IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS
GENDER
Gender Goes Wiki, UN-INSTRAW Creates a new Interactive e-Tool to Promote Trainings
Syria signs Arab League human rights charter
Empowering Women
UAE plans stiffer sentences for human trafficking
Lebanese among 8 new Arab Women Goodwill Ambassadors
Women and minorities, the Arab invisibles
Women's movement puts spotlight on campaign for right to equality
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Microcredit as a Driver of Development
YOUTH & CHILDREN
Egypt and Yemen begin to address challenges created by population growth

REPORTS, BOOKS & ARTICLES
ECONOMY & TRADE
Jordanian human rights group links press freedoms to economic growth
GENDER  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS
FOREIGN AID
Foreign aid must focus on smaller goals
ENVIRONMENT
Community of Practice for Eco-health in the Middle East and North Africa Region, CoPEH - MENA
Environmental NGO highlights potential financial benefits of recycling trash
GENDER
Arab businesswomen meet counterparts at “Davos for women”
Conciliation between paid work and family life
Decision in Jordan to stop recruitment of Filipina maids welcomed
Government campaign aims to root out worker abuse in QIZs
Global Summit of Women in Cairo aims to poke holes in common stereotypes
Jordanian women encouraged to join the legal system
Jordanian female labourers hard pressed to get minimum wage Female workers are discriminated
Local Iraqi NGO warns of rising cases of sexual abuse  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

CONFERENCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Rethinking educational change, July 2-5, 2006 Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco
Gender and Trade Regional workshop – Beirut, June 22 – 24, 06

NEWS
ECONOMY & TRADE
IMF preaches urgent reform for Lebanon
World Economic Forum on Mideast concludes activities
GENDER
Americans kill pregnant Iraqi woman on way to hospital
Treatment of Egyptian female political activists in El-Kanater prison (The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights)
Indonesia: The Queens of Islam
Iran blocks common declarations at women's empowerment conference
It is the right for every Muslim to interpret the Qur'an for themselves
Stadium ban on women in Iran to stay  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Euro-Med Journalist Prize for Cultural Diversity
International Conference on Women and Desertification (29 May - 1 June 2006)

NEWS
ECONOMY & TRADE
Beirut 'missed out on $2.5 billion' by failing to tax quarries
IDAL predicts foreign direct investment in Lebanon will exceed $2 billion
U.S.-U.A.E. free-trade talks to resume in May
Doha puts freeze on free-trade talks with Washington
White House renews ban on exports to Syria
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental clubs in Lebanon swap green ideas
DEVELOPMENT AID
PM Siniora seeks funding to improve conditions for Palestinian refugees
Social Fund for Development in Yemen
GENDER
Bulgarian 'saw nurses tortured in Libyan jail'  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
HUMAN RIGHTS
WIDE annual conference: What ‘state’ are we in?
"Cooperating with eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries" international seminar

NEWS
CULTURE
Lebanon assumes position as region's cosmetic-enhancement capital
ECONOMY & TRADE
Abu Dhabi unveils $27 billion island tourism project
Ras al-Khaimah to build $5.44 billion resort
Beirut should call in the IMF
Oil revenues bring welcome rise in Arab development aid
EDUCATION
Alam Simsim - Egypt
Sesame Stories (Sippuray Sumsum/ Hikayat Simsim) - Israel, Palestine & Jordan  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
HUMAN RIGHTS
The Challenge of Democracy in the Muslim World: CSID Annual Conference
Pour une paix juste en Palestine et en Israёl: Application du droit international
VACANCY
Position Opening - Deputy Field Director, Cairo, Egypt
YOUTH
International conference on "Youth in the Middle East and North Africa", Rabat, Morocco, December 2006

NEWS
CULTURE
Map of World Heritage Sites
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Assessment of the Areas Disengaged by Israel in the Gaza Strip
Lebanese farmers now able to certify as 'organic'
Lebanese poultry farmers see huge losses in wake of bird flu
EDUCATION
South Sudan declares war against illiteracy  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
GENDER
Anti-abortion laws a ‘silent war against women’
1st International Congress on Islamic Feminism

NEWS
CULTURE
Aleppo begins its stint as Arab world's capital of Islamic culture
ENVIRONMENT
Citizens in Lebanon urged to protect natural reserves
EDUCATION
Illiteracy rife among rural Egyptian girls and women
Plan to reorganize Lebanese University faces opposition
FOREIGN AID
EU, Arab lawmakers warn of chaos if aid to Palestinians is cut
U.S. philanthropists visit with aim of funding charity projects in Lebanon
Transformational Diplomacy
GENDER
Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
GENDER
Gender and citizenship in a multicultural context
NEWS
CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Law does not recognize children of Lebanese females
UN celebrates International Women’s Day but is blasted on gender equality
'Unions for Women, Women for Unions' campaign enters phase two
FOREIGN AID
EU donates $17.8 million to refugees
U.K. donates $356,000 to UNRWA project to aid refugees
GENDER
Ashreat Al Amal (Sails of Hope) - Sudan
Communication for Healthy Living (CHL) - Egypt
Communicating Safe Motherhood in Morocco
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Encourages Women to Use ICTs for Development.
Morocco Family Planning/Maternal and Child Health Phase V Project - Morocco  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
ICT
Access to Information Workshop in Sudan

NEWS
CULTURE
The Afro-Arab Cultural Institute
ECONOMY & TRADE
Arab League talks on aid for Palestinians fail in wake of economic sanctions
Danish businesses feel the pain of Muslim boycotts
MENA Countries Set to Benefit from New Investment Thanks to Planned Policy Reforms
FOREIGN AID
Donors pledge $10.5 billion to Afghanistan
EU aid to continue if Hamas commits to seeking peace
… and it is not alone in Palestinian aid dilemma
Jerusalem Fund urges continued U.S. aid to Palestinians
Rice seeks $75 million to spur democracy drive in Iran
Qatar to donate $25 million to restore Lebanese National Library  Read more »

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
GENDER
Second regional training workshop on gender, citizenship and governance – 23 April – 3 May 2005 Beirut
DEVELOPMENT
Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment

NEWS
GENDER
Divergences and challenges in the feminist movement
For some inmates in Afghanistan, serving time is an educational experience
Opening of Palestinian Women's Research and Documentation Centre
Women’s lives at stake: Development lost in WTO Ministerial Declaration
West underestimates sexual fear among Islamists says Rushdie
Women, children, clergy and detainees suffer abuses in strife-torn Iraq: UN
HEALTH  Read more »