WUNRN
Ideaccess
is about making Ideas Accessible to People
through access to information
Ideaccess' five main activities are to:
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Translate
books into languages spoken in the Middle East and Central Asia (currently
translating in Arabic, Farsi, Tajik, Pashto, Russian and Uzbek) at the
request of civil society organizations; |
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Distribute
free print and electronic resources in Middle Eastern and Central Asian
languages to organizations and individuals in the regions; |
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Establish
new, and support existing Community-Based Libraries (CBLs); |
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Facilitate
a network of resource activists in the Middle East and Central Asia; |
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Design
and hold trainings which build civil societies’ capacity to create,
disseminate, and use information effectively. |
Ideaccess translates and distributes social justice related books and texts on
the following topics:
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Human
Rights |
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Women’s
Rights and Gender Equality |
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Civil
Society activism |
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Political
Development, participation and citizenship |
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Peacebuilding
and conflict |
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Law
and justice |
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Human
security and development |
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Curricula,
training manuals, educational tools and pedagogy |
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Skills
development in key areas such as fundraising, capacity-building,
administration of human rights organizations, communications, etc. |
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Social
sciences |
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Two Afghan girls check out
books on display at a local book fair Kabul, 2005 |
Objectives
For human beings to realize their full potential and to contribute to building
more free, more secure societies, they must have access to the means to do so.
Similarly, for women to impact this process and contribute to defining the
meaning of their political, social, cultural and religious environments,
obtaining access to the necessary resources is critical. Ideaccess therefore
has the following objectives:
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The
growth of a vibrant civil society in the Middle East and Central Asia |
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Promoting
books and a culture of reading and knowledge-seeking among all citizens |
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Engaging
communities in the struggle for human rights, gender equality, education, and
political awareness and participation within all strata of society |
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Encouraging
critical thinking, questioning of the status quo, and innovations and ideas
among all citizens wishing to partake in civil society |
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Raising
awareness of universal human rights standards among the general population of
Middle Eastern and Central Asian societies |
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Providing
support and solidarity through information to social justice activists
working amidst challenging contexts |
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Providing
a forum for the exchange of information and knowledge between societies
facing similar political constraints to the realization of universal human
rights and gender equality |
Who supports us?
Rights & Democracy: www.dd-rd.ca
Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic
Development) is a Canadian institution with an international mandate. It is an
independent organization, which promotes, advocates and defends the democratic
and human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In
cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights
& Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic
institutions, principally in developing countries.
Rights & Democracy has supported Ideaccess since 2005, providing a
three-year budget for general operations of the project.
Etana Press: www.thara-sy.com
Etana Press (EP) is a Damascus-based publishing house developing materials and
organizing activities focused on increasing civic awareness in Syrian society,
particularly among youth. In order to accomplish this, EP seeks to harness and
utilize the power of both traditional and electronic media. Etana Press also
caters to the needs of visiting journalists and academics, providing assistance
in arranging reservations, interviews, access and permits for equipment, and
providing interpreters and guides. Clients include the BBC, The Times of
London, Washington Post, New York Times, Chicago Tribune and DeutscheWelle.
EP’s dedication is to combining theory and practice, social activism and civil
awareness. Over the last two years, EP has been involved in organizing a number
of exhibitions, trainings, and seminars on women's rights and gender equality
issues.
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