Global Giving Matters Special Issue May 2004 World Economic Forum

8/9/2019 Global Giving Matters Special Issue May 2004 World Economic Forum

1/16

MATTERSWe are pleased to share with you this special edition of Global Giving Matters,

a newsletter about best practices and innovations in individual philanthropy and

social investment. This issue collects recent stories about initiatives and actors in

the Middle East and Arab World. We hope you find it useful. For other stories and

to subscribe, please visit www.globalgivingmatters.org.

2 Feature: Medersat.com Bringing schools and community development torural Morocco

8 Feature: Supporting Innovation in Afghanistan the Experience of the

Aga Khan Development Network

12 Brief NewsFoundation makes education bloom in the Qatar desertFrom the ashes: Philanthropic opportunities rise to help IraqIsraeli-American venture network supports democracy and human rights at homeLebanese politician/philanthropist makes his mark at home and abroadIranian philanthropic initiative strengthens science education

Jordans Queen Rania makes her mark on national philanthropyConcern about investigations reducing donations to Muslim charities in the USChanges in Jewish philanthropy in the USSlain journalists family creates foundation to promote world peaceDubai billionaire makes major gift for water management researchNew book examines philanthropy by Middle Eastern Americans

16 Your Ideas Wanted

2004 World Economic Forum/S ner os

Global Giving Matters presents best practices and innovations in philanthropy and social investment around the

world. It is an initiative of the World Economic Forum and The Synergos Institutes Global Philanthropists Circle

under the direction of Adele Simmons, Senior Advisor to the Forum, and James M. Brasher III, Director, Global

Philanthropists Circle. Lynn Peebles and Myra Alperson are writers. If you would like to subscribe to this newslett

to unsubscribe, or to designate someone else in your organization to receive it in your stead, contact us at

[email protected].

Synergos

www.weforum.org [email protected]

May 2004 Special Issue for the World Economic Forum in Jordan


2/16

Global Giving MATTERS


Until a few years ago, Daabza was typical of many isolated villages in the hilly,

drought-prone terrain of northern Morocco: no running water, no electricity, and few

hopes for a better future. The people of Daabza, like the parched earth they inhabited,

were thirsty not just for water but for knowledge and opportunity.

Today, like the desert after a rain, Daabza and dozens of other villages or douars

throughout the Moroccan countryside are finding their landscape transformed by the

presence of a network of rural community schools designed to bring not just education,

but the tools for sustainable development.

Through the Medersat.com project

launched in 2000 by the Banque

Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur (BMCE

Bank) Foundation, 55 remote villages

across the kingdom that were previously

languishing without schools, power, or

reliable water supply, now possess all of

these. In each location, professionally

trained teachers drawn from the sur-

rounding region instruct students in their

mother tongue, whether it is Arabic or

the indigenous Amazigh language spokenin many parts of Morocco, as well as

French.

After hours, the schools become bustling centers for adult education and training, vil-

lage meetings and local enterprise. The aim is to address the endemic isolation,

poverty and illiteracy that afflict rural Morocco by making the schools a hub for wider

community development, while respecting local cultural heritage and language.

Origins

Medersat.com was established to give all children and adults in these areas a realchance to reach a level of education that will enable them to become positive forces for

development and to be able to contribute to an environment of openness and tolerance

in their own communities, explains Othman Benjelloun, Chairman and CEO of

BMCE Bank. He and his wife, Dr. Lela Mezian-Benjelloun are members of The

Synergos Institutes Global Philanthropists Circle. Dr. Mezian-Benjelloun serves as

President of the BMCE Bank Foundation and leads the foundations programs

involving Amazigh language and culture (see sidebar page 6).

2

Medersat.com: What's in a Name?

Medersat.com, the name chosen by BMCE Bank

Foundation for its network of rural community

schools, is rich in associations. The term meder-

satkoum means "your school" in Arabic.

Medersat.com also evokes the medersa, the

place of learning in traditional Arab society; the

Mediterranean locale; connection to satellites and

new communications technologies, hence the

dot.com; and the assets shared by the village

community.

Medersat.com Bringing schools and communitydevelopment to rural Morocco

From Issue 16February-March 2004


3/16



One of the largest corporations on the Casablanca stock exchange with total assets of

over $5 billion, the BMCE Bank Group is a powerful and familiar presence in

Moroccan society, employing nearly 3,000 people in more than 200 branches

throughout the kingdom.

As a forward-thinking leader of Moroccos financial services industry, Benjelloun has

played an instrumental role in modernizing his countrys banking sector and promotinga competitive Moroccan economy. Now, he has turned his hand to reforms in his

countrys education system that may prove as far-reaching as the innovations he pio-

neered in the private sector.

A call for action on rural education crisis

The vehicle for this new rural educational initiative is the BMCE Bank Foundation,

which Benjelloun established shortly after assuming leadership of the bank in 1995.

Circumstances in Morocco at that time presented a clear demand for action, with

nearly three-quarters of rural residents illiterate (among women, the figure is as high as

90 percent) and 65 percent of the rural population living below the poverty line.Spurred on by developments such as King Mohammed VIs appeal for all sectors of

Moroccan society to take concerted action on education, and by a new national charter

on the subject, Benjelloun decided that the time was right for a bold new approach to

the problem, and that the rural areas were the most compelling priority.

The Benjellouns both had long been active in support of higher education in Morocco,

he as co-founder and former Chancellor of Al Akhawayn University, and she as head of

the Benjelloun-Mezian Foundation, which

provide scholarships to Moroccan stu-

dents worldwide and help train the

countrys future generation of leaders.

But the growing crisis in rural communi-

ties convinced them of the need for a new

commitment, focused on primary educa-

tion at the village level. For the BMCE

Bank Foundation, this meant an evolu-

tion from . . . providing ad hoc social

assistance and grants to NGOs and indi-

viduals nationwide, to adoption of a more

integrated approach to developmentfocused on education and environmental

protection, Othman Benjelloun recalled

in a recent interview with Global Giving

Matters.

Accordingly, the foundation began to plan

in earnest for its new initiative,

3

Morocco: Vital Statistics

Total Population (2001) 29.6 million

Rural Population (as percent of total) 2001 43.9%

Population living below the national

poverty line 1997-2000 19.0%

Population under 15 (as percent of total) 2001) 32.3%

Male adult literacy (age 15 and above) 2001 62.6%

Female adult literacy (age 15 and above) 2001 37.2%

Internet users 2001 1.4%

Personal computers in use (per 100 people) 2001 1.4

Population with sustainable access to an

improved water source, rural 2000 56.0%

Population with sustainable access to an

improved water source, urban 2000 98.0%

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2003


4/16



Medersat.com, designed to integrate education into sustainable, humane rural develop-

ment. At the Second Mediterranean Development Forum in Marrakech in 1998, on

the podium next to World Bank President James Wolfensohn, Benjelloun announced

the foundations ambitious plans to build 1001 new community schools in rural areas

by 2010.

Mobilizing partners for change

Through the BMCE Bank Foundation, Medersat.com has succeeded in mobilizing a

wide variety of partners and collaborators around a common agenda. For expertise in

matters of pedagogy, adult literacy and teacher training, for example, the foundation

has relied on Moroccos National Education Ministry and the Rene Descartes Paris V

University. It turned to the United Nations Development Programme for model pro-

grams and for technical and financial support for sustainable environmental manage-

ment and income generating activities. Moroccan water and power agencies are

donating services to connect rural communities with safe drinking water and reliable

sources of electricity. And telecommunications firms are partnering with the founda-

tion to help bridge the digital wadi that prevents rural communities from participa-tion in the global knowledge society made possible by the Internet.

The principality ofMonaco provided key early financial support for two of

Medersat.coms rural community schools in the southern regions of Essaouira and

Taroudant. In the north, Spain is supporting an additional two schools in the regions

of Al Hoceima and Nador, and the Spanish Telefonica Foundation is helping finance a

school in Tangier. Senegals Health and Education Foundation has joined the founda-

tion in opening the first Medersat.com school outside of Morocco, in the capital city of

Dakar (see sidebar on next page).

In another partnership with the BMCE Bank Foundation, the Laureus Sport for GoodFoundation has contributed $100,000 to integrate physical education and sport in the

curricula of the Medersat.com network, with a pilot project in the Marrakech region.

The UK-based organization uses the power of sports to help address social concerns

across the globe. This diverse group of partners assembled by the BMCE Bank

Foundation has contributed to extending the impact of the schools in the network and

helping to improve the rural populations living conditions.

From the outset of the Medersat.com experiment, Benjelloun said that the bank,

through its foundation, has seen its role as one of a catalyst for change in rural commu-

nities. It was a question of mobilizing energies. That was always the idea, that we have

the credibility, we have financial powerto . . . rally all these people.

Building a record of achievements

Medersat.com was launched in the 2000-2001 academic year with the construction of

16 schools. Now in its fourth year of operation, the project has accumulated an impres-

sive list of accomplishments. To date, $15 million has been committed by the founda-

tion and its partners and 55 rural community schools have been built throughout

Morocco. More than 5,400 primary students and 1,100 preschoolers have been

4


5/16



enrolled in these community schools,

which have also provided literacy training

to 5,000 adults.

Beyond the obvious benefits of basic edu-

cation, 20 douarshave benefited from

development projects carried out by foun-dations partners to connect residents to

water and power supply. Another key goal

of Medersat.com, to strengthen commu-

nity institutions by giving village resi-

dents a central role in the planning,

implementation and assessment of devel-

opment activities, has led to the establish-

ment of 50 local management commit-

tees.

Through a partnership with two microfi-nance organizations, the foundation has

launched a pilot program to provide

microcredit to residents of two villages,

At Iktel, in the province of El Haouz,

and At Lhaj Taher, in the province of

Essaouira, in connection with

Medersat.coms ongoing community

development projects there. Plans are

underway to extend the pilot into seven

additional rural locations where commu-nity schools are up and running.

The foundations partners in the pilot

program are the Zakoura Foundation,

which has a successful record of providing

microcredit and a range of support serv-

ices to women in Morocco, and PlaNet

Finance Maroc, which offers specialized

technical assistance to microfinance insti-

tutions and lines of credit to the villages

participating in the pilot project. To date,microcredits totaling more than $53,000

have been extended to 370 clients in At

Iktel and At Lhaj Taher.

The result has been that in village after

village, the Medersat.com schools are

raising expectations, opening up a whole

5

Forging partnerships beyond Moroccos

borders: Medersat.com in Senegal

Located near an ancient baobab tree where

elders pass on their knowledge and wisdom,

Medersat.coms first community school in Senegal

provides tangible evidence of a common vision ofrural development.

Opened in March 2003 in the village of Mbissao,

about 65 kilometers northwest of Dakar, the

school-which serves 100 primary school children

and their families-

is the fruit of partnerships that cross borders

between the private sectors, foundations, and

national governments of Morocco and Senegal.

Mbissaos school was commissioned by Senegals

Health & Education Foundation, an NGO run byFirst Lady Viviane Wade. The BMCE Bank

Foundation provided architects, engineers, and

financed the school, and collaborated in various

areas such as curriculum, training and community

development.

As in Morocco, the arrival of Medersat.com in

Mbissao has brought the fundamental elements

for community development: roads, water and

electricity to light classrooms and power the com-

puters that are a hallmark of the BMCE Bank

Foundations schools.

"On the first day of school, it was difficult even to

get them to sit down," said Warietou Ndiaye,

head of Medersat.com in Senegal, of children who

had never seen a school before, much less

attended one. Now my pupils know how to turn

on their computers and click on the mouse."

The project reflects a determination on the part of

Moroccos King Mohammed VI and Senegals

President Abdoulaye Wade to forge closer ties

in accordance with the goals ofNEPAD, the NewPartnership for Africas Development. It is also an

expression of the desire of BMCE Capital, the

largest investment banking group in Morocco, to

be a good corporate citizen. As part of its interna-

tional expansion, BMCE Capital opened an office

in Dakar, its first in Senegal, in March 2003.


6/16



new world of possibilities and empow-

ering residents to realize their dreams for

a better future.

Daabza: a snapshot ofMedersat.com in action

A good illustration of the profoundimpact that community schools are

making on village life can be found in

Daabza, about an hours journey from Fez

in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco.

Prior to 2001, the majority of Daabzas

children had never seen a school, much

less attended one. At a very young age,

most went to work in the countryside,

tending fields or herding goats. Those

who were lucky enough to attend classes

were forced to walk several miles over

rough trails to the nearest school. In this

drought-stricken region of Morocco,

water was often rationed; keeping the

douarsupplied with sufficient water meant

endless treks down the hill to the village

well on donkeys.

When the foundation decided to build a

school in Daabza, the douardonated theland and provided much of the labor for

construction. In keeping with

Medersat.coms philosophy, the school

was situated in the physical center of the

community with the aim of making it a

key driver in local development. The

architectural style and building materials

reflected local traditions. What emerged

was a complex of buildings that feature

domes and graceful arches, punctuated bypaved courtyards open to the sky.

A reliable water supply was provided with

the assistance of a foundation partner, the

Drinking Water Utility (ONEP). When the

doors of the school finally opened in

2001, one of the schools two teachers,

6

Education and mother tongue: safe-

guarding Amazigh language and culture

Until the advent of the Medersat.com school pro-

gram, Moroccan children of Amazigh, or Berber,

heritage were unable to receive classroom instruc-

tion in their mother tongue. Thats all changing,thanks to the advocacy of Dr. Lela Mezian-

Benjelloun and the BMCE Bank Foundation.

The foundation believes that using and developing

native language skills is a way to respect and pre-

serve cultural heritage while also providing a

better way to teach more widely spoken lan-

guages and open doors to the global knowledge

society.

Under the leadership of Dr. Mezian-Benjelloun,

who is president of the foundation and heads its

Amazigh education initiative, Amazigh has been

introduced into the school curriculum for the first

time in the modern history of Morocco. Through

the foundations Medersat.com school program,

children in rural communities receive instruction in

their native tongue, whether that happens to be

Arabic or Amazigh, as well as French.

The innovative approach pioneered by Dr. Mezian-

Benjelloun, herself of Amazigh heritage, has

spurred the National Education Ministry to begin

teaching Amazigh on a pilot basis in the countryspublic school system. The foundation has devel-

oped a series of Amazigh instructional materials,

which use the Berbers traditional Tifinagh

alphabet.

Moroccans of Amazigh origin have also been

encouraged by King Mohammed VIs decision to

create a Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture,

charged with promoting and safeguarding Berber

culture and language. Dr. Mezian-Benjelloun

serves on the Institutes board of directors.

Amazigh is a name given to the original inhabi-

tants of North Africa and their descendants.

Amazigh populations are prevalent in many parts

of Morocco, particularly in the Rif, Middle Atlas

and southern regions of the kingdom.


7/16

Abdesselam, had to show the children

how to operate the faucets; without run-

ning water in their village, they had never

used a water tap.

Because Daabza is not connected to the

electrical grid, the school uses a solarphotovoltaic system developed for the

BMCE Bank Foundation by the

Benjellouns son, Kamal Benjelloun,

anthropologist and environmentalist,

founder of the New York-based Strategic

Defense of the Environment Group

(SDEG). Kamal Benjelloun and SDEG

have been influential in shaping the foun-

dations support for environmentally

sound development policies. The solar

panels provide the power to light class-

rooms and run the bank of computers

that are a standard feature of all

Medersat.com schools.

Soon after the school opened, a represen-

tative of the BMCE Bank Foundation

met with the villagers and reflected on the nature of the partnership that Medersat.com

has struck with rural communities across Morocco. Well finish the work and give you

the keys, because these are your walls, your land, and your children, she told the

assembled citizens of Daabza.

Lessons learned: the strategic value of shared experience

Given the ambitious and unprecedented scope of the project, Othman Benjelloun

observes that it was inevitable that some unexpected challenges would arise. Among

these were the following:

At a time when the foundation was attempting to roll out a complex national pro-

gram, it didnt anticipate the flood of interest from national and international

organizations, whose requests for information overwhelmed the small staff.

The decision to expand the model to include pre-school, and the incorporation ofAmazigh language instruction demanded a much greater level of specific expertise

than originally planned.

Difficulties in implementing an IT program in rural areas were greater than

expected.

Rural populations were not always prepared to embrace the new dynamic intro-

duced by Medersat.com into their communities.


May 2004 Special Issue for the World Economic Forum in Jordan 7

Taking Stock of Medersat.com

Committed for rural schools and their communities $15 million

School complexes built, equipped and

supplied with water and electricity 55

Geographic spread of Medersat.com

schools 15 regions and 30 provinces of Morocco

Teachers/community development facilitators

recruited and trained 237

Primary school students enrolled 5,419

Pre-school students enrolled 1,120

Adults given literacy training 5,000

Development projects (power and water supply)

implemented with partners 20

Villagers local management committees established 50

Microcredit extended to 370 clients in 2 vil lages $53,250

As of February 2004


8/16



Nevertheless, four years into its bold experiment in rural education and community

building, the BMCE Bank Foundation has received validation of its Medersat.com

approach from a wide variety of partners and stakeholders, and is working to develop a

global life size model in Morocco of 1,000 rural community schools.

There are amazing stories out there to be told and shared, and to learn from, says

Benjelloun, who sees great strategic value in sharing the lessons learned fromMedersat.com. He is getting the word out in a variety of ways: through regional and

international conferences, by participation in global philanthropy networks such as the

Global Philanthropists Circle, and through sponsorship of a series of engaging infor-

mational videos on Medersat.com created by his daughter, Dounia Benjelloun, a docu-

mentary film producer who divides her time between Morocco, Paris and New York.

For information on Medersat.com, or to obtain copies of the videos, please contact the

BMCE Bank Foundation by email ([email protected]), phone (+212 (22) 977-

500) or fax (+212 (22) 972-421).

For Othman Benjelloun, the sight of a child working on a computer in a rural class-

room who six months previously might have aspired to nothing more than herdinggoats, is a source of extraordinary contentment. In a distinguished business career

marked by international acclaim, Benjelloun deems Medersat.com his proudest accom-

plishment. I have done industry, banking, insurance and telecommunications, and this

is the project of my life, he says.

From Issue 7August-September 2002

SUPPORTING INNOVATION IN AFGHANISTAN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE AGA KHAN

DEVELOPMENT NETWORKThe fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan opened up myriad opportunities to redevelop the social and physical infra-

structure of this devastated country. A major player in its rehabilitation is the Aga Khan Development Network

(AKDN www.akdn.org), an entity so large, multifaceted and influential that in some countries it has its own

embassy and diplomatic status. Its mission is straightforward: To develop and promote creative solutions to

problems that impede social development, primarily in Asia and East Africa. Headquartered in Gouviex, France,

and comprising a set of specialized developmental agencies, the AKDN has branches and independent affiliates

in 12 countries.

AKDN is headed by Prince Karim Aga Khan, one of the world's most prominent philanthropists. In 1956, when

he was just 20, he became the leader of the 15 million Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims who live in 25 countries in

East Africa and Central and South Asia. While a principal goal of his vast development initiatives is to serve the

communities where Ismailis live, the networks programs in education, medical services, economic develop-

ment and culture reach out to people of all backgrounds and faiths. Prince Karim Aga Khan is also a leader in

the movement to preserve great monuments around the world.

Najmi Kanji heads the AKDNs work in Afghanistan. A public health specialist who now calls himself a "gener-

alist," Mr. Kanji worked in Tanzania for AKDN from 1993 to 1996 and then in Tajikistan, where a new program


9/16



was just starting up. At the beginning of 2002, he was assigned to head the networks program in Afghanistan,

where he currently spends most of his time, although he is based in AKDNs London office.

Global Giving Mattersinterviewed Mr. Kanji about AKDNs work in Afghanistan.

Global Giving Matters: When did AKDN launch the Afghanistan initiative?

Najmi Kanji: AKDN has actually been working in Afghanistan since 1995, mostly pro-

viding food aid and other non-food support through an affiliate called Focus

Humanitarian Assistance. We now have the opportunity to switch from the humani-

tarian/rehabilitation mode to long-term development. In January of this year, His

Highness the Aga Khan pledged $75 million as an initial investment for our new initia-

tive. Then in March he visited Kabul at the invitation of President Karzai, to sign an

agreement of cooperation that provides the AKDN with diplomatic status in

Afghanistan, and includes a framework for the AKDN's activities in the country. The

Aga Khan also made an additional grant of $2 million for theLoya Jirga (Grand

Council) to hold a national meeting for the election of Afghanistans new leaders.

We're there for the long term, so this was just the beginning.

GGM: Why and how did the Aga Khan get the motivation to establish the network? What was

learned from that experience that impacts your work in Afghanistan?

NK: I think that the establishment of the Network was always premised in the Aga

Khans belief that the poor of this world need a spark that can help them to improve

their lives. More philosophically, compassion and caring for the less fortunate in

society is one of Islams basic tenets

GGM:How many staff do you work with?

NK: We have close to 300 staff, most of them local. Our strength lies in building local

capacity. We also have around 15 expatriates. The program is run out of Kabul, withfive regional offices and operations covering 10 provinces in northeast Afghanistan.

Our work in rural areas revolves around rural development, with emphases on agricul-

ture, engineering, micro-credit, hydro-electric power, health and education.

Of these staff, our regional program managers are generalists, but most staff are engi-

neering or agriculture experts, or organizers who work in villages to set up social

organizations.

GGM:Are there particular pitfalls that youve encountered in your role as a funder, and how

have you dealt with them?

NK: The AKDN very rarely funds outside agencies partly because of the concern overpossible shortcomings, scandals etc, thus, we are extremely careful in the process of

selection of potential grantees. We tend to provide a lot of funding for our own pro-

grams, and often grants or once off support to government institutions.

GGM:How do you work with the communities?

NK: First, you have to bring people in rural areas together so you can get economies of

scale by creating village organizations, womens committees, and so on. But people

9


10/16



wont come together unless they have a vested interest. One of our strategies is to offer

credit for feed and fertilizer, but instead of paying the loan back to us, the money goes

to the village organization, which lends seed and fertilizer to more farmers. This vil-

lage asset can then be used for other purposes such as teachers salaries etc. This

approach gives people a sense of ownership.

GGM:How do you ensure accountability when you give credit this way?

NK: We monitor payments and expenses very closely. We check every penny thats

spent and retain the right to stop payments when they're not used correctly. We want

people to feel that the money is theirs, but it mustnt be abused. These approaches are

all part of a process to build community skills and to develop democracy and, ulti-

mately, prosperity. We see community development as a process rather a project.

GGM: What are the pitfalls youe encountered in your organizing attempts?

NK: This is a very conservative society. What weve found in Afghanistan and

Pakistan, too is that traditions do not allow men and women to always participate

equally. One has to accept this and look for creative ways to facilitate womens partici-pation for example we have womens groups within a village that are involved in a

range of economic activities quite distinct from mens activities. And the women often

do better than men!

GGM: Can you elaborate on the projects targeting women?

We believe that we need to create an economic demand for the work women do.

Legislation and advocacy are important, but they are meaningless without an economic

demand. Were trying to ensure that women have a say in policies relating to them,

and also that they can access credit, so were setting up a micro-credit program and

hiring women credit officers. Certain trades, including bee-keeping (to make honey)

and poultry production, are quick entry points for women. Right now, after three years

of drought, the situation has been so difficult that were focusing on basic food produc-

tion. Fortunately, things are turning around this year where were working.

On the national level were supporting training institutions for teachers and nurses, to

be able to train large numbers of teachers and nurses the majority will be women to

be able to not only meet the countrys health and education needs, but also to provide

employment for large numbers of women.

GGM: We often read about the lost generation of women who missed out on education for five

years. How is AKDN addressing this problem?

NK: Because of the Talibans onslaught on womens rights, older Afghan women are

more educated than younger women. So were creating a space where younger women

can catch up for lost time. Our teacher-training program is going to be a fast track

six-month course so that girls who had six or seven years of training can begin to teach.

There arent lots of women with ten to 12 years of education!

10


11/16



GGM: We understand that AKDN has a policy of working in partnerships, with the goal of

leveraging its investment dollars seven to eight times. Who are the principal partners in

Afghanistan?

NK: Sometimes the leveraging is just one to one it depends on the project and the

partner. In forming partnerships, our main points of reference are the government and

the communities within which we work. We have large programs already under way

with USAID, the US State Department, the European Commission, the British,

Canadian, and German Governments. The fact that we cover all our overhead costs and

often put in our own money into these collaborative programs, and our long-term

experience makes us attractive partners.

GGM: Why is AKDN working in just ten provinces rather than nationwide?

NK: First, these ten provinces have Ismailies spread out in them. The AKDN has a

responsibility to meet the needs of the Ismailies! However, this is never done to the

exclusion of others. Indeed, Ismailies are a minority, living amongst many ethnic and

religious groups, and it would be folly to work exclusively with them. Secondly, these

ten provinces provide a heterogeneous population made up of Tajiks, Hazaras,Pashtuns and Uzbeks. We believe that our programs, as they have done in Pakistan and

Tajikistan, can help make bridges between communities through creating common

interest around improving livelihoods. Therefore, we have consciously selected these

ten provinces for the mix of communities that live there. Everywhere else the commu-

nities are quite homogeneous and we believe in and want to promote pluralism.

GGM:A private university for Central Asian students is under way. Can you discuss the Aga

Khans role in this?

NK: In 2000 His Highness the Aga Khan signed an international treaty with the presi-

dents of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to create the University of Central Asia,the first private university in the high mountain areas of this region. Theres already a

campus in Khorog in southern Tajikistan. The first faculty will focus on continuing

education for adults training in English, computers, business skills, and so on. We

hope to introduce the first modules in 2003. Most courses will be in English and

Russian, and when its ready, Afghanistan will be incorporated into it. You know,

Afghanistan is considered the great gate to Central Asia. In a project like this, we

work closely with the United States, the European Economic Community, Canada and

other funders.

GGM:How are the Afghanistan programs different from others undertaken by AKDN?

NK: Each program draws on the circumstances in the country where we work. In

Tajikistan, we faced a civil war, near-starvation in some areas and no money in the

budget. But you had 99% literacy (as an ex-Soviet state), a network of schools and

clinics, and many university graduates. In Afghanistan just across the river you have

feudalism, no electricity, no roads, no clinics and social structures that throw you 200

years into the past. Everything, of course, is aggravated by 20 years of war, and the

logistics are very difficult because of the topology.

11


12/16



Foundation makes education bloom in the Qatar desert

In a region where women customarily maintain a low profile, Her Highness Sheikha

Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, wife of Qatars ruler, has emerged as a leading force

behind an ambitious project to reform the countrys education system. As chair of the

Qatar Foundation (www.qf.edu.qa), the Sheikha is recruiting world-class educational

institutions for the planned 16-square mile complex going up on the outskirts of the

capital city, Doha. Officially inaugurated in October, Education Citywill feature a

broad spectrum of educational and social services, from the pre-school to the university

level. The mission of the project, created and funded by the foundation, is the prepara-

tion of a generation of young people capable of assuming professional leadership posi-

tions in Qatar and the Gulf region. In keeping with the Sheikhas interest in broad-

ening opportunities for women and the disadvantaged, the project includes a SocialDevelopment Center that offers vocational training, encourages micro-enterprises,

conducts research on social problems, and promotes partnerships between the govern-

ment, private sector and the media. Institutions already established in Education City

include Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Virginia Commonwealth University

Qatar and Texas A&M University. Among the Qatar Foundations trustees is Vartan

Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation, who was introduced to the Sheikha

by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. (UPI, December 2, 2003)

From the ashes: Philanthropic opportunities rise to help Iraq

Humanitarian fund-raising to help Iraq has been in full swing since the war began,. Forexample, an email message sent byMoveOn.org generated more than $600,000 within

six days for Oxfam America, while other aid groups have reported a surge in giving.

The Global Fund for Women (www.globalfundforwomen.org), has established a Now

or Never campaign to mobilize aid the Middle East. Daniel Borochoff, President of

theAmerican Institute of Philanthropy, points out the importance of donors looking for

groups with a track record in the country. One example of a group with a track record

is CARE, which has been working in the country since 1991 and has provided support

12

Brief News

GGM:In addition to the formidable challenges youve just described, what other major chal-

lenges do you face in Afghanistan?

NK: So many people are armed. Many areas are run by commanders who are aligned to

different groups. And many Afghans do not have many choices at the present time. A

lot of people say we shouldnt work with the military commanders, but you dont have

a choice if you want to work with communities in Afghanistan. So we try to do this in

ways that dont jeopardize our integrity. If a leader a commander can bring devel-

opment assets to his people, he can create a new image as someone whos looking after

them. Its a fact of life and we cant dismiss it, so we work with the commanders who

are forward looking. In the new Afghanistan, building trust on all sides is critical.

Overviews of

news and best

practices around

the world and

links to learn more

about them

Links to Web sites with

more details are available

at the online edition of

Global Giving Matters at

www.weforum.org


13/16



to over 7 million people, mostly via clean water systems and nutrition programs for

children. InterAction, the association of US nonprofit organizations working on inter-

national development and relief, maintains a listing of groups addressing the crisis in

Iraq on its website www.interaction.org. An ongoing challenge for international relief

and development organizations is the need for continuing support beyond the surge in

giving when a crisis is in the news. (Christian Science Monitor, April 17, 2003)

Israeli-American venture network supports democracy and human rightsat home

The Israel Venture Network (IVN www.israelventurenetwork.org) links Israeli-born

entrepreneurs in the US with Israel-based entrepreneurs to support democracy, educa-

tion and human rights within Israel. An initiative of the New Israel Fund, a 23-year-old

fund that supports democracy initiatives in Israel, IVN was formed in 2001 in response

to the recognition that while Israels high-tech sector was producing tremendous

wealth and intellectual capital, one-third of Israelis were growing up poor and under-

privileged and the gap between rich and poor was increasing. Many IVN members are

Israelis who have been successful in high tech outside of Israel. The current chair ofIVN, Eric Benhamou (who also chairs 3Com and Palm, Inc.) is based in California and

the IVN operates from five regional nodes in Israel, Boston, New York, Silicon Valley

and Southern California. IVN members do more than just give money, they also

donate time and expertise to communities to address critical education gaps.

Lebanese politician/philanthropist makes his mark at home and abroad

Issam Fares, a leading Lebanese businessman, politician and philanthropist, is sup-

porting social investment within Lebanon and promoting Middle East understanding

elsewhere in the world. In addition to forming the Fares Foundation (db.fares.org.lb) in

Beirut in 1987, he has been a generous donor to Tufts University in Massachusetts,where, in 2002, he presided over the opening of the Fares Center for Eastern

Mediterranean Studies, a university-wide initiative devoted to promoting study and

understanding of the region. Tufts also inaugurated the Issam M. Fares Chair in

Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean Studies, the first endowed chair focusing on the

region in the US. Fares heads a conglomerate consisting of banking, factory and

investment businesses in Lebanon, Europe and the US.

Iranian philanthropic initiative strengthens science education

Since observing the appalling state of technology in Irans schools on a visit home,

London-based IranianAbbas Edalat has made it a point to focus his energies on

improving educational programs and access to state-of-the-art technology. Launching

the Science and Art Foundation (www.science-arts.org) in 1999, Edalat has worked

with other Iranian philanthropists in and outside of Iran, and with other funders, to

improve technology education nationwide. Among the projects is an ICT Center in

Zahedan, the capital city of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, which now boasts

over 15 local, national and international partners and provides training to community

members, administers an e-shop to sell handicrafts made by local women to an inter-

13


14/16



national market, and a micro-enterprise program targeting youth, which will be carried

out in partnership with the Ministry of Industry. A strong evaluation component will

allow replication on a national level. (Silicon Iran, 2001)

Jordans Queen Rania makes her mark on national philanthropy

Her MajestyQueen Rania of Jordan has become actively involved in a number of

national philanthropic initiatives, with an emphasis on womens economic empower-ment, childrens issues, education, and human rights. This past November she took

over leadership of the Arab Womens Summit, held in Amman, Jordan, which empha-

sized the need to put womens issues on the pan-Arab agenda. She has been involved

with the Jordan River Foundation since its launch in 1995. During visits to New York

City in November 2002, she helped launch a new microcredit project for women in

Afghanistan, as part of the international Village Banking initiative. She has worked

closely with Count Me In (www.count-me-in.org ), a two-year-old internet-based initia-

tive that raises money from women to be loaned to other women aspiring to set up

their own small businesses and also gives scholarships for business training and tech-

nical assistance. (BBC News, November 4, 2002)

Concern about investigations reducing donations to Muslim charitiesin the US

The Associated Press reports that Muslim charities in the US, including some raising

funding for international causes, report reduced donations due to concerns by their

contributors that donations will inadvertently make them suspects of law enforce-

ment. To raise confidence among potential donors about its work, one nonprofit

organization founded by American Muslims has noted in its marketing material that it

works with the US Department of Agriculture. At the same time, some US Muslim

leaders are pushing for a government auditing system for Islamic charities so potentialdonors can be confident that gifts neither support terrorism nor bring suspicion upon

themselves. (Boston Globe November 2, 2002)

Changes in Jewish philanthropy in the US

Against a backdrop of no growth in annual giving to Jewish organizations in the US,

fundraising expert Naomi Levine has raised warnings about trends in Jewish philan-

thropy. She pointed out changes in attitudes among American Jews, with much less

sense of optimism about the future of Israel and increasing donations to secular organi-

zations among younger Jews. Among her suggestions, made during a speech at New

York University, were that Jewish philanthropic institutions look more to women asleaders and sources of revenue, given high levels of educations attainment and the fact

that they do not give as much as men of comparable wealth. (onPhilanthropy.com,

November 1, 2002)

Slain journalists family creates foundation to promote world peace

The family ofDaniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journalreporter slain by Islamic militants in

Pakistan while covering the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, has formed

14


15/16



The Daniel Pearl Foundation (www.danielpearlfoundation.org) with the goal of pro-

moting understanding between cultures, especially in the Middle East. One of its proj-

ects is an exchange program to bring young journalists from throughout the Middle

East to study journalism together at Stanford University, Mr. Pearls alma mater.

Another is to create an Internet-based program to draw in young people from different

cultures to meet one another, exchange ideas, and learn to be more tolerant. The

Flora Family Foundation provided a $50,000 operating grant. (Chronicle of Philanthropy,September 5, 2002)

Corporate philanthropy growing in Lebanon

Corporate giving in Lebanon often a reflection of the giving by individual business

leaders is growing, according to reports by the Beirut-based Daily Star, which in a

two-part series in April described its growth. Scrutiny of Lebanese business giving was

stimulated by a United Nations Development Programme project to promote stronger

business-community relations, including increased philanthropy, on the local level. The

articles quote Hala Beyhum, marketing manager at International Arab Bank in Beirut,

saying that the company, whose regional pre-tax profit last year was US $312 million,donated 2 percent of 2001 profits in donations and equipment. However, most local

companies dont disclose figures nor the names of organizations they support. This

lack of transparency is in contrast to what is often considered best practice in other

places. We give to lots of people for charitable purposes and we established theAbdel

Hamid Shoman Association, based in Jordan, in 1978 to promote development and

education of people in the fields of science and humanities, according to Beyhum. She

cites a policy of [giving] money the traditional Arab way, silently and with a clear con-

science, not for publicity. (Daily Star, April 27 and April 29, 2002)

Dubai billionaire makes major gift for water management researchHaji Saeed Bin Ahmed Al-Lootah, a construction magnate and prominent philanthropist

in Dubai, announced plans in November to donate more than CDN$4.4 million

(about US$2.7 million) to the United Nations Universitys International Network on

Water, Environment and Health to support a two-year project to improve water man-

agement skills, conduct water-related research, and improve the development of water

technologies in Dubai. The projects will take place in Dubai, other Emirates of the

United Arab Emirates, and possibly elsewhere in the region and will include the cre-

ation of a project center, with offices, staff and all facilities through the World Al-

Lootah University, which Mr. Al-Lootah founded in Dubai. He has also promised to

follow up with further donations when the first program phase is in place.

New book examines philanthropy by Middle Eastern Americans

A new report entitled Philanthropy Among Middle Eastern Americans and their

Historical Traditions of Giving, co-edited by Mehdi Bozorgmehr and Beth Baron of the

Middle East and Middle Eastern American Center, City University of New York

(CUNY). This volume is now available through the Center for the Study of

Philanthropy at the Graduate Center at CUNY. For more information, email

[email protected] or phone +1 (212) 817-2010.

15


16/16



Global Giving Matters aims to present information on best practices and innovations in

philanthropy and social investment around the world. We encourage you to send us:

Ideas about issues or people you would like to learn more about

Examples of your own philanthropy

Comments about this issue.

Write to us at [email protected].

Global Giving Matters does not present solicitations of support for particular

initiatives or organizations.

YOUR IDEAS WANTED

The World Economic Forum91-93 route de la CapiteCH-1223 Cologny/GenevaSwitzerlandtel +41 (22) 869-1212fax +41 (22) 786-2744www.weforum.org

The Synergos Institute9 East 69th StreetNew York, NY 10021USAtel +1 (212) 517-4900fax +1 (212) 517-4815www.synergos.org

Global Giving Matters Special Issue May 2004 World Economic Forum

Documents

Transcript of Global Giving Matters Special Issue May 2004 World Economic Forum