One year ago today, the New Libya Foundation and partners launched the “Roghata” Community Based Urban Planning Charette Program for sustainable development. Thank you to videographer Mohamed Al Yacoubi for this tribute.

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Saturday, April 26th, Members of the GNC Mr. Ala Mgarief of Benghazi, and Mr. Musa Faraj of Jdabya, as well as Ms. Saida Berween of the Ministry of Local councils, dialogued with civil society organizations and private sector actors on the topic of “How to implement [...]]]> http:/

Saturday, April 26th, Members of the GNC Mr. Ala Mgarief of Benghazi, and Mr. Musa Faraj of Jdabya, as well as Ms. Saida Berween of the Ministry of Local councils, dialogued with civil society organizations and private sector actors on the topic of “How to implement measures for transparency and accountability in governance for the next House of Representatives and Local Councils” at the 4th Networker Event of the Civil Society Incubator Center.

The following are observations and outcomes from the dialogue:

- The General National Congress began work with very limited capacity, thus measures for transparency and accountability were not immediately made a priority.

- The public had lost trust in the GNC within weeks of their mandate, indicating that trust was very difficult to establish/maintain given the political environment and history.

- The GNC did not immediately recognize the huge threat of lost trust and credibility that was apparent as soon as citizens called for the election, rather than selection of the Constitutional Assembly within weeks of the GNC’s election.

- Though the lack of trust in the GNC was evident early on, there were no measures taken to earn the trust of the public, including measures for accountability, transparency, and better means of representation. The reason for in-action on such measures was likely due to the GNC’s failure to recognize the role of trust in democratic representation, and the function and benefits of accountability and transparency measures in governance

- Until today, citizens do not know if their elected representatives go into work, how their representatives vote on various laws and decisions, outcomes of discussions within the assembly, outcomes of discussions within committee meetings, who committee members are, how an item is placed on the agenda of the GNC, how the national budget was allocated for 2014, how it was spent in 2011, 2012, 2013, how citizens can reach their local representatives, how citizens can communicate their hopes and priorities for the State through their parliamentary representatives.

- The lack of transparency and accountability has lead to the existence of a non-democratic process implemented by an elected body, leading citizens to become less responsive to elections, and the proposition of democracy. More dangerously, they have become less responsive to the rule- of-law at large.

- Without the above measures and precedence in transparency, accountability and representation at the highest levels of government:

- There remains little to no opportunity to implement such measures in the public and privatesector, allowing social, political and economic corruption to spread indefinitely.

- There remains little to no opportunity to build credibility and trust in the state to the extent required to attract loyalty of security forces, and activate disarmament initiatives, allowing the state to enjoy a legitimate monopoly on power.

- There remains no opportunity to enjoy stability to the extent required to attract local and foreign investment.

- Because representative bodies typically respond to a strong demand from the “street” or citizens, the implementation of transparency and accountability measures requires a strong demand from the Libyan public and civil society. Civil society has very limited capacity at the moment.

- The GNC members in attendance noted that few groups approach the GNC with the intent or capacity to summon such a demand, and no strong demand has yet been made from “the street”. Because this demand is not a priority coming from organized civil society groups and the public, the matter of transparency and accountability has yet to be made a priority within the governing body of the GNC.

- Unless Libyan civil society and the public make very clear demands for measures toward transparency and accountability in the next House of Representatives and local councils, such governing bodies are likely to suffer from the very same perceptions of corruption, apathy and partisanship which plagued the GNC, and has left the nation in relative anarchy.

- If the Libyan public desires a better governance process (and not just new people in parliament) it must be prepared to collectively demand greater means of accountability and transparency in the next House of Representatives, and local councils, and see such measures through to implementation as a matter of priority.

Mr. Ala Mgarief, Mr. Musa Faraj, and Ms. Saida Berween have agreed to engage with any person or group in civil society willing to advocate for such measures.

Special thanks to  event volunteers, Mr. Ehab Masmos, Ahmed Albayas, Othman Anwar, Abd Alrauf Alsherief, Anas Alsaraj, and Amir Abu Sen, without whom the events are not possible. Lastly, we’d like to thank USAID for their generous and responsive support of the Networker.

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April 5th, Tripoli’s democratically elected Constitution Drafting Assembly members presented their vision of what the constitution making process should look like, and addressed questions posed by Networker guests. Two of the five assembly members chose to decline the invitation just minutes before the event, presumably out [...]]]> http:/

April 5th, Tripoli’s democratically elected Constitution Drafting Assembly members presented their vision of what the constitution making process should look like, and addressed questions posed by Networker guests. Two of the five assembly members chose to decline the invitation just minutes before the event, presumably out of a desire to remain out of the spotlight until they are more acquainted with their new position.  Former Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Mustafa Abushagour, and independent member of congress, Mr. Musa Faraj had been attending as guests when they kindly accepted an invitation to join the panel at the request of other guests.

The lively discussion was one of the first public appearances of elected CDA members and explored some of the most contentious topics in the constitution, giving rise to some heated debates. The Tripoli CDA members emphasized a public will to ensure a central role for Islamic Sharia in the constitution, as well as explicit protections of the rights and freedoms of all citizens with emphasis on women and minorities. Dr. Mustafa Abushagour emphasized the importance of distinguishing between demands for federalism and a call for greater decentralization, the later being a desire shared by all Libyans.

Once the floor was opened to questions and discussion several guests representing a wide range of constituencies, including student unions, minority groups and youth, presented their hopes for the constitution. The open forum stimulated a discussion on what is a “right” and what is an unsustainable privilege of residing in an oil rich state.

The event ended in a roof-top dinner reception where guests continued the dialogue.

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On Dec. 18th, 2013, leaders from across sectors (civil society, government, Media, Businessess, diplomats, INGOs) convened for the first civil society Networker, sponsored by USAID. The event theme was Fiscal transparency and accountability.

Former consultant to the Libyan Investment Authority, Mr. Salah Baccouch, shared disturbing figures [...]]]> http:/

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The civil society incubator center, Nurtures the successful development of civil society organizations in Libya. However, the center does not only help Libya through its organizations it also helps it directly. In August 2013, The civil society incubator center, organized a cleanup [...]]]>  

The civil society incubator center, Nurtures the successful development of civil society organizations in Libya. However, the center does not only help Libya through its organizations it also helps it directly. In August 2013, The civil society incubator center, organized a cleanup campaign to raise awareness about the importance of the contribution of citizens to  maintain their city clean. This activity is part of a monthly program which is carried out by members of our own Incubator, where such activities designed to make a quick impact on the community and motivate the citizens to contribute to the development of their community

A very special thank you to Mr. Taha for allowing us to use the images above that represent the work.

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In July 2013, a very special guest came to the civil society incubator center. Ambassador Debra Jones met with some representatives from the organization. USAID is the biggest donor toward Libyan civil society activity

The Incubator held the first member orientation event last night. In a rather “romantic” candle-light setting, the first hour brought introductions and shared hopes to the group. The following hour brought memories of grade school as members (rather diplomatically) selected their desks and office mates for the [...]]]> Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

The Incubator held the first member orientation event last night. In a rather “romantic” candle-light setting, the first hour brought introductions and shared hopes to the group. The following hour brought memories of grade school as members (rather diplomatically) selected their desks and office mates for the next six months. Many members were releived to have conversations about common challenges and hopes in their work. The consensus was that no one expects the road ahead for civil society and Libya to be easy, but this was one group that was willing to give everything they had to see the country into brighter and more prosperous days. We’ll be sharing more detailed information about member organizations in the weeks ahead, God willing.

On July 18, participants, mentors and coaches gathered at the New Libya Foundation incubator to mark the end of the six-month Leadership in Civil Society pilot program . After months of hard work and collaboration, the closing ceremony provided a chance for the entire group to come [...]]]> Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

On July 18, participants, mentors and coaches gathered at the New Libya Foundation incubator to mark the end of the six-month Leadership in Civil Society pilot program . After months of hard work and collaboration, the closing ceremony provided a chance for the entire group to come together one last time and share lessons learned.

Participants spoke informally about how their organizations and projects evolved over the course of the program, and they reflected on the main challenges they faced as civil society leaders trying to manage teams, raise money and execute projects. The all-day event focused in particular on challenges faced and what participants learned from their failures. NLF staff also participated in the evaluation exercises by presenting the main successes, challenges and lessons learned from its first LCS program. Building on these reflections, and in order to encourage better support for civil society development in Libya, NLF has prepared a written evaluation of the LCS program that discusses the main contextual challenges to program implementation.

Those who played a role in the program but were outside of Tripoli found a way to participate in the momentous occasion nonetheless. Two participants and two coaches spoke to the group via Skype, sharing their experiences as civil society activists and their views on the program, respectively. Dr. Iya Khalil, one of the co-founders of NLF, also called in and was able to exchange a few final words  with participants.  Dr. Khalil highlighted some of the challenges participants will face as leaders in their industry and shared her approaches to those she faced launching her own bio-tech start-up 12 years ago.

The participants received certificates of completion of the program as well as personalized awards. NLF congratulates each and every one of them and looks forward to staying in touch and witnessing their success in the years ahead.

In the aftermath of last year’s revolution, Libya is facing the re-emergence of scores of conflicts that had been silenced during the dictatorship. The resulting temporary weakness of central authorities leaves the burden of conflict management to local communities. In this setting, civil society organizations that strive [...]]]> Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

In the aftermath of last year’s revolution, Libya is facing the re-emergence of scores of conflicts that had been silenced during the dictatorship. The resulting temporary weakness of central authorities leaves the burden of conflict management to local communities. In this setting, civil society organizations that strive to improve their community may easily spark controversy and fuel animosity among social groups.

Thus, civil society organizers must be able to analyze and manage conflicts that might emerge through their work. It is for them that the New Libya Foundation hosted a four-day workshop on conflict sensitivity between June 24 and 27, 2012. The Human Relief Foundation, a U.K.-based charity organization, flew to Tripoli to run the workshop, which aimed to encourage participants to apply participatory conflict analysis tools and conflict sensitive approaches to their work.

The moderators introduced a series of tools, frameworks and exercises, such as mapping stakeholders and drawing conflict timelines, to help participants reflect on their own activities and context. Through a mix of lecture, open discussion and group work, participants explored the different stages of conflicts and focused on the importance of understanding the context to manage or solve a conflict.

Fifteen civil society leaders from Tripoli, Sebratah, Tarhuna and Misurata participated in the workshop, enriching it with different perspectives on nation-wide conflicts.

The aim of the New Libya Foundation is to develop the capacity of the Libyan civil society. This entails coaching civil society activists while they formalize their team and vision into an organization, as well as helping them articulate and implement their projects.

However, establishing an organization [...]]]> Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

The aim of the New Libya Foundation is to develop the capacity of the Libyan civil society. This entails coaching civil society activists while they formalize their team and vision into an organization, as well as helping them articulate and implement their projects.

However, establishing an organization and running a project is not a measure of success. CSOs must be able to measure and evaluate their impact according to their goals and overall vision. They must recognize successes and failures in order to build on the former, and learn from the latter.

In short, civil society entrepreneurs must ask themselves questions such as: How much have our programs affected the targeted audience? To what degree did our advocacy campaign change the mindset of people? Is the organization doing more harm than good?

To address this critical aspect of NGO management, the New Libya Foundation conducted a seminar on Design, Monitoring and Evaluation for civil society organizations on June 20, 2012. The three-hour event aimed to introduce participants to core concepts and skills in order to encourage them to begin thinking about processes of evaluation applicable to their own organizations. The seminar, led by Casey and Elia, two graduate students from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy working with NLF over the summer, included discussions about how to build valuable indicators, record appropriate data, and conduct a longer-term evaluation that ensures effectiveness and identifies any unintended consequences.

This workshop introduced the principal activity LCS participants will be focusing on during the last month of the program: evaluation.

Besides LCS program participants, the workshop hosted many other organizations working on a variety of causes, from consumer protection to women empowerment.