1. Identification Data of Project Representative: NOVA, Centre per a la Innovació Social
in consortium with Gandhiji Cultural (organizer of International Film Festival of Human Rights)

2. Identification Data of Person Responsible: Martí Olivella
NOVA is member of Nonviolent Peaceforce www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org (95 NGOs around the world) since 2003 and of the Europenan Network of Civil Peace Services www.en-cps.org (15 organizations in Europe) since 2005.

Member of Project Consortium:
Gandiji Cultural. ID. G63083018. Register: 27469
Plaza Cardona, 4 Bjs. 08006 Barcelona
relacionesinstitucionales@yahoo.es
Contact persona: Concha Pinós

3. Identification Data of Local Partners:

3.a) Al-mesalla Centre for Human Resources Development – Bagdad, IRAQ
Legal rep.: Ismael Dawood

Development Objectives:
Al-Mesalla Centre is a non-governmental and non-profitable organization, based on voluntary work, with financial and administrative independence.

The organization aims to spread the education of civil society, stabilize the principles of democracy, equality, human rights, rational management, and non-violence ethics.

The following are the organization financial resources:
a- Contributions made by those who cooperate with the organization.
b- Donors’ support.
c- Incomes made by the organization activities.

3.b) Studies Center of Human Rights and Democracy (SCHRD.)
Centre recorded in Planning and International Cooperative Ministry under nº 1Z2101
Mansour,Road Ice Shop. National Society of Iraquis Muthaqafin, 1st fl. Bagdad
Therthar St. nearest Hadra Mosque Fallujah

Legal rep.: Mohamad Tareq A.Al-Derjai

Development Objectives:
Our violence reduction work in some places is based in our Islamic faith and inspired also by leaders such as our messenger Muhammed, Gandhi & Badsha Khan and peacemakers from other religions and traditions. We believe in non violent means of conflict resolution & violence reduction. This training course may help our centre to find new ways to prevent continues suffering of our peoples when we will analyze the situation inside IRAQ and discuss the reasons of violence and the results it produces. Our Centre is independent of political parties and movements, but it encourages and promotes political trends that support human rights principles and spread of real democracy.
The objectives of our centre are:

1.Maintenance and reservation of national beliefs and principles, including one land, population and destiny.
2.Participation in the spread of civil awareness on how to practice democracy, application of main human rights, and ensuring that all segments of the population can practice these rights.
3.Encouraging scientific research methodologies that can be employed to spread and enhance culture and media awareness in Democracy and human rights.
4.Ensuring the fact that democracy and human rights are essential parts of Islamic law that conforms to all International conventions and agreements.
5.Ensuring the principles of consultation and adoption of logical dialogue in decision- making by adopting equal and fair principles in the formation of consultancy councils.
6. Encouraging the development of effective frameworks for establishing a democratic civic society for all segments of the community.
7.Making sure that the whole population enjoys the rights of good citizenship and encouraging Peoples’ Rule principle.
8.Safeguarding Iraq wealth as being a property of the nation, and claiming the rights of all Iraqis who were affected by the occupation.

3.c) Other local and European partners:

from the Region:

- Libanese Association for Civil Rights (LACR)
Beyrouth - (Lebanon) walogar@hotmail.com
Contact Person: Walid SLAYBI and Ogarit YOUNAN

- Centre pour la Paix de l’Université Al-Aqsa
Gaza - (Palestine) PO Box 4051 ziadmedoukh@hotmail.com
Contact Person: Ziad MEDOUKH

- Amman Center for Human Rights Studies. (ACHRS)
P.O. Box 212524 Amman - (Jordan) achrs@achrs.org and www.achrs.org
Fax: 962-6-4655043

European:

- Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-Violente (MAN)
114, Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris (France) manco@free.fr tel. 01-45444825
Contact Person: Jean Marie MULLER

- Institut de recherche sur la Rèsolution Non-Violente des Conflicts (IRNC)
14 Rue des Meuniers – 93100 Montreuil (France) irnc@imc.org tel. 01-42879469
Contact Person: Francois MARCHAND

- Centro Gandhi, Associazione per la Nonviolenza ONLUS
Via S.Cecilia, 30 – 56127 Pisa (Italy) http://pdpace.interfree.it pignattimora@unisi.it
Contact Person: Martina PIGNATTI MORANO

- Un Ponte per…
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 132 – 00185 Roma (Italy) www.unponteper.it paolagasparoli@hotmail.com
Contact Person: Paola GASPAROLI

Berretti Bianchi
Via F.Carrara, 209 – 55042 Forte dei Marmi (Lucca, ITALY) www.berrettibianchi.org
Contact Preson: Carla Biavatti

European Network for Civil Peace Services (EN.CPS)
www.en-cps.org
(14 organizations from 12 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Catalonia-Spain, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Rumania, Scotland-UK, Turkey, United Kingdom)


4. Description of the Project:

a) Title: same as above

Localization:
Empowerment of NGOs in Iraq and Palestine, supporting the strengthening of a network among non violent trainers of Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Implication of European society in a civil intervention in Israel/Palestine.

Duration of the Project: June 2005-June-2007
Period of funding asked for: June 2005-June 2006

Relevant aspects of the geographical, social, cultural, and political context of the area where the project should be implemented:
Middle East, as known, is a strategic area of confrontation of interests of all sorts (geo-strategic, geo-energetic, geo-religious…) dressed up as religious and civilization conflicts.

It is well known by public opinion for its long and bloody conflicts. Less known are the emerging non violent movements that are searching for other pacific solutions to the conflicts and the initiatives that would reinforce civil intervention without violence.

The complex situation of the Iraqi conflict - that confronts heterogeneous groups of resistance to the international coalition, leadered by the United States, in the midst of a protected process of democracy that gives opportunity to the greater marginalised communities (mainly Shiites and Kurds) by Saddam’s regime, but that up to now has not been able to incorporate the Sunnite community - makes difficult a prevision of the peace process.

The recent abating of the Israel-Palestine conflict does not guarantee that there can be advancement in a just peace, assumable by the different actors implied.

In both cases, leaving out the instability of Lebanon, it is foreseeable that the conflicts in the zone will continue and that reinforcing the transformation of these conflicts, without increasing the spiral of violence, is a challenge for those actors who dare bet on active non violence.

Security conditions on the field:
The proposed actions of identification and training for non violent conflict transformation will be held in safe places for all participants, especially in Jordan and Kurdistan, searching for the best places for each phase under the indications of the local NGOs. The same will happen in Gaza in the training action for Palestinians.

Summary of the Action:
First Phase:
The two Iraqi NGOs partners in the project will locate potential leaders in different communities who are interested in non violent conflict transformation.
These trainings will be offered by experts from the area (Lebanon, Palestine…) in Arab language, with the support of European experts sent by NOVA in cooperation with MAN (Mouvement pour un Alternative Nonviolente). The same applies for the training in Gaza.
These trainers will prepare the training program together, and it will include interchange of experiences and elaboration of strategies.
This way, the training of leaders is a possibility to reinforce the local network of non violent Arab trainers in the zone.
After a few sessions for the Iraqis and one for the Palestinians, the last will be to elaborate together a strategy of non violent action in Iraq and the area. And to decide how to focus on the next phase, based on the results and the situation
Second Phase:
The objective will depend on if it is worth deepening the training in the same groups or open up to new groups, and, in any case, to provide the necessary support for the for self-organization of local and regional actors in the implementation of the decided actions.
For the reinforcement of the network of trainers in the region it is to be seen if the accent is to be put on deepening it or opening up.
In parallel, during the two phases, the support to the Campaign for a civil unarmed intervention force in Israel/Palestine (www.interventioncivile.org), complements the action in the field with an action of commitment of the civil and political European society to the conflict transformation. (see annex 4)

Origin of the action:
In the cooperative program of promotion of Nonviolent Action, in the World Social Forum, January 2005, in Porto Alegre, different organizations from around the world met and agreed to implement a series of actions (see the mural of proposals, nº 8,9,10,178,179, at www.memoria-viva.org/bdsf/listeespaces_es.html. Among them: one to promote training in non violent action and the other to support a campaign for a civil intervention force in Israel/Palestine.

Among those present (many, members of Nonviolent Peaceforce) two organizations from Iraq (Almesalla Centre and Studies Centre for Human Rights and Democracy) concretely asked for support in training for non violent action as the only way out of the culture of war that is dominating their country. During these last months with MAN (France) and Gandhi Centre (Italy) and other European organizations, we have been elaborating a project, and all is ready for the first training session to take place in Amman (Jordan) in December 2005. We have considered important to pick up the request for a similar action in Gaza.

During the planning, it became apparent that it was important to expose these actions to the political and social European representatives and pressure Europe to assume its responsibilities in the Middle East. A project of this order permits the channelling of public outcry against war and the political commitment in Peace building, not in a spectacular way at short term, but for midterm solution by strengthening the network of non violent trainers and regional leaders. In this way they will be able to face the challenge of non violent transformation of the Middle Eastern conflicts and, with them, those that are being generated in the multiethnic community within European boundaries.

Integration in other official programmes.
In the European Union’s “Assistance Programme 2005 for Iraq” it is considered that one of the four priority strategies is “support to the political and constitutional process, development of civil society and human rights through the implementation of activities under the EIDHR” (page 2)

One of the specific objectives is “ to promote education in human rights, training, continued verification and awareness, strengthening of civil society and of persons to respect human rights… Promote a participative democracy and strengthen the foundation for a dialogue within civil society… assuring equality of rights and treatment for persons, and minorities of different origins, as the intercultural and interethnic comprehension.” (pages 25-26)

The “calls for proposals” from EIDHR for these objectives for Iraq have not been realized and the general deadlines for this year have already come to a close.

The objective of asking the Catalan Agency for cooperation for Development is to be able to present to EIDHR the request for the next phase, for a project already running.

On the other hand Nonviolent Peaceforce, www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org, the international NGO formed by 95 NGOs around the world, among them NOVA, in parallel to the pilot project in Sri Lanka, has two objectives in the Middle East: the identification of local organizations that can ask for a project of Civil Nonviolent intervention in some of their countries (especially Palestine or Iraq) and that of promotion of regional training for potential future members of the Nonviolent Peaceforce teams. In this sense this project would like to contribute to advances in these two objectives, so that the international civil non violent intervention can be ever more possible in this area so relevant and so punished.

Also the European Network of Civil Peace Services (EN.CPS), www.en-cps.org, made up of around 20 organizations from around twelve European countries – part of which have been working in the Balkans for many years – have given their support to this project and are studying how to participate with human and financial resources.

b) Beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries are:

1. The experts and the organizations in the zone that have already been promoting non violent actions for some time and do not have enough echo or support.
2. The leaders and organizations of the area that want to know more about the possibilities of non violent conflict transformation to apply them to their reality.
3. Youth and potential leaders, of the different communities, ethnic groups, religions… that will be able to participate in the process of training as space for mutual understanding and dialogue, to empower common future actions and strategies.

Criteria for choosing the beneficiary population:
We will make sure that participants from a diversity of political/ethnical/religious backgrounds are selected, assuming that coping with this diversity is part of the training itself. We will also guarantee equilibrium between men and women, and people of different ages in the groups.

Number of beneficiaries:
Initially:
5 leaders and their organizations local/national/regional.
5 experts in training in non violent action in the zone.
30 potential leaders (men from 20 to 45 years of age) that proceed from social organizations
20 potential leaders (women from 20 to 45) proceeding from social organizations
5 European leaders and experts in non violent action and their organizations.

Number of indirect beneficiaries:
Impossible to quantify. It will depend on the possibility to repeat, and on the social impact of the first group.
It will also depend on how European civil society, with the help of the media, can propose a new approach of action in the zone for the transformation of conflict, and how we can lobby on our institutions to intervene in conflicts without more use of violence.

Total population in the zone:
Iraq: 26 million + Palestine: 4 million + Israel: 7 million + Jordan: 6 million + Lebanon: 4 million = 47 million inhabitants

Implication and participation of the beneficiaries in all the phases of the cycle of the project from the human, technical, financial and logistics point of view.
The leaders and experts are already participating in the elaboration of the project since the beginning. The rest, as of their response and interest, will determine the future phases.

c) Diagnosis : Tree of problems:

In Iraq

Difficulty of understanding how to go ahead, on all fronts of social reconstruction, in a setting of high insecurity.
Construction of a formal democracy without the strengthening of civil society
Violent response to invasion and to internal conflict solution
National fragmentation on former repressive policies of ex-regime towards Shiite and Kurd local majorities
Fragmentation of society between those for and against former regime in relation to foreign intervention


In the Middle East

Empowerment of culture of violence that increases the spiral of violence
Legitimacy of democracy and of United Nations impaired because of the unfairness in the conflict
A physical and symbolic space that propitiates confrontation of people and civilizations
Conflictive de-colonization and festering of political clash, thru time, of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Domination of geo-strategic, energy, and economic interests of the West that generate refusal towards western values and formal democracy.


In Europe

Incapacity of showing through the media the ‘no-war’ actors in the zone.
Specific emergency grants for rebuilding… but lack of political and strategic support to a new generation of social leaders.
Punctual movements against the wars, but lack of a strategy to channel this position of support to initiatives and policies for prevention and non violent conflict transformation.
Lack of pressure of society on National and European Institutions to change their incapacity of finding an alternative policy to United States and partner’s war intervention in the Middle East.


d. Tree of objectives

In Iraq

Organize a non violent response to the invasion and to the internal conflicts to obtain necessary security and help the Peace process advance.
Support initiatives to uphold an unarmed security that permits advancement in all orders of reconstruction
Build a formal democracy with a strong civil society that can control it.
Find a way out for the invaders, substituting their presence with legitimate peace building forces.
Support a liberation process that empowers participative democracy and does not perpetrate the privileges of the former regime
Facilitate the understanding, the dialogue and the reconciliation among Sunnites, Shiites and Kurds.


In the Middle East

Reinforcement of the Culture of Peace and non violence with promotion of examples and actors of the zone
Empower initiatives for a participative democracy in the countries of the region.

Create symbolic and physical space using common roots to promote the dialogue among civilizations
Support for the actors that search for a non violent peace solution for Israel/Palestine



In Europe

Support the ‘no-war’ actors of the region and show them as significant actors through European media
Integrate resources for punctual support, emergency and physical reconstruction to create a new generation of social leadership.
Convert the mobilizations against war into a medium for strategic support to channel public position in support actions to support initiatives and policies of prevention and non violent conflict transformation.
Denounce the real western geo-strategic, energy and economic interests that, with our votes and consumers patterns, we maintain and get benefit from.
Reinforce campaigns in favour of a reformed UN that does its job of conflict prevention, transformation, and Peace building
Support campaigns of pressure from civil society towards national and European institutions for an alternative policy against the war intervention of USA and its coalition allies in Middle East.



5. Planning Chart 2005-2006

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY OBJECTIVELY VERIFIABLE INDICATORS SOURCES OF VERIFICATION HIPOTHESIS
GENERAL OBJECTIVE Promotion of civil society in the Middle East as peacemaking factor, through identification and training of leaders in nonviolent conflict transformation. Increase number of both NGOs and of social organizations that work in peacemaking (for 3 years) NGO Register of the Iraqui Gov’t. Interviews with participants of the training courses (for 3 years) Maintainence of a minimun political stability and security conditions in the region that permit movements about
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE Answer the request of Iraqi NGOs to form nonviolent leaders. Reinforce the network of nonviolent trainers in the region. Organize 3 sessions of training of trainers in a year. Bills of trips and expenses covered. Maintainence of comunication and trust with the NGOs and organizations worked with.
RESULTS Create team of 3 – 5 nonviolent trainers from the region. Form between 20 and 30 social leaders Establish solid links with the 2 local partners. same
Programs of the sessions and signed lists of participants Confirm the interest among a part of social leaders of Iraq to understand, learn and apply the possibilities of Nonviolence
ACTIVITIES Summary Resources Costs aproximate in Euros Hipothesis
Actions to ask for and organizational and financial support necessary to start and continue the project. Management Team, multilingual and efficient. 56000 The project is viable if the Catalan Agency supports it which will permit other institutions to participate
European Mission team trip to start campaign for civil intervention force in Isreal/Palestine. Tripto Jerusalem for 10 members of the mission. 15000 Agreement among members of the mission and open entry to Israel
Encounter of Trainers for understanding, coordination and elaboration of the training program with the project trainers, organizers, locals and coordinators.
Trip to Amman for 9 persons for 3 days 12000 Using, if posssible, the trip of the mission for civil intervention force
Identification and selection of the participants to the training programs with agreed criteria Interviews and organization for 2 months by the local partners. 14000 The local organizations have the expertise to choose the participants
Selection, preparation and translation of pedagogic material for the sessions (courses) Organization and managment of trainers and translators. 6000 The trainers share theirmaterials
Design and permanent realization of audiovisual report on the project Cameraman and camera present in the different meetings and sessions, and, if possible, in the local NGOs. 28000 The security conditions permit the recording
Prepartion of human resources and translation and interpretation technicians. Purchase of mobile equipment for simultaneous translation (30 piece) and contract for 2 translators – interpreters for the project. 30000 To be able to buy the equipment and give best quality to translation
Design and realization of webpage for project and for a database of nonviolent experiences and resources in catalan, english, and Arab. Contract for web designer and administrator, with translators support. 10000 To be able to get resources and cooperation from other existing webs to share info
Preparation and realization of the Amman session Trips and lodging for 25 participants plus the project and press team. 66000 Sufficient security conditions
Evaluation of the first session Project and reporters teams 3000
Preparation and realization of the Gaza session Trips and lodging for 25 participants plus the project and press team 8000 Sufficient security conditions
Evaluation of the second session Project and reporters teams 3000
Preparation and realization of the third session: (Amman or place to determine) Trips and lodging for 25 participants plus the project and press team 66000 Sufficient security conditions
Evaluation of the third session and of the whole project Project and reporters teams 3000
Up-date to continue to a successive phase. Project and reporters teams 5000
Permanent internal and external evaluation Evaluation Personnel and procedure 9000
TOTAL 334000


6. Chronogram of activities 2005-2006
Activities months
July05 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan06 Feb March April May June
Readjust project and resources X x
Creation of project team x
Mission to Jerusalem x
Prep. 1st session x x x
Implem. 1st session x
Eval. 1st session x
Prep. 2nd session x x x
Implem. 2nd session x
Eval. 2nd session x
Prep. 3rd session x
Implem. 3rd session x
Evaluating the 3rd session & whole proj. x

7. to 11. Specific sections for burocratic information required for funding request.

12. Budget for the project for 2005
Global Cost of the project 357.391

Contribution asked: Catalan Agency for Cooperation and Development:
134.285

Applicant Organization’s Contribution 10.679

Local Partner’s Contribution

Other Contributions 212.427








13. Co- financing


Partner Import Situation
(given or asked for) Percentage (%) of global cost of project
Others Gandhiji Cultural 5.350 agreed 1,5
Un Ponte per... 25.000 Asked for ... 7
Nonviolent Peaceforce 25.000 Asked for 2005 7
Barcelona Municipality 82.000 Asked for 2006 20
DIBA 82.000 Asked for 2005 20
Selling of media rights 18.173 Asked for 2006 4
2nd phase? European Union - EIDHR Asked for 2006


14. Specific sections for burocratic information required for funding request.

15. Prevision of control, supervision and evaluation of the project
a) as a small NGO Nova will be following this project as a priority. For each activity a report and an evaluation will be written and signed by its responsible person, and will be presenting the bills.
b) The prevision of recording on audiovisual material will have double result: that of external control and that of visibility. It will be entrusted to en external professional firm, who will give reports, evaluation and present bills every three months.

17. Visibility of the Agency:
In the pedagogic and communication material the Catalan Agency will be mentioned, with its logo.
A trip of the Director of the Agency is foreseen , or of whomever he may choose to represent him, at the end of the first phase to share directly the experience with the participants of the project.
The realization of a recording in video on the whole project, with the participation of the participants, as possible, is a way of giving visibility to the project and also to the visibility to the unknown and emerging realities of the area.
In the same way the web of the project will offer an access to a bigger public to the material, documents, experiences… that will add to the construction of a more effective Culture of Peace in the European world and in the Arab Muslim world.


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