This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002071 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, PRM/MCE AND NEA/ARN 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL SOCI KPAL KWMN LE JO
SUBJECT:  Monitoring and Evaluating the International Rescue 
Committee in Lebanon 
 
REF:  PRM Monitoring Instructions of 9/26/03 
 
¶1.  As requested ref, regional refcoord and Embassy Beirut 
poloff monitored PRM-funded activities at Association Najdeh 
on March 10.  Association Najdeh is the local implementing 
partner of the International Rescue Committee and the 
Women's Commission for Refugees for the sexual and gender- 
based violence program for refugees in Lebanon (cooperative 
agreement SPRMCO03CA117).  Regional refcoord, PRM/ANE 
program officer and Embassy Beirut polFSN also met with 
Association Najdeh officials in October 2003.  Monitoring 
report is keyed to questions provided ref. 
 
¶A.  On March 10, we met with Association Najdeh Director 
Leila el-Ali, Project Coordinator Fatme Chahine, Project 
Assistant Buthaina Saad and Counselor Majida Jawad.  The 
meeting was held at the project office, a one-room office 
near Association Najdeh's headquarters. 
 
¶B.  Association Najdeh is doing a good job of conducting 
domestic violence education and awareness activities, a key 
PRM-cross-cutting policy goal.  However, the persistent 
social stigma surrounding domestic violence as well as the 
limited economic ability of abused Palestinian refugee women 
to seek assistance are limiting Najdeh's ability to fulfill 
some of the project's objectives.  For example, only 18 
documented abuse victims have sought Najdeh counseling to 
date, while the project calls for 100 cases by August 31, 
¶2004.  Only two cases (of the 50 projected in the grant 
agreement) have sought legal assistance from Najdeh since 
September 1, 2003.  The problem appears not to lie in 
Najdeh's implementation of activities funded under the grant 
(counselors, staff training, advocacy and regional 
coordination) but instead is rooted in the deep-seated 
cultural and social reluctance to address these issues and 
the economic inability of Palestinian refugee women to 
escape difficult family situations.  Continued education and 
advocacy activities could be one way to address these 
problems. 
 
¶C.  Since the project began on September 1, Najdeh has 
implemented the following activities: 
 
  -    Five counselors have been hired and are available to 
     provide domestic violence counseling in Najdeh's 26 program 
     centers in Palestinian refugee camps. 
  -    Najdeh has organized domestic violence workshops in all 
     12 refugee camps, attended by 163 participants (132 women 
     and 31 men). 
  -    18 documented domestic abuse victims have sought 
     counseling from Najdeh (vice a goal of 100 for the project). 
  -    Two domestic abuse victims have sought legal assistance 
     from Najdeh (vice a goal of 20 for the project). 
  -    Najdeh has designed and is now printing Arabic-language 
     posters and pamphlets that advocate for the protection of 
     women and management of domestic violence. 
  -    Najdeh has held coordination meetings with UNRWA in 
     Lebanon and Syria, with local Palestinian NGOs in Lebanon 
     and with other women's rights NGOs in the region through the 
     Arab women's NGO network Aisha. 
  -    With separate funding from Columbia University, Najdeh 
     has conducted two additional studies on domestic violence in 
     Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps (similar to its 2000 
     study), and is coordinating with UNRWA to share its findings 
     with UNRWA-supported women's program centers in Lebanon and 
     Syria. 
  -    A representative from the Women's Commission plans to 
     travel to Lebanon in late March to conduct training for 
     Najdeh staff on codes of conduct and reporting.  The Women's 
     Commission representative will also participate in a Najdeh 
     workshop on domestic violence for other local NGOs. 
 
Najdeh runs its domestic violence program from the 26 
kindergartens and vocational training centers it operates in 
Lebanon's 12 refugee camps.  Due to the deep-rooted cultural 
sensitivities surrounding this issue, Najdeh has introduced 
the topic of domestic violence in an indirect fashion, 
holding workshops on gender, discrimination and basic human 
rights, an approach that el-Ali says lays the groundwork for 
addressing the more difficult issue of domestic violence. 
Trained Najdeh counselors also can judge from participants' 
reactions whether there might be serious problems at home, 
and then can follow up with private conversations after the 
workshops.  In cooperation with Palestinian refugee youth 
centers, Najdeh has also formed "men's clubs" where it 
introduces domestic violence issues to men.  Najdeh staff 
commented that men in the rural Palestinian refugee 
communities (especially in the Bekaa valley) seem more 
receptive to women's rights. 
¶D.  Najdeh admits that it is falling short on some of the 
key project objectives, due largely to social and economic 
realities in the camps.  Women are often pressured by 
extended family members not to seek outside assistance for 
domestic violence issues or fear that they will face social 
stigma for seeking counseling assistance.  (In Palestinian 
refugee culture, either social or psychological counseling 
is viewed as shameful, according to Najdeh Director el-Ali.) 
Moreover, due to the many restrictions on Palestinian 
refugees' economic activities in Lebanon, refugee women 
simply do not have the resources to either seek legal 
recourse or leave their abusive spouses.  Project director 
Chahine reported that while many women have expressed 
interest in pursuing legal options, all but two were simply 
unable to afford this option.  The options available to 
refugee women victims of violence are further limited by the 
lack of any safe houses in Lebanon.  Abused women in Lebanon 
simply have nowhere to go, el-Ali explained. 
 
Najdeh also is having a hard time meeting the extremely 
ambitious project goal of recommending and adopting new 
policies to address domestic violence among Palestinian 
refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Jerusalem, the West Bank and 
Gaza.  While Najdeh meets regularly with counterpart NGOs 
from throughout the region, Najdeh Director el-Ali believes 
the more important, and perhaps more achievable goal, is to 
change refugees' attitudes toward domestic violence, 
creating an environment where women are able to seek 
counseling and address their problems without feeling 
pressured that they have "shamed" their families.  In 
Lebanon, el-Ali added, refugee women also need the economic 
ability to both seek legal assistance and, if necessary, 
leave their spouses.  With the many legal restrictions 
imposed on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, refugee women do 
not have the economic independence required to exercise 
their full rights. 
 
Finally, it is important to note that Najdeh, as a member of 
the Palestinian NGO Forum in Lebanon, has a long-standing 
policy of not accepting funds from the U.S. Government. 
When asked by refcoord to address this issue, el-Ali 
explained that Najdeh's financial relationship is with the 
Women's Commission for Refugees (the direct recipient of 
funds under this grant) and not with the U.S. Government. 
El-Ali has not publicized the U.S. role in supporting this 
project and does not seem willing to acknowledge it in the 
local NGO community. 
 
¶E.  Due to restrictions on USG travel to the Palestinian 
refugee camps, we were unable to see the full team of 
project staff in action.  Nevertheless, the team of five 
counselors plus two project managers seems appropriate for 
the range of activities covered under the grant. 
 
¶F.  The project office is just one-room, located near 
Association Najdeh's headquarters.  The room contains a 
desk, computer, files and a small meeting area.  The office 
appears to be used on a regular basis and all equipment 
appeared to be in good working order.  No equipment was 
purchased with USG funds. 
 
¶G.  N/A 
 
¶H.  Continued education and advocacy activities seem to be 
required before Palestinian refugee women feel comfortable 
seeking the counseling and legal assistance programs called 
for under the grant agreement.  El-Ali said that greater 
economic resources were also required to give refugee women 
the independence required to either seek legal assistance 
or, if necessary, leave their spouses.  Should PRM decide to 
provide additional funding for this project in FY04, we 
recommend that greater emphasis be put on education and 
advocacy activities.  With an estimated domestic violence 
rate of 18 percent in the camps (according to Najdeh's most 
recent survey), the victims of violence likely will seek the 
activities supported in the grant only after they are more 
comfortable addressing the topic. 
 
¶2.  Embassy Beirut cleared this message. 
 
GNEHM