MEPI in Qatar

Ongoing MEPI Programs

The following provides descriptions of ongoing programs in Bahrain, as well as a list of Regional Programs in which Bahraini organizations or individuals participate.

Qatar Programs

The Childhood Cultural Center (CCC)

Student Parliaments in Action - In ten Qatari schools, the Childhood Cultural Center (CCC) will establish and train Student Parliaments, train teachers to deliver democracy and human rights lessons in their classrooms, and teach principles of democracy and human rights to students and teachers. They will also train a cadre of 20 university-aged Qatari youth to work with student Parliamentarians as facilitators and mentors.  The CCC will be assisted by a Jordanian organization that has successfully implemented a similar MEPI-funded project in Jordan.

Qatar University represented by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

In Their Own Words: Qatari Women Write on Current Affairs - Qatari Women’s civic engagement deficit to their male counterparts is rooted in culture, lack of knowledge, and lack of experience.  This project will improve the civic engagement and communication skills of university women participants; teaching them to consider, research, and analyze contemporary issues in Qatar, form opinions, and communicate their opinions effectively and persuasively in writing.  In the course of establishing an on-campus, female writers’ club, Qatar University will train female students on effective research, analysis, and opinion writing.  Participants will then be invited to submit an essay to a persuasive writing contest, in which each writer will argue a position on any of three contemporary topics in Qatar: social development, business, or politics.  Selected essays will be compiled into an anthology, and winning essays publicized and distributed to the media.

Arabic Cultural Center for Training and Consultancy

Activation of Women’s Role in Democracy Consolidation and Realization of Supremacy of Law - The Arabic Culture Center for Training and Consultancy seeks to educate Qatari women on the fundamental tenets of democracy; increase their awareness of their basic rights; motivate them to pursue these rights; get them engaged in political, economic and social activities; teach them to make strategic life decisions; and empower them to combat political and economic corruption.  The project will train a group of 30 selected Qatari women student and professional leaders over a 6-month period to become civic activists in one or more of the above issue areas. 

Moza Al Maliki Training & Consultation Center   

Promoting Political Participation of Women in Qatari Society - Moza Al Maliki Training and Consultation Center will educate 40 Qatari university women on democratic values and the importance of female political participation in a 4-week training course. Selected program participants will initiate and lead working groups and activities on these topics on campus, and participate in women get-out-the-vote efforts in Qatar ahead of 2007 parliamentary elections.

Regional Programs

Qatari individuals or groups participate in the following programs, which take place in two or more countries in the region (Click Here to see descriptions of regional programs). MEPI reform pillars are listed in parentheses.

• ABA/CEELI - Arab Women's Legal Netwrok (AWLN) [Women]
• ABA/CEELI - Middle East Legal Development Initiative [Political]
• Academy for Educational Development and Sun Microsystems - G-8 BMENA Global Learning Portal [Education]
• AIESEC - Student Organizations Building [Political, Education]
• Association Liaison Office - U.S.-Middle East University Partnerships [Education]
• Beyster Institute - Middle East Entrepreneur Training in the U.S. (MEET U.S.) [Economic]
• Booz Allen Hamilton - Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Technical Assistance [Economic]
• Center for Civic Education - Arab Civitas [Education]
• CEPPS - Parliamentary Assistance and Political Party Building [Political]
• Chugach - Middle East Finance Corporation Due Diligence [Economic]
• Chugach - Partnership Schools Due Diligence and Education Summit [Education]
• CLDP - Commercial, Judicial, and Legal Reform [Economic]
• FSVC - Partnership for Financial Excellence Part II [Economic]
• ICNL - Middle East Associative Rights Initiative [Political]
• International Finance Corporation - G-8 BMENA Technical Assistance [Economic]
• IREX - Middle East North Africa Development Initiative Alliance (MENA Media) [Political]
• IREX - Media Sustainability Index [Political]
• No Peace Without Justice - Strengthening the Democracy Assistance Dialogue [Political] 
• Junior Achievments - Economic Education and Job Skills Training in the Middle East [Economic]
• OECD - Middle East and North Africa Investment for Development Initiative [Economic] 
• The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars - Enhancing the Role of Arab Women in the Legislative Process [Political]
• The English ACCESS Micro-scholarships Program [Education] 
• UNDP -  Global Democracy Barometer Project [Political]
• University of Michigan - Global Democracy Barometer Project [Political]