Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SANAA180
2005-02-01 05:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

WITH CHALLENGES AHEAD, YEMENI NGOS LOOK FOR

Tags:  PGOV KMPI YM KHUM KMCC DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000180 

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO MCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015
TAGS: PGOV KMPI YM KHUM KMCC DEMOCRATIC REFORM
SUBJECT: WITH CHALLENGES AHEAD, YEMENI NGOS LOOK FOR
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE

REF: SANAA 2498

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000180

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO MCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015
TAGS: PGOV KMPI YM KHUM KMCC DEMOCRATIC REFORM
SUBJECT: WITH CHALLENGES AHEAD, YEMENI NGOS LOOK FOR
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE

REF: SANAA 2498

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary. Yemen has a developing cadre of local NGOs
focused on developing civil society and democracy in the
country. Leaders of these organizations report that the
local NGO community is highly motivated to affect change, but
that they are severely lacking in capacity. Skills training,
regional and international civil society exchange programs
and increased funding are essential to the development of
Yemeni NGOs if they are to become capable partners in reform.
Overcoming significant political obstacles, however, depends
on a willingness of the ROYG to see civil society groups as a
partner in making reform policy. End Summary.

--------------
NGOs Rooted in Yemen's History
--------------


2. (SBU) In a meeting with DCM, Dr. Mohammed al-Masyabi, of
the Yemen Development Foundation (YDF),explained that part
of the problem is that most Yemeni NGO workers are unable to
navigate the modern legal infrastructure created by the ROYG
in the late nineties. Most NGO experience, he continued,
originates from the northern Yemeni "Cooperatives" of the
1970,s, and from the "Local Councils" of the former
Communist South. After unification, these groups
reconstituted themselves as ad-hoc local charities, only
becoming legally operating NGOs with wider mandates in the
late 1990,s. These groups still lack the capacity to
articulate strategic objectives, or to take proactive
measures. (Note: As an example of local NGOs, poor
capacity, DCM spoke at an October 10 NGO forum in which he
called for greater effort towards building democracy and
offered US resources where appropriate. His audience failed
to take advantage of the offer and most preferred to end the
forum with rhetoric rather than focus on practical measures.
End Note).


3. (C) Many Yemeni NGOs are indeed willing to critically
examine their society. Several NGO heads candidly discussed
with emboffs sensitive issues in Yemen such as press
freedoms, the use of torture by the security services and
women's rights. They are aware, however, of the many
governmental challenges that prevent progress in these areas,

such as lack of cooperation between ROYG ministries and
agencies, the compartmentalization activities and information
among the various security services, and, most importantly,
the lack of President Saleh,s willingness to pay more than
lip service to demands for tangible programs on
democratization.

--------------
Democracy, Within Limits
--------------


4. (C) NGOs which choose to tackle issues of political
freedom risk crossing numerous &red lines8 if they address
issues the ROYG considers taboo, similar to the situation
Yemeni journalists are currently grappling with (reftel).
The fear of an ad-hoc prosecution or an attack from the ROYG
or ruling party newspapers stifles direct advocacy. (Note:
After one human rights NGO leader spoke with pol/econoff, a
ruling party newspaper accused him of passing intelligence to
foreign embassy staff. End note).


5. (C) Dr. Masyabi also noted to DCM that the very goal of
democracy building was a still a "sensitive subject" in
Yemen. Other NGO heads, such as the heads of the Yemen
Female Media Forum and a group called the Civic Democratic
Forum, echoed the same sentiments to pol/econoff.

--------------
Political Challenges
--------------


6. (C) Yemeni NGOs cite "significant" political challenges.
Several NGOs complain that if their organization were to
become too strong or effective, it risked being "hijacked" by
the ruling General People's Congress (GPC) by either stacking
internal elections with GPC loyalists or creating
registration problems with a relevant ministry. NGO
officials also point to the ROYGs unwillingness to accept
that true democracy building requires partnership between the
government and organs of civil society. (Note: "Hijacked"
NGOs are usually identifiable by their concern over how their
meetings with foreigners might be reported and their
peppering their speech with praise for Saleh. End note).


7. (C) Difficulties with institution building, internecine
squabbling and a lack of cooperation between organizations
also hinder NGO development. Several interlocutors pointed
to an endemic lack of trust among local NGOs, which in turn
hinders information sharing and prevents collaboration that
could serve to strengthen local NGOs collectively. Several
NGO officials often snipe that other civic organizations are
"not real." According to common wisdom, although there are
over 2000 NGOs in Yemen, only a handful can be considered
"real ones." (Comment: infighting and a lack of common cause
among NGOs is a reflection of the Yemeni political culture at
large which lacks cohesion around a common goal. The lack of
skills and a modern business infrastructure, however,
seriously hamper Yemeni NGOs from taking on major partners
and limit Yemen's ability to absorb donor aid. End Comment).

--------------
Momentum Starting to Build
--------------


8. (U) NGO leaders believe that despite the many challenges,
energy is building within the NGO community. They also
repeatedly point to the fact that NGO seminars and
conferences are well attended and often draw ROYG ministers.
Three types of Yemeni NGOs have proven most effective to
date: Islamic-based charities which tend to be the most
successful at fundraising; Government-based NGOs, such as the
al-Saleh Foundation, which are able to grab the media
limelight while failing to enhance the role of civil society;
and, human and women's rights NGOs which are increasingly
effective at organizing mass conferences to call attention to
human rights issues.


9. (U) The Islamic-based charities are a mixed bag, some
appear quiet legitimate while others, like the al-Ihsan
Foundation, have extremist-Wahabi leanings. Most difficult
to assess are those falling in-between. The Islah Charitable
Society, for example, is the oldest NGO in Yemen. Although
it maintains a fundamentalist ideology in practice it works
within the system and advocates a pluralist approach to
political change.


10. (U) Government-based NGOs have the advantage of the
state-run media behind their campaigns. Insiders in the NGO
community complain that such institutions, particularly the
al-Saleh Foundation, which is linked to the President's
family, swallow smaller NGOs and force others to align their
efforts with them. Nevertheless, even some
government-affiliated NGOS have been successful at resisting
government control over their agenda. The National Council
for Women (NWC),for example, has repeatedly proven to be a
challenge to the ROYG despite their governmental affiliation
and partial cooptation by the larger and more official Saleh
group. When asked to comment on her group's government
affiliation in light of having to challenge that same
government for change, the head of NWC, Ramzia al-Iriyani,
noted to pol/econoff that it is in fact easier to challenge
those in &your family.8


11. (U) Human Rights NGOs are proving very effective at
organizing mass conferences that call attention to human
rights problems. One women's rights NGO recently organized a
conference that witnessed calls for a "real" representative
government. Despite such verbal challenges, however, these
organizations are still not able to affect ROYG behavior or
effectively galvanize public opinion behind their calls for
reform.

--------------
Comment
--------------


12. (C) Yemeni NGOs are beginning to publicly call for a true
role in developing their country. Yemeni civil society is
filled with enthusiastic activists who are willing to
dedicate considerable time and effort to organizing, raising
consciousness and lobbying. NGOs, however, neither sway the
government's behavior nor significantly affect public opinion
as of yet. There is an opportunity for Public Diplomacy,
MEPI, and USAID programming, through partnership, training
and direct support to effectively contribute to the
development of Yemen's nascent civil society at this early
but crucial phase of its development. What needs to be
monitored is how far the ROYG will let NGOs go in their
advocacy and how far NGOs will actually push for true respect
of human and civil rights in order to allow for civil society
to take hold.
Krajeski