EMBASSY AMMAN'S APPLICATION FOR HRDF GRANT FUNDS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 002561 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR DRL/PHD,NEA/ARN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID KDEM KSEP PGOV PHUM SUBJECT: EMBASSY AMMAN'S APPLICATION FOR HRDF GRANT FUNDS REF: A. STATE 79965 ¶B. AMMAN 1210 ¶C. 02 AMMAN 5996 ¶D. AMMAN 1432 ¶1. Embassy Amman welcomes the opportunity to compete for funds from the Department's Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF). The following proposals are tailored to criteria in reftel, i.e. supporting critical mission human rights priorities, relevance to foreign policy objectives, and within Embassy Amman's proven capacity to administer funds to assistance programs. In 2002, Post administered programs with human rights components totaling over USD 19 million through USAID and USD 100,000 through Public Affairs (reftel B). ¶2. PROPOSED PROGRAMS ¶A. Supporting Family Guidance Center in Zarqa i. Background As reported in reftel C, The Family Guidance Center, directed by long-time embassy contact Nadia Bushnaq, provides social services to poor families in Zarqa. The Center provides a range of services (mostly to women),such as guidance on how to cope with spousal abuse and raising children in poverty. The Center has psychiatrists and legal counsel on site and operates a hotline. There are 40 employees, half of whom are "field workers" performing outreach services throughout Jordan. A USAID funded family planning physician regularly meets women at the center. The Center was registered in 1982 as a local NGO with the Ministry of Social Development. Bushnaq, who has 25 years of experience in social work, is directly involved with administering funds, and the Center has a full-time financial accountant and auditor. The Center produces an annual report for the Ministry of Social Development. Since 2000, the Center has received 100,000 from the Ministry of Planning for a Women's development center; over 150,000 USD in E.U. funds for an action plan against child abuse, volunteer youth program and a senior citizen community service program; over USD 100,000 from the Swiss Government to purchase a building for the Center's activities; and USD 10,000 from the British Council for human rights and family protection projects. In addition, the Center works with USAID on family planning programs. Bushnaq will maintain a separate account for the DRL funds and will provide a financial report detailing how the funds were used. ii. Proposal for legal assistance program The Center provides legal services for approximately 500 people, most of whom are women. Many of these women are victims of abuse, divorcees, and widows. The Center currently has a full-time attorney and part-time attorney to assist the women with filing their cases and seeking redress through the Jordanian courts. The Center also provides legal counsel to poor families attempting to manage their financial affairs. Bushnaq would like to hire an additional attorney. This attorney would be the Center's "field attorney" and would be able to provide services to women beyond the Zarqa area. Bushnaq said she could hire a competent attorney for this position with an annual salary of USD 2000. With the new attorney, Bushnaq anticipates the Center could provide legal services to an additional 200 people in one year. In addition, the Center's legal team is looking to enhance available funds to pay for the fees associated with carrying legal actions in the local courts. For example, a court action for child support from a father who has abandoned his family can cost a woman over USD 100 in court fees. These high costs are often prohibitive for poor people. USD 5,000 would create a fund that could be used within 12 months of receipt of funds. Thus, USD 7,000 will adequately fund this program for one year. iii. Proposal for democracy and human rights program for young adults Bushnaq is seeking to use the Center's Zarqa facilities to provide discussions, activities and training courses on democracy, human rights, and self-sufficiency. The program would be aimed at young adults (age range 18-25),most of whom come from poverty stricken neighborhoods in Zarqa. Bushnaq envisions discussions, group exercises, and organizing sporting events and field trips throughout Jordan. All activities will carry an underlying human rights theme. Participants would be able to engage in individual (or marital) counseling if they choose to. The curriculum would be geared toward enlightening the participants on the negative effects of physical and verbal abuse, and will encourage them to participate in and support civic institutions. Post will work with Bushnaq in selecting the curriculum and materials. Bushnaq estimates that she can run the program with over 100 participants for approximately USD 15,000. Costs include: hiring a full-time project director, assistant, and full-time social worker; purchasing curriculum materials such as books and videos; and outlays for transportation and administrative costs. iv. Post recommendation Post strongly endorses funding both programs. The legal services program will directly serve the needs of women who have suffered human rights abuses such as rape and physical abuse by facilitating opportunity for redress via the legal system. This will serve the critical mission priorities and foreign policy objectives of a) empowering women in Islamic society, particularly those suffering from abuse and poverty, and b) promoting use of Jordanian courts by people who traditionally have not done so because of cultural or financial reasons. Proper use of the courts by mainstream society for redress of grievance is an essential component of any democracy. The democracy and human rights program for young adults will serve a human rights priority by focusing on young adults, particularly males, who have yet to become entrenched in habits or behavior that is abusive and destructive to their families. Post believes it will also be a window for us to promote USG human rights and democracy goals through a curriculum delivered by a credible, local organization. The Center has good relations with the GOJ and Bushnaq is a long-time embassy contact (she has participated in our international visitors program). She has a proven track record as an administrator of donor funds. PolOff has made several visits to the Center in Zarqa, including one with Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues April Palmerlee in October 2002 (reftel c). Based on our visits to the Center and discussions with those who have received services from the Center, we are highly confident the Center would make outstanding use of HDRF funds. ¶B. Supporting human rights training for GOJ officials i. Background In January 2003, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a Human Rights Directorate (reftel C). Subsequently, the MFA's new Human Rights Coordinator contacted Post to inquire about possible training opportunities for its diplomats in the United States. We responded that we did not have funds to pay for Jordanian diplomats to travel to the U.S. for such training, and suggested the possibility of a training program here. ii. Proposal to train MFA diplomats on human rights law and public policy Post would like to organize a one-week seminar for MFA diplomats interested in receiving human rights training. We believe it will be most effective to bring expert/experts from the United States human rights academic community as the instructors and have them conduct the seminar at the Embassy. The experts could come during the summer when their class schedule in the US is presumably lighter. Cost estimates for such a program: airfare (est. 2000 USD per traveler from U.S.),200 USD per day honorarium, 200 USD per diem, and approximately 1000 USD for materials and incidental expenses lead to an estimate of 11,000 USD for two experts conducting a five day seminar on human rights law and public policy. Post will coordinate with Department on appropriate candidates in US academia to conduct the training. iii. Post recommendation We highly recommend funding this program. The GOJ has recently taken significant steps to establish an enhanced human rights component (reftel D),and we have applauded these efforts while prodding them to do more. Now, they are asking for our help in training. This training would serve the critical mission human rights priority and foreign policy objective of enhancing the GOJ's capacity to move forward on human rights issues that we regularly encourage them to consider. c. "Freedom of expression" training for Jordanian Judges i. Background The Jordanian Government recently rescinded Article 150 of the Penal Code, which had granted the GOJ considerable latitude in its discretion to prosecute journalists, editors and publishers for publishing material that was considered, inter alia, "harmful to the national unity". The repeal of Article 150 is a step forward, and we could help the GOJ build on this by offering training to the judiciary on freedom of expression, specifically as it relates to the press. The judiciary should be encouraged to view freedom of expression as a valuable right needed for a society to grow and thrive politically and economically, as opposed to viewing freedom of expression merely in a penal context. In addition, the judiciary should be exposed to comparative interpretations of freedom of expression in legal systems throughout the world, and given background on how other judiciaries and societies have dealt with this important human right during various stages of development. ii. Proposal for judicial training on freedom of expression We propose a three-day workshop for Jordanian judges organized in partnership with a local NGO to discuss a) the value of freedom of expression in society and b) comparative interpretations of freedom of expression by judiciaries worldwide. Linking freedom of expression and economic development will be a key component of this workshop (building on World Bank studies linking freedom of expression with economic development.) Post will invite a judicial expert and/or law professor from the U.S. to discuss the comparative aspects of the workshop, and we will also include a session focusing on Jordanian law to led by local legal experts and freedom of expression advocates. We anticipate the capacity to invite 10-15 judges to this workshop, with an estimated cost of USD 8,000-15,000: USD 2000 per traveler from U.S., USD 200 per day honorarium, USD 200 per diem, and approximately USD 2000 for materials, and miscellaneous expenses. iii. Post recommendation We highly recommend funding this program as the third of our HRDF proposals. There is a compelling need to educate, and convince, the GOJ and the judiciary of the need for a healthy, developing right to freedom of expression in Jordan. We believe the GOJ has taken affirmative, initial steps toward enhanced freedom of expression through the repeal of Article 150, and we should do what we can to help the GOJ build on it. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT. Post is very enthusiastic about implementing the above programs. We have the experience, contacts and resources to make these proposals successful. We also believe that these programs will go far, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, toward goals of assisting abused women, encouraging and strengthening democratic institutions, and encouraging the GOJ when they take initiatives to train their officials on human rights issues. GNEHM