Hivos news

On April 19th to 22nd, Karama & Hivos hosted a delegation composed of six women from the MENA region representing five countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Libya, to participate in the 12th Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) Forum held in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of this year's forum, held every three to four years, was women's empowerment through transformation of economic power. The forum, where over 2200 women's rights activists, advocates, and academics convened from around the world, was a center for idea exchange and expertise. As youth activists, the delegation was excited about this participation, looking forward to meeting other activists and women’s rights advocates, as well as sharing their own experiences and ideas with regards to development and civilian empowerment issues in the MENA region.

On 16 February 2012, the Air Force Intelligence Service (AFI)  conducted a raid at the premises of Hivos partner the Syrian Centre for Media and  Freedom of Expression (SCM) in Damascus during which they arrested 16  persons including director Mr. Mazen Darwish.

Again,  Hivos and several other organizations condemn the ongoing secret detention of Mr Mazen Darwish, President of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), and four of his colleagues in the following statement.

Hivos and the Arts and Culture Program of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) invite project proposals for the Central Asia Pavilion (CAP) to be realized within the framework of the 55th International Art Exhibition – Venice Biennale 2013.

Paul Maassen has been appointed as the first Civil Society Coordinator for the Open Government Partnership (OGP). OGP is an ambitious multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. The position is  hosted by Hivos. 

Once in a while one gets support from an unexpected friend. It occurred  this week when the campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) of  Wadi caught the eye of Dutch liberal MP Han ten Broeke. Ten Broekes  party, the VVD, is known for its criticism of development aid.  Nevertheless, the MP mentioned Wadi, an Iraqi German NGO, as ‘best  practice’. The VVD is the party of prime minister Mark Rutte.

For the first time, an empirical study proved that female  genital mutilation is also prevalent in parts of Iraq beyond the borders  of the Kurdish Region.

 Kenyans these days wake up to biting graffiti about the country’s corrupt politicians. Largely anonymous artists are calling on the people to use their vote in the next elections to bring about  change.  Kenyans talk about it, on the street, on the internet, radio and on TV.  But Kenyans always talk, talk, talk. Will the citizen led “WanjikũRevolution” (through the ballot) finally challenge ‘The Way Things Have Always Been Done Around Here’?

The undersigning organizations express their grave concerns for the safety of Mr. Mazen Darwish, Head of the Damascus based Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of  Expression (SCM) and seven of his colleagues, arrested by Air Force  Intelligence members on February 16, 2012 during a raid on their  Damascus offices.

A large number of organisations, among them Hivos, call on the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mazen Darwish, a prominent Syrian human rights defender and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) – an organization that enjoys UN ECOSOC consultative status - as well as seven of his colleagues and a visitor, who were arrested on 16 February 2012 during a raid on their Damascus offices.