Middle East and North Africa

The projects in the MENA Region have always played an important role in Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s work abroad. The Foundation has been operating in the region for more than five decades, where our first program was kicked off in Tunisia in 1964 focusing on the training of journalists.
Strengthening freedom and promoting liberal solutions are the principal goals of our project work in this heterogeneous region. Together with our liberal partners from the Atlantic to the Gulf, we support the further development of the rule of law, market economy, democratic institutions and the participation of civil society. The MENA Regional Office was located in Cairo, Egypt, for many years and is now operating from Amman, Jordan.
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- Middle East and North Africa
Egypt
The Foundation has been operating in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, since 1975. The Foundation's partners - and also its most important target group - are decision-makers from politics and civil society, journalists and business leaders who promote market-friendly principles. The focus of the Foundation's activities can be summarised as follows: strengthening political liberalism, strengthening civil society, and strengthening economic freedom.
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Humans of Freedom
You may have come across the work of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom around the world. You may have heard of our dedication to making the foundation a creative platform for innovation...
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Iraq
The Foundation worked in Iraq from 2004 until 2014. It accompanied the Iraqi constitutional process through a "Constitution Support Project" in 2005. This was followed in 2006 by a project aimed at creating constructive dialogue on the topic of federalism in Iraq. In this context the Foundation also organised study trips for Iraqi parliamentarians to Europe in cooperation with UNOPS, the Belgian foreign ministry and the Bertelsmann Foundation with the aim of strengthening their knowledge of the organisation of federal systems.
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Israel and Palestinian Territories
The Foundation has been active in Israel - the only stable multiparty democracy in the Middle East - since 1983. After the collapse of organised liberalism in Israel, the Foundation launched the "Liberal Project", which aims to bring together liberal forces in politics, business and society to reinvigorate the liberal movement. In addition, the Foundation promotes dialogue between Israel and Palestine, as well as exchanges between Israel and Germany/Europe.
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Jordan
The Foundation's Amman office has existed since 1982 in Amman, Jordan, and focuses on working with the Young Entrepreneurs Association to promote an entrepreneurial culture and the creation of liberal, free market conditions. The Foundation also conducts training events on liberal topics in cooperation with its partner, the "Free Thought Forum", supports young bloggers in their online reform discussions and assists Syrian refugees in conflict resolution.
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Lebanon and Syria
In Lebanon, the Foundation works with the "Lebanese Economic Association", the "Lebanese Transparency Association" and the "Samir Kassir Foundation" on projects focusing on market-oriented regulatory policy, increased citizen participation, press freedom and anti-corruption. Substantial projects are also offered for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, with a particular focus on conflict mediation.
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Morocco
The Foundation has been active in Morocco since 1969. Core elements of its project work include political sensitisation, training and networking of liberal-democratic forces. The Foundation cooperates with liberal parties as well as many NGOs and associations, like the young entrepreneurs' organisation Centres des Jeunes Dirigeants in Casablanca or the human rights organisation Centre des Droits des Gens in Fez.
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Palestinian autonomous areas
The overarching objective of the Foundation's work in Palestine is to create and strengthen democratic, rule-of-law-based and market-oriented structures for a future Palestinian state. As achieving this goal requires dependable, democratically elected governments along with strong civil society, free markets and a network based on international cooperation, all of the Foundation's activities in Palestine are aimed at developing such structures together with local partners.
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We make freedom real!
The projects in the MENA Region have always played an important role in Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s work abroad. The Foundation has been operating in the region for more than five...
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Tunisia
The Foundation's work abroad began with the opening of an office in Tunisia in 1964. About 50 years later, in 2011, a new phase started for the Foundation in the context of the Tunisian revolution. In addition to the long-established areas of work (e.g. journalist training, economic policy), the Foundation enhanced its work substantially with further cooperation projects in areas such as democracy support, party cooperation, and human rights.
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