Programs: Civil Society Building and Institutional Development

 

In Iraq, ADF implement the Iraq Civil Society & Independent Media program, a $60 million 3-year USAID-funded program promoted the development of an informed, sustainable, and active Iraqi civil society that participates within a democratic system of governance. ADF activities included: establishing Civil Society Resource Centers to serve as regional hubs for the delivery of training and technical assistance for capacity building of Iraqi CSOs; providing training, technical assistance and grants for Iraqi CSOs engaged in civic education, women's advocacy, anti-corruption, and human rights in order to have a positive influence on Iraqis emerging democratic processes and institutions; and assistance in the development of a professional independent media sector in Iraq through technical assistance, training, and other resources support.

 

In Egypt, ADF was the designated NGO partner responsible for providing all the training and technical assistance services for the 6-year (1999-2005) USAID/Egypt supported NGO Service Center program. ADF built the capacity of 560 NGOs located throughout Egypt in the areas of governance, NGO management, community empowerment, and advocacy. In one component of this project, the Business Association Strengthening Activity (BASA), ADF provided training and technical assistance to invigorate the capacity of Egyptian Business Associations in their management, business development and advocacy programs.

 

In the Russian Federation, ADF and its Russian partner Interlegal have undertaken a range of successful collaborative projects that have resulted in expanded civil society sectors in Russia, the Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. A wide range of civil society organizations were formally registered as a result of information and legal assistance services, information clearing houses and regional support structures have been established, networks and coalitions have grown, and civil society at various times has had a positive effect on public policy.

 

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, ADF implemented the second phase of the Democracy Network Program (DemNet II) to further develop and strengthen the Bosnian NGO sector to ensure that they – and the citizens they represent – participate more actively and effectively in public life and decision making. The program had three main components: tailored training and technical assistance for sustainable NGOs; grants to indigenous NGOs; and coalition building at various levels to strengthen the organizational capacity of a core group of Bosnian NGOs in order to mobilize NGO and citizen participation in economic and political life at all levels; and to contribute to an improved environment for civil society development in Bosnia.

 

In Romania, ADF’s Regional Partnership for Democracy (PRD) program used a unique approach based on a regional support for civil society building. Romanian CSOs partner with their Serbian counterparts, providing an exchange of knowledge and expertise that strengthened the capacity of CSOs in both countries to build civil society and this sector’s participation in building democratic processes.