a minimum guarantee of S$1 is sufficient to register a company limited by guarantee. Therefore, company registration costs for charities are low in Singapore and allows NGOs to commit the funds they have for projects rather than entity setup.

INSTITUTION OF PUBLIC CHARACTER (IPC) STATUS IN SINGAPORE
Furthermore, to avoid reliance on foundations or firms, Singapore-registered charities may apply to be an Institution of a Public Character (IPC). This way, they may collect donations from the public and in turn issue tax-deductible receipts so that donors will receive tax deductions for their contributions. The renewed IPC scheme, which was introduced in 2009 and extended for five years, grants donors 250% in tax deductions. Overall, the scheme encourages greater giving to IPCs and helps NGOs garner the funds required to run projects.

VWOs-CHARITIES CAPABILITY FUND (VCF)

Charities and IPCs can tap of the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF) to enhance their training, management, administrative and infocommunications capabilities at significantly subsidized rates. By March 2011, 780 charities and IPCs have improved their capabilities by using S$8.7 million in VCF credits.

EXEMPTION FROM AUDITING

The government has recently exempted charities with an annual income or expenditure under S$500,000 from financial auditing. This in turn eliminates auditing costs for charitable or non-governmental organizations and allows them to utilize their funds to roll out worthwhile projects.

PRODUCTIVITY AND INNOVATION CREDIT (PIC) SCHEME

The PIC scheme grants every Singapore firm, including charities, a 400% tax deduction on the first S$400,000 invested in six productivity-enhancing and innovation activities. As demonstrated in Rikvin's PIC Claims Chart, Singapore firms that plan their productivity and innovation strategies ahead of time could reap up to S$9.6 million in tax savings on their annual taxable income.

Commenting on the features, Mr. Satish Bakhda, Head of Rikvin's Operations said, "Altogether, these factors demonstrate that Singapore offers an ideal environment to set up NGOs. Rikvin anticipates a continued uptrend in environmental NGO setup in Singapore and along with it the generation of niche positions to cater to the industry's needs. In turn, we foresee an increase in Singapore work visa applications as more industry experts set up their base here."

ABOUT RIKVIN

Rikvin is a Singapore-based consultancy that offers business solutions for both local and foreign professionals, investors and entrepreneurs. Rikvin's areas of expertise include Singapore company registration, incorporation, offshore company setup, accounting, taxation and other related corporate services. Rikvin also provides Singapore work visa and immigration services for foreign professionals wishing to relocate to Singapore.

Rikvin Pte Ltd

20 Cecil Street, #14-01, Equity Plaza, Singapore 049705
(65) 6438 8887
www.rikvin.com

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebsingapore/company-registration/prweb9177880.htm

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/09/prweb9177880.DTL#ixzz1lxQEYMkd
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Egyptian Judge Details Charges Against NGO Workers

Egyptian authorities have released details of the charges against 43 people, including 19 Americans, who worked for democracy-building NGOs around the country. Cairo says the suspects were carrying out political, not civil society activities, particularly after the revolution began just over a year ago.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

In Egypt today, judges accused NGO workers of engaging in illegal political activity and shared some of the evidence against them. Investigators have referred 43 people to trial, including 19 Americans; among them, the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The younger LaHood is holed up with several others at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

As NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports, today's revelations mark a serious escalation in tensions over Cairo's crackdown on pro-democracy and human rights groups.

KAMAL EL GANZOURY: (Foreign language spoken)

SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Interim Prime Minister Kamal el Ganzoury said U.S. threats to withhold more than one billion dollars in military aid to Egypt would not deter his government from pursuing the case against the NGO workers. Egyptian officials have suggested the workers are spurring continuing unrest in Egypt. To bolster that point, the judges investigating the workers say their groups' activities in Egypt increased after last year's revolution.

SAMEH ABU-ZEID: (Foreign language spoken)

NELSON: Judge Sameh Abu-Zeid claimed at a news conference broadcast on Egyptian state television that the NGOs, for years, flouted Egyptian law and failed to pay taxes. He accused their foreign employees of living here on tourist visas and working illegally because their groups' requests for licenses had not been approved.

ABU-ZEID: (Foreign language spoken)

NELSON: The judge also said the authorities confiscated maps and cash during raids on the NGO offices in December. He accused them of funding an Egyptian organization that took pictures of churches and military facilities in two Egyptian cities.

ASHRAF EL ASHMAWY: (Foreign language spoken)

NELSON: Fellow Judge Ashraf el Ashmawy added that on the charge of receiving foreign funding illegally, the workers could face up to five years in jail.

Of the five organizations the judges accused of breaking Egyptian law, four are American-based. They are the International Republican Institute, which is affiliated with the Republican Party and whose Egypt office is headed by the U.S. Transportation secretary's son, Sam LaHood; The National Democratic Institute, which is linked to the Democratic Party; Freedom House, which advocates for democracy and human rights, and the International Center for Journalists, which offers fellowships and training.

LaHood and his counterpart at the National Democratic Institute, Julie Hughes, could not be reached for comment. In the past, they denied any wrongdoing.

Hughes, in a recent conversation with NPR, says her group provided training to party candidates across Egypt's political spectrum on how to get their message out to voters. The group also provided voter education and monitored the recent elections here at the invitation of the Egyptian government.

Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Cairo.
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NGO worker cases sent to Egypt court in funding row

The cases of 40 foreign and Egyptian activists, including 19 Americans subject to travel bans over their work for pro-democracy and other groups, have been referred to court, judicial sources said Sunday, deepening a row with the United States.

Washington, which provides $1.3 billion in military aid annually to Egypt, has strongly criticized the crackdown on the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which has taken place under the army-backed government. An unspecified number of U.S. citizens involved have sheltered in the U.S. embassy.

The latest step in the judicial process will further strain ties with the United States, which counted Egypt under ousted President Hosni Mubarak as a vital regional ally and lynchpin in its Middle East policy.

"We are deeply concerned by these reports and are seeking clarification from the Egyptian government," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

Egyptian officials say the crackdown is part of an investigation into foreign funding of NGOs. For the authorities, it is a matter of law; the non-governmental organizations broke it by receiving foreign funding without government approval.

Activists say the ruling military may be using the issue to whip up nationalist sentiment and distract attention from criticism the army is facing from protesters over its handling of the transition to civilian rule.

"The cases of 40 foreign and Egyptian suspects have been transferred to the Cairo criminal court related to foreign funding," a judicial source told Reuters. State news agency MENA also carried the report.

Even before the move to refer the NGO cases to court, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had warned that relations could be harmed if Egypt did not resolve the issue.

"We are very clear that there are problems that arise from this situation that can impact all the rest of our relationship with Egypt. We do not want that," Clinton told reporters in Munich where she met Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr on the sidelines of an international security conference.

Several U.S. citizens and others involved in the probe have been barred from leaving Egypt. They include Sam LaHood, the country director of the International Republican Institute (IRI) who is the son of the U.S. transportation secretary.

"The continued assault on American, German and Egyptian civil society is not a 'legitimate judicial process,' the IRI said in a statement. "It is a politically motivated effort to squash Egypt's growing civil society, orchestrated through the courts, in part by Mubarak-era hold overs."

U.S. officials said soon after the row erupted in late December that they had received assurances from the Egyptian leadership that the issue would be resolved. That followed talks with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi who heads the military council and others. Instead, the row has deepened.

FOREIGN FUNDING

Civil society groups say the ruling military council ordered the raids to harass activists who were at the forefront of the anti-Mubarak revolt and have been pressing for the army to swiftly hand power to civilians.

The NGO activists include 19 Americans alongside others who are Serbian, Norwegian, Lebanese as well as Egyptian, according to a statement issued by judges overseeing the probe and seen by Reuters. One judge involved said the list included LaHood.

The charge listed in the statement was "running organizations without getting the required licences." One of the judges running the probe said that investigations were continuing with Egyptians in other similar cases.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr told Clinton during his meeting with her that all groups, regardless of country of origin, had to abide by Egypt's laws on registering, the ministry's spokesman Amr Rushdy said in a statement.

NGOs say that the authorities have failed to respond to past requests to register and insist they have worked in full view of and in contact with the Egyptian authorities for years.

The National Democratic Institute, one of the U.S.-funded groups whose staff are facing travel bans, said it began work in 2005 and sought to register the same year but after responding to some official queries after that no progress was made.

However, the group says it has operated openly since then, engaging with officials regularly.

President Barack Obama's administration is finalizing its budget for the 2013 fiscal year, which will be presented on February 13 and is expected to include continued assistance for Egypt's military, albeit subject to new conditions imposed by U.S. lawmakers.

Those include evidence that Egyptian military authorities are committed to holding free and fair elections and protecting freedom of expression, association, and religion.
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Lawyers Union slams indictment of 44 NGO workers
The Lawyers Union for Legal Studies and Democracy called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to investigate alleged foreign funding of the Muslim Brotherhood group and to sack the prosecutor general, in response to the referral to court of 44 NGO workers.

The Lawyers Union’s statement made five demands, topped by an “an investigation into the funding mechanisms of the Muslim Brotherhood, including their secret accounts and questioning their members about the sources of their wealth.”

Other demands included “announcing the legal status of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is neither a legitimate religious association nor a political party even though it possesses a luxurious headquarters (worth millions of Riyals) in plain sight of the police, prosecution, judiciary and military.”

The Lawyers Union also demanded investigation of other legitimate religious institutions that receive funding from Qatar and Saudi Arabia without proper monitoring of their activities; and the removal of the current Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud; as well as revealing the reason behind closing the investigation into the funds of Al-Wafd Party leader Al-Sayed Al-Badawy.

Additionally, the Union requested an investigation into what it described as a “secret visit” by the former Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood to Qatar on Dec. 26, 2011.

The statement ended by calling upon SCAF not to submit to Saudi Arabian and Gulf pressure, and to affirm that neither Qatar nor Saudi Arabia interfere in Egyptian sovereign affairs. It also demanded guarantees that the military is against corruption and is not protecting the Muslim Brotherhood or the head of Al-Wafd Party.

The statement issued by the Lawyers Union was made in light of the indictment of 44 local and foreign NGO workers, of which 36 were banned from leaving the country while four were placed on a watch-list since they are already abroad.

The list includes 19 Americans, one of whom is Sam LaHood, Egypt director of the International Republican Institute (IRI), and also the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Also facing charges are five Serbs, two Germans, two Lebanese, one Jordanian and one Palestinian, in addition to 14 Egyptians, who have all been banned from travel or have been placed on incoming watch-lists for being currently abroad.

According to an NDI employee who has been charged but refused to reveal their identity, the NGO workers were not served court notification about the legal action taken against them. Some found out through their lawyers, while others through friends in the media or via published news reports.

“We were told that we face charges of working in an illegal organization, functioning without the required permits under Egyptian law and that we received foreign illegal funds in our personal bank accounts,” the source said.

The source also said that the charges also include conducting research and gathering information that was passed on to their US headquarters. This information was seen as instrumental in influencing the decisions of Egyptians at the polls, the source said, adding that there were still ambiguities in the phrasing, and that they were considering their next steps and their legal positions.

“I am shocked,” the source said. “We never believed it would go this far and we though that this crackdown was more about the politics at play. But this is now a large, important and serious case.”

An earlier statement was released on Sunday by IRI condemning the prosecutions, saying that they “reflected the escalating attacks against international and Egyptian democracy organizations.”

IRI’s statement further referred to a report issued by the US State Department which had noted that “Egypt’s constitution provides for an independent judiciary, but in practice the judiciary was subject to executive influence and corruption.”

The legal assaults were condemned by IRI and described as not a “legitimate judicial process,” but rather as a “politically motivated effort to squash Egypt’s growing civil society, orchestrated through the courts, in part by Mubarak-era holdovers.”

Organizations such as the IRI and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) were accused of receiving $40 million over six months to support Egypt’s transition to democracy in activities deemed in violation of Egypt’s NGO Law No. 84 of 2002.

The list released by the Ministry of Justice referring the NGOs to court included 16 individuals from NDI (seven Americans, two Lebanese, two Serbs and four Egyptians), along with 14 from the IRI (seven Americans, two Serbs, one Palestinian and four Egyptians), seven working with Freedom House (two Americans, one Jordanian and four Egyptians), five from International Center of Journalists (three Americans and two Egyptians) and two Germans with the Konrad Adenauer Stifung.

List of NGO workers/affiliations taken to court on alleged charges that include receiving illegal foreign funds and working without proper licenses:

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Andreas Jacobs (Germany) and Christina Baade (Germany).

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
Patrick Butler (US), Natasha Tynes (US), Mida Michelle (US), Yehya Zakaria (Egypt) Islam Shafiq (Egypt).

Freedom House
Charles Dan (US), Sherif Ahmed Sobhi Mansour (US), Samir Salim (Jordan), Mohamed Abdel Aziz (Egypt), Nancy Gamal Okeyl (Egypt), Basem Ali (Egypt), Magdy Moharam (Egypt).

International Republican Institute (IRI)
Sam LaHood (US), Sherine Sahany (US), Christine Angel (US) Sort Chik (Serbia), Hans Homis (Serbia), John George (US), Reeda Khedr (Palestine), Osama Azizi (US), Sian Mark (US), Elizabeth Dugan (US), Ahmed Shawqi (Egypt), Ahmed Abdel Aziz (Egypt), Ahmed Adam (Egypt), Essam Borei (Egypt).

National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Julie Hughes (US), Almadin Krotovich (Serbia), Bomeedir Milic (Serbia), Layla Gafar (US), Robert Becker (US), Kabir Moderibee (US), Mariana Koravitch (Serbia), Sitia Sia Leenhag (US), Dana Dikono (US), Ali Suleiman (Lebanon) Maron Safir (Lebanon), Michael James (US), Mohamed Ashraf (Egypt), Radwa Sayid (Egypt), Hafsa Maher (Egypt), Amgad Morsi (Egypt).
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American NGO workers prevented from leaving Egypt
Son of US transportation secretary among several election monitors placed on 'no-fly list' as tension with Cairo escalates

Tension between the US government and the Egyptian military authorities has reached a new peak after it emerged that several American non-governmental workers, including the son of a member of President Obama's administration, are being prevented from leaving the country in an ongoing spat over Egypt's recent parliamentary elections.

Sam LaHood, the son of the US transportation secretary Ray LaHood, was turned back at the airport in Cairo on Saturday in a significant escalation of the diplomatic stand-off between the two countries. LaHood heads the Egyptian outpost of the International Republican Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank that had been monitoring the elections held in recent weeks in the wake of the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak.

According to Politico he was placed on a "no-fly list", without explanation, after he tried to board a plane in an attempt to escape rising hostility towards his and other foreign NGOs. LaHood had previously been named in the state-run press in Cairo.

Lorne Craner, president of IRI, said that Egyptian officials quizzed about the no-fly policy had told the institute that they were still completing their investigations following the December raids and that they might "go to trial soon".

"That's pretty disquieting – to have that kind of thing raised by an ally that's receiving a billion and a half dollars in US aid each year," Craner said.

He added that the Obama administration was working very hard to ameliorate the crisis. All five IRI workers in Cairo who have been put on the no-fly list, three of whom are American, are still free to move around the country and have their passports.

Craner said that at first the military generals had responded to the raids as though they were utterly unaware of what had happened. "But it's been nearly a month since then and the generals have been approached on a number of occasions and yet things have only got worse. So you have to wonder what's going on," he said.

The move follows a raid conducted on 29 December against 17 NGOs by Egyptian security forces in which computers, money and documents were seized. President Obama raised the harassment of US and other foreign NGOs in a phone conversation with the Egyptian military chief Field Marshal Tantawi on 20 January.

It is understood that six workers in the Cairo office of the National Democratic Institute, three of them American, have also been told they may not leave the country. NDI was among several groups involved in election monitoring.

News of the no-fly lists prompted a rash of diplomatic activity and public condemnation against the actions of the Egyptian authorities. John McCain, the US senator for Arizona, said that he had watched events in Egypt with "growing alarm and outrage. It's outrageous that these individuals would be held against their will by Egyptian authorities and prohibited from leaving the country."

The escalation poses a sensitive diplomatic challenge for the Obama administration. The US government is coming under mounting pressure from Congress to suspend the $2bn in aid it gives Cairo every year, largely in the form of military assistance.

While needing to be seen to protest against the Egyptian military junta's resistance to democratic change and ongoing human rights violations, the administration is also keen not to destabilise its relationship with one of its key allies in the region.

The timing of the move against the foreign workers comes as a further blow to the reform movement in Egypt that has been pushing for real democratic change in the wake of last year's popular uprising against Mubarak. The first democratically-elected parliament to sit in Egypt in 60 years convened on Monday, raising hopes that the junta would honour its promise to cede power in June.
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Egypt to Charge Foreign Workers

CAIRO—Egyptian prosecutors will bring criminal charges against more than 40 employees of nongovernmental organizations, including 19 Americans, escalating an investigation of foreign groups that has ruptured Egypt's relationship with its most important financial patron.

The American NGO employees—who work for the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute in Cairo—said they didn't know whether the referral of the case to a criminal court would lead to their arrest and imprisonment. But the move could mark a diplomatic breakdown, as it seems all but certain that the employees will have to appear before a court to face charges of working for an unregistered organization and distributing foreign funds illegally.

The referral of the NGO case comes one day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Egypt that America might withdraw its annual $1.3 billion military aid package to Egypt if the country continued harassing the NGOs.

Egypt's decision to push ahead on the case despite weeks of U.S. entreaties for the release of the Americans represents what is certain to be seen in Washington as an aggressive expression of anti-Americanism.

U.S. officials on Sunday demanded that the Egyptians explain the developments.

"We have seen media reports that judicial officials in Egypt intend to forward a number of cases involving U.S.-funded NGOs to the Cairo criminal court," said Mark Toner, deputy State Department spokesman. "We are deeply concerned by these reports and are seeking clarification from the Government of Egypt."

The moves against American NGO staff are the second reversal this weekend for American influence in a rapidly shifting Middle East. On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-backed United Nations security resolution calling on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down and end his nearly year-long crackdown on a dissident uprising.
Related Video

Protesters and police clash in the Egyptian capital amid mounting calls for the country's military-led government to step down. (Video: Reuters/Photo: Getty Images)
Regional Upheaval

Track events day by day in the region.

If convicted, the NGO employees will face a financial penalty and a maximum of five years in prison.

The controversy stands to unravel a long-standing diplomatic pact—that the U.S. was steadfast in its support of one of its strongest allies in the Arab world.

A budget law introduced in December will require that Mrs. Clinton certify to Congress that Egypt's leadership has met minimum standards of human rights and has abided by a 1979 peace treaty with neighboring Israel.

"We are very clear that there are problems that arise from this situation that can impact all the rest of our relationship in Egypt," Secretary Clinton said during a news conference on the sidelines of a conference in Munich on Saturday. "We don't want that."

The targeted NGO workers include Sam LaHood, the head of the International Republican Institute's Cairo office and the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood—the highest ranking Republican in the Obama administration.

The IRI and the NDI groups offer nonpartisan training for budding Egyptian politicians in campaign management, public relations and outreach.

Egyptian prosectors have accused the entities, which are financed by Congress, of operating in Egypt without a license.

But the country heads of both IRI and NDI said that the government has ignored their repeated applications for official accreditation. NDI, for its part, has operated openly, working with the ministry of foreign affairs and even helping to monitor parliamentary elections late last year.

The investigation into foreign funding for Egyptian NGOs has raised hackles on Capitol Hill, where the groups enjoy strong political backing.

IRI has close relations with the Republican Party and former presidential candidate John McCain chairs its board of directors. Tom Daschle, the former Senate Majority Leader and a Democrat, is the vice chairman of NDI.

Egypt's government has gradually tightened the screws on U.S.-based NGOs over the past few months.

In late December, prosecutors ordered raids on the offices of at least 10 NGOs. Attorneys backed by police and military special forces searched the offices, confiscated computers and cash and sealed them shut.

Last month, Mr. LaHood was told that Egyptian prosecutors put him on a no-fly list when he attempted to board a flight to Doha, Qatar. Subsequent government statements revealed that at least six Americans are now forbidden to leave Egypt.

Rising fear that the Egyptian government would arrest the foreign NGO workers led at least three American workers to seek refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Cairo last week.

Leaders in Egypt's interim civilian government have repeatedly claimed that the military is powerless to halt an independent judicial investigation into foreign funding for NGOs. In response to Mrs. Clinton's comments in Munich, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Amr, said on Sunday that while his ministry has tried to mend the fractures the foreign funding investigation has caused in the U.S.-Egypt relationship, the judiciary remains off limits.

But Egyptian and foreign civil society workers say the investigation is nakedly political.

"It seems that as protests continued in Tahrir Square, they either believed or tried to scapegoat outside movements," said David Kramer, the executive director of Freedom House, a U.S.-funded NGO that has been targeted in the judicial investigation. "Let's not kid ourselves into thinking this is based on rule of law."

The military has repeatedly pointed to "foreign hands" behind a wide variety of problems and deadly incidents throughout the past year. Reports of shady plots aimed at undermining Egypt play well with a population that has been fed a steady diet of conspiracy theories under generations of successive autocrats.

The uptick in harassment against American and other foreign NGOs makes clear that the Egyptian government is willing to sacrifice its lucrative alliance with the U.S. in order to salvage its own declining public prestige.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which inherited power after Mr. Mubarak stepped down last year, faced what could be its worst ever public relations crisis last week when at least 74 people were killed when Egyptian soccer fans in the Mediterranean coastal city of Port Said attacked spectators from the visiting Cairo-based team.

Protesters and members of Egypt's newly elected parliament have teamed up to lambaste the council of generals, with many charging the SCAF and interior ministries of deliberately offering lax and ineffective police protection in the hopes that a violent incident would further empower the interior ministry.

Rage over the perceived police neglect sparked four days of violent demonstrations outside Cairo's ministry of interior headquarters and in other cities throughout the country. The riots have so far killed 12 people and spilled into a fifth straight day early Monday morning, despite a series of shaky truces between protesters and police throughout Sunday.
—Charles Levinson and Jay Solomon contributed to this article.

Write to Matt Bradley at matt.bradley@dowjones.com

Corrections & Amplifications
Egypt has been one of the strongest U.S. allies in the Arab world. An earlier version of this article incorrectly called it the U.S.'s strongest ally in the Mideast.
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Top pundit for Sheldon Adelson’s free daily – on PM Office payroll

Dr. Dror Eydar, known for his criticism of leftwing NGOs and his support for Netanyahu, has a contract for NIS 50,000 at the Prime Minister’s Office. According to Eydar, he has been advising Deputy Prime Minister Ya’alon on the evangelical Christian community in America.

Another piece in the Netanyahu-Adelson puzzle was revelead yesterday when Channel 10 news reported that Dror Eydar, senior pundit for the free daily Israel Hayom, was hired by the Prime Minister’s Office for various speechwriting and consulting assignments.

Israel Hayom, launched in July 2011, is the most widely read paper in Israel. It is distributed for free, and, according to estimates, at a considerable financial loss. The paper is owned by American gambling billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a friend and supporter of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Dr. Dror Eydar is known for his attacks on Israeli journalists who criticize the government and on human rights NGOs. Referring to the Israeli media, Eydar recently said that it is “the immoral advantage that the Left has.” Regarding the debate on proposed changes to the Supreme Court, which the government initiated and backed, Eydar wrote:

Netanyahu did exhibit leadership… The Likud’s brand of liberalism is more trustworthy. Netanyahu and his friends understand the historical distortion, and the fact that the legal system is embroiled in it, and are working to correct it and restore the public’s trust in this vital institution.

The contract for 2012 between Eydar and the Prime Minister’s Office is for NIS 50,000, more than half the average yearly income in Israel. Israel Hayom did not comment on the affair, and it is not known whether Eydar has reported the matter to his editors. What’s clear is that at no point were readers informed that Eydar is also working for the Prime Minister’s Office.

Israel Media Watch, a right-wing media watchdog group, has named Eydar as one of the finalists for the 2011 prize in media criticism (unfortunately, he didn’t win). The report in the settler paper Israel National News reads:

Among those nominated for the prize are Dr. Dror Idar, a columnist for Yisrael HaYom and Makor Rishon, a relentless critic of media improprieties, whom the IMW panel said provides a “fresh voice” in media criticism.

In a comment to Haaretz, The Prime Minister’s Office claimed that Eydar was hired by a different unit in the office and does not write speeches for Netanyahu himself. Eydar has told Channel 10 that he was advising “from time to time” Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon on work with the evangelical community in America.

A few days ago, Yossi Gurvitz has revealed on his +972 blog that the prime minister also employs known settler leader and the deputy editor of right-wing paper Makor Rishon as speechwriter.
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HIV patients unlikely to get adequate cover

While Irda has asked insurers to launch these policies, high premium and low cover could be major worries for buyers

The good news for AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) patients could end up just being that — a feel-good news item.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) has recently asked insurers to offer policies for AIDS patients. The insurers have been given a month to respond. However, experts say they are unsure how a comprehensive policy can be provided to such patients.

Star Netplus pays a lump sum once the insured is tested positive. No bills or receipts are required. There is no age limit for applicants, either. This policy provides cover for Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000 at a yearly premium of Rs 2,500 and Rs 4,000, respectively. In comparison, Star Health's health insurance policy, Medi Classic, charges Rs 2,680 for a cover of Rs 2 lakh (age: five months to 35 years) and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance charges Rs 3,283 for a Rs 2-lakh cover (age - 26-46 years). Obviously, the cover for a standalone AIDS policy is at least five times less for the same premium.

Going forward, things may not really change. "This is how the new covers are also likely to be priced. We may not see a very high sum insured for HIV positive policyholders," says Deepak Yohanan of Myinsuranceclub.com. Globally, too, insurers follow a similar model, said many experts.

There are two ways of covering AIDS. One, this cover can be added to existing policies. Here, the premium will be revised to incorporate the cost of this benefit. "At the very least, the premium could move up by 25 per cent, as business interests also need to be taken care of," said Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, CEO of Bharti AXA General Insurance. And, if the cover is extended to non-hospitalisation and related costs, the premium could be revised even higher, as the drugs are very expensive.

Second, the regulator says, "Provide a lump sum — to the individual on becoming HIV-positive — as a rider (treating it as critical illness)." Here, you pay extra on the base life insurance policy. Again, coverage for AIDS will push up the premium further.

Third, insurers could create a standalone policy that will cover AIDS. Though planning for the product hasn't started yet, they say this will be a very costly option and premiums may be raised five times, as opposed to a health insurance plan.

What makes insurers unsure about the product is that Irda wants them to cover patients — in stage-I and -II — who have already contracted the disease. "It makes sense to issue a policy to someone who is under threat than to those already infected," said a broker. For instance, a child whose parents or one parent had this disease may contract it.

The problems may escalate in case a policyholder who bought it online seeks to add AIDS as a rider . The insurer, in that circumstance, would be in a bind on whether to extend it, as the client may have contracted the disease, said insurers.

The solution, most feel, will come from group policies. For instance, Star Health covers AIDS in association with non-government organisations (NGOs). In this case, the NGO is the policy proposer and only the beneficiaries of the proposer are covered. The benefits, when payable, will be paid to the proposer, for the advantage, in turn, of the respective covered persons.

Latest Jobs for NGO's Part-2 Dated on February 10th,2012

2012-02-09T22:18:00.000-08:00

Health Worker
UPHC Services
Location: Kolkata, West Bengal

UPHC Services (Urban Primary Health Care Services) is a project for urban slum dwellers under the supervision of an International Charitable Trust. Recently the project is continuing only at the city of Kolkata. The project caters a comprehensive Primary health care support to the poorest of the poor of the city.

Duties & responsibility---
Organizing medical camps
Assist Doctors within the clinic
Formation of Health Group
Extensive Field visit
Networking and liaison with similar organization and stake holders
Organizing Awareness camps & event
Counseling and special health support the school children
Others as assign by the Organization

Essential Requirements---
Honest Energetic & Hard Working
Good sense of humor & ability to interact with the beneficiaries
Prior experience in NGO sector
Qualification: Minimum 10+2, from any recognized board/ institution
Must be a Begali speaking person

Please apply with your latest resume and Salary History for the Post of “Health Worker” within February 29th

Email: uphcservices@gmail.com

A person aged less than 30years and from north Kolkata preferable.

Job Email id: uphcservices@gmail.com
Apply by: 29 Feb 2012
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Agriculture Coordinator
PRAVAH
Location: Deoghar, Jharkhand
About PRAVAH: PRAVAH is a grass root level organization working since 1992 in the Santhal Pargana Region of Jharkhand. The head office of PRAVAH is situated in Deoghar, Jharkhand. The operational focus of PRAVAH is in Degohar and Dumka districts of Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand and Jamui district of Bihar. In Deoghar district the organization is working in community development blocks Sonaraithadi & Sarwan whereas in Dumka district it is working in the adjacent CD Blocks Jarmundi and Jama. The organization has good experience of more than 15 years in managing development projects on the issues of education, child rights, watershed, sustainable livelihood and agriculture. With its proven background of successful piloting in these areas PRAVAH is now working in partnership with NABARD and Department of Rural Development for scaling up the project impact through a range of interventions.
Context: PRAVAH is looking for the position of its newly sanctioned project Sustainable Integrated Farm System(SIFS) for the Deoghhar District, a programme supported by Welthhungerhilfe and BMZ. It is an initiative for increasing agriculture production in marginal locations through transforming small into sustainable farms, setting up community based institutions and addressing market issues along the value chain for local food crops.
Job Responsibilities: The person will be responsible for supporting the agriculture extension workers, development of standard package of practices, demonstration and sectoral reporting and establishing linkages with the line departments. The person will also be responsible for organizing and managing training programmes and other programme related activities.
Qualification and Experience: Agriculture Post Graduate degree or diploma with 3 years excellent experience in field based agriculture extension prorammes. This position will require a strong background in sustainable agriculture practices including integrated farming practices, horticulture, agro forestry and livestock management. The individual must demonstrate a commitment to develop the prototype in the field of Agriculture Development through sustainable agriculture practices.

Job Email id: pravah001@sify.com
Apply by: 15 Feb 2012
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Accounts Officer
Family Planning Asslciation of India
Location: Delhi, Delhi

The Organisation :

FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (FPAI) is a 57-year old development organization having 43 Branches spread across the length and breadth of the country. It provides access to Family Health Planning and Management Services, Community Health Management, and Undertakes programmes on Women and Child Health Development, Adolescent Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS, and Advocacy. It runs Urban Family Welfare and Rural Health and Family Planning Centres in a no. of states including Delhi. Its dedicated services are made available to millions of poor and the unreached people every year.

The Location and the Post :

Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) New Delhi Branch is looking for an Accounts Officer having at least B.Com degree, 2-3 year practical experience, and thorough knowledge in the operation of Tally Accounting system. The candidate should have proven experience in the following areas of accounts related matters.

The Job Profile:

Maintaining books of accounts; preparation of pay roll and disbursal of salary; preparation of monthly bank reconciliation statements, financial budget, outlays for project proposals, trial balance, receipt and payment accounts, income and expenditure statement, balance sheet, Accounting and financial MIS and cash flow statements, statements as per the requirement of statutory auditors; maintenance of asset registers; complying with statutory regulations under IT Act, FCRA, Professional Tax; responsible for payment of various insurance and related payments; financial and cost accounting and analysis; submission of various statements and claims under government schemes and follow up on payment of grants under various schemes of Govt.

Salary Range :

Salary will be in the range of Rs.15-16,000 per month.

How to apply:

Interested candidates may submit their applications within seven days from the date of this advertisement to the Branch Manager, FPAI, New Delhi by email : newdelhi@fpaindia.org.

Job Email id: newdelhi@fpaindia.org
Apply by: 18 Feb 2012
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Asst Program Leader, Capacity Building
Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)
Location: Gurgaon, Haryana
Asst Program Leader, Capacity Building

Position- Assistant Program Leader (APL), Capacity Building Center
Duty station- Institute of Rural Research & Development (IRRAD), Gurgaon
Reporting to: Program Leader, Capacity Building

About IRRAD- IRRAD is dedicated to creating a brighter future for India’s rural communities. We envision rural people across India motivated and empowered to make their lives more secure and prosperous.

Position Summary: The overall role of the APL is to coordinate CBC activities in the field and externally funded projects on education.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate and monitor implementation of Project activities
• Document and report work progress, training reports, prepare success stories and articles for web, press releases
• Provide technical support to the project field team and trainers
• Coordinate and monitor village level trainings
• Facilitate and organize trainings and conferences

Required Qualification & Skills
• A post graduate degree, in social or related sciences .
• 2 or more years experience in training, education projects and/or working with PRIs
• Good communication, writing, computer and interpersonal skills.
• Fluent in English and Hindi.

IRRAD fosters gender and social equity. Therefore, women and candidates from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
Those with required background and qualifications may submit their resume and a 500 word note explaining why you think you are suitable for this position to: jobs@irrad.org by February 24th 2012.

Job Email id: jobs@irrad.org
Apply by: 24 Feb 2012
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Project Co-ordinator
Margdarshak Development Services ( MDS)
Location: Kolkata, West Bengal
Job Details :

Designation Project Co-ordinator

Posting Location : Kolkata

Job Summary :

Key Skills : Planning, Co-ordination, Organising, Liaisoning, Monitoring etc.

Experience : 7 - 11 years

Specialization : Other Corporate Planning towards Consulting Division

Job Function : Corporate Planning/Consulting/Strategy

Industry : Consulting

Qualification: Post Graduation - MBA/PGDM, Others Economics ( Economics)
School & Graduation - Management / Economics Graduate ( Management / Economics)

CTC : As per Industry Standards

Perks : as per norms

Hiring Office : Kolkata

Job Description

· In-charge of the European Union supported Jute development project in West Bengal including:

o Ensure overall achievement of project activities and objectives in India. Maintain regular coordination and communication with Project partners including Traidcraft in India and Bangladesh.

o Establish Project Management and Country Management Teams(PMC, CMT) and participate in the periodic meetings to be held in Bangladesh/India

o Network extensively with stakeholders (including jute SMEs, key supply chain actors, opinion leaders, government bodies, and jute sector institutions) to promote the project and ensure the buy in of key stakeholders to project activities

o Preparation of monthly, quarterly and half-yearly action plans for the project in WB.

o Prepare regular reports and documents as per project norms and submission of the same to Tradecraft and Margdarshak.

o Plan and implement project activities as per assigned deliverables and schedule.

o Monitor project activities and coordinate with other project staff on its implementation as per required quality.

o Organize and attend regular project monitoring and reporting meetings.

o Regular liaison with governmental & non-governmental institutions and research institutions related to Jute and specifically to Jute Diversified Products.

o Conduct training programme for the project team and key stakeholders as per the programme plan and requirements.

o Publishing need assessment reports as per the requirements of the project and Update and management of the website on project activities.

o Supporting development and publication of the training material, advocacy material etc.

o Coordinate and organize trainings for service providers.

o Monitoring of the work and outputs of the Supply Chain Manager and BFU Manager which includes the following:

§ Coordinate and organize interface with service providers/ enterprises and designers/technical experts.

§ Identify prospective buyers and negotiate with them for sales of the JDPs produced by the beneficiaries.

§ Organize delegations of enterprises to participate in fairs and exhibitions

§ Conduct regular need assessments of the enterprises and accordingly coordinate with service providers to provide need based support.

§ Liaison between buyers and beneficiaries for match-making services.

Desired Candidate Profile:

· The project is looking for a Project Coordinator to be based in Kolkata, West Bengal.

· Post graduation in Management / Economics will be preferred

· The candidate should have at-least 10 years of experience in enterprise development/ livelihood, some Industry experience and is ready to work directly with Small & medium enterprise

· The co-ordinator will be overall responsible for implementing the project activities.

· Liaison with governmental bodies.

· Co-ordinate with various project stake-holders.

· Reporting to the Executive Director of Margdarshak.

Hiring Company Details : Margdarshak Development Services

Margdarshak Development Services ( MDS), a section 25 not for profit company working in the field of enterprise development and micro-finance in partnership with Traidcraft Exchange UK is implementing a four year EU supported project on Jute Diversified Products ( JDPs) in the State of West Bengal. The project will be promoting eco-friendly Jute products through capacity building of local SMEs working in JDPs and provide new market access.

Job Posted By : Margdarshak

Address : 103, IIIrd Floor, Jodhpur gardens, Kolkata, West Bengal-700045

Interested Candidate may send their resume to the mentioned mail id : hr@margdarshak.org.in

Job Email id: hr@margdarshak.org.in
Apply by: 10 Mar 2012
----------------------------------------
MIS Coordinator
Pragati Development Consulting Services Limited (PDCSL)
Location: Patna, Bihar

PDCSL

MIS Coordinator

PDCSL is a consulting firm and 100% subsidiary of IMaCS. IMaCS is a consulting firm with more than 15 years of experience in executing consulting assignment across diverse sector in India and overseas. PDCSL has been engaged by a UN Agency to provide Technical financial and human resource support to various programmes and operation in Patna.

PDCSL invites application from qualified candidates for the positionof MIS Coordinator underHIV Programme.

Place of Operation: Patna, Bihar

Major tasks to be accomplished

* Provide support for data collation/compilation and information management system for HIV programme from all Units under BSACS.
* Provide support for SIMS based reporting as and when rolled out by BSACS (preparatory, inception and roll out activities) including setting up system of information compilation and flow as per SIMS.
* Provide support for adapting standard formats, data management and information flow from District to the State.
* Coordinate with partners and service providers for monthly SIMS based reporting
* Collation, analysis, documentation and presentation of reports and compilation of monitoring information data from various HIV programs implemented in the district as well as State level for quarterly review.

·Assist development of Quarterly & Annual Reports on progress and coverage as per National prescribed indicators.

Monthly Deliverables:

* Monthly report indicating the activity undertaken, result achieved and follow up planned based on the field visits and activities undertaken.

* Monthly report of the ICTC/PPTCT, Pediatric treatment data and compilation of data based on NACP -NRHM monitoring indicators.

·Submission of MIS / SIMS data as per NACO / SACS guideline on the stipulated date month

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:

* Post Graduate/Graduate with minimum two years’ experience in HIV programme

* Good understanding of data monitoring, analysis and management with proven track record in the relevant area of work

* Sound knowledge on MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point)

* Good communication skills both in Hindi and English essential.

Contract Duration and Appointment:

Initially for 11 months. Consultant will be placed in -PATNA. The professional fee is Rs. 30,000 per month. Additional support costs for travel, communications, insurance and contingencies. Interested candidates may download prescribed application from as CV Format and email duly filled application format to hrpatna@pdcsl.in by or before 19th February, 2012. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. QUALIFIED WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Job Email id: hrpatna@pdcsl.in
Download Attachment: Applications CV Format.doc
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State Coordinator, CPMIS
Pragati Development Consulting Services Limited (PDCSL)
Location: Patna, Bihar

PDCSL

StateCoordinator, CPMIS

PDCSL is a consulting firm and 100% subsidiary of IMaCS. IMaCS is a consulting firm with more than 15 years of experience in executing consulting assignment across diverse sector in India and overseas. PDCSL has been engaged by an UN Agency to provide Technical financial and human resource support to various programmes and operation in Patna.

PDCSL invites application from qualified candidates for the positionof StateCoordinator, CPMIS underChild Protection Programme.

Place of Operation: Patna, Bihar

Major tasks to be accomplished

* Provide technical support to develop monitoring and reporting tools on all programmatic components outlined for DCPS/U under ICPS – this includes all Homes and the Statutory Bodies
* Provide technical support in developing Information System including network and GIS information technology.
* Provide support in the conversion of all electronic and paper based records on the Information System
* Provide technical support to SPSU to maintain complex database and MIS through access, store and retrieval of data and by setting data base files to produce variety of reports from the data base.
* To provide technical information support to SPSU for district-wise MIS and evaluate the need for information technology on an ongoing basis
* Provide / Facilitate training to employees in basic and advanced MIS application and usage
* Information support to the Secretary / Director, SCPS for state level MIS assuring that all daily, weekly, monthly and other report schedules are met in a timely and accurate manner.

Monthly Deliverables:
Monthly report indicating the activities undertaken, tasks accomplished and results achieved based on monthly plan shared. The following minimum deliverables are expected:

* Monthly compilation of CPMIS report
* Updated compliance status with regard to the functioning of CWC, JJB and SJPU – monthly basis.
* Data base building of CNCP and JCL cases reported, follow ups done and rehabilitation undertaken
* Capacity development plan for all data entry persons working with the Statutory Bodies, under DCPU and with Homes – by end April 2012.

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:

* Post graduate / Graduate with minimum 2 years of relevant experience
* Diploma / Degree in Data Management / Statistics / MIS
* Experience in developing monitoring, reporting and assessment tools
* Working knowledge of different software applications in the context of MIS / Data base building and ‘same time’ data collation processes
* An excellent communication skill with a proficiency in Hindi and English
* Adequately trained and well versed with computer knowledge with an ability to develop reports and presentations of high quality and standards
* Previous working experience / exposure to the govt set up will be an added advantage.

Contract Duration and Appointment:

Initially for 11 months. Consultant will be placed in PATNA. The professional fee is Rs. 40,000 per month. Additional support costs for travel, communications, insurance and contingencies. Interested candidates may download prescribed application from as CV Format and email duly filled application format to hrpatna@pdcsl.in by or before 20th February, 2012. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. QUALIFIED WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Job Email id: hrpatna@pdcsl.in
Download Attachment: Applications CV Format.doc
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District Coordinator
Pragati Development Consulting Services Limited (PDCSL)
Location: Vaishali, Darbhanga , Gaya and Purnea, Bihar
PDCSL

District Coordinator

PDCSL is a consulting firm and 100% subsidiary of IMaCS. IMaCS is a consulting firm with more than 15 years of experience in executing consulting assignment across diverse sector in India and overseas. PDCSL has been engaged by an UN Agency to provide Technical financial and human resource support to various programmes and operation in Patna.

PDCSL invites application from qualified candidates for the positionof District Coordinator-(4 positions) under Child Protection Programme.

Place of Operation: Vaishali, Darbhanga, Gaya and Purnea.

Major tasks to be accomplished

·Provide technical support to DCPU undertake a comprehensive District Need Assessment (DNA) based on ICPS guidelines
·Provide technical support to DCPO in the rollout of DCPU
·Provide assistance to DCPU in NGO mapping
·Provide support to DCPU maintain CPMIS for children under governmental and non-governmental services
·Provide technical support to ensure setting up of District and Block level Child Protection Committees as per ICPS guidelines
·Support DCPU in identify families at risk and children in need of care and protection through effective networking and linkages with Civil Society Organizations (CSO)
·Provide technical support to monitor all institutions/agencies providing residential facilities to children in district;
·Provide technical support in facilitating monthly review meetings with all stakeholders

Monthly Deliverables:

Monthly report indicating the activities undertaken, tasks accomplished and results achieved based on monthly plan shared. The following minimum deliverables are expected:
·Monthly compilation of CPMIS report
·Plan for undertaking DNA is drawn and completed – by end April 2012
·Updated compliance status with regard to the functioning of CWC, JJB and SJPU – monthly basis.
·Plan for NGO mapping is drawn and completed by end May 2012
·Formation of block level Child Protection Committees in all blocks – by end June 2012

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:

·Graduates or Post Graduates in any stream, preferably from Sociology, psychology or from social welfare and with 3 years of experience in child welfare.
·Experience in child protection will be preferable
·Prior working experience with governmental body will be appreciable
·Good communication and interpersonal skills
·Incumbent should have good presentation and documentation skills
·Must have good IT skills (MS Office & Internet)
·Must have working knowledge of both English & Hindi.

Contract Duration and Appointment:

Initially for 11 months. Consultant will be placed in Vaishali, Darbhanga , Gaya and Purnea. The professional fee is Rs. 18,000 per month. Additional support costs for travel, communications, insurance and contingencies. Interested candidates may download prescribed application from as CV Format and email duly filled application format to hrpatna@pdcsl.in by or before 20th February , 2012. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. QUALIFIED WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Job Email id: hrpatna@pdcsl.in
Download Attachment: Applications CV Format.doc
---------------------------------------
Head Development
Apne Aap Women Worldwide (India) Trust
Location: Delhi

Apne Aap Women Worldwide (India) Trust
Location: New Delhi
Closing Date: February 20, 2012
Email ID: jobs@apneaap.org

Apne Aap Women Worldwide (AAWW)

Apne Aap Women Worldwide(AAWW), founded in 2002 has emerged over the past 7 years as a world leading grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to the global battle against human trafficking and has provided support to more than 10,000 women and children trapped in, or at risk of being trafficked for prostitution in India. Apne Aap advocates self-help, self-organizing and self-empowerment to dismantle the system of sex-trafficking. It collectivizes victims to rescue and serve each other and ask for access to education, safe housing, legal protection and dignified and sustainable livelihoods as basic rights. It organizes victims to speak out against the severe injustice of their own situation and the demand for purchased sex. For more information see: www.apneaap.org. Apne Aap Women Worldwide invites applications for:

Position Head Development
Direct Supervisor COO
Place of Work New Delhi

Job Purpose:

The Head-Development will provide leadership, support and management for all Apne Aap funding from institutional and individual donors. The Job holder will be responsible for securing and managing funding from bilateral and multilateral agencies and other major international NGOs, foundations, individuals and Trust. The Job holder will coordinate and support the development and implementation of Apne Aap Fundraising strategy.

Key accountabilities:

1. Work with the COO of Apne Aap to develop and implement a new fundraising strategy, develop new relationships with and manage existing relationships with Government, bilateral, multilateral agencies, foundations and Trust.

2. Research and prioritize institutional and individual donors to proactively approach. Develop funding proposals and Concept notes.

3. Design and deliver a commonly agreed plan for working with Apne Aap affiliates and their back donors.

4. Manage all aspects of contracts for Apne Aap including advice and guidance on donor policies and procedures, clarifying reporting requirement and time frames, submission of payment request.

5. Initiate and develop relationships with new institutional and individual donors to secure long term restricted funding.

6. To work on proposals and presentations to potential and committed donors, leading on these when appropriate.

7. Lead the team in organizing activities, such as organizing institutional donor visits to projects and programmes, review of programmes, learning visits, which will contribute to building stronger donor relationships.

8. Lead the process of coordinating with Programme Team members to proactively showcase and present programmatic work to meet potential interested parties mentioned above to establish and pursue areas of mutual interest.

9. Ensure new opportunities deemed appropriate and strategic are developed as secured partnerships. This will include:

• Ensuring reporting, visibility and other compliances are adhered to and communicated to the Apne Aap team. Be responsible for coordinating with the relevant teams for developing and presentation of reports and periodical updates to donors
• Support capacity building of programme team and partners in understanding donor and contractual requirements
• Coordinate all funding opportunities and grant management with Apne Aap finance, programme and policy and partnership team.
• Interface with mentioned donors on programmes to be funded/being funded to ensure that mutual needs are effectively addressed.
• Develop and maintain good relationships with institutional donors to ensure appropriate networking and presence at relevant events. Work with the Communications Team to maximize public relations and media opportunities to enhance new relationships. Ensure the exchange of good practice, ideas, and initiatives with the Apne Aap team.
• Managing and evaluating new relationships with institutional and individual donors
• Ensuring that Apne Aap and the donor objectives are met to maximize income and opportunities from each relationship
• Agree fundraising targets
• Work to best standard practices.
• Compile and maintain a database of international and local donor organizations (international foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and private corporations offering donations)
• Organize or provide assistance in organizing any fundraising events for the organization
• Suggest other innovative ideas for effective resource mobilization
• To act as an advocate for the organization within the wider community and with funding bodies.

Experience, Education and Skills.
? 6-8 years of relevant experience in fundraising in Development Sector.
? Master’s degree will be preferred.
? Proven skills in:
- Writing project concept notes,
- programme development,
- designing and managing contracts
- managing MIS for a donor-funded programme or portfolio of projects
? Understanding of institutional mapping of bilateral/multi-lateral development agencies and their respective policy and programme interest areas.
? Proven experience of developing programme funding proposals is desirable.
? Excellent Communication skills. Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.
? Ability to work on own initiative, manage complex workloads and deliver outputs to agreed deadlines.

Candidates having relevant and desired level of experience can send their application with Cover letter and CV to jobs@apneaap.org.In order to ensure that your application is sorted correctly, please clearly mention the name of the position i.e. “Head-Development” in the subject line of your email.

Only applications of shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged.

Apne Aap Women Worldwide is an equal opportunity employer. Applications from qualified Women are especially encouraged.

Job Email id: jobs@apneaap.org
Apply by: 20 Feb 2012
-------------------------------------------
Communication Manager
Smile Foundation
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Position Vacant: Communication Manager

Organization Name: Smile Foundation

Company Profile (NGO)

Smile Foundation is looking for young, energetic and dynamic professionals willing to make career in the field of Communications and achieve the organizational goal in the area of Celebrity Management, Production Tie – Ups, Events & Media.

Job Description / Responsibilities:

1. To cultivate and nurture Celebrities; engaging them as per the opportunities arising in an organization; exploring/creating engagement opportunities of celebrities

2. To engage production houses for charity tie-ups/ organization participation in reality shows

3. To engage entertainment channels for brand visibility

4. Conceptualizing and execution of Branding and Fundraising events; engaging celebrity in events

5. To engage in Branding of the organization through Print, Electronic or innovative media.

Desired profile of the candidate:

1. Good experience in the field of Celebrity Management

2. Good understanding and hands of experience on engaging Production Houses and Entertainment Channels

3. Expertise in Branding Events, Fundraising Event, any other event

4. Prior Experience in the field of PR & Media

5. Should have excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

Preference will be given to Female Candidates.

Desired work experience: 5 – 7 years

Compensation Offered: Negotiable

Location of posting: Mumbai

Company: Smile Foundation

E mail id: jobs@smilefoundationindia.org

Email: URL of home page (if any) : www.smilefoundationindia.org

Job Email id: jobs@smilefoundationindia.org
Apply by: 10 Mar 2012
----------------------------------------
Director – Policy, Campaigns and Research
Oxfam India
Location: Delhi

Job Title: Director – Policy, Campaigns and Research

Location: New Delhi

Line Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Function Reporting to/ close working relationship with: Director Programmes and Advocacy, Director Marketing and Communications, Director Operations

Direct Team management of: 5 members this includes Lead Specialist – Essential
Services, Lead Specialist – Economic Justice, Lead Specialist – Gender Justice,
Manager – Campaigns, Manager - Research

Travel requirement: Up to 90 days annually sometimes at short notice

Background

Oxfam International was founded in 1995 and today it is a confederation of 17 individual affiliates working together under the Oxfam International umbrella with over 3,000 partners in over a 100 countries with the aim of finding lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. The organisation’s mission is a just world without poverty and its goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives.
The 17 Oxfam affiliates are from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Quebec, Spain, the United States, Mexico, and India. New Oxfam’s affiliates are Japan and Italy, who currently are observers.. Oxfam International is a small secretariat based in Oxford, UK, and the secretariat runs advocacy offices in Washington DC, New York, Brussels and Geneva.

Historically for the past fifty years six different Oxfams had been working through country offices in different parts of India. These were Oxfam Trust, Oxfam GB (Great Britain), Oxfam Novib (Netherlands), Oxfam Australia, Oxfam Hong Kong and Intermon Oxfam (Spain). Oxfam India is a result of the merger of these Oxfam’s that had been operating as separate entities: Oxfam India is an independent affiliate of the Oxfam Confederation and undertakes the activities of an independent affiliate in terms of national programming, international and national advocacy and campaigning, humanitarian response and fundraising, basing its work on a rights based approach. It retains the unique Oxfam identity and continues to consolidate on the impact of Oxfams previous work in India. However, as an Indian entity, it has developed a new strategy and is in the process of implementing it.

Oxfam India aims to be a role model for promoting gender equality and diversity. It works in 7 focus states, which have been identified as the most lagging states, economically and socially. Oxfam India has a staff complement of around 179 people. Oxfam India works with around 200 partners to implement its strategy on ground to empower communities to demand their rights.

Organisational Purpose

Oxfam India undertakes all the activities of an Oxfam affiliate and is steadily building on the impact of collective Oxfams work in India. Oxfam India aims to be:

• A progressive and influential actor in the Indian development context, challenging poverty and injustice in India, and globally.
• Able to make a unique contribution to civil society, grounded in a strong history of development, humanitarian and advocacy programs in India.
• A truly autonomous organization embedded in Indian reality, diversity and spirit and. With the support of people and civil society movements, commanding respect from all stakeholders, including the Government and the private sector.
• With a long collective experience in India and as an international actor in its own right, Oxfam India has commenced playing a key role as part of Oxfam International, reflecting the growing role of India in international affairs.
• Capable of raising significant resources from India

Oxfam India is expected to significantly contribute towards objectives defined in the Oxfam International Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan covers 4 main areas economic justice (food justice, sustainable rural livelihoods through work on agriculture, trade and climate change,) essential services (with a focus on health and education) rights in crisis (primarily focusing on humanitarian response in disasters in the Indian context) and gender justice (political empowerment of women and ending violence against women).

Purpose of the post

It is a new position being created within the organisation and will have the responsibility for the strategic direction and effective management of Oxfam India’s campaigns, research and policy work, through an integrated rights-based approach both in India and abroad.

Responsibility for ensuring campaign development in priority areas, continued improvement through learning for quality and impact, and effective use of resources. Also to ensure accountability mechanisms to key stakeholders; partners, allies, beneficiaries, donors and back donors.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Strategic leadership

1.1 Provide strategic leadership as a member of the senior management team.

1.2 Develop a fully integrated strategy for Policy influence and Campaigns in line with the organization’s vision.

1.3 Ensure that Oxfam India’s campaigns and research work are innovative and
effective and position Oxfam at the forefront of the development debate and in best practice.

2. Management

2.1 Provide effective management to a rich portfolio of campaigns, research and policy interventions and provide line management for the thematic leads, research and campaign functions.

2.2 Provide effective people management that is positive, supportive and results focused including the setting and maintaining of clear performance standards.

2.3 Working closely with the Senior Management Team to develop and deliver a high quality national and global policy influencing agenda on Oxfam India’s prioritized themes that seek critical changes in relation to institutional policies/responses in the areas of humanitarian suffering, poverty and social exclusion.

2.4 Work across the organization to define Oxfam India’s vision on emerging themes including “India and the World”, social discrimination and potential for engaging with the private sector.

2.5 Work across the organization and with others to develop the capability of Oxfam India as a leading agency on development research that clearly feed into ongoing policy dialogues.

2.6 Ensure a consistent and high quality approach to programme management that includes systems and procedures being in place that provide effective management of the programme cycle with an emphasis on learning with respect to the policy interventions.

2.7 Provide leadership on the promotion of gender awareness and diversity across policy and advocacy initiatives.

2.8 Engage and lead on establishing Oxfam India as a leading agency on development campaigns, nationally and globally.

2.9 Represent Oxfam India’s interest as a key Southern Affiliate in the wider global confederation with respect to the Global Campaigns Team and any other groups identified for this purpose.

Must haves/ Essential qualifications and experience

• Dynamic individual with a post graduate degree in a relevant discipline with a minimum of 10 years experience of which at least 5 years have been in senior management.
• A successful record in leading and managing integrated campaigns and/or research programmes including designing, implementation and monitoring in a growing and credible organisation.
• Comprehensive knowledge, analysis and understanding about issues related to poverty, exclusion and injustice nationally and internationally.
• Expertise in using rights based framework and work approach.
• Experience of leading/working on policy research, positioning and dialogue as well as campaigns design and development.
• Experience of networking with communities, organisations, social movements and media.
• Excellent communications skills and the ability to represent the organisation at various national and international platforms.

Preferable
• Demonstrated success in delivery of effective policies and practice.
• Political bent of mind with a track record of influencing stakeholders for positive social change.
• A good understanding of project management and goal setting.

Personal Attributes
• Strategic and lateral thinking with an ability to involve other people and build on their ideas.
• Ability to lead, motivate and inspire staff to achieve at a high level.
• Ability to evaluate and judge complex issues and distinguish critical priorities to ensure an effective focus.
• Effective communication; persuasive and able to explain specialised concepts in simple terms.
• Excellent inter-personal skills; diplomatic and negotiation abilities.

Compensation
The salary range for this position is competitive and will be determined based upon the experience of the candidate hired.

Application process
Interested candidates can send in their CVs to oxfampcr@gmail.com. Due to high applicant volume only applications of short listed candidates will be acknowledged. Last date for receiving applications is 27th February 2012.

Oxfam India is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.

Job Email id: oxfampcr@gmail.com
Apply by: 27 Feb 2012
-------------------------------------
Director Operations
Oxfam India
Location: Delhi

Job Title: Director Operations

Location: New Delhi

Line Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Function Reporting to/ close working relationship with: Director Program and Advocacy, Director Marketing and Communications, Director Policy Campaigns and Research

Direct Team management of: 3 members this includes 1 Manager - Finance and Administration, 1 Manager - Finance (Fundraising), 1 Manager - HR, IT and Legal

Travel requirement: Up to 90 days annually sometimes at short notice

Background:

Oxfam International was founded in 1995 and today it is a confederation of 17 individual affiliates working together under the Oxfam International umbrella with over 3,000 partners in over a 100 countries with the aim of finding lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. The organisation’s mission is a just world without poverty and its goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives.

The 17 Oxfam affiliates are from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Quebec, Spain, the United States, Mexico, and India. New Oxfam’s affiliates are Japan and Italy, who currently are observers.. Oxfam International is a small secretariat based in Oxford, UK, and the secretariat runs advocacy offices in Washington DC, New York, Brussels and Geneva.

Historically for the past fifty years six different Oxfams had been working through country offices in different parts of India. These were Oxfam Trust, Oxfam GB (Great Britain), Oxfam Novib (Netherlands), Oxfam Australia, Oxfam Hong Kong and Intermon Oxfam (Spain). Oxfam India is a result of the merger of these Oxfam’s that had been operating as separate entities: Oxfam India is an independent affiliate of the Oxfam Confederation and undertakes the activities of an independent affiliate in terms of national programming, international and national advocacy and campaigning, humanitarian response and fundraising, basing its work on a rights based approach. It retains the unique Oxfam identity and continues to consolidate on the impact of Oxfams previous work in India. However, as an Indian entity, it has developed a new strategy and is in the process of implementing it.

Oxfam India aims to be a role model for promoting gender equality and diversity. It works in 7 focus states, which have been identified as the most lagging states, economically and socially. Oxfam India has a staff complement of around 179 people. Oxfam India works with around 200 partners to implement its strategy on ground to empower communities to demand their rights.

Organisational Purpose

Oxfam India undertakes all the activities of an Oxfam affiliate and is steadily building on the impact of collective Oxfams work in India. Oxfam India aims to be:

• A progressive and influential actor in the Indian development context, challenging poverty and injustice in India, and globally.
• Able to make a unique contribution to civil society, grounded in a strong history of development, humanitarian and advocacy programs in India.
• A truly autonomous organization embedded in Indian reality, diversity and spirit and. With the support of people and civil society movements, commanding respect from all stakeholders, including the Government and the private sector.
• With a long collective experience in India and as an international actor in its own right, Oxfam India has commenced playing a key role as part of Oxfam International, reflecting the growing role of India in international affairs.
• Capable of raising significant resources from India

Oxfam India is expected to significantly contribute towards objectives defined in the Oxfam International Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan covers 4 main areas economic justice (food justice, sustainable rural livelihoods through work on agriculture, trade and climate change,) essential services (with a focus on health and education) rights in crisis (primarily focusing on humanitarian response in disasters in the Indian context) and gender justice (political empowerment of women and ending violence against women).

Purpose of the post:

• Provide strong leadership on business services and systems
• Provide overall vision and direction in building and consolidating integrated business services and systems across the organisation.
• Provide effective management of the core business functions of the organisation in finance, human resources, information technology and facilities.
• Anticipate and identify critical business systems needs for better program management and fundraising opportunities and proactively deliver such systems in a timely and cost effective manner.
• Ensure full compliance on codes of conduct, legal requirements and stakeholder accountabilities.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Strategic leadership
1.1 Provide strategic leadership as a member of the senior management team of a vibrant organisation.

1.2 Implement a robust financial strategy for the organization and constantly endeavour to improve the systems to deliver high quality financial management, including means to provide financial planning and management information.

1.3 Develop a clear strategy for the human resource management to ensure successful staff retention; one that is based on best practice and includes performance management and organisational development.

1.4 Put in place a strategy for integrated information systems that use appropriate technology and provide management information in support of all business operations.

2. Management
2.1 Financial management: ensure effective and comprehensive financial management by:
• providing leadership on all financial management issues.
• ensuring new financial systems are appropriate, accessible and effective for an agency of its size, complexity and accountability requirements
• ensuring key corporate reporting requirements are met in a timely manner through comprehensive and high quality documentation
• overseeing and representing Oxfam India in all aspects of finance, information systems and administration relationships including audit, banking, property and insurance
2.2 Human Resources: ensure successful recruitment and retention of staff through:
• agency-wide use of high quality and appropriate human resource strategies, policies and practice in accordance with the different legislative environments in which Oxfam India operates ensuring the development of HR tools and promoting their application by managers and staff
• developing and implementing an agency remuneration strategy including providing advice to the CEO and Board of Directors as required
• focusing on the key areas of attracting, inducting and building capacity of staff
2.3 Information systems: facilitate integration with development of new information systems technologies for Oxfam India through:
• developing and implementing information management strategies, policies and systems.
• ensuring the high quality delivery of the information systems function characterised by timely, appropriate and cost effective operations
2.4 Facilities and Administration: ensure Oxfam India staff work in safe, secure and appropriate physical environments across the country in the performance of their duties.

2.5 Legal Compliance: Ensure to the Board that all legal and ethical compliances are in place including relevant codes of conduct and ‘industry’ requirements.

Must haves/ Essential qualifications and experience

• A post-graduate degree in any discipline relevant to the role with a minimum of 12 years of work experience in development in a leadership role (at least functional) in a medium-large organization.
• A successful record in leading and managing critical business functions such as finance, human resources and information systems within an established and credible organisation.
• Proven experience of strategy formulation and implementation of systems and strategies in key business areas.
• Strong financial acumen and a good understanding of people management and creating results oriented plans and delivery mechanisms.
• Excellent communication skills and capability to represent the organisation in professional forums.

Preferable:
• Chartered Accountant with a good understanding of compliance and regulatory frameworks in the Indian context.
• A good understanding of human resource issues in a changing job market and growth environment.
• Substantive knowledge of information systems development
• A good understanding of people management and creating results oriented plans and delivery mechanisms.
• Strong financial skills to present financial data to non financial professionals.
• Experience of working in an international organisation

Personal Attributes:
• A commitment to Oxfam’s core values of human dignity and worth.
• Sensitivity towards gender, ethnic and cultural identities.
• Strategic and lateral thinking with an ability to involve other people and build on their ideas.
• Ability to lead, motivate and inspire staff to achieve at a high level.
• Ability to evaluate and judge complex issues and distinguish critical priorities to ensure an effective focus.
• Effective communication; persuasive and able to explain specialised concepts in simple terms;
• Excellent inter-personal skills; diplomatic and negotiation abilities.

Compensation:
The salary range for this position is competitive and will be determined based upon the experience of the candidate hired.

Application process:
Interested candidates can send in their CVs to oxfamops@gmail.com. Due to high applicant volume only applications of short listed candidates will be acknowledged. Last date for receiving applications is 27th February 2012.

Oxfam India is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.

Job Email id: oxfamops@gmail.com
Apply by: 27 Feb 2012

Latest Jobs for NGO's Part-1 Dated on February 10th,2012

2012-02-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

Senior Accountant
SEWA Delhi
Location: Delhi, Delhi

The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) is a women’s trade union that was started in Gujarat in 1972 by Smt. Elaben Bhatt, with the aim of organising women in the informal sector. SEWA represents the convergence of three movements – labour, women and co-operative movement. SEWA‘s goal has been to achieve full employment and self-reliance for all its members. SEWA Delhi (www.sewadelhi.org) is the All India Federation of Self-Employed Women’s Associations that works with women workers in the informal sector in 9 states. In all these states, SEWA is involved in organising women workers and their development through Self Help Groups, Co-operatives and Federations. SEWA activities include Micro Finance, Social Security, Housing, Education, creating market linkages and Skill Development for women workers.

Applications are invited from young women, inclined to work at grassroots level with SEWA Delhi for the following post:

1.Post : Senior Accountant

Place of work: Delhi

Qualification: B.Com / M.Com & having knowledge of tally

Experience – 4-5 years

Remuneration - Salary will be commensurate with educational qualifications and experience.

Interested candidates may send their resume with post they are applying to jobs@sewadelhi.org within 7 days from the date of advertisement.

Job Email id: jobs@sewadelhi.org
Apply by: 20 Feb 2012
-------------------------------------
Administrative Executive
Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre

Requires

Administrative Executive

Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) is a premier institution working in the field of innovative Science, Mathematics and Computer Education. The Centre strives to promote among students, teachers and community an understanding of the fundamental concepts involved in Science and Mathematics. Its mandate is to stimulate interest, encourage and expose the principles of Science and scientific methods and also to improve and find innovative methods of Science Education. For more details on the Centre’s programmes and activities, please visit the website: www.vascsc.org

VASCSC is looking for a young, dynamic and result-oriented Administrative Executive.

Min. Qualification: Graduate, preferably with PG Diploma in office administration/management/Computer Applications.

Experience: Minimum 3 years of post-qualification full time relevant work experience.

Excellent communication skills, comfort with Computers and internet are essential. Knowledge of database management, secretarial work, public relations desirable. Fluency in English, Gujarati and Hindi required. The work would involve travel and the selected candidates should not have any travel restrictions.

Consolidated starting Salary in the range of Rs. 15000 to 20000 per month, depending on education and experience.

Those selected would be offered a contract appointment initially for a period of two years, extendable based on performance. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Applications are being accepted on rolling basis, till suitable candidates are found. Interested candidates should send application with bio-data, stating current and expected salary, to:

The Executive Director
Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre
Opp. Gujarat University, Navrangpura
Ahmedabad - 380 009

Email: vascsc@gmail.com Website: www.vascsc.org

Job Email id: vascsc@gmail.com
Apply by: 07 Mar 2012
-----------------------------------
Assistant Programme officer
MPVHA
Location: Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (MPVHA), registered under Society Registration Act is a health network in the state of M.P. and is looking for the following personnel on contract basis for its Malaria, NRHM & Tobacco Control projects for its field offices.

APO (Assistant Programme officer): Post Graduates in Hospital Administration, Social Science, Management, Journalism, Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Social Work (MSW) having a minimum of 2 years work experience in the field of health are encouraged to apply.
Candidates shall be posted in field offices and should be ready for extensive travelling.

Salary: Between Rs 12,000 to 16,000 per month depending upon experience and qualification.

Note: Applications along with CV should be sent only via email to empvha@gmail.com
Last date for submission of application is: 14th February 2012.
Kindly mention post for which application is being sent in the subject line of the email.
Only shortlisted candidates shall be called for interview.

Job Email id: empvha@gmail.com
Apply by: 14 Feb 2012
-------------------------------------
Project officer
Butterflies
Location: Green Park Ext, Delhi

TERMS OF REFERENCE
For Appointment of PROJECT OFFICER - Communications

Position: Project Officer Communications
Organization: Project Office of Butterflies under the Project “Civil Society Alliance for Child Rights in South Asia” (Ref: EIDHR/2010/167016)
Duty Station: New Delhi
Duration: 1 Year 10 Months Fixed Term

Background

Butterflies, in partnership with CIAI (Centro Italiano Aiuti all’Infanzia) and ISCOS (Istituto Sindacale per la Cooperazione allo sviluppo) is implementing a three year project aimed at strengthening the role of civil society in promoting child rights across the South Asian region, through advocacy, sensitization of key stakeholders, and creation of regional spaces of cooperation among civil society organizations in the South Asian region through the South Asian Alliance of Grassroot NGOs.

Job responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the Director and the Project Coordinator, the Project Officers will be responsible for leading action on the external communications aspect of the project to the external agencies and the general public.

Job Description – Project Officer - Communication

1. Content creation for SAAGN Website and other online platforms
• Primary responsibility of the candidate would be to lead the project team in creation of issue briefs, web articles, blogs and posts on behalf of the SAAGN secretariat
• Copy writing, editing and revising existing content based on effective keywords as agreed upon by the team
• Bringing out newsletters, video/ audio podcasts etc. for advocating on issues related to child rights in the South Asian region under supervision
• Should be acquainted with search engine optimized content development.
• Enable participation and learning of other team members throughout the region in terms of use of online tools and new media for reaching out to the general public

2. Coordinate the Advocacy Component of the project

• Work with the Research team at the Secretariat and associate implementing partners to ensure that strategic communications plan, and advocacy goals for the project are met.
• Disseminate e-newsletters, website content, video/audio podcasts and other relevant reports and advocacy material as per the agreed upon advocacy plan
• Assist in the development of learning and advocacy resources in different languages and ensure their dissemination and use in project areas.
• Assist in the development of the advocacy campaign for the project and ensure proper execution of the same

3. Coordinate the creation of Multimedia development
• Be the lead person in ensuring convergence of ideas, visioning of the multimedia aspect of the project
• Coordinate with design agencies to bring out excellent quality multimedia CD related to Child Rights
• Visualize a creative, interactive interface, make use of all possibilities such as use of animation tools, development of special characters, aesthetics and ethos of the SAAGN are integrated into the final product
• Any other task as directed by the supervisor

Person Specification
• Master’s degree in social sciences, mass communication or development field
• Prior experience of working both in print/ online media would be preferred.
• Prior handling of a similar multimedia product would be highly desirable
• Understanding of Child Rights and child protection issues would be highly desirable
• Experience in and/or understanding of search engines and search engine optimization
• Should have an excellent command over English language, which would include grammar and punctuation
• Should have good creative writing skills, excellent editing and computer skills
• At least 3-5 years relevant programme and training experience desirable
• Analytic, planning, evaluation, communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work effectively in teams as well as independently.
• Good writing and verbal communication skills.
• Fluent in English and Hindi
• Willingness to make a commitment for the required duration of the project

Core Competencies:
• Project Management skills
• Training and facilitation skills
• Ability to perform multiple tasks and deliver consistently on deadlines

Opening Date for Applications:
Closing Date for Receipt of applications:

Job Email id: cr_pa@butterfliesindia.org
Apply by: 21 Feb 2012
---------------------------------------------
Administration and Accounts Officer (AAO, Delhi)
Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI)
Location: New Delhi, Delhi

ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTS OFFICER (AAO, Delhi)

REPORTS TO: Executive Director, and/or any other person as may be directed from time to time or at any other time by the Board.
LOCATION: New Delhi

SUPERVISES: A team of support staff.

Terms of Reference

The primary purpose of this position is to provide accounts and administration support to the organization for all its projects in operation with different donors.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
? To coordinate with the program team for efficient running of various projects in operation.
? To handle day to day general correspondence and ensure maintenance of files and records as per stipulations of the organization
? Maintain and prepare accounts according to various project grants/ agreement and periodical consolidation of accounts and Preparation of reports to back donors
? Enable Annual audit with help of statutory auditors and also conduct project audit for preparation of Utilization Certificate.
? Submission of financial returns to various statutory bodies viz., Income Tax, FCRA (FC3) return,
? Ensure necessary documentation related to procurement like call for quotations and tenders for various products and items as required for programs, carryout comparative analysis for procurements;
? Review budget and program expenditure on monthly basis in coordination with the project team and the Executive Director.
? Maintain efficient filing system for the administrative and accounting records
? Supervise the day-to-day maintenance of the office for smooth functioning management of inventory records and undertake periodic physical inventory of assets.
? To arrange meetings, workshops, and seminars
? Any other accounts and administration related jobs as requested.

Travel
This position is mainly a desk job, however, some travel within Delhi and some occasional travel outside Delhi may be required.

Other
Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Director

? The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work for this position.
? The job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this position.

Qualifications
An accounts graduate with minimum 5-7years of Experience in like profile/assignment with supervisory skills is required. Candidates with less experience may not apply.

How to apply?
Please submit your recent curriculum vitae via e-mail (only) in confidence to : applicationsinviteardsi@gmail.com

The application must contain information about current salary drawn and expected. The applications should be in MS Word, and should have subject “AAO Delhi chapter”. Applications without the salary information and subject would be disqualified from screening.

The closing date for receiving applications is February 29, 2012.

Only short-listed candidates will receive an acknowledgment and will be called for personal interactions, to be held in New Delhi during the First week of March 2012. Successful candidate will be required to join immediately. This is a Delhi based position, and the selected candidate will be hired on a contractual basis, subject to availability of specific donor funds, renewable based on performance and project duration. The salary will be commensurate with merit and seniority.

Job Email id: applicationsinviteardsi@gmail.com
Apply by: 29 Feb 2012
-------------------------------------------
Multiple Positions-Anganwadi Training Centre
Manav Sansadhan Sankriti Vikas Parisad(MSSVP)
Location: Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh

Manav Sansadan Sanskriti Vikas Parisad (MSSVP) is a non-for profit organizationIt takes up various need based and context specific activities for the economic, social, cultural and environmental development.

1.Instructor-Child Development
Qualification:- Masters degree in home science/child development/psycology.

2.Instructor-Nutrition
Qualification:-Masters degree in home science/nutrition.

3.Instructor-social work
Qualification:-Masters degree in extension education/community resource management/socail work/socialogy.

Compensation:-Negotiable.

Intrested candidates can send their recent CV through email to mssvp.org@gmail.com before 12 feb 2012.Only shortlisted candidates are contacted for further interaction.

Job Email id: mssvo.org@gmail.com
Apply by: 12 Feb 2012
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Teacher for English
The Association of People with Disability
Location: Bijapura, Davanegere, Chikkaballapura, Karnataka

Designation: Teacher for English
Skills:

Essential:
•2yrs experience in teaching.
•Understanding educational needs of children with disabilities.
•Ability to plan and preparation of lessons.

Desirable:
•Multy category teachers training.
•PG/Diploma in community based rehabilitation.
•Skills in co-curriculum and extra curriculum activities.

Language: Fluent in English and Kannada (verbal & Written)

Other Details:

Qualification: B.Ed or D.Ed in English medium

Location: District of Bijapura, Davanegere, Chikkaballapura –Karnataka

Salary: Rs.6000 to 8000\-(Negotiable) & Provident Fund, Gratuity, Medical

Job Email id: apd.hrd@gmail.com
Apply by: 20 Feb 2012
----------------------------------------
Assistant Project Officer
Samajik Suvidha Sangam
Location: Delhi, Delhi

Samajik Suvidha Sangam (SSS) a State level body of Govenment of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860. Mission Convergence, a flagship programme of the Delhi Government is being implemented by the society that seeks to strike the right balance between various government departments, Community Based Organizations and the people by ringing in major reforms in governance for empowerment and upliftment of the vulnerable population of Delhi.

Mission Convergence, SSS invites applications from professionals for the position of "Assistant Project Officer (Women’s Collective Project)" on contractual basis.

No. of post - 1
Nature of engagement: Contractual.

Salary: up to Rs. 25,000/- consolidated per month.

Eligibility:
Only female candidates, preferably in the age group of 25 to 40 year.
Educational Qualification: Masters in Social Work or Sociology
Experience: Minimum 2 years of relevant field experience.
Required skills:
• Command over English and Hindi Language.
• Working knowledge of Computer (Microsoft Office and Internet)

Roles & Responsibilities:
• Mentoring, monitoring, and reporting of community based programs implemented by Samajik Suvidha Sangam / Mission Convergence.
• Regular field visits for mentoring, monitoring and reporting
• Ensuring regular meeting and trainings,
• Coordination and compilation of reports
• Coordination within Mission Convergence
• Relationship management with partners
• MIS – Process documentation of best practices
• Organizing and conducting trainings
• Any other task assigned by the management.

How to apply:

* Application should be submitted in hard copy, with the name of Post written on top of the envelope, not later than dt.24-02-2012 at:

Samajik Suvidha Sangam
Mission Convergence
Govt. of NCT of Delhi
B-Block, 1st Floor, Vikas Bhawan-2, Civil Lines,
Delhi - 110054

*For more details please visit: www.missionconvergence.org
Apply by: 24 Feb 2012
-----------------------------------------
Program Assistant
Sa-Dhan
Location: Qutub Institutional Area, Delhi
This full time position is based in New Delhi with frequent travel throughout India, whenever required. The candidate, on induction would be part of Standards (Research & Analysis) team of Sa-Dhan which is responsible for benchmarking and standards setting handling qualitative and quantitative data from microfinance institutions, self help groups etc, analysis, report generation, spread sheet and database management etc.

Job Email id: hrc@sa-dhan.org
Apply by: 15 Feb 2012
------------------------------------------
Documentation expert and Accountant
Social Intiative through Development and Humanitarian Action (SIDHA)
Location: Chutupalu in Ramgarh District, Jharkhand

SIDHA is working in the state of Jharkhand for the last 5 years. With its office at Bankheta, we are currently involved in implementing projects from Agriculture department and also working as a resource support organisation.

To strengthen our resource support and administration team, we are currently looking for a documentation expert for writing detailed project reports and other assignments undertaken by SIDHA.

For maintaing and managing accounts/finances we are looking for a commerce graduate having experience in NGO accounting.

You can send your appalication on the mentioned email latest by 18th February 2012.

Job Email id: sanjula_hemant@rediffmail.com
Apply by: 18 Feb 2012
------------------------------------------
Project Coordinator
Dr. Shambhunath Singh Research Foundation
Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Dr. Shambhunath Singh Research Foundation has been working for the Child Rights and Child Protection issues in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh for last 20 years. Expending our work to the most deprived and excluded Choudhry (engaged in cremation work at Varanasi Ghat) and Mallah community (specifically the most underprivileged boat sellers, residing at the Ganga Ghat) we have launched a project called Bhagirathi with the support of Plan India. In order to ensure social inclusion, child development and child participation of the said community we are conducting several activities for/in the community.

Post- Project Coordinator
Last date with Walk in Interview:- 12/2/2012
Eligibility:- Computer familiar and writing skill in English
Walk in Interview at

C-14/160, B-2 Dr. Shambhunath Singh Marg, Sonia, Varanasi
Ph.-0542-2414161

Job Email id: sharifa54@gmail.com
Apply by: 12 Feb 2012
-----------------------------------------
Physiotherapist
CORD (Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development)
Location: Sidhbari, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh
(Community Based Rehabilitation for person with disabilities programme)

CORD (Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development) is an NGO working through its comprehensive integrated rural development programme in district Kangra, Himachal Pradesh since 1985. CORD is working nationally with its two centre in Odisha and two centres in Tamilnadu. CORD has reached out to 700 villages (650 villages in district Kangra alone!) in the country through its rural development programme. It has diverse programme components addressing multifaceted issues of people’s life through their active participation. CORD’s central idea is to organize and build Community Based Organizations (CBOs) of women, men, youth, adolescent, children and strengthen Up-gramsabhas and Gramsabhas for effective Panchayati Raj Institutions to enable self-reliance in the systems and processes of sustainable development in rural India. Community Based Rehabilitation for the persons with disabilities is also an integral programme of CORD. Please visit www.cord.org.in for more details of its various programme components.

CORD is looking for a functionary with the passion for community development work in Community Based Rehabilitation for person with disabilities (CBR) programme as Physiotherapist in an integrated way.

Essential Qualification:
A minimum of B.P.T. degree or above is requisite with 2 to 5 years hands on work experience in physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. Good communication skills in English and Hindi.

He/she should have good interpersonal skills, and should be an effective communicator, with fluency in English and Hindi. He/she should also have the ability to put together reports and interact independently at several forums. CORD’s work culture promises full freedom to create and contribute.

The designation and remuneration will solely depend on the candidate’s aptitude and ability.

The interested candidates should send their detailed application along with latest CV to:

Dr. Kshama Metre, National Director, CORD (Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development), Sidhbari, District Kangra, H.P. - 176 057.

E-mail: cordrecruit@gmail.com

For any clarification, please contact Mr. Narender Paul, Sr. Programme Manager at cell +91-98166-55592.

Preference would be given to candidates from Himachal Pradesh and from adjoining states.

Job Email id: cordrecruit@gmail.com
Apply by: 29 Feb 2012

Latest NGO's News Part-2 Dated on February 9th,2012

2012-02-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

US Senators say "disastrous" break in relations with Egypt is possible

After Egyptian officials abruptly canceled a meeting with US government officials, Senators responded with a statement warning of "financial" repercussions.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A group of US senators have warned that Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is threatening the decades of warm relations the two countries have enjoyed.

Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut authored the press release, which was posted on McCain's website.

More from GlobalPost: US Embassy in Cairo sheltering NGO workers

The statement read, "There are committed opponents of the United States and the US-Egypt relationship within the government in Cairo who are exacerbating tensions and inflaming public opinion in order to advance a narrow political agenda." It warned that the risks to the "long-standing" relationship "have rarely been greater," and called for the end to "the harassment and prosecution of the employees of US non-governmental organizations operating in Egypt." The statement noted that Congress-approved support "including financial assistance" was jeopardized by recent moves.

The BBC reported that the statement was released after a group of visiting Egyptian generals abruptly canceled a meeting with the senators as a war of words over the trial of American NGO workers escalated.

More from GlobalPost: Egypt: Trial takes NGO worker by surprise

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont told Reuters, "I'm not going to ... say, keep on funding this, funding money that reflects the assumption that they are committed to democracy, if they are not."

"“It is kind of hard to have a normal relationship with the country when we’ve got so many Americans tied up in our embassy,” Sen. Carl Levin told Bloomberg.

Jay Carney, White House spokesman, told Reuters, "Many of these groups have worked in Egypt for several years, and so their activities are not new. Moreover, they also served as observers for the recent parliamentary elections at the request of the government of Egypt."
--------------------------------------------------
NGOs talk of collapse as their funding dries up

Government rejects allegations of biased grants.

CAPE TOWN - Welfare organisations who haven’t received lottery funding this year have spoken about their plight, saying they may be forced to close down or drastically cut their services to the poor.

“We’re in a desperate situation. The people we support with food parcels twice a month were crying when we told them we would probably not be able to help them anymore. They have nowhere else to go for help,” the chairperson of the Port Alfred Benevolent Society, Joy Altson, told Moneyweb.

After years of support from the National Lotteries Board, Alston was informed that her application had been turned down because of “insufficient funds” and a decision “to fund only first-time applicants”.

She says this came as a shock.

“I put in a huge appeal. I said: ‘If you have to give me less, then you have to do it. But don’t cut me out completely. I can’t turn around to 1 500 people and say: ‘I can’t give you anything.’”

But the NLB hasn’t responded. “If we don’t get money from the lottery, we’re going to have to close down.”

The society’s community gardens and skills programmes are also at stake.

Alston’s story is one of many that have emerged this week, a week in which there’s been a flurry of criticism about the way in which the lottery money is distributed.

On Friday morning, about 400 protestors, mostly from NGOs, marched on the offices of the National Lottery Fund in Pretoria.

“It’s time we made our voices heard,” said NGO trainer, Sandra Miller, who convened the protest. She said non-profits have been wary of protesting in the past as they don’t want to jeopardise their applications to the NLB.

Civic leaders, NGOs and the Democratic Alliance have all spoken out about the lottery funds this week, with the DA’s spokesperson on Trade and Industry Jacques Smalle alleging that it had seen “a growing trend of NGOs being overlooked in favour of ANC-affiliated organizations.

“As a result, poor people suffer while party elites benefit”, the DA has charged.

But the Department of Trade and Industry’s spokesperson, Sidwell Medupe, says the process of adjudication is performed by independent distributing agencies “with no room for any political organisation to influence.

“These committees act without fear or prejudice in the interest of all South Africans”, he told Moneyweb.

Alarm bells were sounded just over a year ago when R40m in lottery funds was given to the ANC-affiliated National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

More recently, Shelagh Gastrow, the founder of Inyathelo, the South African Institute of Advancement, which assists NGOs, raised what she alleges was “an extremely dubious payment” to Makhaya, an organisation based in Serbia that says on its website that it promotes the arts and tourism to South Africa.

“It’s a for-profit company masquerading as a non-profit. When we looked it up, we discovered they supply services to the South African diplomatic corps and run events for them. Many staff members live in Serbia, yet they walk off with R50m from lottery funds,” she told Moneyweb.

The DA claims that the NGO employs the daughter of the National Lotteries Board chairperson, Alfred Nevhutanda.

Administrative glitches can also lead to funding cuts.

CEO of Sparrow Ministries, Rose Letwaba, says it appears an administrative error put an end to its funding for this year.

“The NLB’s excuse was that we sent our application with the number on the envelope instead of on the document. We had applied for R29m. But we got nothing. We’re just waiting for the end of the financial year. But we’ve already called in the staff to say we’ll have to retrench people.”

For the past few years, the NLB was the key funder for the Sparrow Ministries hospice and children’s home looking after 225 children and 80 adults.

NGOs applying for funding have to fax their documents to the NLB. If small administrative mistakes are made or papers lost, claims are often rejected – and there’s no appeals process. They say it’s devastating when they rely so much on lotto funding.

“We’re just hoping that someone at Lotto will see things from a grassroots level. We don’t do our work for the money. We do it for humanity,” says Letwaba.

Miller says haphazard and ‘biased’ dispensing tactics have come at a particularly bad time for welfare agencies and NGOs.

“It couldn’t come at a worse time when corporate South Africa is broke. The recession has taken its toll.”

Gastrow believes the distribution system is “fatally flawed and unworkable”.

“There’s no process by which people can object to a decision. There’s no clarity about what the lottery is for. Even municipalities can apply for funding.

Gastrow believes the system needs to be urgently overhauled.

Amendments to the Lotteries Act are already on the Parliamentary programme of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.

But Gastrow says tinkering alone will fall far short of what’s needed.

Both Gastrow and the DA have called for board members on the NLB’s distribution agencies to serve full-time. Currently, they only serve 1.5 days a month. “This means grants don’t get processed and money goes unallocated,” says Smalle.

Medupe says he’s aware of the backlog. “The minister has impressed on the NLB that it must implement measures to improve turnaround times. These are being monitored closely.”

During a press conference in Pretoria on Friday, Nevhutanda, conceded that they needed to find new ways to deal with the backlogs.

“We take allegations made in the media seriously – claims of requests for bribes, losing information and irregular grants. Remedial action will be taken where needed,” he told journalists.

But, for now, his words hold cold comfort for people like Letwaba and Altson.
---------------------------------------------
Doctors say ‘Bravo’ to human rights

With the first anniversary of the initial unrest in Bahrain fast approaching, Pat Kelly spoke with some of the medics who were detained and tortured and reports on some crucial developments both on the ground and here in Dublin.

Dr Bassim Dhaif, who trained at the RCSI in Dublin, has become one of the focal points for the support offered by the Irish medical community to their colleagues in Bahrain. The recent Bahrain International Commission of Inquiry (BICI) investigation confirmed the torture and mistreatment of detainees and a copy of Dr Dhaif’s original testimony to the BICI outlines the nature of the treatment he says was meted out to some of the doctors who became caught up in the conflict.

As the February 14 anniversary of the first protests in Bahrain approaches, the tension on the ground has become palpable as the security forces prepare for mass demonstrations to mark the date. Also, in a highly significant event, the five Irish-trained doctors who were detained appeared in a Bahraini court on Monday, February 1.

As previously reported, these doctors — Dr Bassim Dhaif, Dr Ghassan Dhaif, Dr Ali Al Ekri, Dr Ahmed Al Omran, and Dr Zahra Al Sammak — were sentenced by a military court to terms of imprisonment of up to 15 years. While they fully expected these sentences to be annulled by the civilian court, the opposite happened, as the court ruled that the original proceedings were fully constitutional, effective legitimising the original sentences handed down.

Cases adjourned
Their cases had been adjourned until March, but the doctors received unexpected telephone calls ordering them to appear on February 1. Having heard the cases from lawyers on both sides, the judge once again adjourned the hearing until February 27, at which point the Bahraini government will bring in forensic specialists from the University of Bahrain and the Ministry of Health, as well as witnesses for the prosecution.

The dozens of medics who have been charged have been divided into two groups: those who have been accused of felonies, and those who have been accused of misdemeanours. Despite the arrests of these medics, reports indicate that a military presence remains in and around Salmaniya Hospital.

To add to the tension, news broke at time of writing that approximately 250 prisoners had begun a widespread national hunger strike in support of 14 human rights leaders who initiated their own hunger strikes in protest at human rights violations.

In an effort to raise awareness and to engender support for the doctors and civilians caught up in the crackdown, a new organisation has now been set up. The Bahrain Rehabilitation Anti-Violence Organisation (BRAVO) was established from Dublin amid fears that a non-governmental foundation in Bahrain might be deemed an illegal organisation and be stamped out before it had the chance to develop.

Dr Nabeel Tammam: 'We believe the government of Bahrain has breached the principle of medical neutrality'

Tara O’Grady is a Human Rights and Social Media Activist and one of the founding members of BRAVO. She has been following the plight of the medics in Bahrain and told IMT that new arrests had been made recently. “An independent doctor was spirited into the country because autopsies are generally performed by pro-regime doctors,” she said.

“She performed an autopsy on a body that was found on a beach and [she] was spirited out of the country again the next day, with 11 samples from the body. The borders have been effectively shut down to human rights workers and forensic specialists from outside.”

Tara O'Grady, one of the BRAVO founders

According to O’Grady, many of the hospital doctors in Bahrain have been told not to take leave of absence in February and March, as she says there is a major security crackdown expected. She also referred to what she described as “mercenaries” from India and Pakistan who are applying to join the Bahraini security forces.

“The regime is now experienced in dealing with unrest,” said O’Grady, “We only know of one journalist who is there now on a three-day visa and she is in hiding. So despite the BICI report, it’s not ‘business as usual’ — it’s worse than business as usual.”

Dr Nabil Tammam was Chief ENT Surgeon with the Bahrain Ministry of Health and is one of those who falls into the ‘misdemeanour’ category in terms of charges. He has now been suspended from practice and, as he is currently undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he was released from a Bahraini prison after three days — a release which he claims was subject to a payment of 3,000 Bahraini dinars, or the equivalent of approximately US$10,000. While he says the payment and his ill health secured his release, he is still prevented from leaving the country.

Dr Tammam was one of the doctors who met with the delegation led by Prof Damian McCormack and Prof Eoin O’Brien that visited Bahrain to investigate first-hand the plight of the detainees.

“We believe that we have done our duty by treating injured protestors and we believe the government of Bahrain has breached the principle of medical neutrality, ratified by the Geneva Convention,” Dr Tammam told IMT.

“We are disappointed by the lack of support from the governments of the US and the UK, but in terms of international NGOs, including human rights defenders in Dublin, they have been very supportive throughout, especially the Irish delegates. I couldn’t believe it when Prof McCormack and his delegation left all their commitments and came over here to try to help us.”

He explained that a representative of the BICI had arrived back in Bahrain the day before he spoke to IMT: “I don’t know why he is back. I’m sure he will meet the King and today, he has met the committee formed by the government to study the recommendations of the BICI and he will meet political representatives of the opposition parties on Friday. People like myself in NGOs, academics, teachers and so on are trying hard to arrange an appointment to see him and ask him why the Bahrain government is not implementing [the] BICI’s clear-cut recommendations,” said Dr Tammam.

Dr Nada Dhaif, a doctor who was among those detained during the crackdown, has taken on the role of Chairperson of BRAVO in Bahrain. Speaking to IMT, the oral and dental surgeon — the first female doctor to be arrested following the involvement of Saudi troops — outlined her own traumatic experiences: “My house was raided while my children and I were asleep at about 3am. There were 20-plus people in civilian clothes with masks; I thought at first I was being kidnapped. I was back-handcuffed immediately and blindfolded and after I was put into a car, they started threatening me immediately. No matter how many questions I asked them about who they were and where they were taking me, all I received in reply were threats.”

Dr Nada Dhaif with her daughters

Dr Dhaif was then taken to a room where, by her estimation, there were approximately 14 men and one woman. “I was beaten, cursed, spat at, kicked and electrocuted in that first session. Then I was kept in solitary confinement for about 22 days… the mental and psychological pain I suffered during that time was unbearable, as well as the physical torture. They would just walk into my cell, tell me to face the wall and beat me while they cursed me, my family and my religion. For about 10 days my husband didn’t even know where I was.”

She explained that despite one of her brothers being an army captain and the other a judge, they could not initially ascertain here whereabouts. As for her initial charge, despite the fact that Dr Dhaif had her own private practice and had never worked in Salmaniya Hospital, she was arrested on the basis of an accusation that she occupied the facility. “I think the reason for this is that I helped in the medical tent at Pearl Roundabout. That is not against the law, so I was just charged with occupying the hospital.”

Dr Dhaif went on to speak about the idea behind BRAVO. “After that horrible experience, the trauma of it made me realise that we don’t have a specialist organisation or even a PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] doctor in Bahrain,” she told IMT. “Then I began thinking about the numbers of people who would come out of jail with similar experiences. So to relieve my own pain and redirect my pain and energy from this terrible experience and to help people, the idea of BRAVO came about. The Irish doctors were amazing — they were really the first group who reacted to our ordeals and when I thought of the idea of BRAVO, Prof McCormack and his colleagues were there and they supported us.”

She concluded that beyond physical and psychological support, BRAVO will aim to provide avenues to justice for torture victims. “That’s the role of the legal team,” she said. “They will report and document cases, and together we will help people to rebuild their lives, their reputations, their honour and their dignity. That’s what BRAVO is all about.”

Martial law
Dr Bassim Dhaif explained that the predicament himself and his fellow doctors awaiting trial now face has become exponentially more serious, because the hearing of February 1 convinced him that the government was serious about pursuing him and his colleagues with full vigour. “There was a session of the Constitutional Court to decide whether martial law applied back in March. The court decided that the application of martial law at that time was constitutional and therefore the military trial was deemed constitutional, so the trials must continue. Now they say they are going to introduce witnesses and we have no idea who these people are and when they are going to appear.”

He pointed out that the BICI report confirmed that all of the medics on trial had been subjected to physical and psychological torture and that, despite thorough physical investigation by the independent BICI medics, the court has ordered that the medics on trial must now be examined once again by government representatives. “Over a period of months, our lawyers have made numerous requests to the court — for example, to bring those BICI reports to the court — and not one single request has been granted so far. The whole world knows that the Bahraini government has been put in a difficult position with these trials and they can’t back down now and say, ‘oh, we were wrong’. So in my opinion, they are trying to get a political solution to this while at the same time showing the world that they are serious about prosecuting us.”

Dr Bassim Dhaif: 'I have to treat people who are injured and if I was put in the same situation again, I would do exactly the same thing'

Dr Dhaif claimed that aside from the detention of doctors, thousands of civilians had been detained because of security operations and he feared for their safety also: “The situation on the ground here is extremely volatile and it’s like a nightmare,” he concluded.

While he is thankful to be now released, he and his colleagues feel tremendous uncertainty in terms of their freedom, their future and their very lives.

“But as a senior surgeon, I have to treat people who are injured and if I was put in the same situation again, I would do exactly the same thing.”
------------------------------------------------
2002 riots: Major relief to Modi

Ahmedabad, Feb 1 (IBNS): In a major relief to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government and Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea filed by an NGO to make chief minister Narendra Modi depose before the Nanavati Commission probing the 2002 riots.

The petitioner, an NGO called Jan Sangharsh Manch, had wanted Modi to appear before the commission in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots victims.

The court said it is the discretion of the Commission to summon Modi or not.

It said that that it is not necessary to summon or even cross examine Modi in connection with the case.

The decision on the petition filed by the NGO was passed a division bench of the Gujarat High Court comprising of Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice Sonia Gokani on Wednesday.

The lawyer of the petitioning NGO, which represents the riot victims, said they would move the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the victims of the riot and NGOs had approached the Gujarat High Court to seek Modi’s deposition before the riots inquiry commission.

It approached the High Court after the Gujarat government appointed Nanavati Mehta Commission had rejected an application by Jan Sangharsh Manch that tried to seeking Modi's deposition and cross examination before the commission.

Reacting to the decision, BJP leader Devang Nanavati said: “It is a satisfying moment for BJP, Gujarat government and Modi.”

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman said: “It is clear on this account that the Chief Minister has been individually targeted.”

In September last year Modi had got a big relief when the Supreme Court directed a trial court to decide if Narendra Modi can be probed in the riots cases of 2002.

The Supreme Court asked the trial court to examine the report of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) on the riots, after hearing a complaint by Zakia Jafri, wife of former Congress lawmaker Ehsaan Jafri who was killed during the post-Godhra riots.

Jafri was killed by the rioters who had attacked the Gulbarg Society in Feb 2002.

According to the complaint by Zakia Jafri, Modi and 62 others were behind plotting the riots.

The infamous Gujarat riots of 2002 left hundreds of Muslims dead, injured and tortured and came as a blot in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule in the state.

The riots followed an incident of train burning in Godhra in which Hindus returning from Ayodhya were killed by a Muslim mob.

Around 1,000 supporters of prime accused Maulvi Umarjihad attacked the coach at the Godhra station and torched it killing 59 people and injuring many.
--------------------------------------------
Mosaic News - 02/06/12: World News from the Middle East [VIDEO]

Obama calls for diplomatic solution with Iran

Al-Alam, Iran
Presenter, Female # 1
American President Barack Obama warned of great risks if there's a military attack on Iran. He expressed his wish for a diplomatic solution to the crisis related to the Iranian nuclear program. In Iran, the deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, warned that his country's forces will attack any country from which the flames of war on Iran are launched.

Reporter, Female # 2
The message might have reached Washington and its allies that the Persian Gulf region is no longer open for them to come and go as they please to flex their muscles. And with the presence of Iran's growing force, it is no longer possible to disregard the country as it is ready for those tempted to attack it. And, it seems, it is for this reason that American President Barack Obama made statements ruling out that the Israeli occupation entity has decided to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Obama expressed his desire to solve the crisis around Iran's nuclear program through diplomatic means.

Guest, Male # 1 (Barack Obama, US president)
I don't think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do. I think they, like us, believe that Iran has to stand down on its nuclear weapons program. But, again, our goal is to solve this diplomatically.

Reporter, Female # 2
In an interview with the American channel NBC, Obama warned of the great risks that must be considered before militarily attacking Iran. He said he does not want more conflict in the oil-rich region; he considered any additional military activity to be problematic for the US. As for Tel Aviv, it is aware that it is weaker than a spider's web, lacking the most basic strategic military defense elements, as made clear in its latest wars on Gaza and Lebanon. So it has backpedaled on suggestions by some of its officials that the decision has been made to attack Iran. Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense chairman Shaul Mofaz described public statements by Israeli officials on the possibility of attacking Iran as "irresponsible." He confirmed the need to make objective decisions. This comes as Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is on a trip to Washington to meet with his counterpart Hillary Clinton and members of the US Congress to discuss their stance on Iran. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned against Israeli officials threatening to beat the drums of war in the confrontation with Iran. He said launching an attack on the country will be a catastrophe. This comes as deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, threatened that any piece of land used by the enemy to launch an operation against Iran will be the target of a revenge attack by the Iranian armed forces. On the sidelines of the ground maneuvers in southern Iran, Salami confirmed that any site from which the flames of war and aggression on the Islamic Republic are initiated will be subjected to a response by the Iranian forces. This warning leaves no room to doubt that war will not be limited to one area if Iran is attacked. And this explains the clear hesitation around the decision to launch war.
New IAF chief says Iran is top concern

IBA, Israel
Incoming Air Force Chief Amir Eshel said the Iranian drive to achieve nuclear capability, while at the same time attempting to undermine sovereign countries around the world must be stopped. He was speaking to foreign diplomats and journalists at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs before the announcement of his new appointment. Major General Eshel will be charged with the responsibility of carrying out an attack on the Islamic Republic if the order is given.

Are Israel and the US on the same page with Iran issue?
IBA, Israel
Joining us in the studio to discuss recent statements coming from Washington is Calev Ben David, senior Israel correspondent from Bloomberg News. President Obama said Israel had not yet decided what to do about Iran. He stressed that Washington and Jerusalem are on the same page. Just a few days ago though Obama's defense chief said he thought Israel might attach Iran in the spring. Are they on the same page? David: Maybe about a strike, I mean I think there is a little too much talk about whether or not a strike is imminent. I don't think at this time that it is. But I think on the question of sanctions, the timing of sanctions, I think they are not on the same page.
Palestinian rivals agree to form Abbas-led unity government

Al Jazeera, Qatar
Presenter, Male #1
In the Qatari capital, the Doha declaration was signed following talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the head of the Hamas political bureau, Khaled Meshal, under the auspices of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. The announcement stipulates that the PA's president, Mahmoud Abbas, will lead an interim unity government that will oversee the elections.

Presenter, Male #1
In the first Israeli reaction to the Doha announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is choosing to abandon the path of peace by signing an agreement with Hamas. During a Likud ministers' meeting, Netanyahu said that Abbas must choose between reconciliation with Hamas and the path of peace with Israel. Palestinian factions welcomed the signing of the Doha agreement, stressing the importance of forming an interim government that is capable of preparing for presidential, legislative and national council elections. However, some factions expressed reservations, most notably the ability of the Fatah and Hamas movements to implement the agreement. The Palestinian public has cautiously welcomed the deal.

Reporter, Female #1
It's the good news Palestinians have been waiting for since the signing of the Cairo reconciliation deal nine months ago. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was nominated to head a new government, following an extensive debate over Salam Fayyad's candidacy to head the new interim government. The Palestinian street has cautiously welcomed the deal, amid varying opinions over the elections.

Guest, Male #2
It's not important who will lead the newly-formed government. What's important is to end the division in Palestine.

Guest, Male #3
No steps to prepare for the elections are being taken on the ground. We, the Palestinian people, demand a democratic solution, as it's the best option in dealing with our cause.

Reporter, Female #1
Amid caution, Palestinian factions that didn't sign the agreement said they welcome any step toward the path to reconciliation.

Guest, Male #6 (Qais Abu Layla, Political Office of the Democratic Front Member)
What's important is to form this interim government and to hold elections within 90 days of its formation, as mandated by law.

Reporter, Female #1
However, some factions expressed reservations, amid fears over the failure to implement the latest agreement.

Guest, Male #6 (Jamil Majalawi, Political Office of the Popular Front Member)
I have two concerns. First, I'm warning against turning this deal into yet another paper with no serious intention to implement it. Second, I was hoping that this announcement would be issued from Cairo.

Guest, Male #7
Although we were not part of this government, and not part of this division, we are keen to preserve Palestinian interests and the restructuring of our internal front. What's important is to end the crisis.

Reporter, Female #1
The Palestinian people hope the deal will help resolve more outstanding issues, similar to the breakthrough witnessed in the detainees' file, in which dozens of political prisoners were freed. They also hope that the newly-formed committees will be able to solve social reconciliation issues, as well as passport and freedom of travel issues. A new obstacle was removed from the path to reconciliation, an indication that some of the biggest challenges, which lasted for months and even years, could be resolved by displaying a real political will and by continuing to move forward on the path to unity. Shireen Abu Akela, al-Jazeera, occupied Ramallah.
Another Bahraini killed by toxic tear gas fired into his house
Press TV, Iran
Now in Bahrain, another person has died from inhaling tear gas fired at him and his family by Saudi-backed forces. Ali Abdullah was killed when regime forces fired tear gas into his house several days ago. Meanwhile, clashes between regime forces and protestors continue for another day outside the capital Manama. Activists say clashes with Saudi-backed forces are an order of the day. They say the clashes erupt after police officers attack peaceful protestors.

Yemenis demand prosecution of Saleh
Press TV, Iran
People in Yemen have taken to the streets across the country including the capital Sanaa calling for the prosecution of embattled ruler Ali Abudllah Saleh. Yemenis blame Saleh and his aides for the killing of nearly 2,000 protestors since their revolution began last year. The protestors also demand that the international community help them get rid of Saleh, who is on a trip to the US for what is being labeled as a medical visit. Saleh left Sanaa as soon as parliament passed a bill granting him full immunity from prosecution. The Yemeni people have slammed the law, calling it illegal.
Rights groups urge Israel to end demolition of Palestinian property

Press TV, Iran
Israeli forces have arrested four Israeli activists trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian property in East Jerusalem, al Quds. A bulldozer hired by the Israeli municipality cleared the land for a new national park. Some Israeli NGOs say the park's construction is politically motivated. They accuse Tel Aviv of trying to block the development of impoverished and overcrowded Palestinian neighborhoods. Rights groups and international organizations including the UN have called on Israel to end such demolitions.
Sporadic clashes resume around Egypt interior ministry

Dubai TV, UAE
Presenter, Male #1
In Egypt, efforts to appease the public have failed. Clashes were renewed last night between the revolutionaries and security forces near the Interior Ministry in Cairo. The police fired tear gas at the protestors, who responded by throwing stones at the ministry's building. In turn, hundreds of riot policemen shut down the roads leading to the site. Angry youths threw stones and Molotov cocktails in a number of streets leading to the area. Also in Egypt, an order was issued to transfer former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to Tora Prison and the figureheads of his regime to five other prisons. Sources in Egypt's Interior Ministry revealed that the interior minister ordered the prison hospital of Tora to anticipate the arrival of Mubarak, who has been detained in the International Medical Center. However, Interior Minister Deputy for Prison Sector Major-General Mohamed Naguib indicated the process of preparing the prison may take more than two months. In addition, the minister issued a decision to transfer 41 figureheads of the former regime to five central prisons. Today, 40 Egyptians and foreigners were brought to the Cairo Criminal Court on charges of providing illegal foreign funds to non-governmental organizations in the name of spreading democracy. The nationalities of those placed on trial were not immediately revealed. They were barred from traveling due to their involvement in the case. It is expected for the details of the defendants on trial to be revealed today, including their names, allegations against them, and details of their illegal funds, according to the investigating judge.
US closes embassy in Syria amid reports of intensified military assault on Homs

BBC Arabic, UK
Presenter, Female #1
The US embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus informed other diplomatic delegations that it closed down its doors and suspended its mission. The American ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, left the country, announcing the suspension of all the embassy's operations. The US embassy requested the Syrian authorities shut down the street on which the embassy is located, between the squares of Malki and Rawda, out of security concerns. Damascus rejected the request, prompting the US administration to threaten to shut down its embassy, which was finally done today. This comes as US President Barack Obama vowed to implement sanctions and intensify the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's government to step down. However, he said it is possible to resolve the Syrian crisis without foreign military intervention. The US president expressed his belief that it is imperative to try to find a solution without resorting to foreign military intervention. He added that it is possible to do so. Obama made these statements in an interview aired today by the American NBC network. The Syrian Revolution's General Commission said the death toll in Syria rose to 67 people, including women and children; most were killed in Homs. Regime forces shelled a number of neighborhoods in Homs with artilleries and rockets, including Bab Amr, al-Inshaat and al-Khalidiya. For its part, Syria's state-run TV said what it referred to as terrorist groups bombed a gas pipeline that passes through the Talbisa region near Homs.

Reporter, Male #1
Activists say the neighborhoods of Homs, including Bab Amr, al-Khalidiya, al-Inshaat, Bab al-Sibaa and Bab Dreeb, are enduring the most violent shelling they have witnessed since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime began 11 months ago. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, dozens were killed in the city this morning and many more were wounded, some are in critical condition. Activists say artillery and rocket shelling struck the field hospital and aimed to kill the largest number of people.

Guest, Male #2 (Omar Idlibi, Local Coordination Committees Spokesman)
They used rocket launchers and mortar shells; snipers are heavily stationed in most of the neighborhoods, targeting any moving object. The city has in fact turned into a ghost town. Neighborhoods such as Karm al-Zaytoun were shelled. The shelling was also concentrated in the neighborhoods of al-Bayada, al-Khalidiya, Deir Ba'albi, Bab Dreeb, as well as the town of Taldaw in al-Hawla city. Dozens of martyrs were killed in the city.

Reporter, Male #1
As far as the besieged city of al-Zabadani in the countryside of Damascus, it witnessed shelling that led to a number of deaths and massive damage to its buildings. Regime forces have been attempting to storm the city for several days. However, the fierce resistance by the defectors prevented them from entering the city.

Guest, Male #3 (Rami Abdul Rahman, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
For days, they have been trying to storm the city. Defected soldiers were fending them off, disrupting their attack and destroying their armored vehicles, inflicting many casualties on the Syrian regime's army, which hindered their attempt to storm the city. However, today they started storming the city from the eastern mountain. Until this moment, we don't know the extent of resistance they are facing.

Reporter, Male #1
Not far from al-Zabadani, specifically in the town of Darya, tanks violently stormed and shelled the town. Clashes between members of what is known as the Free Syrian Army and the regime's army can still be heard in these areas, which seems to be a main platform for battles aimed at taking control of the region near the capital. In this context, Brigadier-General Mustafa al-Sheikh, who defected from the regime's army, announced the formation of what he named the "Higher Revolutionary Military Council" to liberate Syria.

Guest, Male #4 (Colonel Malik Kurdi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief)
Brigadier-General Mustafa al-Sheikh has defected from the Syrian Arab Army, however, he has not declared he will join the Free Syrian Army. We do not share his vision in terms of the formation of the council. He did not consult us on the matter either.

Reporter, Male #1
This comes as Damascus asserts the storming of the city was carried out by infantrymen without the use of artilleries with the aim of cleansing the areas of what Damascus referred to as members of armed terrorist groups. Supporters of Damascus say these terrorists are directly responsible for the shelling.

Guest, Male #4 (Sharif Shahadah, Writer and Political Analyst in Damascus)
The Syrian people no longer want to remain silent about these armed groups that have violated all religions, sects, customs and traditions. Therefore, the Syrian government acted with its soldiers, but only with the infantrymen, not through shelling.

Reporter, Male #1
Meanwhile, Syria's state-run TV reported an explosion took place when those it referred to as terrorists were preparing explosive devices in a building in al-Khalidiya neighborhood of Homs, killing a number of them. Hayyan Aqoub, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France and Germany cannot accept the blocking of the international community's resolution on Syria after Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution at the Security Council that condemns the repression in Syria. Sarkozy said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he would make phone calls to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev this afternoon to inform him of his and Merkel's position. The German chancellor called on Moscow to carefully assess the consequences of its decisions.
Syrian defectors reveal information on Lebanese prisoners in Syria

Future TV, Lebanon
Presenter, Female #1
Some defectors from Syria's intelligence agencies revealed information they have on Lebanese detainees in Syria, including a Phalange official, Boutros Khawand. The information circulating in media networks drew the attention of the kidnapped man's family members, who can only hope for the best. Susan Dawouq reports.

Reporter, Female #2
News reports circulated information on Lebanese citizens kidnapped and detained in Syria. This information was revealed by defectors from Syria's intelligence, especially those who worked in its Palestinian branch, a security agency in charge of capturing "anti-regime" dissidents. The reports included the member of the Phalange party's political bureau Boutros Khawand, who was abducted near a checkpoint set up by the Syrian forces in Sin el-Fil. His wife, Janette Khawand revives their memories together through his pictures, hoping the Foreign Ministry will take action on the matter.

Guest, Female #3 (Janette Khawand, wife of Boutros Khawand Detained in Syria)
We have old information confirming that Boutros is there. New information emerged confirming that Boutros is indeed in a Syrian prison.

Reporter, Female #2
Is he being held at the Palestinian branch?

Guest, Female #3 (Janette Khawand, wife of Boutros Khawand detained in Syria)
He was moved to several branches. The last branch was Tudmar. I don't know where he is now. They might have moved him again.

Reporter, Female #2
You contacted President Gemayel, what was the answer from the Phalanges?

Guest, Female #3 (Janet Khawand, wife of Boutros Khawand detained in Syria)
They told us they are investigating the matter. The Foreign Ministry formed a committee that was sent to Libya to look for missing leader Musa al-Sadr. They also did their best to bring back the detained Lebanese in Israeli prisons. Some of them came back in body bags. They must form a Lebanese committee to look for the detainees held in Syrian jails.

Reporter, Female #2
Boutros' son Rabi'a Khawand says they are putting their hopes on changes in Syria because President Bashar al-Assad's regime has not provided them any information about his father.

Guest, Male #1 (Rabi'a Khawand, son of Boutros Khawand)
As far as the situation in Syria is concerned, I hope that it will be on the path of change, which makes us more hopeful. God willing, he will be fine and he will return safely.

Reporter, Female #2
Lebanese Tony Riyashi was kidnapped on August 31, 1985, on his way to the airport. His wife Rabi'ah shows this picture of him, in which their son Hadi was only one year old. Today, the son is 26 years old and the family is still hoping for the return of the man of the house.

Guest, Female #4 (Rabi'ah Riyashi, wife of detainee Tony Riyashi)
I was hoping they would have informed us before making an announcement on television about the case.

Reporter, Female #1
Did you contact any officials about the case?

Guest, Female #4
It's still unclear. In the past, when we would ask for information we would have to pay to receive it. The Lebanese state must take serious action.

Reporter, Female #2
This is not the first time information is revealed about Lebanese citizens kidnapped in Syria. However, inaccurate information, though considered good news, only generates confusion and concern.

** Contact Mosaic News: mosaicnews@linktv.org
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Kadyrov welcomes Austrian right-wingers
A delegation of representatives of a rightist Austrian party met with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, it has emerged.

Freedom Party (FPÖ) officials confirmed a report by Die Presse today (Weds). The right-wingers said they gathered with Chechen authorities in Grozny to discuss immigration and asylum issues. The members of the Austrian opposition faction explained goal of their journey to Chechnya was to find an agreement about how refugees could be convinced of returning from Austria to their home country.

FPÖ Vienna whip Johann Gudenus – who was part of the delegation which also included Johannes Hübner – told Die Presse that his team and representatives of the Kadyrov administration agreed that the vast majority of Chechen asylum seekers were economic migrants. "We were able to convince ourselves that Kadyrov would not persecute them," he claimed.

Die Presse reports that the FPÖ officials agreed with the Chechen government about creating a cultural platform to support people’s integration in Austria. The planned organisation should also help encouraging people to return to Chechnya, the FPÖ said.

The delegation’s trip came to a surprise to political observers due to widespread xenophobic tendencies among its supporters and the general anti-immigration course of its far-right circles. Gudenus has been accused by anti-fascism groups and experts on Austria’s neo-Nazi scene of using encoded terms when speaking about immigration and crime issues to ensure the full support of right-wing extremists.

International non-government organisations (NGOs) suspect Kadyrov of having masterminded the murder of political opponents in Chechnya and abroad. The Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution is reportedly aware of 300 agents operating for the autocratic president. The group’s leader was deported last year, according to Die Presse. The squadron of secret agents in Austria are allegedly trying to intimidate refugees and members of the Chechen opposition abroad. Gudenus said the issue was not debated in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. A spokesman for the Chechen president rubbished the accusations of Austrian authorities as "fairytales".

Chechens have been strongly represented among asylum seekers for years. Overall, 11,000 people applied for political asylum in the European Union (EU) member state in 2010. Most of them came from Chechnya, Afghanistan and Kosovo. There are no data on how many applicants were allowed to settle in Austria since procedures often take years. NGOs criticise that asylum seekers are banned entering the labour market during this period. Around 15,800 applications for asylum were recorded by the Austrian interior ministry in 2009. Fewer than 22 per cent of refugees appealing for permanent allowance to stay in the country were allowed to do so.

News that Austrian right-wingers met with Kadyrov comes around half a year after three Chechens were sentenced to jail for killing Umar Israilov, a former bodyguard of the country’s controversial leader. The assassination of Israilov took place in Vienna in 2009. Investigators found out that Israilov was shot dead after having applied for asylum in Austria. He informed the European Court of Human Rights about having witnessed Kadyrov – who can trust on the sustainability of his ties with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin – participating in torturing sessions.

Israilov also accused the president of Chechnya of having ordered executions. Prosecutors said the murder of Israilov was "politically motivated". Juridical authorities in Russia ignored Austrian investigators’ appeal for advice and assistance in arresting other alleged backers and organisers of the crime, including Kadyrov and a high-ranking Chechen army officer.
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This is partner report, says Bulgarian justice minister

We regard it as a partner report and we are well-meaning and believe the European Commission is well-meaning, too. Since this is a technical report, it does not contain political assessments and we have not expected any. There is no reason to look for political will in this report, said the minister.
According to her the report deals with what Bulgaria has accomplished and outlines the areas where hard work is ahead. This report comes before the July one, which is very important and will assess Bulgaria’s progress in the past five years. We have already started making preparations how to present Bulgaria’s achievements so that we could rely on EC’s impartial assessment, said Kovacheva.
According to her the Forfeiture of Criminal Assets Bill, which is yet to be adopted by the parliament and is one of the recommendations in the report, is balanced and effective.
Veselina YORDANOVA
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Two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Centre for the Development

The Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and Alliance for reproductive Health Right (ARHIR), two groups engaged in health advocacy and Accountability in four Dormaa communities have held a forum for their target communities at Dormaa-Ahenkro.

The target communities are; Duasidan, Yaakrom, Supong and Aboabo No. 3 from where the two NGOs have already selected and trained volunteers on pertinent health issues and the role expected of communities in maintaining good health within a healthy environment.

The forum in Dormaa-Ahenkro targeted school children, assembly members, parents, women groups, security agencies and the media and was particularly designed to drum home what the various communities should do to reduce the current level of maternal mortality which rose from 6 in 2010 to nine in 2011.

Highlights of the forum included the screening of a film dubbed; “The lights have gone out again”, which portrayed the realities being encountered by expectant mothers in selected health facilities across the country.

It also exposed vividly some basic difficulties plaguing the health facilities and staff and what some key personalities including physicians and hospital administrators wished could be done to rescue the situation.

Participants were expected to take the subject matter of the film to their communities to assist them fashion out programmes and collaborations aimed at securing zero maternal death in 2012.

This they were to do by harnessing all available human and material resource including people’s expertise, vehicles and community spirit to ensure that no woman dies while giving” birth to life”

CEDEP’s Health Coordinator, Aba Oppong, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Dormaa-Ahenkro, noted that it remained a baffle as to why pregnant women should die while giving birth.

She bemoaned the persisting traditional notion in parts of the country that a pregnant woman should be kept at home until such a time that her conditions have worsened.

The Health Coordinator stressed that such eleventh-hour decisions do not only endanger the pregnant mother’s life but also places the competence and reputation of health institutions and their staff in jeopardy as the deaths were usually pronounced by the health facilities and were therefore deemed to have occurred there.

She therefore called on all stakeholders including families, husbands, pregnant women, community members, health staff and drivers to close their ranks and treat all pregnant women with utmost care from time of pregnancy to childbirth.

This way, Ms. Oppong said, the pregnant woman would become the object of care to everybody in the community whose smooth delivery would constitute the joy of the entire community.
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Yudhoyono slams NGOs over Papua

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reprimanded on Friday nongovernmental organizations that have regularly criticized how the Indonesian Military (TNI) handles security in Papua, saying that they have implied that the law should not be enforced in the country’s two easternmost provinces.

“Papua is part of Indonesia. It doesn’t make sense that NGOs say things that imply that we can’t enforce the law in Papua,” he said at a TNI and National Police leaders meeting in Jakarta.

Yudhoyono said the military presence in Papua was not without justified.

“They are there because there is still an armed separatist movement, which we should be aware of,” he said, emphasizing that there was only a small military presence that did not conduct aggressive military operations.

The President stressed that the government was eager to improve welfare in Papua by implementing programs to accelerate Papua’s economic development.

“That is not just lip service — the average development expenditure per capita in Papua is the highest in the country,” Yudhoyono pointed out.

He added that he had conveyed the government’s policy on Papua to his counterparts across the globe as news regarding military activities in Papua had spread quickly to world leaders.

“Many have asked me about what happened in Papua. I should explain that the military presence in Papua is not without justification,” he said.

To respond to grievances from Papuans who deemed themselves unfairly treated by the central government, Yudhoyono set up in Sept. 20, last year, the government-sanctioned Presidential Unit for the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B).

Lt. Gen. Bambang Darmono, the commanding officer in Aceh from 2002 to 2005, was appointed the chief of the program.

Last week, the partnership for governance reform (Kemitraan) and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) released a survey from 2011 that found that torture was commonly carried out by members of the police to extract information from suspects.

More than 205 respondents including suspects, police personnel, prosecutors, correctional officers, human rights activists, academics and local tribal chiefs, testified that torture was committed by police officers against suspects during arrests, investigations, detention and in jail.

Earlier, Vice President Boediono brushed aside fears of “foreign intervention” in the event of donor development funds being more accessible in Papua.

“Don’t seek ghosts in broad daylight,” Boediono said on Wednesday.

“The most important thing is for us to filter, be selective. Let’s not close ourselves off [unnecessarily],” he remarked.

He stressed that there were many donors — bilateral and multilateral – with good intentions in Papua.

He dismissed undue fears that countries like Australia and the United States had ulterior motives, referring to treaties and statements made by the two countries stating their support for Indonesia’s territorial integrity.
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Elsevier Launches New Journal: Energy Strategy Reviews

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the launch of Energy Strategy Reviews, a new quarterly, peer-reviewed journal focusing on energy strategy, planning and decision making.

Energy Strategy Reviews stimulates the exchange of knowledge and best practice needed to optimize future energy choices. The journal highlights strategy implications of major energy system models and encourages discussion on what differentiates successful from the less successful energy mix strategies. It publishes analyses, case studies and report reviews, linking technical, scientific, and societal aspects of energy strategy. Energy Strategy Reviews aims to spark the interest of all those concerned with developing sustainable energy solutions, including experts working in government, research organizations, academia, international agencies, NGOs, companies, and consultancies.

"We must engineer our escape from the Malthusian doom scenario by finding new energy solutions," said Dr. Ruud Weijermars, Editor-in-Chief of Energy Strategy Reviews. "The challenge is to improve not only our energy system models, but also achieve alignment of leading decision-makers on optimum strategy choices for our future energy systems. Energy Strategy Reviews aims to capture and disseminate human ingenuity to develop sustainable energy supply solutions."

Henri van Dorssen, Executive Publisher at Elsevier added, "Energy Strategy Reviews will complement Elsevier's existing technical journals by offering authoritative, high-level strategy content and analyses from across the energy spectrum, including government, international agencies, and corporations. We are delighted that the first issue of the new journal will contain an article by Peter Voser, CEO of Shell."

First papers of the journal are freely available online; the print issue will be available in March, 2012.

For more information about the journal go to: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy-strategy-reviews/

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC
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Vasundhara film fest to focus on sustainable lifestyle for all

PUNE: 'Sustainable lifestyle for all' is the theme of the sixth edition of the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival, to be held from February 18 to 26 at Balgandharva Rangmandir and Ishanya Mall.

Apart from screening acclaimed films from 25 countries, the festival will also feature a photo exhibition, nature walks, workshops, green conferences, cultural programmes, quiz competitions, open forums and audio-video presentations, which are aimed at exploring and analysing topical issues related to environment, wildlife, energy, air and water.

Organised by Club Vasundhara, in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation's Indradhanyush, the festival travels to 25 cities in seven states. "The festival offers an opportunity to evolve together, on a common platform and work substantially towards preserving nature. This year, we have expanded the scale of the festival by 50%, wherein we have increased our network nationally and internationally, with various organisations and NGOs. The films screened at the festival depict serious environment-related issues unique to certain parts of the globe," said festival co-organiser, Virendra Chitrav, while addressing a news conference on Saturday.

With participation by NGOs and experts from across the country, the festival has special sections for children, youngsters, women, filmmakers and photographers. The event will also see four green conferences: 'Be Positive: Pune Green Conference' for collegians, Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad's 'Paryavaran Sahitya Sammelan,' Jalbiradari's 'Maharashtrachi Nadi Panchayat' and College of Engineering, Pune's 'E-waste seminar.'

Naresh Zurmure, additional commissioner, PMC, has provided a large amount of content-related inputs to the festival. "The green conferences are a very important part of this festival, and as a part of PMC's green policies, we will have officials from the PMC participating in these conferences," said Zurmure.

A delegation of farmers from seven states, who specialise in organic farming, will also make a presentation at the festival, Chitrav said.

Entry to the festival is free and distribution of passes will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Registration for passes will begin from February 5 at Pathfinder bookstore, near Neelayam talkies in Sadashiv Peth.
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NGOs seek tit-for-tat rules on visas

More than 20 civil society groups called on the government Wednesday to treat foreign nationals who wish to visit Lebanon the same way their countries treat Lebanese when they apply for visas, expressing frustration that Lebanese are treated as “inferior” by many countries.

The groups also called on the government to pressure states to treat Lebanese decently.

“We call on the Lebanese state to force states with which it maintains diplomatic ties to treat the Lebanese the same way Lebanon treats the nationals from these states,” activist Hayat Arslan told a news conference at her residence in Aley which was attended by representatives of nearly two dozen associations.

“We are treated as inferior when we seek a visa to most countries, whether for work, tourism or medical treatment, as if we are second class people,” she added.

Arslan called on the government to enforce certain rules governing how embassies treat Lebanese.

According to Arslan, Lebanon should force foreign embassies to set dates for appointments for Lebanese seeking visas within a “specified and plausible period of hours or days, rather than weeks or months.”

The civil society groups also requested that Lebanese applying for a visa be treated decently, be given explanations if their request for an appointment is rejected, be notified if any necessary documents for a visa application are missing and have fees returned to them by consulates or embassies if they are denied a visa.

Latest NGO's News Part-1 Dated on February 9th,2012

2012-02-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

NGO workers could face 5 years in prison, Egyptian judges say

CAIRO — Egypt’s prime minister said Wednesday that the government would not drop a criminal probe into U.S.-funded pro-democracy organizations, and officials said the Egyptians and Americans charged in the case could face up to five years in prison.

The remarks by the investigative judges handling the case — the most detailed characterization of the government’s case against the pro-democracy workers to date — did not suggest that authorities had uncovered nefarious or subversive activities.

Rather, the judges, who in Egypt’s judicial system serve as the American equivalent of prosecutors, accused the NGO workers of failing to pay taxes, entering the country on tourist visas and training political parties even though the Egyptian government had refused to accredit their employers.

“The case is very big and includes hundreds of people, organizations and entities,” Judge Sameh Abu Zaid said Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at the Justice Ministry. He warned that more NGOs could be raided in coming days as the probe expands.

The case has angered U.S. officials and prompted U.S. lawmakers to threaten to cut off financial aid to Egypt. Zaid’s comments and Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri’s remarks at a separate press conference appeared to suggest that despite an outcry in Washington and among civil society activists in Egypt, the military-led government in Cairo does not intend to water down or dismiss the case soon.

“The West turned against us because Egypt exercised its rights,” Ganzouri said, defending the investigation.

In outlining the evidence gathered to date, the judges mentioned several puzzling items, including “cash” and maps it said investigators had found in the Cairo office of the International Republican Institute (IRI) that bore scribbled notes in English.

Zaid said the groups were found to be “training political parties on the electoral process,” a description consistent with what nongovernmental organizations have said they’ve been doing for months.

Egyptian authorities charged 43 people in the probe, including 19 they identified as U.S. citizens. However, the State Department said Tuesday that it believes only 16 of the defendants are American. Fewer than half of those are believed to be in Egypt, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

The defendants include the Egypt directors of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and IRI. The latter, Sam LaHood, is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Another defendant, Nancy Okail, an Egyptian citizen and the Egypt director of Washington-based Freedom House said Thursday that she has not received formal charging documents and does not know whether Egyptian authorities intend to physically detain those under investigation.

“It is very tense and very volatile,” she said in a phone interview, adding that she is eager to fight the charges.

“I would be happy to go in this case until the end, because I respect the rule of law and I think justice will prevail,” Okail said. “But I wish we knew that this is a legal case and not a political one. The indication so far is that it is political.”

Sherif Mansour, a Freedom House employee based in Washington who was also charged in the case, said he found the evidence laid out Wednesday laughable.

“My first impression is I’m very happy,” said Mansour, an Egyptian citizen. “I’m sure my lawyer is, too, seeing the ridiculousness of the evidence.”

Mansour, a senior program director, said he would gladly travel to Egypt to stand trial.

“This is about disenfranchising civil society and manipulating the relationship with the U.S.,” he said. “Egyptian civil society is our strongest hope to protect rights and freedoms in the years ahead.”

NDI and IRI have expressed concern about the investigations. Neither organization issued a statement about Wednesday’s press conference.

Special correspondent Ingy Hassieb contributed to this report.
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Judge says NGOs were lawfully inspected, not 'raided'

CAIRO: Judge Sameh Abou Zeid, investigating the alleged illegal foreign funding of local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), said Wednesday that inspecting their offices was legal according to the criminal procedural law.

"Labeling this inspection as a ‘raid’ is inaccurate since the law gives us the authority to order the prosecution to inspect the NGOs in question," Abou Zeid said in a press conference held at the Ministry of Justice, reiterating earlier statements by the Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Funding.

Investigating judge Ashraf El-Ashmawy said the defendants were referred to court in line with Egypt’s penal code and not the controversial NGOs law, adding that the charges against the staff could lead to five-year prison sentences.

"These organizations conducted unlicensed and illegal activities without the knowledge of the Egyptian government,” El-Ashmawy said.

A total of 44 workers in five foreign NGOs, including 19 Americans, were referred to the Cairo Criminal Court for violating Egyptian law by receiving illegal foreign funding.
The US defendants include Sam LaHood, the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Also facing charges are five Serbs, two Germans, two Lebanese, one Jordanian and one Palestinian, in addition to 14 Egyptians, all of whom have either been banned from travel or have been placed on inbound watch-lists if they are outside the country.

US ambassador Anne W. Patterson urged authorities to lift the travel ban.

"This is illegal and Patterson violated Egyptian laws that stipulate that ambassadors of foreign countries should not directly address the judiciary, and because she is not one of the parties involved in the case," Abou Zeid said, adding that the matter was referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act accordingly.

Abou Zeid said investigators were astonished with the interference of the American ambassador, which politicized the probe.

"We are not involved in politics, but if we have to be involved we will act according to the law," he said.

The move triggered the anger of US lawmakers who are currently pressuring for halting US military aid to Egypt, saying it is conditional upon the country’s commitment to democracy and preserving freedoms.

Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Aboul Naga said in another press conference Wednesday that Egypt has strong strategic relations with the US, which will not be affected by such disagreements.

Prosecution and army forces raided in December a group of foreign and local NGOs, confiscated equipment and documents and closed down some of the offices under allegations of receiving illegal foreign funding.

Abou Zeid said that Ministry of Justice ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee to start investigating the case in July, which then recommended appointing two judges to continue the investigation.

The judges, according to Abou Zeid, began the investigation in September and ordered a warrant to inspect the offices of local and foreign NGOs.

"We discovered that five foreign NGOs received secret money transactions from abroad under names of workers inside these NGOs not through official bank accounts [under the name of the NGOs]. Transactions were in the millions of pounds," he said.

"Workers inside these NGOs deliberately had tourist visas, not work visas, and did not pay taxes," Abou Zeid continued. He said 67 items were confiscated during the raid, including documents that “prove foreign funding.”

The case file also includes “reports by state experts” evaluating the confiscated items.

"One piece of evidence we found was a map showing Egypt divided into four parts: Upper Egypt, the Delta, Greater Cairo and the Canal provinces," Abou Zeid said.

While he didn’t explain the significance of such maps in proving the case, the accusation reflects claims made by some TV personnel and officials that there is a foreign plot to divide Egypt.

Abou Zeid said the five NGOs are not involved in civil service, but their work extends to politics, which took a different direction after the Jan. 25 uprising.

"Many eyewitnesses who used to work for these NGOs testified that they quit once they doubted the nature of the work of these foreign organizations," Abou Zeid claimed.

"They told us surveys were conducted across the country by these NGOs asking Egyptians about their religious beliefs and their dress codes," he added. Egyptians have to state their religious affiliation on ID cards.

"The results of these surveys are never published in Egypt, but are secretly reported to their mother organizations in the US," the judge said.

“Homeland Security and National Security” refused to give licenses to these organizations before the revolution but they continued to operate illegally, he added.

"This part of the probe is only related to the foreign NGOs, while the remaining local NGOs are [also] under investigation, including religious organizations that receive illegal funding from Arab countries," investigating judge El-Ashmawy said.

He added that the other stages of the investigation will be made public once they are finished to ensure maximum transparency.

The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) criticized earlier in a statement the campaign against NGOs, labeling it a plot planned by the ruling military junta to tarnish the reputation of rights organizations that have worked to expose violations by the military since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

"[The campaign casts] doubt over the real role played by these organizations and defames them, using one of the most prominent figures of the Mubarak regime, Fayza Aboul Naga, who found in this campaign an opportunity for vengeance [targeting] the human rights institutions that contributed to toppling the regime to which she belongs, ," the statement said.

ANHRI claimed it was also personal vengeance since rights groups exposed the rigging of elections in 2010, through which Aboul Naga had won a seat in parliament. Both houses of parliament were dissolved following the Jan. 25 uprising.

"ANHRI believes that the practices of US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson have paved the way for and fueled the campaign led by Aboul Naga against civil society. The ambassador breached rules of transparency and credibility by refusing to announce the names of the institutions that received millions of dollars from the US during the year 2011, despite the many requests submitted to her to announce these names," ANHRI said.

"The ambassador knows very well that several civil society institutions in Egypt, especially the serious human rights ones, refuse to deal with her as a representative of a government known for its repetitive human rights violations and lack of credibility for its double standards … which is the US government."
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Woman behind Egypt's NGO pursuit a Mubarak holdover

CAIRO -- The architect of Egypt's crackdown on U.S.-funded pro-democracy organizations is a holdover from the cabinet of former president Hosni Mubarak who has tried for years to stymie the groups' activities.

Faiza Abou el-Naga, the minister who coordinates international aid and long the most powerful woman in the Egyptian government, has survived a series of cabinet purges and weathered the groundswell of anger toward remnants of Mubarak's regime. But her intensifying campaign against the civil society groups offers clear proof, her critics say, that some elements of the old guard remain entrenched and are trying to block the rise of new political leadership in the country.

"Mubarak is still ruling in some ways and is still blocking the emergence of a new regime in Egypt," said Abdullah al-Ashaal, a former deputy foreign minister. "Faiza Abou el-Naga is one of the tools in that."

This week, 43 employees of nongovernmental organizations, including 19 Americans, were charged as part of an investigation of civil society groups. They included the country directors of the Washington-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI), the latter of which is led in Cairo by the son of the U.S. transportation secretary.

Abou el-Naga, the public face of the inquiry since it was launched by her ministry last year, has defended the probe, which has jeopardized up to $1.5 billion in U.S. aid. She insists that the Egyptian government has a right to expel unlicensed foreign organizations that she says could further destabilize a country reeling from the aftershocks of a revolution. Speaking to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, she said the government was not trying to stifle civil society, but rather to enforce policies that protect Egypt's sovereignty.

Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group whose political party won the most seats in parliament, have endorsed the crackdown. Egypt's ruling generals also appear to be backing it.

But Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday called the probe a "dangerous game that risks damaging both Egypt's democratic prospects and the U.S.-Egyptian bilateral relationship." In a further sign of strained relations, a delegation of Egyptian military officials cut short its trip to Washington this week, canceling meetings on Capitol Hill.

U.S. officials who backed democratic reform in Mubarak's Egypt over the past decade had been hopeful that his fall would spell the end of Abou el-Naga's career and the rigid restrictions the regime placed on American aid earmarked for pro-democracy programs. U.S. trainers and funding would be sorely needed and welcome in the new Egypt, they reasoned, as nascent political parties and those that had been oppressed by the autocratic government geared up for the country's first free elections.

"When the regime changed, we all thought, Faiza will be gone," said a senior U.S. official who worked in Egypt, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be interviewed. "Man, were we wrong. She's more powerful than ever."

While Abou el-Naga, 59, kept a relatively low profile during Mubarak's reign, she cultivated strong relationships with the generals who now lead the country. They have often echoed her complaints about the destabilizing influence of foreigners. Others point to the decade she has spent channeling foreign aid in the country and her keen political skills as reasons for her continued influence.

A long career

Egypt's crackdown on nongovernmental organizations has startled U.S. lawmakers, who have threatened to cut off all aid to the country, including the roughly $1.3 billion a year in military aid and about $250 million annually in bilateral aid that is funneled through Abou el-Naga's Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. Why, many in Washington and Cairo wonder, would the ruling generals risk losing their biggest benefactor at a time when Egypt's reserves are running dangerously low, security forces are struggling to contain unrest and the tourism industry is anemic?

The answer, to a large extent, critics and supporters say, is Abou el-Naga.

The minister joined the Egyptian foreign service in the early 1970s -- one of the few women of her generation to do so. Former colleagues say she developed a reputation as a tireless, efficient worker with extraordinary political savvy. She served in Egypt's delegation to the United Nations in the 1990s and was later appointed as the country's envoy to the U.N. mission in Geneva.

When Mubarak picked her for the influential cabinet job in 2001, the state-owned newspaper al-Ahram called her a trailblazer who had "reached the highest echelons of her profession." She developed a close relationship with the president and his wife, Suzanne, former colleagues said, and quickly became one of the most powerful figures in the government, albeit one largely unseen in public.

"Her political strength comes from the fact that she is the one who receives foreign aid and rechannels foreign aid," said a former colleague who is supportive of her and the NGO probe. He agreed to be interviewed only on the condition of anonymity in order to speak bluntly. "She knows how to satisfy those in power."

Pushing back

After years of giving the Egyptian government substantial control over the way its share of U.S. aid was spent, Congress in 2004 demanded that some money earmarked for democracy-building activities be dispersed without moving through Abou el-Naga's ministry. Part of that money went to groups such as NDI and IRI, which trained and advised opposition figures.

Abou el-Naga and the country's intelligence agencies worried that the groups would empower government critics and pushed back against the change, said Egyptian activists and the U.S. official, who worked with her. Abou el-Naga was charming, articulate and strikingly elegant, but when the issue of NGO funding came up in meetings, she was uncompromising, the official said.

In February 2008, Abou el-Naga demanded that the United States stop funding four American and six Egyptian NGOs that had received money for democracy and governance work, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks. It included one that had published a children's book called "Ali the Human Rights Activist." Thousands of copies were seized by security forces, the cable said.

When the Obama administration ramped up efforts to support civil society groups and political parties after last year's revolution, publicizing grants and holding workshops to help applicants apply for money, Abou el-Naga was furious.

"This is a situation that we cannot allow to go on," she told The Washington Post in an interview in June, noting that NDI and IRI were operating illegally because the Egyptian government had not granted them licenses. "I don't think in the United States or any countries you would accept that, you know, a foreign country would come and pour money on NGOs who are working illegally in a given country," she said.

Abou el-Naga did not respond to repeated requests for an interview in recent days.

Swaying the generals

Hossam Bahgat, a prominent human rights activist who is critical of Abou el-Naga and the restrictions she has enforced on NGOs, said the minister appears to have convinced the generals that the organizations have fueled protests and violence in recent months. "The generals are predisposed to believe these warnings about an international conspiracy to destabilize Egypt," Bahgat said. "They think they are facing the same fate as Mubarak."

U.S. officials fear that the narrative demonizing the United States and blaming foreigners for unrest is getting traction on the Egyptian street. Abou el-Naga's crackdown on pro-democracy groups has promoted that view.

"She's characterizing their work as violating Egyptian sovereignty and using that as a rallying cry," said the senior U.S. official. "That's turned into a weapon that appeals to the new leadership."
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NGO worker cases sent to Egypt court in funding row

The cases of 40 U.S. citizens, other foreigners and Egyptians embroiled in a dispute over the activities and funding of pro-democracy groups have been referred to court, judicial sources said on Saturday, deepening a row with the United States.

Washington has strongly criticized the crackdown on the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an unspecified number of U.S. citizens involved have sought shelter in the U.S. embassy.

Egypt, among the largest recipients of U.S. aid since its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, has been told by U.S. lawmakers assistance may be cut because of its treatment of the groups.

Several U.S. and others involved have been barred from leaving Egypt. They include Sam LaHood, the country director of the International Republican Institute who is the son of the U.S. transportation secretary.

"The cases of 40 foreign and Egyptian suspects have been transferred to the Cairo criminal court related to foreign funding," a judicial source told Reuters. State news agency MENA also carried the report.

Egyptian officials say the crackdown is part of a probe into foreign funding of NGOs. But civil society groups say the ruling military council ordered the raids to harass activists who were at the forefront of the anti-Mubarak revolt and have been pressing for the army to swiftly hand power to civilians.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday a crackdown by Egypt's military rulers on U.S. and local pro-democracy groups could jeopardize aid for the Arab nation.

The NGO activists include 19 Americans alongside others who are Serbian, Norwegian, Lebanese as well as Egyptian, according to a statement issued by judges overseeing the probe and seen by Reuters. One judge involved said the list included LaHood.

The charge listed in the statement was "running organizations without getting the required licenses." One of the judges running the investigation said that investigations were continuing with Egyptians in other similar cases.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr told Clinton during his meeting with her that all groups, regardless of country of origin, had to abide by Egypt's laws on registration, the ministry's spokesman Amr Rushdy said in a statement.

The National Democratic Institute, one of the U.S.-funded groups whose staff are facing travel bans, said it began work in 2005 and sought to register the same year but after responding to some official queries after that no progress was made.

However, the group says it has operated openly since then, engaging with officials regularly.
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Egypt's PM says US threats to cut aid won't work

CAIRO — Egypt refused to back down Wednesday in a dispute with the U.S. over Cairo's crackdown on nonprofit groups despite Washington's threats to cut aid, while the military deployed troops to the nation's streets after a surge in violence and protests against its rule.
Egyptian investigative judges Sameh Abu Zeid, right, and Ashraf el-Ashmawi, who are investigating the case of foreign funding of NGOs, enter a press conference at the Ministry of Justice in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. 43 people including 19 Americans face trials over illegally operating in Egypt and receiving funds from abroad without permission from Egyptian authorities for their human rights and pro-democracy groups. Egypt charges that they fund and support anti-government protests. The groups deny that.

An Egyptian passes by a police checkpoint near the interior ministry in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. Egypt's ruling generals are playing a risky game of brinksmanship by cracking down on American nonprofit groups that promote democracy, threatening a relationship with Washington that has brought the military billions of dollars in aid over the past three decades.

An Egyptian man smiles while carrying bread in a neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Egyptian investigative judges Sameh Abu Zeid, right, and Ashraf el-Ashmawi, who are investigating the case of foreign funding of NGOs, talk during a press conference at the Ministry of Justice in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. 43 people including 19 Americans face trials over illegally operating in Egypt and receiving funds from abroad without permission from Egyptian authorities for their human rights and pro-democracy groups. Egypt charges that they fund and support anti-government protests. The groups deny that.

Egypt's official MENA news agency said the army was deploying more troops to reinforce the police, restore security and state "prestige." The move comes in the wake of a deadly soccer riot last week that sparked days of clashes between the police and protesters. At least 89 people were killed in a week of violence.

The deployment appeared to be a show of force by the military in response to a surge in criticism of its handling of the country's transition to democracy and rising calls for the ruling generals to step down. There are calls for a general strike on Feb. 11 that have been gaining traction.

Egypt's military rulers are also facing a deepening dispute with the United States over Cairo's campaign against foreign-funded pro-democracy and rights groups, which began late last year with raid by security forces on the organizations' offices. Authorities allege there is a foreign conspiracy against Egypt to explain the widening protests against the military's performance.

On Sunday, Egyptian investigative judges referred 16 Americans and 27 others to trial on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to foment unrest in the country.

That immediately drew a sharp rebuke from Washington, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warning that failure to resolve the dispute may lead to the loss of some $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt. Some U.S. legislators even said every aspect of the relationship with Egypt must be examined following the crackdown.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called on Egypt to release the Americans, saying the 16 "have not done anything wrong." Egyptian authorities put the number of Americans referred to trial at 19, but Nuland on Tuesday said there are 16 Americans in the case.

Nuland said the U.S. received a 175-page document in Arabic outlining the charges, but "our view remains that this is not fundamentally a judicial issue," but an issue between governments over the proper role of the groups.

With tensions rising, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, is to travel to Egypt this week for talks with military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Dempsey's spokesman, Col. Dave Lapan, said Wednesday the trip has long been planned, but that the nonprofit spat will come up if it hasn't been resolved. He said Dempsey would talk with Egypt's leaders about "choices and consequences," but declined to elaborate.

Despite the warnings from Washington, Egypt's military-backed Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri struck a defiant tone Wednesday, telling reporters he was "saddened" by the pressure Egypt was facing but insisting authorities "can't back down or won't change course because of some aid."

"Egypt used its legal right to face some violations by civil groups," he said. "The lofty judiciary moved and discussed and investigated the case. ... The West then turned against us because Egypt exercised its rights."

El-Ganzouri also charged that aid pledged by Arab states has also stalled since the dispute began. He said he met in early December with Arab ambassadors "who promised that Egypt will receive a lot of money," but two months later "none of these promises have come through."

He hinted that the U.S. and Arab allies are withholding aid money because Egypt has adopted more independent policies since the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in February.

Egypt's net international reserves were down 50 percent year-on-year by the end of December as the country's economy is reeling from the overall effect of the uprising and the turmoil that followed. The government is discussing with the International Monetary Fund a $3.2 billion loan.

Addressing the rising calls for the military to step down, el-Ganzouri said the generals will not leave office before the end of June as currently planned. He warned against calls for the speedy end of military rule, recalling the fall of the Iraqi army after the U.S. invasion in 2003. He said the Iraqi army's demise pushed the country down the path to civil war.

In an attempt to rally public support, el-Ganzouri appealed to nationalist sentiment and urged Egyptians to unite in the of face tough times ahead. He argued that the current conditions in Egypt are worse than after the country's crushing military defeat in 1967 when Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

"What we are seeing now is worse than after the 1967 defeat, which was a military one," he said. "What is happening is a call to defeat the whole people, not only a military defeat. If we unite, we will get through this."

El-Ganzouri also warned that Egypt was the backbone of the Middle East, a region in flux at the moment, and that "if it (Egypt) falls, the whole region will follow."

"Neither the West, nor the Arab brothers are aware of this," he said.

Local civil groups say the campaign on foreign-funded nonprofit groups is in preparation for a harsh crackdown on local rights groups who have been documenting and lobbying against the military rulers since they took office last year.

Hafez Abou Saada, a veteran Egyptian human rights activist, said Cairo's clash with the U.S. over the groups "is incomprehensible and unjustified and goes to show that the case against the civil groups is not a legal but is a political one."

He said el-Ganzouri's comments are "an attempt to rally a domestic front behind the government and create an enemy."

The military rulers charge that the foreign groups fund and support anti-government protests. The military claims that "foreign hands" are behind the opposition to their rule. They frequently depict the protesters as receiving funds from abroad in a plot to destabilize the country.

On Wednesday, Egyptian judges said the evidence collected in the case against 16 Americans referred to court for their alleged involvement in banned political activity through nonprofit groups include maps, cash and videos taken of churches and military facilities. Among the Americans referred to court is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Ashraf el-Ashmawi, one of the judges investigating the case, said authorities are investigating other groups.

In reference to the already named groups, he said: "Their activities have nothing to do with human rights."
___

Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report.
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CIDA's new mining partners

Harperites shift aid priorities to complement trade.

Dateline: Tuesday, February 07, 2012

by Dennis Gruending

When Conservatives shut down the 35-year relationship between the ecumenical group KAIROS and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 2009, International Co-operation Minister inister Bev Oda seemed to have lost her tongue. It was left to a faceless bureaucrat to call KAIROS and tell them their human rights projects in some of the world's most troubled countries no longer fit CIDA's criteria. When Oda was questioned about this in the House of Commons, she had nothing to say and sat there mutely while other (male) cabinet ministers tried to parry the blows.

But Oda has plenty to say these days, including a recent lengthy interview with the Ottawa Citizen, in which she speaks with great enthusiasm about CIDA's new support for pilot projects abroad with Canadian mining companies and select NGOs.

CIDA is replacing church group programs with programs run by mining companies including Barrick Gold, IAMGOLD, and Rio Tinto Alcan.

What was not clear in 2009 is becoming much more obvious today. The Conservatives have pulled CIDA out of a number of the world's poorest countries, particularly in Africa, and have refocused on other countries where Canada has more robust trading relationships. It would seem that aid is all about trade, although Oda sees no distinction. Asked by The Citizen how she separates Canada's trade and foreign policy interests from development goals, she said, "I really don't separate them."

CIDA changes partners
CIDA will soon abandon a number of its long-standing development partners among Canadian NGOs, including a number of church-based organizations. Reliable sources say that a number of those groups will see their funding ended or curtailed this year.

CIDA is replacing them in its affections with Canadian based multinationals, including Barrick Gold, IAMGOLD, and Rio Tinto Alcan. Oda has been speaking enthusiastically about overseas projects with these three companies and others in the agri-business sector.

CIDA wants to ensure that foreign aid also supports trade and economic growth in Canada. Oda announced $26 million in projects last fall. and more projects are in the pipeline. In Burkina Faso, for example, the project with IAMGOLD is said to offer skills training to young people to work in the mining industry. The budget is $7.6 million over five years. CIDA will provide $5.7 million of that amount; the company will provide $1.0 million; and an NGO called Plan Canada will provide the remaining $900,000.

The Canadian mining industry thinks it is a great idea. "There is a policy shift under way, and it is one we are encouraged by," says Pierre Gratton, president of the Canadian Mining Association. "These projects help improve the image of the industry... because they are meaningful and have value," he adds. "This is not just PR."

Positive spin
Some would say that it is more than image that needs improving for the mining industry. The Canadian group MiningWatch has been blowing the whistle for years on the questionable environmental, human rights and labour relations practices of Canadian mining companies in a number of poor countries. MiningWatch is not on the Prime Minister's Christmas card list. Jamie Keen of MiningWatch says joint ventures abroad involving CIDA and the industry will help to put a positive spin on the operations, whether deserved or not. He also says, "These companies are sitting on piles of cash, so why are taxpayers paying for their development projects?"

Hoarding cash
Research conducted for the Canadian Labour Congress indicates that Barrick Gold saw its short and long term assets increase dramatically between the years 2000 and 2010 — from $642 million to $4.5 billion. Presumably much of this cash hoarding had to do with the federal government's dramatic reduction in corporate income taxes during that period. Barrick's CEO took home $9.9 million in pay in 2010. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I have a day job with the CLC).

Negatives outweigh positives
Very Rev Bill Phipps, a former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, is concerned by what he hears about CIDA's three new pilot projects in Burkina Faso, Peru and Ghana. "I think the negatives outweigh the positives," he says. Phipps returned recently from a fact-finding visit to areas in the Philippines that are being targeted for exploration by mining companies, some of them Canadian. "The Aboriginal people in the area I visited have a good subsistence life, where they grow healthy food and have clean rivers. There are seven or eight exploration applications on the books and the people oppose them for environmental, cultural and spiritual reasons. As the mining applications increase, the military follows and it is right in the face of these people. The army is operating hand-in-glove with development."

CIDA's pilot projects are also causing a rift within the Canadian NGO community. Each of the three projects has an NGO partner. Others in the sector worry that these agencies will "whitewash" the practices of the mining industry — a claim that is denied aggressively. In the case of the Barrick Gold project in Peru, the partner is World Vision.

The Globe and Mail quotes World Vision Canada's president Dave Toycen on January 30, 2012 as saying: "We have to be realistic here, there is self interest on the part of every party here. Anything we can do to encourage and advocate for better mining practices, and support the communities that they are displacing or affecting, we're contributing to a better lifestyle and environment for them."

Rev Phipps, who has not visited the proposed pilot projects, says: "No matter how responsible a corporation tries to be, there are inevitable differences of opinion and conflicts on ecological, human rights, labour, cultural, and other issues. So sometimes an NGO needs to become an advocate for the communities on these conflicts. The company and NGO have different roles, and NGOs should not provide a cover or fig leaf for corporate actions. Too close a relationship is fraught with conflicts of interest."

Partisan considerations
One can also look for the partisan considerations at play. KAIROS not only lost its funding in 2009, but was accused by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney of being anti-Semitic. The group had also challenged the government on its commitment to rapid development of the oil sands in Western Canada. The KAIROS member agencies are drawn mainly from the mainline Protestant and Catholic churches. World Vision, on the other hand, is mainly identified with evangelical Christians, a group that is generally friendly to the Conservatives and tends to vote for them.

When news comes out, as it soon will, about whom CIDA will fund and whom it discards, this religious lens is one to watch.

Dennis Gruending is an Ottawa-based author and former Member of Parliament. He is also a former director of information for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. His books include the biography, Emmett Hall: Establishment Radical and his latest book is Pulpit and Politics: Competing Religious Ideologies in Canadian Public Life, recently released by Kingsley Publishing Services of Calgary.

His blog can be found linked below.

Website: http://www.dennisgruending.ca/pulpitandpolitics/
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CVM report requires more charges, something that is regularly repeated: deputy interior minister
Sofia. The initial reading gives a reason to say the report is an expected one, said Bulgarian Deputy Interior Minister Veselin Vuchkov, cited by FOCUS News Agency.
The new team in the Justice Ministry and active dialog with NGOs receive very positive assessment, he said.
He thinks the European Commission’s assessment of training in the Interior Ministry is encouraging.
More charges are required, something that has regularly been repeated, said the deputy minister.
Veselina YORDANOVA
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U.S. NGOs trapped in Egypt caught in battle with remnants of Mubarak regime, sources say

CAIRO — Arriving in Egypt last year, Julie Hughes had hoped to help write history by aiding the country’s new generation of politicians and civil society groups to build a democratic future.

Instead, the American director of the National Democratic Institute is under investigation by authorities for funding irregularities at her U.S.-based group and is banned from leaving Egypt, a measure that prompted other activists to seek refuge this week in the U.S. embassy in Cairo.

Her hope for change, inspired by the fall of Hosni Mubarak at the hands of hundreds of thousands of protesting Egyptians, was punctured on December 29 when her offices were raided in connection with an investigation by Egypt’s new military rulers.

The work of NDI, which is loosely linked to the U.S. Democratic Party, had fallen prey to what Egyptian pro-democracy campaigners say is a war between remnants of Mubarak’s inner circle and a rapidly developing civil society.

It’s a war, some campaigners say, that is more vicious than the one they fought under Mubarak, and it could further sour relations between Cairo and Washington, putting $1.3-billion of annual U.S. military aid in jeopardy.

But for the authorities, it is a matter of law; the non-governmental organizations broke it by receiving foreign funding without government approval.

For Hughes, the first casualty has been NDI’s work with Egypt’s budding new political class. “That is more than a little heartbreaking for us,” Hughes told Reuters at her Cairo home.

REFUGE

A handful of Americans, including a son of a member of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, are sheltering behind the fortress-like walls of the U.S. embassy for protection.

All employees of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have loose links to America’s two leading political parties, they say they have been accused of running groups that were not properly licensed in Egypt and receiving foreign funding illegally.

A judicial source said on Wednesday the travel ban had been extended to three more Americans, taking the total to 17 U.S. citizens out of a total of 28 foreigners who have been prevented from leaving Egypt. The source expected the release of the probe’s results next week.

The government has yet to confirm the specific charges, leaving the activists guessing as to what the punishment could be.

The groups work on everything from educating voters to advising politicians on how to build a successful coalition.

Hughes sums up the euphoria with which many activists arrived in Egypt.

“It’s an honor to be right here now at this point in history: to see history being rewritten and being remade and people grabbing hold of their political future and helping them participate in the democratic transition,” she told Reuters.

NDI has trained around 14,000 Egyptians in advocacy, voter education and election monitoring since April 1 last year and has brought speakers including former leaders of Poland and Chile, countries with an experience of democratic transitions.

But the investigation shows how far Egypt has to go before such organizations can operate as freely as they do in much of the world, highlighting what Egyptian activists describe as the persistence of the Mubarak-era mentality – one of fear of allowing too much debate.

Egyptians have also been targeted by the investigation. They accuse the military rulers of trying to row back on democratic reforms by silencing their number.

“It is one of the frontlines of the revolution,” said Nasser Amin, head of an Egyptian-run organization working to advance judicial independence, which is also being investigated over its legal status.

“It is the counter revolution that is attacking us.”

Egyptian activists said the fact that the investigation has been spearheaded by a government minister who served under Mubarak showed it was being pursued in his image.

But Faiza Abu el-Naga, minister of international cooperation, who has survived repeated cabinet reshuffles before and after Mubarak was driven out, has said the investigation is simply a matter of law.

“The rights groups that are being investigated received funds from abroad without government knowledge and in violation of the law,” she told a news conference on the subject.

Some political analysts said the steps were being orchestrated by the ruling generals to try to secure leverage over Washington while rallying support around anti-American sentiment and undermining the reputation of their most vocal critics in the Egyptian-led NGO community.

But the generals will be careful not to lose the $1.3 billion in aid they get yearly in return for Egypt becoming the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

Congress has approved this year’s payout, but it has also set conditions, including requiring that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton certify the Egyptian government is supporting the transition.

For now, Pentagon officials said the alliance with Egypt was still on solid ground.

“There are going to be differences of opinion. There were before the popular revolution there … Part of what makes a relationship a relationship is the ability to continue to discuss and try to find a way to move forward even beyond the differences you might share,” Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby said in Washington.

On a visit to Cairo, Michael Posner, the U.S. State Department’s top human rights official, urged Egypt to resolve the NGO issue. And it will almost certainly be discussed in Washington, where an Egyptian military team is visiting.

TOO MUCH FOREIGN MONEY

Some Egyptian media have said American money poured into NGOs last year, proving there was a plot to subvert the course of change in Egypt.

The U.S. ambassador to Cairo had spoken of “close to $40 million” invested in organizations including NDI and the International Republican Institute, an NGO affiliated with the Republican Party which is also under investigation.

Hafez Abou Saeda, chairman of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, said the state’s aim was to sway public opinion against the pro-democracy movement.

“It is using this card to influence domestic opinion: to give the impression that the whole revolution is a foreign product,” he told Reuters.

Abu Saeda’s organization has faced no formal accusations in the current investigation, though he said his bank accounts were examined by investigators as part of the probe.

The case has a sense of deja vu for him. He was jailed in 1998, accused of receiving foreign funds to write a report in which he documented cases of torture by the security forces.

“Instead of putting the officers on trial, they arrested me and put me on trial and said I had received foreign funds to distort the image of the country,” said Abu Saeda.

“It’s always the issue of foreign funding that is used to defame the rights movement in Egypt,” he said, adding that his organization gets most of its funds from the European Union.

OLD REGIME REMAINS

The restrictions placed on NGOs over the years have encouraged many to register their organizations in other ways.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, the organization led by Amin, has been registered as a not-for-profit company since it was set up in 1997.

“All of a sudden they have discovered that we have been working for 15 years without an (NGO) license,” he said from his organization’s office overlooking the Nile, describing being questioned for seven hours on Monday over the group’s legal status and funding.

His 11th-floor office was among those raided on December 29 by investigators who confiscated documents and computers. Staff were still using their own laptops on Tuesday because the equipment had yet to be returned.

Amin said it was the return of the old days. The two judges investigating the case against his organization had formerly worked for Egypt’s State Security Prosecution, part of a widely-hated security agency that was formally dissolved last year.

“The members of state security are still there in the apparatus,” he said. “A year after the revolution, the old regime has started to regain its strength.”
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Satellite Images To Be Used In Mapping Forests In Fiji

SUVA, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) has embarked on a programme to build capacity in mapping land/forest cover in Fiji using very high resolution satellite images, according to SPC Regional Community Forester Jalesi Mateboto on Thursday.

The programme has three phases consisting of both theory and practical work, including "ground truthing" (on-site verification of data from satellite imagery) exercises to be held later this month, Xinhua news agency reported Jalesi Mateboto said.

The training, which is jointly organised by SPC's Land Resources Division (LRD) and its Applied Geoscience and Technology (SOPAC) Division, involves participants from the Fiji's Department of Forestry and SPC.

The ground truthing exercise will be undertaken in Drawa, a model area for sustainable natural resource management located in the Northern Division of Fiji's Vanua Levu (island), which covers about 6,400 hectares of indigenous forest.

The first phase of the training exercise focuses on enhancing and analyzing satellite images of Drawa forest to classify it into different forest types and using the information to conduct forest inventory for the estimation of forest carbon stock per unit area of each forest type.

The second phase of the training will include establishing monitoring plots with wood and carbon stock assessment, while the third phase will focus on carrying out a biodiversity survey.

Mateboto explained that two projects currently support the work in Drawa are Live & Learn and the Land Owners Association of Drawa.

Live & Learn is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is conducting community-based activities related to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in the area with financial support from the European Union.

The Land Owners Association of Drawa is implementing the Drawa Forest Biodiversity Conservation Project with a grant from the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

SPC's Land Resources Division is joining the work in response to requests from these projects for technical support.

The objectives of SPC's involvement in Drawa are to build the capacity of community groups, NGOs and the relevant government agencies in the area of forest monitoring and forest carbon assessment, to provide accurate forest carbon data to assist the community-based activities related to REDD+ and to test and improve the monitoring, assessment and reporting manual for sustainable forest management in the Pacific Island countries, says Mateboto.

It is hoped that these activities will also contribute to the establishment of Fiji's national Measurement, Reporting and Verification system, strengthening the country's REDD+ programme.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the German development cooperation agency Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) are supporting this exercise, which also responds to some of the forestry priorities specified in the SPC/Fiji Joint Country Strategy.
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Learning how to work together to tackle the big issues

What kind of leadership is needed in a multi-stakeholder collaboration in order to combat issues like poverty?

Davos, Switzerland - Is there anything new left to be said about leadership? What it is, where it's failed us, how it's changing? While it's easy to be cynical, it's a topic that still draws, perhaps more than ever. At the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos just recently, there were no fewer than 39 sessions exploring the subject. One of the aspects generating increased interest is the kind of leadership that's needed in "multi-stakeholder collaboration to tackle the big issues like poverty" - to quote one session intro.

I've learnt a lot about this in my time at Oxfam and Save the Children. When I first switched sectors and moved to Senegal, I found myself sitting in the Dakar Education for All conference in 2000, in a ballroom full of representatives from NGOs of all shapes and sizes indulging, as I then thought, in a chaotic airing of views of what had to change to reach a mind-boggling 120 million children then out of school.

This was far from the analytical, process-driven, project-managed, tightly budgeted approach to leadership I was used to in the private sector and I frankly doubted its efficacy - for a start, who was in charge? But less than a decade on, the number of children out of school had dropped by nearly half - which could never have happened without that coalition for change.

These days, the people involved are more likely to be in a virtual room, and are more likely to include business leaders - which serves to strengthen these types of alliances. Technology means more people can be involved more meaningfully more consistently - instead of lurching from meeting to meeting with a select few. The evolving Corporate Social Responsibility agenda means more companies see the big issues as squarely part of their mandate.

Modest and massive

There are now dozens of these multi-stakeholder initiatives - part of the leadership nous is backing the one where you have the greatest potential to achieve the biggest impact. For Save the Children, we're investing in a growing coalition to stop children dying from preventable causes.

"It's frankly shocking that a child dying every four seconds is still tolerated in this day and age."

Like "education for all", this is at once a modest and massive proposition. Modest in that its frankly shocking that a child dying every four seconds is still tolerated in this day and age, doesn't require anything more sophisticated than an increase in well-equipped, well-trained frontline health workers, and would only cost US $17.5bn a year to fix. Massive in the level of cross-sector collaboration required to get this done in a sustainable way. This needs companies and governments as much as NGO and UN efforts.

This can be a daunting and messy challenge with everyone coming from a slightly different perspective. The leadership posture needed is not an easy animal to describe, but you know it when you see it - a curious mix of audacity and humility, patience (with process) and impatience (with outcomes), tight on principles and loose on control. The good news is, over the last 10 years it's not just me who has learned a lot - many of the leaders at Davos have their own experiences of working in these types of collaborations and have figured out what works and doesn't work.

We need this experience to kick-in fast to super-charge the last few years of campaigning focused on the current set of Millennium Development Goals. And we need to tap into this experience in agreeing the next set of "big issues" that need to be agreed post-2015. Unlike the last set of goals, which were largely created in the UN with some NGO collaboration, the next set will be created by a multi-stakeholder collaboration.

If only we can stop this watering down of goals or accountability, a wider and joint leadership effort to improve the world has got to be a good thing.

Jasmine Whitbread is the CEO of Save the Children International.

Follow her on Twitter: @JasmineatSC

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.
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Will Iran Be Attacked?

Washington has made tremendous preparations for a military assault on Iran. There is speculation that Washington has called off its two longest running wars—Iraq and Afghanistan—in order to deploy forces against Iran. Two of Washington’s fleets have been assigned to the Persian Gulf along with NATO warships. Missiles have been spread amongst Washington’s Oil Emirate and Middle Eastern puppet states. US troops have been deployed in Israel and Kuwait.

Washington has presented Israel a gift from the hard-pressed American taxpayers of an expensive missile defense system, money spent for Israel when millions of unassisted Americans have lost their homes. As no one expects Iran to attack Israel, except in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Iran, the purpose of the missile defense system is to protect Israel from an Iranian response to Israeli aggression against Iran.

Juan Cole has posted on his blog a map showing 44 U.S. military bases surrounding Iran.

In addition to the massive military preparations, there is the propaganda war against Iran that has been ongoing since 1979, when Washington’s puppet, the Shah of Iran, was overthrown by the Iranian revolution. Iran is surrounded, but Washington and Israeli propaganda portray Iran as a threatening aggressor nation. In fact, the aggressors are the Washington and Tel Aviv governments which constantly threaten Iran with military attack.

Neocon warmongers, such as David Goldman, compare the Iranian president to Hitler and declare that only war can stop him.

Washington’s top military officials have created the impression that an act of Israeli aggression against Iran is a done deal. On February 2, the Washington Post reported that Pentagon chief Leon Panetta believes that Israel is likely to attack Iran in two to four months.

Also on February 2, Gareth Porter reported that General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed the Israeli government that the US would not join Israel’s aggression against Iran unless Washington had given prior approval for the attack.

Porter interprets Dempsey’s warning as a strong move by President Obama to deter an attack that would involve Washington in a regional conflagration with Iran. A different way to read Dempsey’s warning is that Obama wants to hold off on attacking Iran until polls show him losing the presidential election. It has generally been the case that the patriotic electorate does not turn out a president who is at war.

On February 5, President Obama canceled Dempsey’s warning to Israel when Obama declared that he was in “lockstep” with the Israeli government. Obama is in lockstep with Israel despite the fact that Obama told NBC that “we don’t see any evidence that they [Iran] have those intentions [attacks on the U.S.] or capabilities.” By being in lockstep with Israel and simultaneously calling for a “diplomatic solution,” Obama appeased both the Israel Lobby and Democratic peace groups, thus upping his vote.

As I wrote previously, this spring is a prime time for attacking Iran, because there is a good chance that Russia will be in turmoil because of its March election. The Russian opposition to Putin is financed by Washington and encouraged by Washington’s statements, especially those of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Whether Putin wins or there is an indecisive result and a run-off election, Washington’s money will put tens of thousands of Russians into the streets, just as Washington’s money created the “Green Revolution” in Iran to protest the presidential elections there.

On February 4, the former left-wing British newspaper, The Guardian, reported a pre-election protest by 120,000 anti-Putin demonstrators marching in Moscow and demanding “fair elections.” In other words, Washington already has its minions declaring that a win by Putin in March can only signify a stolen election. The problem for Obama is that this spring is too early to tell whether his re-election is threatened by a Republican candidate. Going to war prematurely, especially if the result is a stiff rise in oil prices, is not an aid to re-election.

The willingness of peoples around the world to be Washington’s puppets instead of loyal citizens of their own countries is why the West has been able to dominate the world during the modern era. There seems to be an infinite supply of foreign leaders who prefer Washington’s money and favor to loyalty to their own country’s interests.

As Karl Marx said, money turns everything into a commodity that can be bought and sold. All other values are defeated—honor, integrity, truth, justice, loyalty, even blood kin. Nothing remains but filthy lucre. Money certainly turned U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair into a political commodity.

The power of money was brought home to me many years ago. My Ph.D. dissertation chairman found himself in the Nixon administration as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security affairs. He asked if I would go to Vietnam to administer the aid programs. I was flattered that he thought I had the strength of character to stand up to the corruption that usually defeats the purpose of aid programs, but I declined the assignment.

The conversation was one I will never forget. Warren Nutter was an intelligent person of integrity. He thought, regardless of whether the war was necessary, that we had been led into it by deception. He thought democracy could not live with deception, and he objected to government officials who were not honest with the American people. Nutter’s position was that a democratic government had to rely on persuasion, not on trickery. Otherwise, the outcomes were not democratic.

As Nutter saw it, we were in a war, and we had involved the South Vietnamese. Therefore, we had obligations to them. If we proved to be feckless, the consequence would be to undermine commitments we had made to other countries in our effort to contain the Soviet Empire. The Soviet Union, unlike the “terrorist threat” had the potential of being a real threat. People who have come of age after the collapse of the Soviet Union don’t understand the cold war era.

In the course of the conversation I asked how Washington got so many other governments to do its bidding. He answered, “Money.”

I asked, “You mean foreign aid?”

He said, “No, bags of money. We buy the leaders.”

He didn’t approve of it, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Purchasing the leadership of their enemies or of potential threats was the Roman way. Timothy H. Parsons in his book, The Rule of Empires, describes the Romans as “deft practitioners of soft power.” Rome preferred to rule the conquered and the potentially hostile through “semiautonomous client kings which the Senate euphemistically termed ‘friends of the Roman people.’ Romans helped cooperative monarchs remain in power with direct payments of coins and material goods. Acceptance of these subsidies signified that an ally deferred to imperial authority, and the Romans interpreted any defiance of their will as an overt revolt. They also intervened freely in local succession disputes to replace unsuitable clients.”

This is the way Washington rules. Washington’s way of ruling other countries is why there is no “Egyptian Spring,” but a military dictatorship as a replacement for Washington’s discarded puppet Hosni Mubarak, and why European puppet states are fighting Washington’s wars of hegemony in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Washington’s National Endowment for Democracy funds non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. It is through the operations of NGOs that Washington added the former Soviet Republic of Georgia to Washington’s empire, along with the Baltic States, and Eastern European countries.

Because of the hostility of many Russians to their Soviet past, Russia is vulnerable to Washington’s machinations.

As long as the dollar rules, Washington’s power will rule.

As Rome debased its silver denarius into lead, Rome’s power to purchase compliance faded away. If “Helicopter Ben” Bernanke inflates away the purchasing power of the dollar, Washington’s power will melt away also.
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Pvt schools plan change of EWS seats to general

CHANDIGARH: Parents who had been looking forward to admitting their children to private schools can hope for some good news. These schools might convert the unclaimed EWS seats to the general category, as more than 75% seats are still vacant. However, the parents will have to wait for some days till the administration's green signal. The administration has asked the schools to submit details about the total seats and those vacant, before February 15. Of the around 3,000 EWS seats, less than 1,000 seats have been filled in 73 private schools.

President of Independent Schools Association (ISA) H S Mamik said, "We are not disobeying the administration, but we need to meet our expenses and cannot leave the seats empty. The administration has told us that it would not pay us for the vacant seats."

He said, "The child mapping report has mentioned that there are not many students for the EWS seats under the RTE Act."

UT education secretary V K Singh said, "We are making efforts to get the maximum number of children enrolled under the EWS quota. There is still time for the academic session to start and the schools should not hurry. We need to understand that the population growth rate in this census has declined which is why so many seats are still vacant."

District education officer Ram Kumar Sharma said, "The schools should accommodate maximum number of students till February 15, then send us the details about the vacant seats. Further action shall be decided later."

UT administration has asked 60 city-based NGOs associated with Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan to step in and spread awareness regarding RTE Act and the importance of education.

Latest NGO's News Part-2 Dated on February 8th,2012

2012-02-08T01:59:00.000-08:00

NGOs upbeat over China's environmental transparency progress

Survey reveals greater pressure on major players such as Apple and the Beijing government to clean up

Green activists applauded steady progress on environmental transparency in China after public campaigns forced major players, including Apple and the Beijing government, to release sensitive information on pollution and its origins.

A survey on openness and accountability released Monday showed that, while the overall situation remains poor, an increasingly informed public is putting greater pressure on companies and local authorities to clean up.

The upbeat assessment was made in the third annual report on Pollution Information Transparency by Chinese NGOs and the US-based Natural Resources Defence Council, just days after two major steps in the campaign to improve environmental transparency in China.

This month, the Beijing government started releasing real-time data on the most toxic form of air pollution. On Friday, Apple published a previously secret list of its suppliers and outlined the steps it has taken to deal with illegal discharges of hazardous waste.

The latest transparency report shows patchy progress in releasing data and responding to requests for information, although these are legally mandated.

In a survey of 113 cities, the authors note gradual improvement among municipal governments in economically advanced regions, such as the Pearl River delta and the Yangtze basin. However, in other areas, such as Shandong and Inner Mongolia, the authorities were less responsive than a year earlier.

But the overall trend was positive, marking the third year of gains. Recent scandals and growing public pressure have forced a rethink. Last year, the company's senior executives opened communications with Chinese environmental organisations represented by Ma Jun of the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs.

"We can draw the conclusion that a system for environmental information transparency has been established at an initial stage in China," said Ma.

There were also advances in the corporate sector. The report noted that more than 500 enterprises are now communicating with environmental NGOs about their monitoring and disclosure systems. This is up from almost none five years ago, but there are many thousands that have yet to engage with civil society in such a constructive manner.

Until recently Apple was one of them. The US firm had been accused of being as secretive and unresponsive as the Chinese authorities when its suppliers were implicated in labour disputes and pollution scandals.

Last week, however, the company responded to critics of its environmental, labour and transparency standards by detailing how it has dealt with problems ranging from illegal pollution discharges to falsified account books.

The US firm said it expanded the number of audits by 80 percent last year and, in addition, launched a specialised program in China to address environmental concerns.

The measures were detailed in the latest Progress Report on Apple Supplier Responsibility, which was released on Friday. For the first time, the annual report included the names of 156 companies that together account for 97 percent of Apple's outsourced manufacturing business.

The company found facilities that had been breaking air emission and wastewater discharge limits, using factories that were releasing industrial effluent via unapproved outflow pipes and failing to register pollution. In the most egregious cases, Apple said it had suspended business with the violators until improvements were in place.

Management of hazardous waste and air pollution appeared to be a particular worry. The compliance rate with Apple's standards in these category was just 68%, suggesting a widespread failure to implements the necessary safety and monitoring procedures. The company said 69 facilities were not recycling or disposing of hazardous waste as required by law.

However, it remains unclear how far down the supply chain the company's audits have reached. Many foreign businesses acknowledge difficulty in monitoring their supplier's suppliers, although it is often at the lower levels – where the profit margins are tightest – that the worst transgressions take place. Other firms are also considering more positive steps, including European telecoms operators who last week held a workshop on improving transparency in their supply chains.

To improve the system, environmentalists are calling for a national registry where companies can publicly report their pollution data, which would accelerate, simplify and improve public supervision. This has been effective in other nations.

"There is plenty of room to improve but we are seeing progress every year," said Bernadette Brennan of the National Resources Defence Council. "On the whole the trend is towards open information. More people realise this is good for society and good for business."

State planners are aware that transparency was a key element in the clear-up of other polluted countries, but it has struggled to enforce compliance and lacks the tools of an independent judiciary and free media that were also key elements in spreading and using data to put pressure on polluters.

The ministry of environment previously warned that polluters were operating in a "black box" but the latest report suggests progress is possible.
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Syrian President Going Down Amid Uproar?

The U.S. faces rising tensions across the Middle East and North Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Syria recently closed as violence against dissidents continued. In Egypt, a group of Americans, including a cabinet secretary's son, is facing trial for funding pro-democracy groups. Host Michel Martin checks in with Hisham Melhem of Al-Aribiya television.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Still to come: Are you carrying a human rights violation in your pocket? Now that people are becoming more aware of the conditions inside some of the factories where these products are made, some activists are saying it's time for consumers to step up and demand changes. A reporter who's been covering this will tell you more about this controversy in a few minutes.

That's just ahead. But first, we want to turn to the Middle East, where American officials are watching events closely in a number of countries.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: We have concluded that we need to suspend operations at our embassy in Damascus in light of the fact that we have security concerns about the safety of our personnel.

MARTIN: That is State Department spokeswoman Victoria Newland announcing that the U.S. is pulling staff out of it's embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus. There have been ongoing reports that dozens of people are being killed every day by government forces there. Meanwhile, in Egypt, nineteen Americans have been accused by the military of working to undermine that regime. Sam LaHood, who is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, is among those who have been banned from leaving the country, and President Barack Obama yesterday announced a new series of sanctions against Iran.

We wanted to take a closer look at all of these stories, so we've called upon Hisham Melhem. He is the Washington bureau chief for the television station Al-Arabiya, and he joins us from time to time to talk about events in the region. Welcome back, thank you so much for joining us.

HISHAM MELHEM: Thank you.

MARTIN: We want to get to the other stories in a minute, but we'd like to start with Egypt because obviously this is a story of great concern.

MELHEM: Sure.

MARTIN: Particularly to Americans. We're coming up on the anniversary of Hosni Mubarak's ouster, but now the military government who has been essentially running the country in this interim period before there have been elections says that nineteen Americans are going to stand trial for illegally funding anti-government groups, and as we mentioned, one of the Americans is the son of a cabinet member. And I'd like to ask you, what do you think is behind this and what do you think the implications are for Egypt's relationship with the U.S.?

MELHEM: The American/Egyptian relationship is going to go through a different period. It's not going to be again the kind of strategic partnership that was built three decades ago to stand up to the Soviet Union, to get the Soviets out of Afghanistan, to work on the peace process, to collaborate politically on regional issues. Now you have a very precarious transition going on in Egypt supervised by this unelected body which is called SCAF, Supreme Council for the Armed Forces of Egypt, which is ruling Egypt by decrees.

They sense that there is latent anti-Americanism there and they feel that by subjecting these nineteen Americans to this kind of public charade plays into the streets. And there is a minister of International Cooperation. She is known for her anti-American views and she believes that, you know, playing the American boogeyman helps the SCAF. She's very close to the SCAF, Field Marshal Tantawi, who's the head of the...

MARTIN: This military government.

MELHEM: The military council. But essentially what we have now is a military government that is looking for enemies abroad and domestic to justify its presence. They know that the new parliament doesn't want them to remain in power but they want to enter into a new arrangement whereby the new order in Egypt, whatever that order is, will maintain their economic perks and their special political status.

MARTIN: You know what's interesting about this is the U.S., as you would imagine, is now threatening to withhold over a billion dollars in aid to Egypt, and it has to be known, at least by the military government, that a very large percentage of that funding does go to the military. So it just seems curious that they would take this step which would jeopardize a lot of their funding.

MELHEM: Absolutely but there is a kind of maybe naive notion on the part of the military council in Egypt that the Americans want that relationship, that the Americans are not going, at the end of the day, to cut off military aid or economic aid. But I'll tell you, I'm sensing a chorus of voices in this town calling for the United States to if not cut off aid completely but to reduce it, and there are many experts who argue that we should reach that point, that we've been supplying Egypt with economic aid and military aid just as Israel, you know, since the 1979 peace agreement, and I think those two countries, to put it bluntly, don't need that kind of support.

MARTIN: Israel and Egypt are the largest recipients of U.S. government aid still. So I'm going To ask you what scenario do you see unfolding here?

MELHEM: I think for sure, with certainty we can say that the Egyptian-American relationship is no longer the same and you're going to see more criticism on the part of the Egyptians of the United States government because they believe that this play well with the street, with the new majority, the Islamist majority, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salifists in the new parliament, and I think it's about time that the relationship will be normalized. This is no longer a very special relationship.

MARTIN: I do have to ask just briefly before we move on, because we do have other countries we wanted to check in on, do you - is there any substance to the charges as you understand it? Or you used the word charade. Is there any substance to what the accusations are and do you really think that these trials will go forward?

MELHEM: Look, the Americans - and I think correctly - the American government correctly insists that some of the money that goes to Egypt goes to NGOs. The Egyptian government under Mubarak always undermined NGOs. They wanted the American money to go directly to them, but every time an American supports NGOs in Egypt, they talk about interference, undermining Egyptian sovereignty, interfering in Egypt's domestic affairs. They cannot have it both ways.

MARTIN: We're talking about developments across the Middle East with Al-Arabiya Washington bureau chief Hisham Melhem. He's here in our Washington, D.C. studios. Let's head to Syria now. The U.S. has evacuated all embassy personnel out of the country as we said. You know, we've been hearing reports all along, for months now, of major attacks against anti-government groups and other civilians, hard to verify, because it's very hard for Westerners to report in that country.

Now, the U.S. is saying that the president's Bashar al-Assad's time is running out. Is that - do you think that that's really true?

MELHEM: I think it is true. It's a question of time. I think he is, as one American official said, a dead man walking. It's a question of time, when he will be overthrown, and I shudder to think about the price that the Syrian people are going to pay and are paying every day. There are some reporters in Homs, which is the third largest city, that is getting the brunt of the attacks from the government forces and we've seen indiscriminate shelling against civilian neighborhoods. And this can be basically verified, I mean by reporters, by eye witnesses, by YouTube videos, and we've seen all of that.

There's a war being waged on the people of Homs in particular, and if you remember, this uprising began as a peaceful movement and it remained largely a peaceful movement. Then you had defections from the Army, and now those who are fighting the conventional forces, the government forces, are defectors from the Army who are sick and tired of shooting at their own people, and now you have a qualitative shift in the government's attacks after the Russian/Chinese veto over the weekend which was seen by many people in the Arab world and in the world, really, as a new license to kill given by the Chinese and the Russians to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

MARTIN: Just to clarify here, that there was an attempt made to get the United Nations Security Council to coalesce around an effort in Syria and Russia and China.

MELHEM: It's supported by the Arab League and the Europeans and the Americans. It was not Western imposed, as some people - as the regime is claiming. It's essentially an Arab peace plan.

MARTIN: An Arab peace plan which Russia and China oppose.

MELHEM: Right.

MARTIN: So the question, I think, that many people have, and you covered the NATO operation that helped oust Moammar Gadhafi from Libya, why has there not been any effective international intervention in Syria to this point, as we have seen in other places when the international community came to a decision, as was the case in Libya - why do you think that hasn't happened in Syria?

MELHEM: Well, it was a lot easier to use military force against Libya. What happened in Libya remained in Libya. Unfortunately what happens in Syria does not remain in Syria. Syria is surrounded by a number of states that are extremely important for the United States. Tension in Syria is likely to spill over to other countries - Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, maybe even Jordan. Syria has a stronger military, so unless you have a concerted American effort, or lead by the United States, nobody is talking about a serious military intervention.

And this country is not willing at this stage, for a variety of domestic reasons - Afghanistan, you name it - is not willing to play that important role. And that's why they are trying to focus their collaborations with the Turks, with the Arabs and the Europeans, to squeeze the regime, to deprive the regime from sources of funding, but short of a military intervention a la Libya.

MARTIN: Finally, and all of these stories are complicated and deserve time and attention...

MELHEM: Sure.

MARTIN: ...we do want to spend the last couple of minutes talking about Iran. The U.S. just announced a fresh run of sanctions against banking institutions in Iran and there have been open rumblings about an Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Could you talk a little bit about why now? Why is this happening now?

MELHEM: This administration is very concerned that the Israelis may take things into their own hands and attack Iran during the presidential campaign, the last year of, you know, a president in office, and that's the last thing the United States would like to see now, at a time when it's still involved in Afghanistan, at a time when the economic recovery is still slow.

An attack on Iran will create havoc in the oil markets, international markets. It will allow the Iranians - give them an excuse to lash out at the Americans in Iraq and in Afghanistan and in the Gulf. And this is precisely what Barack Obama, President Obama, shared on Sunday.

So essentially the United States is very concerned about the unilateral Israeli attack. On the other hand, the American intelligence services - and I think most intelligence services in the world tell you that Iran is not there yet in terms of producing all the components of a nuclear device.

And that's why the administration, on the one hand, is ratcheting up the pressure and maybe attempts to sabotage the nuclear program from - you know, from the outside, short of a military option at this stage. And by the way, this president, Barack Obama, has imposed the most stringent sanctions on the Iranian regime, more than any previous president, with collaboration with the Europeans. Today, the Iranians are really beginning to feel the economic and financial pinch.

MARTIN: Finally, before we let you go, we've focused on these stories which are commanding the headlines, you know, for obvious reasons. Is there another story from the region that you think we should be paying attention to that perhaps is not getting as much attention, that your reporters, for example, are talking about?

MELHEM: Well, I mean, the Palestine issue remains an issue, and then you have the other uprisings taking place in the Arab world, like in Bahrain. We don't talk too much about Bahrain because we have a major naval base there. Also, Yemen. It's still in ferment.

But essentially the region is going through tremendous social and economic and cultural changes, and then the Islamists are going to inherit the immediate future of most of these societies, and it's going to be a debate within the Muslim groups as to the nature of governance, as to the nature of these societies in the next decade or two, and this is – this is a long term story that is extremely complex, even for those of us who make a living covering that part of the world.

MARTIN: Well, thank you for taking the time to talk about this with us.

MELHEM: Thank you.

MARTIN: Hisham Melhelm is the Washington bureau chief for Al-Aribiya Television, and he was kind enough to join us in our Washington, D.C. studios. Thank you so much.
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GOOD GOV

Israel, NGOs Collaborate on Palestinian Media Monitoring

In the United States, intelligence gathering is a multi-agency effort. The NSA taps phones, the DIA analyzes satellite photos, and of course the CIA has its sneakers on the ground in hot spots like Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But when you're a country with a population the size of New York City surrounded by mortal enemies and with a skeleton crew of skilled officers, sometimes you have to improvise.

According to Haaretz, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outsourced monitoring of Palestinian media, social media and right-wing groups allied with Netanyahu's Likud Party. Among the groups participating in the effort are the Israeli-based Palestinian Media Watch, the D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), and other Middle East watchdog organizations.

The decision is mostly economic. Brutal budget cuts mean military officials are unable to monitor social media and Arab television stations like Al-Jazeera, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar, as well as Palestinian media. In some cases, Israel Defense Force officers get access to crucial Friday sermons in mosques days later - long after their intelligence value has faded.

The IDF denies the allegations. But staffers and government officials speaking on condition of anonymity with the Tel-Aviv based newspaper confirm that complaints have been taken to Military Intelligence Chief Aviv Kochavi, the man tasked with monitoring email, telephone and web traffic for the IDF's military intelligence arm.

Incidentally, the IDF has its own social media intelligence arm, Hatzav. Tasked with monitoring Twitter, Facebook and other social media websites, the division is part of Unit 8200, an elite unit of counter-intelligence professionals whose job is to intercept phone conversations and other suspicious chatter, as well as beefing up Israel's cybersecurity capabilities.

As resources become increasingly scarce, Prime Minister Netanyahu's government is taking matters into its own hands. PMW director, Itmar Marcus, has already come to its aid. Marcus previously served as a member of the Israeli delegation of the Tri-Lateral Committee to Monitor Incitement, set up after the signing of the Wye River Memorandum in 1998.

Palestinian Media Watch documents the "contradictions between the image the Palestinians present to the world in English and the messages to their own people in Arabic." It documents anti-Jewish and anti-Israel rhetoric on Palestinian media, distributing translations of Palestinian programs into English. Information in the PMW's newsletters frequently find their way into memos; government and diplomatic officials often cite PMW excerpts during briefings with foreign dignitaries.

For its part, the Netanyahu government makes an effort to verify every statement that it cites from PMW memos. But as several high-profile incidents in the region emphasize the issue of anti-Israel incitement, Netanyahu and his ministers have no intentions of letting up the pressure on Palestinian officials, clerics and others it claims are inciting violence in the West Bank and abroad.
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PAN Europe coordinator on eliminating pesticides dangerous for bees.
Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) is a network of NGOs working to minimise negative effects of pesticides and replace the use of hazardous chemicals with ecologically sound alternatives. Our network brings together consumer, public health, and environmental organisations, trades unions, women’s groups and farmer associations from across 19 European countries.

Our Brussels office is looking for a coordinator on a project on the protection of bees against harmful pesticides. He/she needs to have a good knowledge of (eco)toxicology and at the same time be able to cooperate with our network of members and allies on bee protection. An important element of the project is the start of legal cases on a class of pesticides called neonicotinoïdes and the close cooperation with lawyers. Your task will be the closely follow new science published on neonicotinoïdes and on bee/insect toxicity testing, and make it available for the work we intend to pursue. Together with our partner organisations in France, Italy and Austria, you will develop an effective strategy to lobby politicians and the food chain on bee protection and raise awareness in the public on the negative effects of chemicals such as neonicotinoïdes. You will also have to contribute to strengthening the PAN network and to its visibility.

Qualifications needed are university level knowledge of (eco)toxicology or related fields, good social skills to inspire, help and stimulate our members and partners, and communication skills to translate a complicated technical message into easy to understand language. You must be able to express yourself well in English, while understanding French, Italian or German is a pre.

We offer a position with a lot of responsibility and entrepreneurship in a team functioning on the basis of inspiration and mutual respect. The employee is based in our Brussels office while working from another location in Europe could be discussed. The contract is for a maximum of 4 days a week; we will start with a contract of a year with the intention to prolong the contract to the full project period of three years. The salary is to be negotiated.
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Mechanism to reach out to the vulnerable

Speakers at a humanitarian diplomacy workshop stressed the need for decision makers and opinion leaders to act in the interest of vulnerable people, said a press release issued by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS).

This, they stated is the key to resource mobilisation during any disaster with full respect for the fundamental humanitarian principles. The workshop was organised in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

While speaking on the occasion, PRCS Chairperson Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar said that humanitarian diplomacy can help support the vulnerable in a much effective manner and the humanitarian organisation should focus more on this subject. She said that the PRCS in collaboration with IFRC will hold humanitarian diplomacy sessions for the parliamentarians for their key role in an effective humanitarian response during any disaster.

PRCS Acting Secretary General Ateeb Siddique said that humanitarian diplomacy is about a change of mindset. It needs to be a part of daily work within all National Societies.

PRCS Humanitarian Diplomacy Delegate Surrien Peris stated that Sphere Charter is the need of hour in the current scenario and there should be NGO Code of Conduct for Disaster Relief based checklist for disaster managers and health professionals.

He said Code of Good Practice for NGOs responding to HIV/AIDs and Principles and Rules for RCRC Disaster Relief. He said the Hyogo Framework offers guiding principles, priorities for action, and practical means for achieving disaster resilience for vulnerable communities.

Inter-Agency Standing Committees Guidelines for Protecting Persons Affected by Natural Disasters: Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
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Ruling Party Says NGOs Politicized, Need Regulation

Russia’s ruling United Russia party said non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are excessively politicized and financed from abroad and need to be regulated.

Yury Shuvalov, the deputy secretary of the party’s Presidium of the General Council, told a session of the party’s political clubs on Friday that in many cases “NGOs operate as an instrument of influence on Russia from abroad.”

He said the main issue that needs to be raised again is how the non-profit groups operating in Russia are financed.

Kremlin officials and pro-government youth groups often accuse the U.S. White House of threatening Russia’s sovereignty via the non-profit groups.

In a televised phone-in show late last year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismissed the thousands of protesters who claim vote-rigging in the December 4 parliamentary elections as paid agents of the West.

Shuvalov’s colleague Andrei Isayev said that the development of NGOs in Russia is very important and they need government’s support.

“But I agree that certain filters should be created for NGOs because they receive foreign assistance,” he said, adding that it should be always publicly stressed “if a non-profit organization has been founded and is managed by a U.S. citizen.”

He cited as an example Russia’s largest independent election watchdog Golos, which, he said, is funded by the United States, saying that the American involvement should be always mentioned.

Golos, which is funded by the United States and EU, says it is being persistently pressured by the authorities.

At a recent news conference in Moscow, the group said its members were faced with “open intimidation,” including “phone-tapping, as well as breaking into mail boxes and accounts on social networking sites.”

Late last year, a documentary on state television accused Golos of serving U.S. interests and trying to foment a Ukraine-style “Orange Revolution” in Russia.
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'Foreign NGOs pressuring govt on Andaman road'

Port Blair/New Delhi: Facing criticism following uploading of videos showing semi-naked Jarawa tribe, the Andaman and Nicobar authorities on Monday alleged some foreign NGOs were pressurising the Government to close the Andaman Trunk Road and made it clear that action will be taken against officials found colluding with them.

`Foreign NGOs pressuring govt on Andaman road`
An official spokesperson of the Island police said steps have already been taken irrespective of the vintage of the video footage of Jarawa tribes taken by some "unscrupulous and mischievous elements" which is highly deplorable and a condemnable act.

Two persons have been arrested and investigation was in progress after the uploading of first video, the spokesperson said.

`Foreign NGOs pressuring govt on Andaman road`
"Irrespective of the rank and service of the government officials involved or found colluding, the administration is committed to identify and take stringent action against them," the spokesperson said.

In Delhi, a minister said that government is exploring the possibility of having alternate connectivity with the Great Nicobar island through sea and aerial route, if the Andaman Truck Route (ATR) - which connects the island to Port Blair- is closed down.

"The problem inside is the ATR which joins Port Blair with the Greater Nicobar, it passes through that area. If ATR is closed, then the alternate routes will be the sea and aerial route," Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo told a news agency.

However, the Andaman spokesperson said there was a "concerted effort" by vested interests to pressurise the Government for the closure of the Andaman Trunk Road without fully appreciating the inherent issues.

"It is likely that some foreign NGOs may be in possession of some more old video footage, as these have been in circulation on the Internet, to selectively release them to sensationalising the issue with the ulterior aim of putting pressure for closure of the Andaman Trunk Road, the lifeline of more than one lakh people inhabiting North and Middle Andamans," the spokesperson said.

About the tribal people of the island, the spokesperson said the administration has been engaged in protecting the tribal interest and in line with this policy it established in 2007 an additional buffer zone of five kilometers width around the notified Jarawa reserve.

"It closed down all such tourism activities (including government-run establishments) which could have impacted on the Jarawa interests," the spokesperson said.

The 330 kilometer-long Andaman Trunk Road serves a vital communication link of North and Middle Andamans and of its settlements and out of this 56 kms of this road passes through the Jarawa Reserve.

The administration has progressively restricted the number of convoys passing through this reserve and have ensured that these convoys are properly escorted by the police to minimise contact with the Jarawas, who otherwise move freely within their reserve areas and even beyond.

For the first time, the Jarawa population has gone up by 40 percent in the last ten years from 240 in 2000 to 383 in 2011 out of which 141 were below 10 years, and 99 in the age group of 11 to 20 years.

Besides Jarawas, there are five more vulnerable tribes in the islands out of which the largest tribe of Nicobarese, numbering around 30,000, have already joined the mainstream and are doing extremely well in all walks of life.

The police has also warned tour operators to desist from promoting Jarawa tourism on their websites.
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Should NGOs take the corporate bait?

Every economic slump ushers in predictable, if not propagandistic, debates about Official Development Assistance, otherwise known as foreign aid. While Stephen Harper’s government has frozen aid spending through to 2015, the real anti-aid evangelicals can be found to the south, at the Republican primaries. Ron Paul, whose greatest accomplishment is that the press is still willing to hand him a microphone, has pledged to cancel American foreign aid altogether. There are, therefore, compelling reasons to consider where aid is now and where it might be headed.

The recession has been brutal to those who are reliant on humanitarian assistance for their very survival. European governments have, not surprisingly, made drastic cuts to their aid spending. So has the U.S. Congress, and many foundations are operating on reduced budgets. The effect has been that non-governmental organizations around the world are swimming in a rapidly evaporating pool of funding, raising the competitive stakes alongside a host of ethical questions.

On this point, several of the world’s leading international charities are now keeping some rather curious company, which could either represent the future of aid – a progressive merger of economic interests and social development – or its fire sale. In September, the Canadian International Development Agency announced a controversial multimillion-dollar grant to three leading international charities who will partner with major Canadian mining firms on development initiatives in African and Latin American countries in which these companies operate.

Under the deal, World University Services Canada, Plan Canada and World Vision Canada will receive CIDA funding totalling $6.7-million for projects with Rio Tinto Alcan, Iamgold and Barrick Gold, respectively. The largest share was for the Plan Canada-Iamgold project, which will take all but $1-million of the CIDA funding over the next five years. For their part, the three mining companies will contribute additional support just shy of $2-million. The combined annual net profit for these firms is more than $4-billion.

Now, on any given day that CIDA makes a funding announcement, the sanctimony served up by those who were overlooked is best cut with the knives sticking out of the backs of those who emerged as big winners. But this one struck at the very heart of the NGO community, leading many to shudder and ask of their colleagues, “How could you?”

Two of the participating mining firms have recently been involved in labour and human-rights disputes related to their operations abroad.

The central tension is whether these NGOs are serving as bagmen, advancing Canadian mining interests with taxpayer funding by appeasing local communities with gifts of health care and education, or whether they are simply piloting a new model of co-operation that might positively influence corporate behaviour overseas while simultaneously addressing development gaps.

Certainly the latter is what the executive director of WUSC, Chris Eaton, is hoping for. He was quoted in The Dominion newspaper expressing his sincere desire that such partnerships will “nudge along good practice.” Perhaps, but they can also buy silence in the case of bad practice, which is inherently more dangerous. And why would CIDA pick up any of the tab to improve the reputation of Canada’s mining sector abroad, if not to cement Mr. Harper’s vision for an aid policy that serves Canada’s trade and economic interests first, officially clearing the belfry of all Pearsonian bats?

Welcome to the new humanitarianism, where government funding is scarce, traditional donors are aging and more organizations are turning to corporate alliances that would once have been viewed as heresy. Yet as the aid sector goes in search of new funding models, we might do well to remember a line from the 17th-century English poet John Dryden: “Better shun the bait than struggle in the snare.”

Samantha Nutt is a founder of the NGO War Child and the author of Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid. To see a video conversation with Dr. Nutt, visit the Canadian International Council’s website at www.opencanada.org/newhumanitarians.
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U.S. Embassy haven for Cairo NGO staffers
CAIRO, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Americans employed by non-governmental organizations in Egypt were sheltered by the U.S. Embassy Monday amid fears they could be arrested, U.S. officials said.

A "handful of U.S. citizens have opted to stay in the embassy compound in Cairo while awaiting permission to depart Egypt," a senior State Department official told The Washington Post as U.S.-Egyptian relations hit a new low.

The official would not say if the sheltered citizens included Sam LaHood, director of the Cairo office of the International Republican Institute, a U.S.-funded pro-democracy organization.

LaHood, the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, is one of at least six American pro-democracy workers barred from leaving the country.

The official would not explain what threat, if any, prompted the embassy to take the highly unusual step of opening its doors to secure the Americans.

"They weren't in immediate physical danger, that we are aware of," the official told the Post.

A former IRI official told the newspaper his former colleagues had said they would take embassy shelter only as a last resort, if they had reason to believe their arrest was imminent.

IRI Middle East Director Scott Mastic told Arab broadcaster al-Jazeera he feared Egypt was about to issue arrest warrants "for the purpose of bringing people to trial."

"We don't have any way to confirm that that is about to happen, but the existence of a no-exit list to me demonstrates some intent to move persons to trial, and obviously we are very worried about the prospect of our staff being arrested," he said.

The provision of sanctuary began Sunday as senior Egyptian generals landed in Washington to try to mend relations with the United States. Congress is considering slashing $1.33 billion in annual military aid to Egypt.

The delegation, accompanied by defense officials from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, planned to discuss the crackdown on non-governmental organizations and the now-at-risk military aid with State Department and Pentagon officials, and with Capitol Hill lawmakers, Egypt's state-run Middle East News Agency reported.

Egyptian authorities last month raided the offices of several U.S.-funded organizations, including IRI, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House.

The groups work with Egyptian politicians and political parties to promote accountability and transparency in government.

Egypt's military authorities say dozens of Egyptian and foreign civil-society organizations that receive foreign funding operate without government permission. They have operated for years without endorsement because Cairo did not let them register as NGOs.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Foreign Ministry responded Sunday to the resignations of three top Washington lobbyists who quit Friday over the NGO crackdown. The ministry said the lobbyists did not quit but rather were terminated as a cost-cutting measure.

Separately, Egypt's state media reported Sunday the country's military rulers asked a panel of advisers for suggestions about handing over power to civilians earlier than the scheduled June deadline.

The military, which did not indicate if the request meant it was considering the move, has vowed to give up power only after a new constitution's ratification and a new president's election, both expected in June. The military said it wanted to oversee the constitution's drafting.

The developments came as Egyptians began voting for Parliament's upper house. In contrast to the November start of lower house voting, when people lined up for blocks and voted in record numbers, polling stations Sunday were largely empty, al-Jazeera reported.
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Lapsley slams ‘culture of greed’

Renowned anti-apartheid activist Father Michael Lapsley has bemoaned the culture of greed and corruption in SA, saying it is the biggest threat to the country’s prosperity.

Lapsley was deeply involved in the liberation Struggle and was expelled from SA and forced into exile for his political activities. He lost both hands and sight of one eye when he was a victim of a letter bomb sent to him by the apartheid government while he was in Zimbabwe in 1990.

Lapsley, an Anglican priest, told the Pretoria News on Sunday that the growing extent of inequality was a ticking time bomb for the country, and needed urgent attention.

“The road to the project that we dreamt of during the liberation Struggle is very rocky and still very long. The main challenge we have is the growing extent of greed and corruption.

“What we see now is that political elites have lost sight of what the liberation Struggle was for. We need to ask ourselves what it was that made us fight against apartheid.

“There are some worrying signs that seem to suggest that we have forgotten what it was that we were trying to achieve when we fought apartheid,” said Lapsley.

According to Lapsley, the wealth gap in SA made it the most skewed nation in terms of economic inequality in the world and this did not bode well for a county that overcame so many obstacles.

“If you look at the public display of individual wealth by some of our political elites when there is so much poverty in this country, it really means that we need spiritual and moral transformation.”

He said the centenary of the ANC should be used as a time to reflect on whether the liberation movement had achieved what it was meant to.

Since his recovery from the horrendous bombing that would change his life for ever, Lapsley has never stopped his work towards enriching the rest of humanity.

Through his Institute for Healing of Memories, Lapsley has travelled across the country, African continent and the world working with communities struggling to come to terms with the negative impact of the past. The organisation works with people from a diversity of backgrounds, including refugees, offenders, sufferers of HIV/Aids and victims of domestic violence.

This has seen him taking part in workshops in countries including East Timor, Rwanda and Northern Ireland.

“My work with this organisation which I founded in 1998 has been about that journey that we have travelled to get to where we are and also about the journey that I have travelled personally.

“Since the bombing, I have travelled a long journey getting good medical treatment, but I also needed healing and support which I received in abundance.

“I moved from being a victim to helping others who need healing and support to deal with the horrendous things that happened in their past. Even prisoners need healing because as much as most of them have done horrendous things in the past, they have also had horrible things done to them,” he said.

He said the work of NGOs was being undermined by the lack of funding due to global economic challenges.

“It is a global phenomenon not just here in South Africa but across the world. Here we are challenged mostly because there is not enough financial support from the government and most NGOs rely on international funding.

“Those are the countries that are currently facing serious economic challenges and it has affected how much they fund NGOs on the African continent,” said Lapsley.

Lapsley will this year publish a memoir titled From Freedom Fighter to Healer, in which he will share his journey from the liberation movement to his current work as a healer of communities.

“I believe I have lived fully and am satisfied that even if I die tomorrow I would have made my contribution and received as much as I could have from this world,” said Lapsley.
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Egypt Sues Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation Chief, FTD Says

Andreas Jacobs, the head of Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Cairo, is among 44 people associated with non-governmental organizations being sued by Egyptian authorities, the Financial Times Deutschland reported.

A list of people who will be put on trial for financing and running what Egyptian prosecutors say are illegal NGOs also includes Sam LaHood, son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and 18 other U.S. citizens, the newspaper said.

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is a political foundation linked to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party. It is involved in about 200 projects in more than 120 countries, according to its website.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jana Randow in Frankfurt at jrandow@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Craig Stirling at cstirling1@bloomberg.net
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'Tanks are on the streets of Homs': Syrians at breaking point as ammunition, food and hospital supplies run desperately low

Desperate Syrians are reaching breaking point as government troops look set to storm rebel-held parts of Homs.

As hospitals struggle to cope with hordes of injured and bloody citizens, opposition fighters are locked in a stand-off with president Bashar Assad's army.

The Free Syrian Army is fighting to protect neighbourhoods including Bab Amr, which has been shelled non-stop for four days, with at least 100 civilians killed there in the past two.

David Cameron yesterday gave the green light to a three point plan to force Syrian dictator Assad to quit, at a meeting of the National Security Council.

As international outrage at the president's actions intensified, Mr Cameron approved plans to train spin-doctors to help opposition leaders win the support of Syrian people into the future.

But on the ground, the rebels are running low on ammunition while food and hospital supplies are sparse.

Homs is largely cut off from the outside world, and its people are finding it increasingly difficult to function.

NGOs including the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claim the Syrian army is mounting a full-on attempt to reclaim rebel-held enclaves.

Rockets and mortar rounds continued to be fired, according to activists, a day after Russia said Assad wants peace.

Tanks entered the Inshaat neighbourhood and moved closer to Bab Amr district, which has been the target of the heaviest barrages by loyalist troops, activists said.

'Tanks are now at Qubab mosque and soldiers have entered Hikmeh hospital in Inshaat. They also moved closer to Bab Amro and shelling is being heard on Karm al-Zeitoun and al-Bayada,' activist Mohammad al-Hassan said by satellite phone from Homs.

'Communications have been cut in many parts of Homs and it is difficult to put together an overall picture. But tanks are in main thoroughfares in the city and appear poised to push deep into residential areas,' he added.

Western and Arab states acted to further isolate Assad following the onslaught on the city, one of the bloodiest of the 11-month uprising.

The official state news agency said 'armed terrorist groups' attacked police roadblocks in Homs and fired mortar bombs at the city, with three falling on the Homs oil refinery, one of two in the country. It gave no details of any damage.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said both countries wanted to revive a monitoring effort by the Arab League, whose plan to resolve Syria's crisis was vetoed by Moscow and Beijing in the U.N. Security Council.

Lavrov - a major arms supplier to Syria with deep political ties to Damascus and a naval facility on its coast - told Assad peace was in Russia's interests.

But there was no indication from Lavrov's comments that the issue of Assad eventually giving up power - a central element of the Arab proposal that failed in the U.N. - had been raised.

Tank bombardment also was reported on Zabadani, a town of 20,000 people 30km (19 miles) northwest of Damascus. The town sits in the foothills of mountains separating Syria from Lebanon, where resistance to Assad's rule has been among the fiercest.

At least ten have been killed in Zabadani in the past two days, activists said.

Around 150 tanks and thousands of troops launched an offensive on Zabadani last week following a withdrawal by Assad's forces last month after a truce reached by Assad's brother-in-law and town officials.

Opposition leaders say the bloodshed means it is too late for Assad to offer compromises and it is time to dismantle the 50-year-old police state dominated by members of his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam in the majority Sunni Muslim country.

'It is impossible for Assad to govern after bombarding his own cities and towns. He is escalating the use of his military might either to sink Syria into chaos or to improve his negotiating position,' said opposition leader-in-exile Kamal al-Labwani.

'Militarily he cannot win. The bombardment has killed mainly civilians. The fighters in Homs and other cities have been slipping away but they will be back.'

Mr Labwani said Moscow will either mediate a transitional military council to replace Assad or help him set up a coastal enclave for his sect.

The offensive on Homs and Zabadni followed attacks to regain suburbs of Damascus last week that had fallen under opposition control after months of mass demonstrations against Assad's rule and repeated military incursions that failed to put them down.

Amer Faqih, an activist in Damascus, said: 'We're under occupation. The army has been looting shops and houses and stealing even mattresses. They have cut electricity and telephones for 10 days now, Water and fuel are scarce. Anyone who ventures in the street after 6 p.m. risks being shot on the spot.'

Latest NGO's News Part-2 Dated on February 8th,2012

2012-02-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

Amid NGOs foreign funding row, poll shows most Egyptians oppose US aid

CAIRO: The majority of Egyptians are against receiving aid from the United States, according to a recent poll, which highlights increasing calls for transparency regarding the army budget, namely since it receives $1.3 billion annually in aid from the US.

The Gallup poll was released Monday, just as a number of NGOs came under fire from Egypt’s government, accusing them of illegally receiving foreign funding. US officials have in turn criticized the crackdown and floated threats about possibly withholding aid from Egypt.

As the country seeks to boost its battered economy, while youth call for transparent economic policies to battle corruption, the resentment of support from the US may pose a challenge for Egypt’s newly-elected parliament and future president.

Egypt’s dependence on aid from the US is now also coupled with requests to the International Monetary Fund for a $3.2 billion financial support package as it seeks to plug a gaping deficit and dwindling foreign reserves.

Depleting at a rate of $2 billion a month since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s net foreign reserves reached a little more than $16 billion at the end of January.

In the meantime, Egyptians and youth activists are questioning the army’s budget and its discrete business ventures, which range from hotels, gas stations to factories — and some have even launched a campaign to boycott army products and services.

According to the Gallup poll, about 74 percent of Egyptians oppose the US sending direct aid to Egyptian civil society groups and 71 percent oppose the idea of American aid to Egypt altogether.

Only 26 percent agreed to receive aid from the US, while 20 percent favored receiving aid for civil society organizations.

According to the Gallup report, President Barack Obama plans to speed up aid to Egypt and Congress has already approved $1.3 billion in military aid and $250 million in economic aid for the current fiscal year. Said aid, however, is now in question as many of the members of the NGOs facing a legal battle are American.

“Some of the conditions attached to this aid, including that it may not be spent unless Egypt meets all obligations under the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty, may help explain its unpopularity in certain Egyptian circles. Some Egyptian activists say such restrictions encroach upon Egypt's sovereignty,” the survey stated.

Undeniably, this been the main concern of Egypt’s youth.

“This money has stipulations. We can never go against what the US wants because we are obliged to follow, we are indebted to them by any kind of aid we receive, whether it is military aid or economic support,” Abdeltawab Hassan, a socialist activist and law student, told Daily News Egypt.

“When you are taking money from a country that supports a Zionist nation, you are working directly towards their interests, not the interests of your own people, who are obviously against this aid,” Abdeltawab added.

As the military-led government continues to investigate NGOs for “illegally” acquiring foreign funds, they have drawn attention to their own obscure, and still taboo, financial portfolio. In Egypt, the military’s finances and how it spends foreign aid continue to be a red line.

“That is why we are calling for the army to reveal their budget. They are trying to show the Egyptian people that the revolutionaries and activists are ruining the economy and are working for outside forces when they are the ones accepting money that we know nothing about,” said Mahienour El-Massry, a lawyer and activist in Alexandria’s No Military Trials campaign.

Many Egyptians, share the same sentiment, believing that the state, especially the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in its year-old political role, should be more transparent, adhering to the same guidelines that they ask of these organizations.

On the other hand, Ali Zakaria, managing director of the Egyptian Democratic Academy, said, “We can’t criticize this aid when the wheat we use to make our bread is purchased with the money we receive from the US.”

More acceptable aid

The Gallup poll also revealed that Egyptians are more likely to accept aid from international institutions such as the IMF, for example. About 50 percent of Egyptians who were surveyed favored the idea, while 42 percent were opposed.

An even larger percentage was in favor of receiving aid from Arab governments, as 68 percent polled said they approved, while only 28 percent opposed.

Fayza Aboul Naga, minister of planning and international cooperation, “recently noted that her country had received only $500 million of the $3.7 billion promised by Saudi Arabia and $500 million of the $1.5 billion pledged by Qatar. Further, she said the United Arab Emirates has paid none of its promised $3 billion,” the Gallup report stated.

Even the amount initially agreed upon with the IMF — the same package was rejected in June 2011 — now seems to be insufficient to meet Egypt’s financial needs.

In December, Aboul Naga estimated Egypt's foreign debt to be at $34.4 billion, representing 15 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the Gallup report said.

But regardless of how Egyptians feel about aid, some experts see little or no alternatives given the current economic climate.

“Financial aid can in some cases provide badly needed capital for economic empowerment and development, and ultimately help boost foreign investment and trade.

“With financial support from the US deeply unpopular among the Egyptian people, the country's political and business leaders may be forced to focus on other aid sources. International organizations will play a significant role in the process of helping Egypt marshal resources and expertise for development in a way that the Egyptian public supports at this crucial stage in the country's transition,” the Gallup report said.

Souring relations

Although the army was first welcomed when they appeared on the streets of Egypt during the January 25 uprising, relations have soured with activists since. With the new parliament in place, several MPs have blamed the sluggish economy on SCAF’s mismanagement of the prolonged transition period, as have some investors and economists.

“Many of our chants during the 18 days of the uprising were against US or any other country’s interference in our political affairs. Economic aid given from government to government has stipulations, they buy their silence through this aid as well as through other indirect means, such as close-knit business ventures,” El-Massry, said referring to America’s relationship with Egypt’s military council.

The military-led government has recently indicted 19 Americans for their work in organizations such as Freedom House and the National Democratic Institute, accusing them of illegally acquiring funds for their work, which includes training political parties, as well as helping new parties form.

“The military is also funded by the US, yet we have no budget report that shows us exactly how this aid is spent, even if the military is keeping this information classified for security reasons, as they like to say, they should at least share parts of this information with the parliament,” Zakaria said.

While Zakaria believes the move to scrutinize these civil society groups is a move by the government to show local media that they are seeking national sovereignty, he added that the military is trying to crush civil society groups.
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Egypt to prosecute more than 40 NGO staff
Egyptian officials have announced that at least 40 activists will face court after an investigation into 17 NGOs accused of operating without a licence and receiving illegal foreign funds. Nineteen of the accused are Americans, which is straining the relationship between Washington and Cairo.
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US seeks 'clarification' on Egypt activist trials

WASHINGTON — The United States demanded "clarification" Sunday over Cairo's apparent plans to put dozens of pro-democracy activists, including 19 Americans, on trial over charges of illegal funding of aid groups.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was "deeply concerned" over the developments, which threatened to further strain ties with Egypt's post-Arab Spring military rulers.

A top official at Freedom House, one of the groups targeted, called Egypt's handling of the matter "a disaster."

A judicial source in Cairo told AFP 44 people, including Egyptians, would be tried over alleged illegal funding of aid groups, a day after the United States said it would review aid to Egypt, $1.3 billion last year, over the crackdown.

"We have seen media reports that judicial officials in Egypt intend to forward a number of cases involving US-funded NGOs to the Cairo criminal court," Nuland told reporters traveling with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"We are deeply concerned by these reports and are seeking clarification from the government of Egypt."

The offices of Freedom House and the International Republican Institute were among 17 local and international NGOs raided in December by Egyptian authorities as part of a probe into alleged illegal funding.

The aid workers are accused of "setting up branches of international organizations in Egypt without a license from the Egyptian government" and of "receiving illegal foreign funding."

A travel ban on all the NGO workers who were detained remains in place.

The decision to try the foreign workers comes as Egypt remains beset by unrest sparked by the perceived failure of its military rulers and police to prevent football-linked violence following a match in the northern city of Port Said on Wednesday that left 74 people dead.

The decision to forward the NGO workers' cases for trial drew condemnation from US groups with staff in Egypt and from Germany's government.

"The Egyptian military's handling of this issue has been a disaster," said Charles Dunne, director for Middle East and North Africa programs for Freedom House.

"This represents another escalation by the Egyptian government in its war on civil society -- and it's not just the US organizations, it's the Egyptian organizations," he told AFP.

"I find it astounding that they would do this while you still have a delegation of Egyptian general officers here in the United States to talk to the Congress and the administration about continued US military funding."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle slammed Egypt's decision.

"It is unacceptable to harm organizations that have a real international mission which they take on seriously," he told ARD television, according to an early release transcript.

"We shall act, in the framework of our foreign policy towards Egypt, in such a way as to ensure that political organizations that have a worldwide reputation are allowed to continue working as they have done."

Egypt's ruling military council, which took power after an uprising toppled veteran president Hosni Mubarak last spring, has accused foreign groups of funding street protests against them.

The move will further strain US-Egypt ties after last year's raid during which Cairo prosecutors confiscated computers and paperwork from NGO offices.

Egypt then barred some US members of the NGOs from leaving the country and American officials said "a handful" took refuge inside the US embassy.

On Saturday, Clinton warned that Washington's aid to Egypt would be reviewed, highlighting the continued deadlock over Cairo's crackdown.

In a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Clinton said she "had a chance to once again express our deep concerns with what is happening to our NGOs."

"We do not believe there is any basis for these investigations, these raids... the seizure of their equipment and certainly no basis for prohibiting the exit from the country by" NGO members," Clinton said.

"We have worked very hard the last year to put into place financial assistance and other support for the economic and political reforms that are occurring in Egypt.

"And we will have to closely review these matters as it comes time for us to certify whether or not any of these funds from our government can be made available under these circumstances," Clinton added.

Senior Egyptian military officers visited the United States last week in a bid to defuse the row.

Among those barred from leaving the country is the Egypt director of IRI, Sam LaHood, the son of US Secretary for Transportation Ray LaHood.
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Lawyers Union slams indictment of 44 NGO workers

CAIRO: The Lawyers Union for Legal Studies and Democracy called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to investigate alleged foreign funding of the Muslim Brotherhood group and to sack the prosecutor general, in response to the referral to court of 44 NGO workers.

The Lawyers Union’s statement made five demands, topped by an “an investigation into the funding mechanisms of the Muslim Brotherhood, including their secret accounts and questioning their members about the sources of their wealth.”

Other demands included “announcing the legal status of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is neither a legitimate religious association nor a political party even though it possesses a luxurious headquarters (worth millions of Riyals) in plain sight of the police, prosecution, judiciary and military.”

The Lawyers Union also demanded investigation of other legitimate religious institutions that receive funding from Qatar and Saudi Arabia without proper monitoring of their activities; and the removal of the current Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud; as well as revealing the reason behind closing the investigation into the funds of Al-Wafd Party leader Al-Sayed Al-Badawy.

Additionally, the Union requested an investigation into what it described as a “secret visit” by the former Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood to Qatar on Dec. 26, 2011.

The statement ended by calling upon SCAF not to submit to Saudi Arabian and Gulf pressure, and to affirm that neither Qatar nor Saudi Arabia interfere in Egyptian sovereign affairs. It also demanded guarantees that the military is against corruption and is not protecting the Muslim Brotherhood or the head of Al-Wafd Party.

The statement issued by the Lawyers Union was made in light of the indictment of 44 local and foreign NGO workers, of which 36 were banned from leaving the country while four were placed on a watch-list since they are already abroad.

The list includes 19 Americans, one of whom is Sam LaHood, Egypt director of the International Republican Institute (IRI), and also the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Also facing charges are five Serbs, two Germans, two Lebanese, one Jordanian and one Palestinian, in addition to 14 Egyptians, who have all been banned from travel or have been placed on incoming watch-lists for being currently abroad.

According to an NDI employee who has been charged but refused to reveal their identity, the NGO workers were not served court notification about the legal action taken against them. Some found out through their lawyers, while others through friends in the media or via published news reports.

“We were told that we face charges of working in an illegal organization, functioning without the required permits under Egyptian law and that we received foreign illegal funds in our personal bank accounts,” the source said.

The source also said that the charges also include conducting research and gathering information that was passed on to their US headquarters. This information was seen as instrumental in influencing the decisions of Egyptians at the polls, the source said, adding that there were still ambiguities in the phrasing, and that they were considering their next steps and their legal positions.

“I am shocked,” the source said. “We never believed it would go this far and we though that this crackdown was more about the politics at play. But this is now a large, important and serious case.”

An earlier statement was released on Sunday by IRI condemning the prosecutions, saying that they “reflected the escalating attacks against international and Egyptian democracy organizations.”

IRI’s statement further referred to a report issued by the US State Department which had noted that “Egypt’s constitution provides for an independent judiciary, but in practice the judiciary was subject to executive influence and corruption.”

The legal assaults were condemned by IRI and described as not a “legitimate judicial process,” but rather as a “politically motivated effort to squash Egypt’s growing civil society, orchestrated through the courts, in part by Mubarak-era holdovers.”

Organizations such as the IRI and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) were accused of receiving $40 million over six months to support Egypt’s transition to democracy in activities deemed in violation of Egypt’s NGO Law No. 84 of 2002.

The list released by the Ministry of Justice referring the NGOs to court included 16 individuals from NDI (seven Americans, two Lebanese, two Serbs and four Egyptians), along with 14 from the IRI (seven Americans, two Serbs, one Palestinian and four Egyptians), seven working with Freedom House (two Americans, one Jordanian and four Egyptians), five from International Center of Journalists (three Americans and two Egyptians) and two Germans with the Konrad Adenauer Stifung.

List of NGO workers/affiliations taken to court on alleged charges that include receiving illegal foreign funds and working without proper licenses:

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Andreas Jacobs (Germany) and Christina Baade (Germany).

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
Patrick Butler (US), Natasha Tynes (US), Mida Michelle (US), Yehya Zakaria (Egypt) Islam Shafiq (Egypt).

Freedom House
Charles Dan (US), Sherif Ahmed Sobhi Mansour (US), Samir Salim (Jordan), Mohamed Abdel Aziz (Egypt), Nancy Gamal Okeyl (Egypt), Basem Ali (Egypt), Magdy Moharam (Egypt).

International Republican Institute (IRI)
Sam LaHood (US), Sherine Sahany (US), Christine Angel (US) Sort Chik (Serbia), Hans Homis (Serbia), John George (US), Reeda Khedr (Palestine), Osama Azizi (US), Sian Mark (US), Elizabeth Dugan (US), Ahmed Shawqi (Egypt), Ahmed Abdel Aziz (Egypt), Ahmed Adam (Egypt), Essam Borei (Egypt).

National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Julie Hughes (US), Almadin Krotovich (Serbia), Bomeedir Milic (Serbia), Layla Gafar (US), Robert Becker (US), Kabir Moderibee (US), Mariana Koravitch (Serbia), Sitia Sia Leenhag (US), Dana Dikono (US), Ali Suleiman (Lebanon) Maron Safir (Lebanon), Michael James (US), Mohamed Ashraf (Egypt), Radwa Sayid (Egypt), Hafsa Maher (Egypt), Amgad Morsi (Egypt).
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There's More to Conservation Than Tigers and Pandas
As the manager of a charitable fund, people often comment that it must be a little like playing God. Certainly I've had responses from unsuccessful applicants telling me that my decision will result in children starving, which is not the kind of message anyone wants to see in their inbox. But how do you choose which projects to fund and who to help?

At some point you have to accept you can't do it all and try not to feel guilty. For many large NGOs they'll take your decision on the chin and move on to the next application. On the other hand, there are small grassroots organisations with very few options for funding and even though they often only need a small amount it can seem impossible to find. By supporting these smaller groups your donation can have a much greater and more direct impact.

There are other more important reasons for supporting grassroots groups over the large national or international NGOs. People are often surprised when I tell them that not every charity out there has the purest intentions. Surely if an organisation is registered as a charity and the mission statement, littered with all the right buzzwords, shows they aim to do nothing but good the only thing left to do is give them some of your hard earned cash?

Sadly there are a number of organisations that have been co-opted by the corporate world. In exchange for hefty donations they help the company achieve their aims, perhaps through greenwashing or even by helping to coerce a community to allow the company to mine their mountain or cut down their forest in exchange for funding for infrastructure (which seldom ever appears).

Of all the organisations in the non-profit world the ones which seem to attract the most criticism are the mega conservation groups; WWF, Conservation International, African Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Society. Close ties with corporate donors question their true motives, and let us not forget WWF's role in rebranding the Tories as the eco-friendly, caring party, a move they now seem to regret but you have to wonder if they ever really believed Cameron's rhetoric.

These groups have become extraordinarily successful at raising funds by highlighting the plight of the iconic species we all know and love, the elephants, tigers, pandas and rhinos of the world. A common strategy, along with investing millions in captive breeding in zoos, is to buy up land and turn it in to nature reserves. The problem is that often there are people living on the land and once it becomes a nature reserve, they are often forcibly evicted.

Survival International recently reported that Kenya's Samburu people were subjected to "a series of brutal evictions... burning their villages, killing and stealing their animals and assaulting men, women and children" when their land was taken for a nature reserve. The reserve was bought via funds raised by The Nature Conservancy and African Wildlife Foundation. I've lost track of how many applications I've received from across Africa telling similar stories. Indigenous people violently evicted and left nowhere to go, destitute and unable to access the land that once provided their home, livelihood and source of food.

An application came in recently for a project in Nepal. It was from another conservation organisation, only much smaller than those previously mentioned, again centred around buying up land to create reserves. They're working in the region of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, another reserve with high levels of conflict with local people as they're denied access to the land, their properties damaged and women assaulted. It's frighteningly widespread (visit www.facebook.com/justconservation for more examples) with very little public awareness despite the fact that we're the ones funding it through our good intentioned donations.

Despite the millions donated to multi-national conservation NGOs, they continue to fail to even save those species that undoubtedly pull in most of their funds. Not even the panda, which WWF has used as it's logo since it formed in 1961, appears to be any more stable in the wild than it was millions of pounds previously. Perhaps if more resources were put in to protecting their habitats from rampant development rather than breeding animals in cages and using them for political game playing they'd be in a better position. I wonder if the likes of WWF have a plan B for their fundraising strategy once the panda and others have gone, I'm hoping not.

What I find most difficult when assessing applications is trying to determine the reality on the ground, when they say that local people are meaningfully involved in devising and implementing projects do they really mean that or are they just telling you what you want to hear? In the end I've decided that if there's any doubt at all, don't do it. Whilst some might say it's overly cautious I wouldn't touch an organisation that gives Conservation International as their referee or lists corporations as major funders, it's just not worth taking the risk. Playing God in choosing who you help and who you don't is one thing, giving funds to an organisation that might enable them to abuse others is quite another.

Conservation groups can also be very short-sighted. Another application this week stated the reasons for the decline in a species of bird found in Israel, Iraq, Sudan and Eritrea were poorly understood. They wanted to undertake surveys to figure it all out; perhaps they just need to watch the news. Reading the application I couldn't help imagining the scene - a field worker running around with a pair of binoculars scratching his head while people around him wait for aid to arrive as they struggle to cope with drought, poverty and armed conflict.

Of course ecosystems are complex and unpredictable and studies can reveal unexpected factors which might be more easily tweaked than war and climatic breakdown but it's unlikely that the obvious problems aren't also crucial factors.

Undoubtedly projects such as providing nest boxes for birds who've lost much of their natural nesting sites, replacing traditional sea moorings to those which do not damage the Seahorse's eel grass home and encouraging fishermen not to use gillnets which can result in the death of penguins, turtles and other marine life, are helpful and we must do them.

But it all feels a little like treating a cold whilst ignoring the patient has cancer. We need to put more resources in to supporting groups that are dealing with the cause of these more significant and far reaching issues, this also has the bonus of benefiting more than just one favoured species. You want to help wildlife? Stop war, stop climate change, stop the destruction of wild habitats by supporting the indigenous people who live there and most importantly, stop wasting time.
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Pakistani youths return after attending moot in Iran

As many as 45 Pakistani youth, including politico-religious figures, media persons and NGOs representatives have returned from Iran after attending the two-day international conference there.

The Pakistani youth besides being part of the conference, also paid a visit to the mausoleums of Imam Ali Raza (AS) and the leader of Islamic Revolution late Ayatullah Imam Khomeini and offered ‘Fateha’ there, during their visit to Isphahan, Qom and Mashhad.

They included Mualana Samiul Haq’s son, ex-MNA Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, senior journalist Agha Masood Hussain, Mustafa Hussain Syed, Hannan Ali Abbasi, who is chief of the Youth Parliament, Maulana Inamul Haq Haqqani, Osama Samiul Haq and Mazhar Ali Shaikh.

Over 1,000 delegates from 80 countries, including Pakistan, India, the United States, Canada, Middle East and Europe participated in the event, which was addressed by the top Iranian leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati.

The Iranian leaders laid emphasis on provision of justice to all and singled out the imperialist forces that were denying the same to the Muslims.

Talking to ‘The News’ here, Mazhar, who is information secretary of the NGOs Network of Pakistan and president Inter-Faith Harmony’s Youth Wing, said that the Iranian leaders talked of Muslim awakening, particularly among youth, referring to the recent developments in several Muslim countries that included Tunis and Egypt.

They particularly focused on the need to be aware of the imperialist forces’ conspiracies to divide the Islamic nations by triggering misunderstandings in their ranks.

The Iranian leaders also tried to sensitise the moot about the Western cultural invasion and cautioned against this fast creeping phenomenon into the Muslim societies, he noted.

He said they also laid emphasis on promoting unity in the ranks of Muslim Ummah and said with unity, the Ummah could meet any challenge by Israel or the US.

Mazhar noted the Iranian hosts also called on the Muslim youth to equip themselves with knowledge and put their respective nations on the path of prosperity and progress.

The Iranian leaders, he continued, also pointed out that the young Muslim generation was confident and eager to play its role in steering the Ummah out of challenges, as they shared concerns about its state of affairs.

The delegates were divided into working groups that came up with very useful proposals and ideas on how to pace up with the modern world, maintaining Islamic identity, Mazhar said.
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Pakistan lost Rs7,020 billion, got only Rs990 billion

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy has been facing the loss of Rs3 billion every day and Rs93 billion every month due to the highly controversial US-led war on terror for the last 46 months of the Gilani regime.

The State Bank of Pakistan had calculated a total loss of $68.9 billion till June 30, 2011 to the country’s economy due to the war on terror. However, after seven months of the current financial year this figure is estimated to have risen to almost $78 billion (Rs7020 billion=Rs7 trillion).

In return, according to official sources, Pakistan directly or indirectly (through NGOs and USAID) received around $800 million to $900 million per year aid making the total around $11 billion (Rs990 billion).

This means Pakistan lost $78 billion besides compromising its sovereignty, inviting terrorism, sacrificing more than 35,000 people including soldiers and other law enforcing personnel but in return received peanuts.

The money received under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) is considered a disbursement of what Pakistan spends on the war on terror, therefore, is not reflected as aid. Official figures prove that against its demand of around $13 billion under CSF, Pakistan received only $8.6 billion since 9/11.

According to official figures, the loss to the country’s economy due to war on terror was $28 billion during the six-and-a-half-year post 9/11 tenure of General Musharraf but this heavy cost of the so-called war on terror has jumped to $78 billion — an increase of $50 billion (Rs4500 billion) under Gilani’s 46 months tenure.

These figures prove that the financial cost of the war on terror on Pakistan’s economy has drastically increased during the present regime besides a phenomenal increase in the number of drone attacks and an all time high in Washington’s interference and breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Former secretary finance and the recently retired Chairman FBR Salman Siddiq told The News that annually Pakistan has been receiving, directly and indirectly, around $800 million to $900 million from Washington as aid after 9/11. He explained that a major part of this aid was spent by the US through NGOs and the USAID whereas a small percentage was received directly by the government of Pakistan from the US.

According to government statistics, under the CSF programme, Pakistan received $12.5 billion (in cash and kind) in the last 10 years. It includes $8.6 billion in cash.

The Pakistan Army recently explained through one of its publications that there is a misperception about the CSF, which is termed as American aid. “It is actually reimbursement of some of our expenditures which accrued in the fight against extremism and is not any aid,” the army explained, and added that out of $8.6 billion, the army got only $2 billion and more than 5.6 billion were used by the government.

“Similarly, $3.87 billion were deducted from the CSF by the US government for security assistance provided in kind i.e. weapons, equipment, training, services, visits and pay of US trainers etc,” the military publication said.

According to Dr Shahid Siddiqi, as per the government’s figures the loss to the country’s economy in 2011 due to war on terror was 8.5% of the GDP whereas the aid that Pakistan has received was merely 0.2% of the GDP. It means that we got 0.2% aid and lost 8.5% of the GDP merely to please the Americans.

In 2009, Washington committed $7.5 billion along with tough conditionalities to Pakistan under the Kerry Lugar Act but a small portion of this aid has come to Islamabad that too through USAID and NGOs.

As the cost of the US war has been proved too heavy for the otherwise already fragile economy of Pakistan, there have been more killings and far more drone attacks during Gilani regime as compared to what was the case during Musharraf’s regime.

During Musharraf’s tenure there were only nine drone attacks but during the last 46 months of the Gilani govt there have been more than 300 drone attacks, which killed thousands of innocents including women, children and the old.

Of late, 25 Pakistani soldiers were killed by the US-led Isaf-Nato gunship helicopters at Salala following which Pakistan has cut the Nato supply line besides vacating Shamsi Airbase from the US forces. However, Pakistan continues to be part of the controversial US war on terror despite two parliamentary and one all-parties conference resolutions, which asked for negotiated solution to extremism instead of military operations that continue in certain parts of the tribal areas.

There are no indications that the government despite gaining heavy losses, both human and financial, is not disassociating itself from the US war on terror. Instead, there are hints of the possible resumption of the Nato supply line in the coming few weeks.
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Microsteps Online for Chinese Charities

Harnessing the Internet to bring help to the needy

Wang Keqin was working as the head of the investigative bureau of the Chinese newspaper The Economic Times, when a journalist at the paper uncovered the story of Gulang, a rural county in Gansu province where 300 locals had contracted so-called black lung disease from working in a local coal mine. None had received compensation.

In an effort to aid the miners, Wang stumbled onto an innovative approach to fundraising that has since enabled the organization he established -- its English name is “Love Save Pneumoconiosis" -- to raise tens of millions of yuan in just a year, shouldering the operational costs himself and with a few friends. He did it through microblogging.

Wang’s first 150 character microblog post simply listed the name of one of the villagers, the date he contracted the disease and a bank account in the name of a another villager. Within days, a group of volunteers had arranged to travel to Gulang for a dinner with the village’s 300 sufferers, followed by a screening of the Kung-fu film Shaolin Temple, Wang said.

Since the end of 2010, Wang has been publicizing the plight of workers with black lung disease, known medically as pneumoconiosis, a terminal lung disease contracted when workers breathe in dust from coal and building materials. Wang estimates that as many as 6 million people in China suffer from pneumoconiosis, making it the most common terminal illness contracted in the Chinese workplace.

Unlike bigger, more established charities, Wang’s primary fundraising platform has been the microblogging service SinaWeibo. Since its launch, Love Save Pneumoconiosis has raised over 80 million yuan from online donations alone. His office, which he borrows from a friend, is staffed by around five volunteers every weekend.

Wang’s is one of a new breed of Chinese charities and non-governmental organizations turning to microblogs as a fundraising tool. Microblogs give charities fast access to their disproportionately educated, middle-class donors, and organizations have launched microblog-based fundraising drives for causes as diverse as school lunches in China’s poverty-stricken countryside, treatment for children with leukemia, and even return trips home for Chinese soldiers abandoned in Burma in the 1970s.

Strictly speaking, there are no charities in China, as the government lacks a legal definition for a charitable organization. Instead, it uses “social organization” as a category to cover any non-profit group, from grassroots NGOs to local chambers of commerce and business associations. Just over 440,000 of these “social organizations” had registered with the government by the end of last year, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the government department that regulates charities. But many more NGOs—an estimated 3 or 4 million—are unregistered, according to the China Association for NGO Cooperation.

Most of these unregistered organizations are not allowed to ask the public for funds. That right is restricted to the 1,300 or so officially recognized “public foundations,” as well as any “social organizations” that officially register their activities as programs of these public foundations. Only a small fraction of Chinese NGOs have registered and are therefore permitted to raise funds, according to Karla Simon, a professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law who co-authored a study on Chinese civil society for the World Bank and the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2009.

In practice, many charities fundraise anyway. For example, Chinese actor Jet Li’s One Foundation is legally entitled to collect donations only in the southern city of Shenzhen, but currently solicits from all over China. It doesn’t hurt that the chairman of the One Foundation, Ma Hong, is a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. “Jet Li has some of the best connections in China,” Simon said.

Microblogging platforms also help charity donors connect to each other.

Finding donors may be relatively easy. The hard part for unregistered charities is setting up bank accounts. When Wang started raising funds, he couldn’t open a bank account because he wasn’t associated with a public foundation. Instead, Wang asked donors to send their money directly to a bank account owned by a an ex-miner in Gulang county. The man received around 8,000 yuan, but refused to transfer the money to other villagers. “It was a massive headache for us, and the other villagers were furious,” Wang said.

It was the Internet companies Sohu and Tencent that finally offered to connect Wang with a public foundation. “They knew I was worried about donations, and could solve the problem,” Wang said. This July Wang registered under a public fund, and since then has been able to publically solicit cash.

Deng Fei, a journalist at the Chinese magazine Phoenix Weekly, founded Free Lunch, an organization dedicated to raising funds for school lunches in remote rural areas in 2011. “I felt that I could achieve a lot more by campaigning on Weibo than from writing articles,” he said.

Deng also registered his Free Lunch organization with the help of some friends in Beijing. “The process was very easy, but you need the right connections,” he said.

Registering with a public foundation brings a new set of headaches. “We have to get approval from the fund every time we want to withdraw money,” Wang said. The organizations also pay a 5 percent fee to the funds on any income they collect.

Microblogs have also exposed the less savory side of Chinese charity. This June, a Sina Weibo usernamed Guo Meimei, who listed her employer as a branch of China’s Red Cross, posted a series of photos showing her posing with expensive sports cars and designer handbags. The photos seemed to confirm what many Chinese suspected: that charities like the Red Cross refused to publicize their incomes because they were misusing donor’s money. It turned out Guo had lied about her Red Cross affiliation, but the damage was done.

Genuine scandal soon followed, when a local branch of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, one of China’s largest charities, was revealed to have converted a plot of land set aside for a youth activity center into luxury apartments.

The controversies had an immediate detrimental impact on big charities—and may have helped small ones. A branch of the Red Cross in Shenzhen reported that donations fell by 97 percent in the month immediately following the Guo Meimei scandal, while another branch in central China reported a 94 percent decrease. Wang and Deng Fei, meanwhile, saw donations go up. “People saw our organization as more grass-roots and transparent,” Deng said.

According to Deng Fei, microblogs have produced a more transparent model for Chinese charities. “Because we solicit donations, we have to prove we’re using the money responsibly,” he said. His FreeLunch organization posts its receipts and expenses to its microblog daily, and requires all schools participating in the project to report how many lunches they serve. Wang’s organization also posts its accounts online.

Wang and Deng’s organizations may have similar origins, but their relationships with the state couldn’t be more different. Deng’s free lunch organization has been welcomed by educational authorities in remote villages, whose budgets are too slim to fund their own lunch programs. This September, the Chinese central government pledged 16 billion RMB to fund a lunch program almost identical to Deng’s. “We were always a strategic charity,” Deng said. “We wanted to act to bring the government’s attention to the problem.”

Wang has met with more hostility. Local governments are nervous about the attention his organization brings to worker’s compensation issues, guaranteed by law but often denied by local government officials who have financial links to the mining and construction companies required to pay fair compensation. One volunteer for Wang’s organization was detained by local police in Northwestern China’s Liaoning province this summer and warned to stop his investigation into local pneumoconiosis sufferers. In response, Wang has toned down his criticism of local governments. “I tell our volunteers not to write microblog posts about local government corruption, and to write about saving lives instead,” Wang said.

Wang has also had trouble finding support in China’s print media, since state propaganda departments order media outlets to minimize negative news. “Giving food to children makes for positive reports,” he said, referring to Deng’s free lunch organization. “But our organization touches on much more sensitive matters.” This July, China’s central propaganda department banned all media from reporting on his organization. “Now we depend entirely on the Internet for promotion,” Wang said.

Deng anticipated pushback if he was too critical of government policy, which is why he chose to focus on children. “I’d like to found an organization focused on protecting migrant workers, but the issue is too sensitive,” he said.

There are signs that the legal environment for NGOs is liberalizing. The government of Guangdong province launched reforms in November that simplify the process NGOs undergo to register with the government. These reforms are likely to spread nationwide in the next five years, as local governments realise that NGOs are often more competent than the state is at dealing with social problems, Simon said.

Deng Fei sees charity liberalization as inevitable. “The government will increase the involvement of NGOs in social management,” he said. The first step, perhaps: Allowing non-profit organizations to raise funds directly from the public.“Unless there’s some kind of big social upheaval, I expect to see more NGO reforms,” Simon said.
-----------------------------------------
American NGO workers prevented from leaving Egypt

Son of US transportation secretary among several election monitors placed on 'no-fly list' as tension with Cairo escalates

Tension between the US government and the Egyptian military authorities has reached a new peak after it emerged that several American non-governmental workers, including the son of a member of President Obama's administration, are being prevented from leaving the country in an ongoing spat over Egypt's recent parliamentary elections.

Sam LaHood, the son of the US transportation secretary Ray LaHood, was turned back at the airport in Cairo on Saturday in a significant escalation of the diplomatic stand-off between the two countries. LaHood heads the Egyptian outpost of the International Republican Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank that had been monitoring the elections held in recent weeks in the wake of the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak.

According to Politico he was placed on a "no-fly list", without explanation, after he tried to board a plane in an attempt to escape rising hostility towards his and other foreign NGOs. LaHood had previously been named in the state-run press in Cairo.

Lorne Craner, president of IRI, said that Egyptian officials quizzed about the no-fly policy had told the institute that they were still completing their investigations following the December raids and that they might "go to trial soon".

"That's pretty disquieting – to have that kind of thing raised by an ally that's receiving a billion and a half dollars in US aid each year," Craner said.

He added that the Obama administration was working very hard to ameliorate the crisis. All five IRI workers in Cairo who have been put on the no-fly list, three of whom are American, are still free to move around the country and have their passports.

Craner said that at first the military generals had responded to the raids as though they were utterly unaware of what had happened. "But it's been nearly a month since then and the generals have been approached on a number of occasions and yet things have only got worse. So you have to wonder what's going on," he said.

The move follows a raid conducted on 29 December against 17 NGOs by Egyptian security forces in which computers, money and documents were seized. President Obama raised the harassment of US and other foreign NGOs in a phone conversation with the Egyptian military chief Field Marshal Tantawi on 20 January.

It is understood that six workers in the Cairo office of the National Democratic Institute, three of them American, have also been told they may not leave the country. NDI was among several groups involved in election monitoring.

News of the no-fly lists prompted a rash of diplomatic activity and public condemnation against the actions of the Egyptian authorities. John McCain, the US senator for Arizona, said that he had watched events in Egypt with "growing alarm and outrage. It's outrageous that these individuals would be held against their will by Egyptian authorities and prohibited from leaving the country."

The escalation poses a sensitive diplomatic challenge for the Obama administration. The US government is coming under mounting pressure from Congress to suspend the $2bn in aid it gives Cairo every year, largely in the form of military assistance.

While needing to be seen to protest against the Egyptian military junta's resistance to democratic change and ongoing human rights violations, the administration is also keen not to destabilise its relationship with one of its key allies in the region.

The timing of the move against the foreign workers comes as a further blow to the reform movement in Egypt that has been pushing for real democratic change in the wake of last year's popular uprising against Mubarak. The first democratically-elected parliament to sit in Egypt in 60 years convened on Monday, raising hopes that the junta would honour its promise to cede power in June.
--------------------------------------------
U.S. NGOs trapped in Egypt caught in battle with remnants of Mubarak regime, sources say

CAIRO — Arriving in Egypt last year, Julie Hughes had hoped to help write history by aiding the country’s new generation of politicians and civil society groups to build a democratic future.

Instead, the American director of the National Democratic Institute is under investigation by authorities for funding irregularities at her U.S.-based group and is banned from leaving Egypt, a measure that prompted other activists to seek refuge this week in the U.S. embassy in Cairo.

Her hope for change, inspired by the fall of Hosni Mubarak at the hands of hundreds of thousands of protesting Egyptians, was punctured on December 29 when her offices were raided in connection with an investigation by Egypt’s new military rulers.

The work of NDI, which is loosely linked to the U.S. Democratic Party, had fallen prey to what Egyptian pro-democracy campaigners say is a war between remnants of Mubarak’s inner circle and a rapidly developing civil society.

It’s a war, some campaigners say, that is more vicious than the one they fought under Mubarak, and it could further sour relations between Cairo and Washington, putting $1.3-billion of annual U.S. military aid in jeopardy.

But for the authorities, it is a matter of law; the non-governmental organizations broke it by receiving foreign funding without government approval.

For Hughes, the first casualty has been NDI’s work with Egypt’s budding new political class. “That is more than a little heartbreaking for us,” Hughes told Reuters at her Cairo home.

REFUGE

A handful of Americans, including a son of a member of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, are sheltering behind the fortress-like walls of the U.S. embassy for protection.

All employees of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have loose links to America’s two leading political parties, they say they have been accused of running groups that were not properly licensed in Egypt and receiving foreign funding illegally.

A judicial source said on Wednesday the travel ban had been extended to three more Americans, taking the total to 17 U.S. citizens out of a total of 28 foreigners who have been prevented from leaving Egypt. The source expected the release of the probe’s results next week.

The government has yet to confirm the specific charges, leaving the activists guessing as to what the punishment could be.

The groups work on everything from educating voters to advising politicians on how to build a successful coalition.

Hughes sums up the euphoria with which many activists arrived in Egypt.

“It’s an honor to be right here now at this point in history: to see history being rewritten and being remade and people grabbing hold of their political future and helping them participate in the democratic transition,” she told Reuters.

NDI has trained around 14,000 Egyptians in advocacy, voter education and election monitoring since April 1 last year and has brought speakers including former leaders of Poland and Chile, countries with an experience of democratic transitions.

But the investigation shows how far Egypt has to go before such organizations can operate as freely as they do in much of the world, highlighting what Egyptian activists describe as the persistence of the Mubarak-era mentality – one of fear of allowing too much debate.

Egyptians have also been targeted by the investigation. They accuse the military rulers of trying to row back on democratic reforms by silencing their number.

“It is one of the frontlines of the revolution,” said Nasser Amin, head of an Egyptian-run organization working to advance judicial independence, which is also being investigated over its legal status.

“It is the counter revolution that is attacking us.”

Egyptian activists said the fact that the investigation has been spearheaded by a government minister who served under Mubarak showed it was being pursued in his image.

But Faiza Abu el-Naga, minister of international cooperation, who has survived repeated cabinet reshuffles before and after Mubarak was driven out, has said the investigation is simply a matter of law.

“The rights groups that are being investigated received funds from abroad without government knowledge and in violation of the law,” she told a news conference on the subject.

Some political analysts said the steps were being orchestrated by the ruling generals to try to secure leverage over Washington while rallying support around anti-American sentiment and undermining the reputation of their most vocal critics in the Egyptian-led NGO community.

But the generals will be careful not to lose the $1.3 billion in aid they get yearly in return for Egypt becoming the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

Congress has approved this year’s payout, but it has also set conditions, including requiring that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton certify the Egyptian government is supporting the transition.

For now, Pentagon officials said the alliance with Egypt was still on solid ground.

“There are going to be differences of opinion. There were before the popular revolution there … Part of what makes a relationship a relationship is the ability to continue to discuss and try to find a way to move forward even beyond the differences you might share,” Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby said in Washington.

On a visit to Cairo, Michael Posner, the U.S. State Department’s top human rights official, urged Egypt to resolve the NGO issue. And it will almost certainly be discussed in Washington, where an Egyptian military team is visiting.

TOO MUCH FOREIGN MONEY

Some Egyptian media have said American money poured into NGOs last year, proving there was a plot to subvert the course of change in Egypt.

The U.S. ambassador to Cairo had spoken of “close to $40 million” invested in organizations including NDI and the International Republican Institute, an NGO affiliated with the Republican Party which is also under investigation.

Hafez Abou Saeda, chairman of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, said the state’s aim was to sway public opinion against the pro-democracy movement.

“It is using this card to influence domestic opinion: to give the impression that the whole revolution is a foreign product,” he told Reuters.

Abu Saeda’s organization has faced no formal accusations in the current investigation, though he said his bank accounts were examined by investigators as part of the probe.

The case has a sense of deja vu for him. He was jailed in 1998, accused of receiving foreign funds to write a report in which he documented cases of torture by the security forces.

“Instead of putting the officers on trial, they arrested me and put me on trial and said I had received foreign funds to distort the image of the country,” said Abu Saeda.

“It’s always the issue of foreign funding that is used to defame the rights movement in Egypt,” he said, adding that his organization gets most of its funds from the European Union.

OLD REGIME REMAINS

The restrictions placed on NGOs over the years have encouraged many to register their organizations in other ways.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, the organization led by Amin, has been registered as a not-for-profit company since it was set up in 1997.

“All of a sudden they have discovered that we have been working for 15 years without an (NGO) license,” he said from his organization’s office overlooking the Nile, describing being questioned for seven hours on Monday over the group’s legal status and funding.

His 11th-floor office was among those raided on December 29 by investigators who confiscated documents and computers. Staff were still using their own laptops on Tuesday because the equipment had yet to be returned.

Amin said it was the return of the old days. The two judges investigating the case against his organization had formerly worked for Egypt’s State Security Prosecution, part of a widely-hated security agency that was formally dissolved last year.

“The members of state security are still there in the apparatus,” he said. “A year after the revolution, the old regime has started to regain its strength.”
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K-boys accused of going on rampage
The GPRN/NSCN has alleged that NSCN (K) cadres are on a rampage to destroy the fabric of the peace-loving nature of the Nagas.

In connection with the killing of SS Sgt maj Thangboi and SS L/cpl Ngamminsat Haokip on February 5, the GPRN/NSCN, in a statement said it shows their (K-boys) cowardice and deceitful nature.

Alleging the NSCN (K) of not reciprocating the good will gesture of the GPRN, the statement maintained that the Khaplang cadres who were in their custody were released without any harm.

But the NSCN (K) cadres killed them in cold blood.

It further made it known that the outfit's heeding to the reconciliation processes being initiated by various NGOs is not a sign of its weaknes, but its compliance to the wishes of the Nagas.

Meanwhile, the outfit also conveyed condolence to the bereaved family of its cadres (L) Lt Lambem Kuki, Sgt Mj Thangboi and L/cpl Ngamminsat Haokip who were killed in Ahthibung.
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Congress: Egypt's Harassment of NGOs Puts U.S. Aid at Risk

Dozens of lawmakers are warning that the $1.3 billion in military aid the U.S. gives Cairo each year is in jeopardy unless the Egyptian government lifts the travel ban on personnel from American nongovernmental organizations and stops harassing civil-society groups there.

In a letter to the leader of Egypt’s military council, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, 41 members of Congress said the winter raids on NGOs — including the Washington-based International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House — are “completely unacceptable and constitute an attack on Egyptian civil society writ large.”

“The absence of a quick and satisfactory resolution to this issue will make it increasingly difficult for congressional supporters of a strong U.S.-Egypt bilateral relationship to defend current levels of assistance to Egypt — especially in this climate of budget cuts in Washington,” according to the letter released on Friday by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and signed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

“We hope the Egyptian government will immediately allow these offices to reopen, return all confiscated property, end the investigations into these organizations and other civil-society groups, and allow NGOs to carry out their activities in an unfettered manner,” the letter said.

Egypt's caretaker government has been ramping up criticism of U.S. funding for these civil-society organizations, accusing them of interfering in domestic politics and stirring unrest. The Washington-based groups now fear their employees who were monitoring the recent parliamentary elections in Egypt may be put on trial. IRI’s country director, Sam LaHood — who is Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s son — was barred from leaving Egypt and is on a no-fly list along with other IRI and NDI employees. LaHood and a few other Americans are taking shelter at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo amid fears for their safety.

"That’s the worry," IRI's president, Lorne Craner, recently told National Journal, "[that] all of a sudden you’re going to turn on your TV and see these Americans in an Egyptian courtroom."

The lawmakers also sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, reminding them of new conditions on obligating security assistance to Egypt. The conditions, which President Obama signed into law in December, require Clinton to certify that Egypt is supporting the transition to civilian government and implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association, and religion, and due process of law before obligating the funds.

“The U.S. should withhold certification until these fundamental human rights are protected, which regrettably seems impossible under the present circumstances,” that letter said.

With a list of about 400 civil-society groups in Egypt reportedly under investigation, threats to withhold aid are also brewing in the Senate. The chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the new conditions on military aid were designed to communicate to the Egyptian people that the U.S. supports their demand for democracy and fundamental freedoms – and to “send a clear message to the Egyptian military that the days of blank checks are over.”

“We value the relationship and will provide substantial amounts of aid, but not unconditionally,” Leahy said on Friday in a statement for the Congressional Record. “They must do their part to support the transition to civilian government. If the assault against international and Egyptian nongovernmental organizations continues, several of the requirements for certification could not be met.”

Meanwhile, an Egyptian military delegation is in Washington for meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., who will meet with the delegation next week, said the NGO flashpoint is potentially “very damaging” for U.S.-Egyptian relations.

The NGO workers "do not take part in partisan politics; they teach people how democracy works," McCain told National Journal. "And we’re proud of their record. And for them to be accused of crimes is absolutely unacceptable.”

Latest NGO's Events Dated on February 8th,2012

2012-02-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Govt clears cloud over NGO tax breaks

The Income Tax department has got the power to cancel any charitable organisation’s registration that accords it the benefit of tax exemption. The department can annul the registration and the exemption emanating from it if the organisation is found to violate the norms for registration, according to Budget 2010-11.

By this move, the government has made its intent to prevail over a series of court judgments, which held that the I-T department did not have the right to cancel registration of organisations with it.

The government provides relief to specified not-for-profit or charitable organisations under Section 12A of the Income Tax Act. A registration with the Income Tax department cannot be taken away by an I-T commissioner if violations are found, some courts had said earlier. read more

Source: Financial Express
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Short-Term (Certificate)Courses

on

Tobacco Control

(Last date - 20th Jan 2012)

Public Health Foundation of India is announcing admission for its second batch (2012) of Short-Term(Certificate) Courses on Tobacco Control, under project Strengthening ofTobacco Control Efforts through innovative Partnerships and Strategies (STEPS).

We are offering these courses through distance learning for healthprofessionals, legal professionals, administrators, law enforcement officersand journalists.

The e-learning mechanism ofthese certificate courses is specifically designed to allow professionals towork on modules at their own pace.

The curriculum for thesecourses includes information adapted from material provided by the JohnsHopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Southern California,with funding support from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.

These courses offerprofessional training in tobacco control, addressing prevention, cessation,policy and all other aspects related to tobacco use and tobacco control inglobal and Indian context.

These courses focus onsensitizing and informing professionals and equip them with tobacco controlskills which in turn can be integrated into their professional practices. Thefaculty of these courses includes world renowned tobacco control experts.

The second batch of the 3 months short-term courses will commence from February2012. The application process is open now. The last date of accepting thecompleted application forms for this batch is January 20th, 2012.

Application Process

Participants aspiring for admission to any of the short-term courses on tobaccocontrol, 2012 are required to fill in an application form which can bedownloaded from www.phfi.org or www.ctchp.org.

Candidates can submit thefilled application form along with scanned/hard copies of supporting documentsto PHFI via email as well as by post before the last date.

The shortlisted candidateswill be asked to submit the course fee. Once the fee is received, selectedstudents will be enrolled for the course, and will be sent course URL alongwith the user name and password for online access to the course.

For more information

Please write to Ms. Neha Mathur, Course Cordinator at phfi.stc@gmail.com

or

Visit:

http://ctchp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=292&Itemid=294

Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) - Project STEPS

PHD House, Second Floor, 4/2, Sirifort Institutional Area

August Kranti Marg, New Delhi - 110 016, India

Phone:+91-11-46046000

Fax:+91-11-41648513
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The Institute of Rural Research
and Development (IRRAD)

Invites application for

doctoral/post-doctoral Fellowships

Last date- 15th February 2012

The Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD) is an initiative of S M Sehgal Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization working towards furthering rural development in India. IRRAD invites applications from doctoral/post-doctoral candidates from Indian higher educational institutions for its research fellowships to work on rural development projects in the backward districts of India, including Mewat. The fellowship projects will largely focus on analysing poverty and livelihood dynamics of the poor and sustainability of IRRAD’s development interventions. Interested candidates must submit a research proposal on any of the following research themes:

1.    Water management

2.    Governance in rural areas

3.    Gender and Panchayati Raj Institutions

Terms

The applicant can be a full time researcher or a PhD student. The duration of the fellowship is six months and can be held for a single continuous period between April 2012 and March 2013. The fellowship shall be based at IRRAD’s premises in Gurgaon and includes a total grant of Rs. 1,80,000/- (Rs. 30,000 per month). If the study includes data collection in Mewat region, additional facilities such as residential accommodation, local transportation and field staff support may be provided to the selected candidate at our community center. The candidate must submit the final study report by the end of the grant period and the final research paper published (or considered for publication) in a peer-reviewed journal.

How to Apply

To apply, submit a research proposal (explaining the need, literature review, objective, methodology and scope of the study) along with the curriculum vitae focusing on prior research work experience and/or research publications and two references toresearch@irrad.org.

The last date of submission is 15th February, 2012. For more details please visit our website www.irrad.org.

About IRRAD

IRRAD is an initiative of the S.M. Sehgal Foundation dedicated to creating a brighter future for India’s rural communities. It envisions rural people across India motivated and empowered to make their lives more secure and prosperous. IRRAD designs, tests and replicates scalable community-based models for rural development in the areas of water management, agriculture, sanitation, governance and education. It also builds capacities of communities and community-based institutions to enable them to undertake their own development. These initiatives are transformed into action through IRRAD’s four centers: Natural Resource Management, Policy, Governance & Advocacy, Capacity Building and Rural Research. Most of IRRAD’s field work is focussed in 206 villages of Mewat (Haryana), one of the most backward regions in India.

The Rural Research Center (RRC) contributes actively towards establishing IRRAD as ‘Knowledge Institute,’ a repository of knowledge, ideas, and solutions on rural development that are generated, proven at the grassroots level and shared with a wide range of stakeholders. The Center conducts targeted studies on poverty and livelihood issues, assesses the needs and impacts of IRRAD's programs, and addresses the research related requirements of the other centers. It conducts theoretical and empirical research with the application of appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies to address issues concerning rural development and poverty, and disseminates those research studies to influence programs and policies. RRC works internally with IRRAD’s programs and externally with researchers, students and rural community at large.

For further details, write to: research@irrad.org; or contact +91-124-4744100/+91-124-4744165
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National Seminar

On

Rural Poverty and Social Exclusion:

Need for Paradigm Shift towards an Inclusive Society

16-17 February, 2012

Organized by

Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP)

GANDHIGRAM RURAL INSTITUTE

(Deemed University)

(Re-Accredited by NAAC with ‘A’ Grade)

Gandhigram-624 302

Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu

For details click link below-

http://ruraluniv.ac.in/socsem1.htm

Latest NGO's News Dated on February 7th,2012

2012-02-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Egypt to prosecute more than 40 NGO staff

Egyptian officials have announced that at least 40 activists will face court after an investigation into 17 NGOs accused of operating without a licence and receiving illegal foreign funds. Nineteen of the accused are Americans, which is straining the relationship between Washington and Cairo.
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Lawyers Union slams indictment of 44 NGO workers

CAIRO: The Lawyers Union for Legal Studies and Democracy called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to investigate alleged foreign funding of the Muslim Brotherhood group and to sack the prosecutor general, in response to the referral to court of 44 NGO workers.

The Lawyers Union’s statement made five demands, topped by an “an investigation into the funding mechanisms of the Muslim Brotherhood, including their secret accounts and questioning their members about the sources of their wealth.”

Other demands included “announcing the legal status of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is neither a legitimate religious association nor a political party even though it possesses a luxurious headquarters (worth millions of Riyals) in plain sight of the police, prosecution, judiciary and military.”

The Lawyers Union also demanded investigation of other legitimate religious institutions that receive funding from Qatar and Saudi Arabia without proper monitoring of their activities; and the removal of the current Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud; as well as revealing the reason behind closing the investigation into the funds of Al-Wafd Party leader Al-Sayed Al-Badawy.

Additionally, the Union requested an investigation into what it described as a “secret visit” by the former Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood to Qatar on Dec. 26, 2011.

The statement ended by calling upon SCAF not to submit to Saudi Arabian and Gulf pressure, and to affirm that neither Qatar nor Saudi Arabia interfere in Egyptian sovereign affairs. It also demanded guarantees that the military is against corruption and is not protecting the Muslim Brotherhood or the head of Al-Wafd Party.

The statement issued by the Lawyers Union was made in light of the indictment of 44 local and foreign NGO workers, of which 36 were banned from leaving the country while four were placed on a watch-list since they are already abroad.

The list includes 19 Americans, one of whom is Sam LaHood, Egypt director of the International Republican Institute (IRI), and also the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Also facing charges are five Serbs, two Germans, two Lebanese, one Jordanian and one Palestinian, in addition to 14 Egyptians, who have all been banned from travel or have been placed on incoming watch-lists for being currently abroad.

According to an NDI employee who has been charged but refused to reveal their identity, the NGO workers were not served court notification about the legal action taken against them. Some found out through their lawyers, while others through friends in the media or via published news reports.

“We were told that we face charges of working in an illegal organization, functioning without the required permits under Egyptian law and that we received foreign illegal funds in our personal bank accounts,” the source said.

The source also said that the charges also include conducting research and gathering information that was passed on to their US headquarters. This information was seen as instrumental in influencing the decisions of Egyptians at the polls, the source said, adding that there were still ambiguities in the phrasing, and that they were considering their next steps and their legal positions.

“I am shocked,” the source said. “We never believed it would go this far and we though that this crackdown was more about the politics at play. But this is now a large, important and serious case.”

An earlier statement was released on Sunday by IRI condemning the prosecutions, saying that they “reflected the escalating attacks against international and Egyptian democracy organizations.”

IRI’s statement further referred to a report issued by the US State Department which had noted that “Egypt’s constitution provides for an independent judiciary, but in practice the judiciary was subject to executive influence and corruption.”

The legal assaults were condemned by IRI and described as not a “legitimate judicial process,” but rather as a “politically motivated effort to squash Egypt’s growing civil society, orchestrated through the courts, in part by Mubarak-era holdovers.”

Organizations such as the IRI and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) were accused of receiving $40 million over six months to support Egypt’s transition to democracy in activities deemed in violation of Egypt’s NGO Law No. 84 of 2002.

The list released by the Ministry of Justice referring the NGOs to court included 16 individuals from NDI (seven Americans, two Lebanese, two Serbs and four Egyptians), along with 14 from the IRI (seven Americans, two Serbs, one Palestinian and four Egyptians), seven working with Freedom House (two Americans, one Jordanian and four Egyptians), five from International Center of Journalists (three Americans and two Egyptians) and two Germans with the Konrad Adenauer Stifung.

List of NGO workers/affiliations taken to court on alleged charges that include receiving illegal foreign funds and working without proper licenses:

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Andreas Jacobs (Germany) and Christina Baade (Germany).

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
Patrick Butler (US), Natasha Tynes (US), Mida Michelle (US), Yehya Zakaria (Egypt) Islam Shafiq (Egypt).

Freedom House
Charles Dan (US), Sherif Ahmed Sobhi Mansour (US), Samir Salim (Jordan), Mohamed Abdel Aziz (Egypt), Nancy Gamal Okeyl (Egypt), Basem Ali (Egypt), Magdy Moharam (Egypt).

International Republican Institute (IRI)
Sam LaHood (US), Sherine Sahany (US), Christine Angel (US) Sort Chik (Serbia), Hans Homis (Serbia), John George (US), Reeda Khedr (Palestine), Osama Azizi (US), Sian Mark (US), Elizabeth Dugan (US), Ahmed Shawqi (Egypt), Ahmed Abdel Aziz (Egypt), Ahmed Adam (Egypt), Essam Borei (Egypt).

National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Julie Hughes (US), Almadin Krotovich (Serbia), Bomeedir Milic (Serbia), Layla Gafar (US), Robert Becker (US), Kabir Moderibee (US), Mariana Koravitch (Serbia), Sitia Sia Leenhag (US), Dana Dikono (US), Ali Suleiman (Lebanon) Maron Safir (Lebanon), Michael James (US), Mohamed Ashraf (Egypt), Radwa Sayid (Egypt), Hafsa Maher (Egypt), Amgad Morsi (Egypt).
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Vasundhara film fest to focus on sustainable lifestyle for all

PUNE: 'Sustainable lifestyle for all' is the theme of the sixth edition of the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival, to be held from February 18 to 26 at Balgandharva Rangmandir and Ishanya Mall.

Apart from screening acclaimed films from 25 countries, the festival will also feature a photo exhibition, nature walks, workshops, green conferences, cultural programmes, quiz competitions, open forums and audio-video presentations, which are aimed at exploring and analysing topical issues related to environment, wildlife, energy, air and water.

Organised by Club Vasundhara, in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation's Indradhanyush, the festival travels to 25 cities in seven states. "The festival offers an opportunity to evolve together, on a common platform and work substantially towards preserving nature. This year, we have expanded the scale of the festival by 50%, wherein we have increased our network nationally and internationally, with various organisations and NGOs. The films screened at the festival depict serious environment-related issues unique to certain parts of the globe," said festival co-organiser, Virendra Chitrav, while addressing a news conference on Saturday.

With participation by NGOs and experts from across the country, the festival has special sections for children, youngsters, women, filmmakers and photographers. The event will also see four green conferences: 'Be Positive: Pune Green Conference' for collegians, Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad's 'Paryavaran Sahitya Sammelan,' Jalbiradari's 'Maharashtrachi Nadi Panchayat' and College of Engineering, Pune's 'E-waste seminar.'

Naresh Zurmure, additional commissioner, PMC, has provided a large amount of content-related inputs to the festival. "The green conferences are a very important part of this festival, and as a part of PMC's green policies, we will have officials from the PMC participating in these conferences," said Zurmure.

A delegation of farmers from seven states, who specialise in organic farming, will also make a presentation at the festival, Chitrav said.

Entry to the festival is free and distribution of passes will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Registration for passes will begin from February 5 at Pathfinder bookstore, near Neelayam talkies in Sadashiv Peth.
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U.S. NGOs trapped in Egypt caught in battle with remnants of Mubarak regime, sources say

CAIRO — Arriving in Egypt last year, Julie Hughes had hoped to help write history by aiding the country’s new generation of politicians and civil society groups to build a democratic future.

Instead, the American director of the National Democratic Institute is under investigation by authorities for funding irregularities at her U.S.-based group and is banned from leaving Egypt, a measure that prompted other activists to seek refuge this week in the U.S. embassy in Cairo.

Her hope for change, inspired by the fall of Hosni Mubarak at the hands of hundreds of thousands of protesting Egyptians, was punctured on December 29 when her offices were raided in connection with an investigation by Egypt’s new military rulers.

The work of NDI, which is loosely linked to the U.S. Democratic Party, had fallen prey to what Egyptian pro-democracy campaigners say is a war between remnants of Mubarak’s inner circle and a rapidly developing civil society.

It’s a war, some campaigners say, that is more vicious than the one they fought under Mubarak, and it could further sour relations between Cairo and Washington, putting $1.3-billion of annual U.S. military aid in jeopardy.

But for the authorities, it is a matter of law; the non-governmental organizations broke it by receiving foreign funding without government approval.

For Hughes, the first casualty has been NDI’s work with Egypt’s budding new political class. “That is more than a little heartbreaking for us,” Hughes told Reuters at her Cairo home.

U.S. pro-democracy activists in Egypt told they cannot leave the country

REFUGE

A handful of Americans, including a son of a member of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, are sheltering behind the fortress-like walls of the U.S. embassy for protection.

All employees of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have loose links to America’s two leading political parties, they say they have been accused of running groups that were not properly licensed in Egypt and receiving foreign funding illegally.

A judicial source said on Wednesday the travel ban had been extended to three more Americans, taking the total to 17 U.S. citizens out of a total of 28 foreigners who have been prevented from leaving Egypt. The source expected the release of the probe’s results next week.

The government has yet to confirm the specific charges, leaving the activists guessing as to what the punishment could be.

The groups work on everything from educating voters to advising politicians on how to build a successful coalition.

Hughes sums up the euphoria with which many activists arrived in Egypt.

“It’s an honor to be right here now at this point in history: to see history being rewritten and being remade and people grabbing hold of their political future and helping them participate in the democratic transition,” she told Reuters.

NDI has trained around 14,000 Egyptians in advocacy, voter education and election monitoring since April 1 last year and has brought speakers including former leaders of Poland and Chile, countries with an experience of democratic transitions.

But the investigation shows how far Egypt has to go before such organizations can operate as freely as they do in much of the world, highlighting what Egyptian activists describe as the persistence of the Mubarak-era mentality – one of fear of allowing too much debate.

Egyptians have also been targeted by the investigation. They accuse the military rulers of trying to row back on democratic reforms by silencing their number.

“It is one of the frontlines of the revolution,” said Nasser Amin, head of an Egyptian-run organization working to advance judicial independence, which is also being investigated over its legal status.

“It is the counter revolution that is attacking us.”

Egyptian activists said the fact that the investigation has been spearheaded by a government minister who served under Mubarak showed it was being pursued in his image.

But Faiza Abu el-Naga, minister of international cooperation, who has survived repeated cabinet reshuffles before and after Mubarak was driven out, has said the investigation is simply a matter of law.

“The rights groups that are being investigated received funds from abroad without government knowledge and in violation of the law,” she told a news conference on the subject.

Some political analysts said the steps were being orchestrated by the ruling generals to try to secure leverage over Washington while rallying support around anti-American sentiment and undermining the reputation of their most vocal critics in the Egyptian-led NGO community.

But the generals will be careful not to lose the $1.3 billion in aid they get yearly in return for Egypt becoming the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

Congress has approved this year’s payout, but it has also set conditions, including requiring that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton certify the Egyptian government is supporting the transition.

For now, Pentagon officials said the alliance with Egypt was still on solid ground.

“There are going to be differences of opinion. There were before the popular revolution there … Part of what makes a relationship a relationship is the ability to continue to discuss and try to find a way to move forward even beyond the differences you might share,” Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby said in Washington.

On a visit to Cairo, Michael Posner, the U.S. State Department’s top human rights official, urged Egypt to resolve the NGO issue. And it will almost certainly be discussed in Washington, where an Egyptian military team is visiting.

TOO MUCH FOREIGN MONEY

Some Egyptian media have said American money poured into NGOs last year, proving there was a plot to subvert the course of change in Egypt.

The U.S. ambassador to Cairo had spoken of “close to $40 million” invested in organizations including NDI and the International Republican Institute, an NGO affiliated with the Republican Party which is also under investigation.

Hafez Abou Saeda, chairman of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, said the state’s aim was to sway public opinion against the pro-democracy movement.

“It is using this card to influence domestic opinion: to give the impression that the whole revolution is a foreign product,” he told Reuters.

Abu Saeda’s organization has faced no formal accusations in the current investigation, though he said his bank accounts were examined by investigators as part of the probe.

The case has a sense of deja vu for him. He was jailed in 1998, accused of receiving foreign funds to write a report in which he documented cases of torture by the security forces.

“Instead of putting the officers on trial, they arrested me and put me on trial and said I had received foreign funds to distort the image of the country,” said Abu Saeda.

“It’s always the issue of foreign funding that is used to defame the rights movement in Egypt,” he said, adding that his organization gets most of its funds from the European Union.

OLD REGIME REMAINS

The restrictions placed on NGOs over the years have encouraged many to register their organizations in other ways.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, the organization led by Amin, has been registered as a not-for-profit company since it was set up in 1997.

“All of a sudden they have discovered that we have been working for 15 years without an (NGO) license,” he said from his organization’s office overlooking the Nile, describing being questioned for seven hours on Monday over the group’s legal status and funding.

His 11th-floor office was among those raided on December 29 by investigators who confiscated documents and computers. Staff were still using their own laptops on Tuesday because the equipment had yet to be returned.

Amin said it was the return of the old days. The two judges investigating the case against his organization had formerly worked for Egypt’s State Security Prosecution, part of a widely-hated security agency that was formally dissolved last year.

“The members of state security are still there in the apparatus,” he said. “A year after the revolution, the old regime has started to regain its strength.”
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American NGO workers prevented from leaving Egypt

Son of US transportation secretary among several election monitors placed on 'no-fly list' as tension with Cairo escalates

Tension between the US government and the Egyptian military authorities has reached a new peak after it emerged that several American non-governmental workers, including the son of a member of President Obama's administration, are being prevented from leaving the country in an ongoing spat over Egypt's recent parliamentary elections.

Sam LaHood, the son of the US transportation secretary Ray LaHood, was turned back at the airport in Cairo on Saturday in a significant escalation of the diplomatic stand-off between the two countries. LaHood heads the Egyptian outpost of the International Republican Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank that had been monitoring the elections held in recent weeks in the wake of the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak.

According to Politico he was placed on a "no-fly list", without explanation, after he tried to board a plane in an attempt to escape rising hostility towards his and other foreign NGOs. LaHood had previously been named in the state-run press in Cairo.

Lorne Craner, president of IRI, said that Egyptian officials quizzed about the no-fly policy had told the institute that they were still completing their investigations following the December raids and that they might "go to trial soon".

"That's pretty disquieting – to have that kind of thing raised by an ally that's receiving a billion and a half dollars in US aid each year," Craner said.

He added that the Obama administration was working very hard to ameliorate the crisis. All five IRI workers in Cairo who have been put on the no-fly list, three of whom are American, are still free to move around the country and have their passports.

Craner said that at first the military generals had responded to the raids as though they were utterly unaware of what had happened. "But it's been nearly a month since then and the generals have been approached on a number of occasions and yet things have only got worse. So you have to wonder what's going on," he said.

The move follows a raid conducted on 29 December against 17 NGOs by Egyptian security forces in which computers, money and documents were seized. President Obama raised the harassment of US and other foreign NGOs in a phone conversation with the Egyptian military chief Field Marshal Tantawi on 20 January.

It is understood that six workers in the Cairo office of the National Democratic Institute, three of them American, have also been told they may not leave the country. NDI was among several groups involved in election monitoring.

News of the no-fly lists prompted a rash of diplomatic activity and public condemnation against the actions of the Egyptian authorities. John McCain, the US senator for Arizona, said that he had watched events in Egypt with "growing alarm and outrage. It's outrageous that these individuals would be held against their will by Egyptian authorities and prohibited from leaving the country."

The escalation poses a sensitive diplomatic challenge for the Obama administration. The US government is coming under mounting pressure from Congress to suspend the $2bn in aid it gives Cairo every year, largely in the form of military assistance.

While needing to be seen to protest against the Egyptian military junta's resistance to democratic change and ongoing human rights violations, the administration is also keen not to destabilise its relationship with one of its key allies in the region.

The timing of the move against the foreign workers comes as a further blow to the reform movement in Egypt that has been pushing for real democratic change in the wake of last year's popular uprising against Mubarak. The first democratically-elected parliament to sit in Egypt in 60 years convened on Monday, raising hopes that the junta would honour its promise to cede power in June.
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Congress: Egypt's Harassment of NGOs Puts U.S. Aid at Risk
Dozens of lawmakers are warning that the $1.3 billion in military aid the U.S. gives Cairo each year is in jeopardy unless the Egyptian government lifts the travel ban on personnel from American nongovernmental organizations and stops harassing civil-society groups there.

In a letter to the leader of Egypt’s military council, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, 41 members of Congress said the winter raids on NGOs — including the Washington-based International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House — are “completely unacceptable and constitute an attack on Egyptian civil society writ large.”

“The absence of a quick and satisfactory resolution to this issue will make it increasingly difficult for congressional supporters of a strong U.S.-Egypt bilateral relationship to defend current levels of assistance to Egypt — especially in this climate of budget cuts in Washington,” according to the letter released on Friday by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and signed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

“We hope the Egyptian government will immediately allow these offices to reopen, return all confiscated property, end the investigations into these organizations and other civil-society groups, and allow NGOs to carry out their activities in an unfettered manner,” the letter said.

Egypt's caretaker government has been ramping up criticism of U.S. funding for these civil-society organizations, accusing them of interfering in domestic politics and stirring unrest. The Washington-based groups now fear their employees who were monitoring the recent parliamentary elections in Egypt may be put on trial. IRI’s country director, Sam LaHood — who is Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s son — was barred from leaving Egypt and is on a no-fly list along with other IRI and NDI employees. LaHood and a few other Americans are taking shelter at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo amid fears for their safety.

"That’s the worry," IRI's president, Lorne Craner, recently told National Journal, "[that] all of a sudden you’re going to turn on your TV and see these Americans in an Egyptian courtroom."

The lawmakers also sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, reminding them of new conditions on obligating security assistance to Egypt. The conditions, which President Obama signed into law in December, require Clinton to certify that Egypt is supporting the transition to civilian government and implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association, and religion, and due process of law before obligating the funds.

“The U.S. should withhold certification until these fundamental human rights are protected, which regrettably seems impossible under the present circumstances,” that letter said.

With a list of about 400 civil-society groups in Egypt reportedly under investigation, threats to withhold aid are also brewing in the Senate. The chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the new conditions on military aid were designed to communicate to the Egyptian people that the U.S. supports their demand for democracy and fundamental freedoms – and to “send a clear message to the Egyptian military that the days of blank checks are over.”

“We value the relationship and will provide substantial amounts of aid, but not unconditionally,” Leahy said on Friday in a statement for the Congressional Record. “They must do their part to support the transition to civilian government. If the assault against international and Egyptian nongovernmental organizations continues, several of the requirements for certification could not be met.”

Meanwhile, an Egyptian military delegation is in Washington for meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., who will meet with the delegation next week, said the NGO flashpoint is potentially “very damaging” for U.S.-Egyptian relations.

The NGO workers "do not take part in partisan politics; they teach people how democracy works," McCain told National Journal. "And we’re proud of their record. And for them to be accused of crimes is absolutely unacceptable.”
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'Foreign NGOs pressuring govt on Andaman road'

Port Blair/New Delhi: Facing criticism following uploading of videos showing semi-naked Jarawa tribe, the Andaman and Nicobar authorities on Monday alleged some foreign NGOs were pressurising the Government to close the Andaman Trunk Road and made it clear that action will be taken against officials found colluding with them.

`Foreign NGOs pressuring govt on Andaman road`
An official spokesperson of the Island police said steps have already been taken irrespective of the vintage of the video footage of Jarawa tribes taken by some "unscrupulous and mischievous elements" which is highly deplorable and a condemnable act.

Two persons have been arrested and investigation was in progress after the uploading of first video, the spokesperson said.

`Foreign NGOs pressuring govt on Andaman road`
"Irrespective of the rank and service of the government officials involved or found colluding, the administration is committed to identify and take stringent action against them," the spokesperson said.

In Delhi, a minister said that government is exploring the possibility of having alternate connectivity with the Great Nicobar island through sea and aerial route, if the Andaman Truck Route (ATR) - which connects the island to Port Blair- is closed down.

"The problem inside is the ATR which joins Port Blair with the Greater Nicobar, it passes through that area. If ATR is closed, then the alternate routes will be the sea and aerial route," Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo told a news agency.

However, the Andaman spokesperson said there was a "concerted effort" by vested interests to pressurise the Government for the closure of the Andaman Trunk Road without fully appreciating the inherent issues.

"It is likely that some foreign NGOs may be in possession of some more old video footage, as these have been in circulation on the Internet, to selectively release them to sensationalising the issue with the ulterior aim of putting pressure for closure of the Andaman Trunk Road, the lifeline of more than one lakh people inhabiting North and Middle Andamans," the spokesperson said.

About the tribal people of the island, the spokesperson said the administration has been engaged in protecting the tribal interest and in line with this policy it established in 2007 an additional buffer zone of five kilometers width around the notified Jarawa reserve.

"It closed down all such tourism activities (including government-run establishments) which could have impacted on the Jarawa interests," the spokesperson said.

The 330 kilometer-long Andaman Trunk Road serves a vital communication link of North and Middle Andamans and of its settlements and out of this 56 kms of this road passes through the Jarawa Reserve.

The administration has progressively restricted the number of convoys passing through this reserve and have ensured that these convoys are properly escorted by the police to minimise contact with the Jarawas, who otherwise move freely within their reserve areas and even beyond.

For the first time, the Jarawa population has gone up by 40 percent in the last ten years from 240 in 2000 to 383 in 2011 out of which 141 were below 10 years, and 99 in the age group of 11 to 20 years.

Besides Jarawas, there are five more vulnerable tribes in the islands out of which the largest tribe of Nicobarese, numbering around 30,000, have already joined the mainstream and are doing extremely well in all walks of life.

The police has also warned tour operators to desist from promoting Jarawa tourism on their websites.
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Lapsley slams ‘culture of greed’

Renowned anti-apartheid activist Father Michael Lapsley has bemoaned the culture of greed and corruption in SA, saying it is the biggest threat to the country’s prosperity.

Lapsley was deeply involved in the liberation Struggle and was expelled from SA and forced into exile for his political activities. He lost both hands and sight of one eye when he was a victim of a letter bomb sent to him by the apartheid government while he was in Zimbabwe in 1990.

Lapsley, an Anglican priest, told the Pretoria News on Sunday that the growing extent of inequality was a ticking time bomb for the country, and needed urgent attention.

“The road to the project that we dreamt of during the liberation Struggle is very rocky and still very long. The main challenge we have is the growing extent of greed and corruption.

“What we see now is that political elites have lost sight of what the liberation Struggle was for. We need to ask ourselves what it was that made us fight against apartheid.

“There are some worrying signs that seem to suggest that we have forgotten what it was that we were trying to achieve when we fought apartheid,” said Lapsley.

According to Lapsley, the wealth gap in SA made it the most skewed nation in terms of economic inequality in the world and this did not bode well for a county that overcame so many obstacles.

“If you look at the public display of individual wealth by some of our political elites when there is so much poverty in this country, it really means that we need spiritual and moral transformation.”

He said the centenary of the ANC should be used as a time to reflect on whether the liberation movement had achieved what it was meant to.

Since his recovery from the horrendous bombing that would change his life for ever, Lapsley has never stopped his work towards enriching the rest of humanity.

Through his Institute for Healing of Memories, Lapsley has travelled across the country, African continent and the world working with communities struggling to come to terms with the negative impact of the past. The organisation works with people from a diversity of backgrounds, including refugees, offenders, sufferers of HIV/Aids and victims of domestic violence.

This has seen him taking part in workshops in countries including East Timor, Rwanda and Northern Ireland.

“My work with this organisation which I founded in 1998 has been about that journey that we have travelled to get to where we are and also about the journey that I have travelled personally.

“Since the bombing, I have travelled a long journey getting good medical treatment, but I also needed healing and support which I received in abundance.

“I moved from being a victim to helping others who need healing and support to deal with the horrendous things that happened in their past. Even prisoners need healing because as much as most of them have done horrendous things in the past, they have also had horrible things done to them,” he said.

He said the work of NGOs was being undermined by the lack of funding due to global economic challenges.

“It is a global phenomenon not just here in South Africa but across the world. Here we are challenged mostly because there is not enough financial support from the government and most NGOs rely on international funding.

“Those are the countries that are currently facing serious economic challenges and it has affected how much they fund NGOs on the African continent,” said Lapsley.

Lapsley will this year publish a memoir titled From Freedom Fighter to Healer, in which he will share his journey from the liberation movement to his current work as a healer of communities.

“I believe I have lived fully and am satisfied that even if I die tomorrow I would have made my contribution and received as much as I could have from this world,” said Lapsley.
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Israel, NGOs Collaborate on Palestinian Media Monitoring
In the United States, intelligence gathering is a multi-agency effort. The NSA taps phones, the DIA analyzes satellite photos, and of course the CIA has its sneakers on the ground in hot spots like Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But when you're a country with a population the size of New York City surrounded by mortal enemies and with a skeleton crew of skilled officers, sometimes you have to improvise.

According to Haaretz, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outsourced monitoring of Palestinian media, social media and right-wing groups allied with Netanyahu's Likud Party. Among the groups participating in the effort are the Israeli-based Palestinian Media Watch, the D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), and other Middle East watchdog organizations.

The decision is mostly economic. Brutal budget cuts mean military officials are unable to monitor social media and Arab television stations like Al-Jazeera, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar, as well as Palestinian media. In some cases, Israel Defense Force officers get access to crucial Friday sermons in mosques days later - long after their intelligence value has faded.

The IDF denies the allegations. But staffers and government officials speaking on condition of anonymity with the Tel-Aviv based newspaper confirm that complaints have been taken to Military Intelligence Chief Aviv Kochavi, the man tasked with monitoring email, telephone and web traffic for the IDF's military intelligence arm.

Incidentally, the IDF has its own social media intelligence arm, Hatzav. Tasked with monitoring Twitter, Facebook and other social media websites, the division is part of Unit 8200, an elite unit of counter-intelligence professionals whose job is to intercept phone conversations and other suspicious chatter, as well as beefing up Israel's cybersecurity capabilities.

As resources become increasingly scarce, Prime Minister Netanyahu's government is taking matters into its own hands. PMW director, Itmar Marcus, has already come to its aid. Marcus previously served as a member of the Israeli delegation of the Tri-Lateral Committee to Monitor Incitement, set up after the signing of the Wye River Memorandum in 1998.

Palestinian Media Watch documents the "contradictions between the image the Palestinians present to the world in English and the messages to their own people in Arabic." It documents anti-Jewish and anti-Israel rhetoric on Palestinian media, distributing translations of Palestinian programs into English. Information in the PMW's newsletters frequently find their way into memos; government and diplomatic officials often cite PMW excerpts during briefings with foreign dignitaries.

For its part, the Netanyahu government makes an effort to verify every statement that it cites from PMW memos. But as several high-profile incidents in the region emphasize the issue of anti-Israel incitement, Netanyahu and his ministers have no intentions of letting up the pressure on Palestinian officials, clerics and others it claims are inciting violence in the West Bank and abroad.

Correction: It has come to the attention of the editors that a number of statements which were included in the original version of this article were misleading or false. The PMW's YouTube channels was shut down for a few days only, not a month. And the shutdown was due to an error by YouTube, as reported above. Additionally, the PMW does not have a "checkered past," nor did the organization have to retract any op-eds it published previously. The information has since been updated with accurate information.
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In Rebuke to US and West, Egypt Will Try 19 Americans

In a sharp rebuke to the United States, 19 American citizens who work for human rights and pro-democracy Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Egypt will be face criminal charges of using foreign funds to foment unrest. Word that the criminal prosecutions will proceed comes after the US made it clear that Egypt could lose $1.8 billion in military aid it stands to receive from Washington this year unless the NGO workers are freed. Tension over the issue escalated rapidly after Americans were detained at Cairo’s airport as they tried to leave Egypt. Among them was the son of US Labor Secretary Ray LaHood. No date has been set for the trial. Offices of more than a dozen of the NGOs were raided by heavily armed police last month. Afterward, some trying to flee Egypt fearing that arrest would follow were stopped at the airport.

Abbas and Meshaal Meet in Qatar; Abbas Expected to Take Fayyad’s Job

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud ‘Abbas met Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal in Doha on Sunday in an effort to move reconciliation talks between the two factions forward. With an agreement nearly a year-old but still unfulfilled, pressure is mounting to find a formula by which Fatah and Hamas can sit together in a unity government and end the bifurcation between the Hamas-held Gaza Strip and Fatah-run West Bank in time for elections which are now slated for May, although reports from Doha indicate that ‘Abbas and Meshaal might have agreed to postpone them until later in the year. Regional news agencies are reporting that Qatari Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa proposed that ‘Abbas assume the position of prime minister in the unity government, replacing Salam Fayyad, whom Hamas has been demanding step down. Apparently, the position would be in addition to the presidency. ‘Abbas has previously said he would step down after a new government is elected. It is not clear whether ‘Abbas’ assumption of the prime minister’s role would be sufficient to encourage Western nations that have relied on Fayyad’s presence for a level of assurance on fiscal matters would continue to fund the Palestinian Authority with Fayyad gone and ‘Abbas in his place alongside Hamas members. ‘Asad and Meshaal are expected to meet again on Monday and an announcement is expected at that time. Meanwhile, the last member of Hamas’ Damascus-based leadership has left the Syrian capital for the Gaza Strip as the group seeks to distance itself from the bloody siege of Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad which has been condemned by much of the Arab world.

Syria Continues Assault on Homs; 50 More Killed on Monday
Remaining oblivious to massive international pressure demanding that he end 10-months of violent assault on Syrians demonstrating against his rule, President Bashar Al-Asad resumed the bombardment of the city of Homs overnight Sunday. At least 50 people were reportedly killed in addition to more than 200 who died on Friday night. Cities and towns that like Homs are centers for resistance and rebel army forces continue to be targeted. Baba Amro reported at least 150 wounded and in the Damascus suburb of Zabadani, new artillery fire was reported early Monday morning. The latest carnage comes after China and Russia blocked an attempt by Security Council members to support the Arab League’s efforts to end the bloodshed. On Sunday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the vetoes by those two nations as “a travesty.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Caught Up in Potato Chip Scandal
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has taken to Twitter to distance himself from a developing scandal involving a family member. Army intelligence and military police officers arrested workers caught falsifying the expiration dates on a warehouse full of potato chips and discovered the warehouse was rented by Mikati’s brother-in-law, whom they say who was fully aware of the scam. The chips, whose freshness expired in 2011, were being re-marked for 2014. The mass circulation Daily Star reported that Mikati tweeted a warning that he will not “cover for anyone involved in any wrongdoing.” Nevertheless, the newspaper reports that police prevented reporters from entering the warehouse and forced news photographers to erase photos from their cameras.
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The Syrian Crucible: What if the truth isn’t the reality?

The arrest and pending trial of foreign “democracy activists” in Egypt on charges they violated laws prohibiting funding by foreign governments of NGOs has caused an uproar in Washington. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton has publicly warned Cairo this endangers the $1.55 billion in aid the US is supposed to shell out this year, but the Egyptians don’t seem all that impressed. “The government will not hesitate to expose foreign schemes that threaten the stability of the homeland,” said Ms. Abu el-Naga speaking on behalf of the Egyptian government. Al Ahram, the state newspaper, reporting on this, added “she is betting on the true essence of the Egyptian people to come together during crisis.”

And they are making a very good bet, since the American government is widely reviled in Egypt for supporting dictator Hosni Mubarak all those years: indeed, the indignant Hillary supported him up until the very last moment, even as Egyptians of all persuasions were pouring into the streets demanding his resignation – and his head.

In America, restrictions on foreign funding of political groups and nonprofit institutions is even stricter than in Egypt. Nonprofits acting as conduits for foreign money in the US must register as agents of a foreign power, and detail their activities and all interactions with foreign nationals and governments.

In short, the US adheres to one standard within its own borders, but disallows those same standards when applied to itself overseas. This is typical behavior for Washington, and just one of the reasons why we’re hated everywhere we go. The State Department portrays the crackdown as an attempt by the military junta to cling to power in spite of a pledge to yield to a democratically elected government, and yet according to the New York Times even the “human rights” groups on the US dole say:

“[T]hey believe the ruling generals may genuinely suspect what they have described as ‘foreign hands’ stirring up trouble on the street. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the subject, a former general close to the ruling military council insisted that Washington was indeed seeking to destabilize Egypt by financing these groups.”

What if a foreign government decided that American election laws are “undemocratic” because, for example, they effectively disallow third parties, and are routinelymanipulated by incumbents to ensure their reelection – and decided to massively fund a campaign to change those laws? They would be shut down quickly, of that there can be little doubt. To say nothing of foreign entities funding violent street demonstrations, as US-funded NGOs have done in the case of various “color revolutions” in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. How many Muslim and Arab charities have been raided in the US, their leaders prosecuted on “terrorism” charges? Yet when the Egyptians did the same in their own country, the Americans pointed to this as an attack on “civil society.”

Under the rubric of the National Endowment for Democracy, and USAID, Washington ships billions of US tax dollars overseas to promote the work of government-funded NGOs, in effect creating the American equivalent of the old Soviet Comintern. With its agents ensconced in “civil society” all over the world, Washington uses these groups to pursue its foreign policy agenda of “regime change” in countries whose rulers are insufficiently subservient to American aims. We saw this during the Bush era, when various “color revolutions” from Ukraine to Kyrgyzstan were sparked by US-funded –and-trained groups. The US strategy is clearly to co-opt rather than oppose the revolutionary upsurge and use it as a means to advance American interests in the region, but this raises two questions:

1) Who and what are we backing, and 2) Is this a boon or a bane for those suffering under the dictatorship of, say, Bashar al-Assad of Syria? As Jacob Heilbrunn, writing in The National Interest, puts it:

“Apparently the State Department has financed Syrian groups and television programs attacking the Assad regime. U.S. diplomatic cables, the Post says, reveal that the State Department has disbursed at least $6 million to a group called the Movement for Justice and Development–a grouping of Syrian exiles living in London.

“The import of this move seems clear: President Obama is supporting, much as his predecessor, George W. Bush did, regime change in Syria. Regime change may, or may not, be in America’s interest. The Assad dictatorship, father and son, has been an ugly one. But what would replace it? Does Obama know? Does he have a clear read on the exiles in London (some of whom are apparently former members of the Muslim Brotherhood) that America has been supporting? The record of American assistance to such groups has not always been a happy one.

“Another problem is that by intruding into Syrian domestic politics, the administration legitimizes the regime’s claims that it is fighting foreign enemies intent on subverting the home land. For make no mistake: subversion is exactly what Obama is practicing. He is aiding a group that seeks to topple the current Syrian government.”

In the Western media, the Syrian narrative is all about how helpless protesters are being massacred by government forces, but the reality is quite different, as this reportby the Arab League monitoring mission makes clear. Of course we didn’t hear much about this report when it was released: anything that goes against the Official Narrative is summarily dropped into the Memory Hole and never seen again. Pepe Escobar notes:

“The report is adamant. There was no organized, lethal repression by the Syrian government against peaceful protesters. Instead, the report points to shady armed gangs as responsible for hundreds of deaths among Syrian civilians, and over one thousand among the Syrian army, using lethal tactics such as bombing of civilian buses, bombing of trains carrying diesel oil, bombing of police buses and bombing of bridges and pipelines.”

The report itself states:

“The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not mentioned in the protocol. This development on the ground can undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian Government forces in response to protests that occurred before the deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of the regime. In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and limb.”

Who or what is this “armed entity not mentioned in the protocol” – or in many of the news reports on events in Syria? Where do they get their arms? Stratfor says mostly from Lebanon, but there is also the border with Turkey:

“Supply routes emanating from Lebanon are the most critical to the FSA, as they run closest to critical opposition strongholds in and around the capital and in the Sunni-majority cities of Homs and Hama. The porous Syrian-Turkish border is the safest for the FSA to cross. Ankara has already established several refugee camps for Syrians on the Turkish border and has been hosting the FSA and Syrian National Council leaderships. Foreign covert assistance to the FSA is also likely taking place on the Turkish side of the Syrian border, where stockpiles can be protected and Turkish armed forces can provide some cover for FSA rebels moving to and from Syria.”

Antiwar.com columnist and former intelligence officer Phil Giraldi is more explicit:

“Unmarked NATO warplanes are arriving at Turkish military bases close to Iskenderun on the Syrian border, delivering weapons from the late Muammar Gaddafi’s arsenals as well as volunteers from the Libyan Transitional National Council who are experienced in pitting local volunteers against trained soldiers, a skill they acquired confronting Gaddafi’s army. Iskenderun is also the seat of the Free Syrian Army, the armed wing of the Syrian National Council. French and British special forces trainers are on the ground, assisting the Syrian rebels while the CIA and U.S. Spec Ops are providing communications equipment and intelligence to assist the rebel cause, enabling the fighters to avoid concentrations of Syrian soldiers.”

The Libyan “National Transitional Council” announced its support to the Syrian rebels, and sent 600 fighters to the Turkish border. Financed and supported by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, the “Free Syrian Army” is intent on sparking a sectarian war, pitting Sunnis against Alawites and Christians. Their “Abu Bakr Brigade, which originated in Libya, and is said to be recruited from Al Qaeda, is posting anti-Alawitevideos as part of their propaganda operation. This group has claimed responsibility for various attacks on Iranian targets, notably blowing up an Iranian military aircraft carrying 302 soldiers in 2003. The rebels are especially angry over what they characterize as growing Iranian influence in Syria, another factor that frames their cause in sectarian terms.

As Egypt falls into the Muslim Brotherhood’s embrace, and the US backs purportedly “moderate Islamists” in Syria and elsewhere, the fate of Christians and secularists in the region is increasingly problematic. The Egyptians see what is going on in Syria, and are trying to prevent the US-sponsored chaos from spreading

Proponents of “soft power” often point to it as a peaceful alternative to the application of “hard power,” but the reality is that the former is just the prelude to the latter. “Democracy promotion” sets the stage for military intervention by first providing the rationale for regime-change and secondly providing the personnel. The Syrian rebel radio station, headquartered in London, has received millions of our tax dollars, while our spooks have been training and arming them. The line between “soft” and “hard” power is increasingly difficult to ascertain.

When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the US backed the Afghan mujahideen – dubbed “freedom-fighters” by President Reagan. This was the cradle out of which crept al-Qaeda. What new monsters are we creating in the Syrian crucible?
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Ruling Party Says NGOs Politicized, Need Regulation

Russia’s ruling United Russia party said non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are excessively politicized and financed from abroad and need to be regulated.

Yury Shuvalov, the deputy secretary of the party’s Presidium of the General Council, told a session of the party’s political clubs on Friday that in many cases “NGOs operate as an instrument of influence on Russia from abroad.”

He said the main issue that needs to be raised again is how the non-profit groups operating in Russia are financed.

Kremlin officials and pro-government youth groups often accuse the U.S. White House of threatening Russia’s sovereignty via the non-profit groups.

In a televised phone-in show late last year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismissed the thousands of protesters who claim vote-rigging in the December 4 parliamentary elections as paid agents of the West.

Shuvalov’s colleague Andrei Isayev said that the development of NGOs in Russia is very important and they need government’s support.

“But I agree that certain filters should be created for NGOs because they receive foreign assistance,” he said, adding that it should be always publicly stressed “if a non-profit organization has been founded and is managed by a U.S. citizen.”

He cited as an example Russia’s largest independent election watchdog Golos, which, he said, is funded by the United States, saying that the American involvement should be always mentioned.

Golos, which is funded by the United States and EU, says it is being persistently pressured by the authorities.

At a recent news conference in Moscow, the group said its members were faced with “open intimidation,” including “phone-tapping, as well as breaking into mail boxes and accounts on social networking sites.”

Late last year, a documentary on state television accused Golos of serving U.S. interests and trying to foment a Ukraine-style “Orange Revolution” in Russia.