WORKING RETREAT REPORT AUGUST 2020

1 BUILDING & UNITING A MOVEMENT IN THE ARAB WORLD

2 T A B L E OF CONTENTS

1 Executive Summary 4 Oslo Freedom Forum Community & the Arab World

10 Introduction 13 Report Overview 14 Legal 20 Funding 27 Media 32 Mental Health 37 Retreat Impact 42 Conclusion 44 Testimonials 47 Appendix A: Gene Sharp’s 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action

50 Appendix B: Additional Resources

52 Sponsors EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 In November 2019, HRF held its first Oslo The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is Freedom Forum (OFF) Working Retreat a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization for the Arab World, bringing together a that promotes and protects human rights group of 60 human rights advocates. The globally, with a focus on closed societies. global community established by OFF be- HRF is one of the few international or- lieves that all people are entitled to live ganizations that focuses exclusively on freely without fear of government op- countries under authoritarian rule. We pression. In that spirit, we are dedicated believe that our resources can make the to representing a diverse group of voices greatest impact in countries where in- and bringing their stories to the world. dependent media, activists, think tanks, In addition to our global experts, partici- opposition parties, and NGOs are under pants at the OFF Working Retreat hailed constant threat and are systematically from 13 countries within the Middle East prevented from expressing themselves and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, regarding domestic policy. This is the Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Mo- case in most of the countries in the Arab rocco, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and World, and we believe that authoritarian- Tunisia. Given the revolutionary devel- ism is at the structural root of the major opments that took place throughout 2019 issues this region is facing today: corrup- in the region, including countrywide tion, poverty, wars, and refugee crises.

Bloomberg journalist Bobby Ghosh held a media session with participants at the OFF Working Retreat.

2 protests demanding representative gov- nity may also include leveraging region- ernance, this event could not have been al and/or international solidarity with a more timely. cause. Advocates from the Arab World need to mobilize around shared objec- Our main objective for this Retreat was to tives to accomplish them in the most ef- unite a community of individuals work- fective and strategic ways, and in spite of ing on and in the Arab World, who can the massive repression that regimes in inspire one another and share best prac- the region carry out. tices for fortifying human rights under authoritarian rule. Therefore, the event With this report, we want to maintain was off-the-record, and conducted - fol the momentum from the OFF Working lowing Chatham House rules, to provide Retreat by providing a roadmap for ac- a space for participants to freely express tivism in the Arab World that can serve themselves during programming and to as an initial step in identifying strengths ensure their safety. We also wanted to and similarities in the struggles of advo- connect human rights advocates with dig- cates from the region. ital security, movement-building, media, and mental health experts in order to pro- vide them with the support and access to resources and tools that they need to car- ry out their important work.

We held a series of workshops and exer- cises that brought together participants to think about the strengths, weakness- es, opportunities, and threats they face in their work — and then brainstorm ways to capitalize on these strengths and over- come the weaknesses and threats. Key issues that participants identified as de- cisive to their work included: legal imped- iments, access to funding, relationships with the media, healing from the trauma OFF Working Retreat participants engaged in an of living under a repressive police state, introductory networking exercise, sharing strengths, and wellbeing. Digital privacy and sur- on the Retreat’s opening day. veillance, government and self-censor- ship, the role of public and private spaces, and partnerships also emerged as import- ant topics during the Retreat.

A main takeaway on which participants agreed, is that advocates from the Arab World need a community. They need al- lies from within their own countries and beyond, and members of their diasporic communities to help them bring about sustainable change. Building this commu-

3 OSLO FREEDOM FORUM COMMUNITY & THE ARAB WORLD

4

HRF’s annual conference, the Oslo Free- dom Forum (OFF), is a transformative conference and a global community that “ brings together the world’s most engag- HONOR THE ing human rights advocates, artists, tech entrepreneurs, journalists, and world DEAD, FIGHT leaders to share their stories and brain- “ storm ways to expand freedom and un- LIKE HELL FOR leash human potential across the globe. Over the years, it has grown and ex- THE LIVING. panded into a series of events around the world, including the OFF Working Re- treat for the Arab World.

Along the way, we have sadly lost mem- bers of our community from the Arab World whose work continues to inspire us in our commitment to create a better and freer world. 2018-2019

In the spirit of remembrance, we held a vigil during the OFF Working Retreat to honor members of our community who dedicated their work to advocating for free- dom and lost their lives in 2018 and 2019:

From left to right: Jamal Khashoggi, Raed Fares, and Suleiman Bakhit

5 Jamal Khashoggi (1958-2018) Raed Fares (1972-2018)

Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist, Raed Fares, who spoke at the 2017 Oslo a Washington Post contributing colum- Freedom Forum, first became known out- nist, and one of the most prominent polit- side of Syria in early 2014, when he start- ical commentators of his generation. For ed writing eye-catching, often sarcastic his courageous journalism work, he was protest signs, and sharing photos of them brutally murdered inside the Saudi con- on social media. From there, he expanded sulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. his activism and journalism and quickly became one of the most trusted sources of Khashoggi was a close advisor to the Sau- on-the-ground footage and information di royal family, who later became critical on Syria’s continuing conflict. In Novem- of Saudi domestic and regional policies, ber 2018, Fares — who had been targeted and particularly Saudi Arabia’s current many times by ISIS, al-Qaeda, and sup- regime under Mohammed bin Salman. porters of the Assad regime — was assas- His final, posthumously-published col- sinated by gunmen in Kafranbel, along umn, “What the Arab world needs most with fellow activist Hamoud Jneed. is free expression” (also published in Arabic), captured what he was most pas- Fares was dedicated to teaching his fel- sionate about: bringing freedom of ex- low Syrians the skills they would need to pression to the Arab World. build democracy in Syria. He founded Ra- dio Fresh out of Kafranbel in 2013 to give In May 2018, just months before his mur- Syrians a source for unbiased reporting, der, Khashoggi attended the Oslo Free- working to counter fundamentalist nar- dom Forum in Norway. He wrote two col- ratives and the Assad regime’s propa- umns inspired by his time in Oslo for the ganda. Radio Fresh trained more than Arabic-language outlet Raseef 22. HRF 2,500 students in journalism, and em- has translated them into English here. ployed more than 600 people. Fares also led trainings in nonviolent activism and devoted special attention to empower- ing the women in his community, whose leadership he felt was essential to Syria’s future. With his death, reporters outside of Syria lost a vital and increasingly rare source of truth.

6 2020

Suleiman Bakhit (1978-2019) Lina Ben Mhenni (1983-2020)

In August 2019, Suleiman Bakhit, a Jor- We were very fortunate to have had Tu- danian artist, entrepreneur, and human nisian activist, journalist, educator, and rights activist passed away after battling Nobel-nominee Lina Ben Mhenni partic- cancer. He was the founder of the He- ipate in the Working Retreat just a few ro-Factor project, an organization dedi- months before she passed away in Janu- cated to promoting heroism as an antidote ary 2020, after battling a chronic illness. to extremism for Middle Eastern youth. She is often described as one of the brav- Bakhit believed that cultivating a heroic est bloggers in the world, whose work moral imagination among children is the was instrumental in documenting, in- most effective technique for disrupting forming, and mobilizing citizens during the vast recruitment networks of terror- the Revolution. Ben Mhenni was one of ist organizations. He dedicated his work the only Tunisians to openly criticize the to the development of stories, myths, and repressive government before the 2011 heroes that promoted tolerance and the Jasmine Revolution, and her impactful empowerment of women and girls, and to achievements earned her the 2011 Nobel countering extremist narratives by pro- Peace Prize nomination. She authored viding Arab youth with positive role mod- and published a book the same year en- els. Bakhit was motivated to create his titled, “Tunisian Girl: A Blogger for an company after experiencing a violent at- Arab Spring.” tack in the United States after the 9/11 ter- rorist attacks. Ben Mhenni spoke at the 2011 Oslo Freedom Forum, urging the outside In 2014, Bakhit spoke at the Oslo Freedom world to continue to follow events in Forum, and used the platform to share the Tunisia and other Arab countries where lessons he had learned during his long ca- revolutions appeared to have ended. In reer as an activist. recent years, Ben Mhenni continued to

7 press for human rights and democratic reform. In 2016, inspired by her political prisoner father, she began the “Books to Prison” campaign to counter extremism within Tunisia’s prisons; it has since col- lected more than 45,000 books.

Apart from her calls for democratic re- form, Ben Mhenni taught linguistics at In March 2020, stamps celebrating Lina Ben Mhenni as a university in Tunisia and was a pro- an icon for freedom of expression began circulating fessional translator. She also brought in Tunisia. awareness to the issue of organ donation and, after undergoing a kidney trans- plant, amazingly received a silver medal in 2009 in the World Transplant Games.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE OFF COMMUNITY & THE ARAB WORLD

Since the OFF Working Retreat took place, Ramy Essam gained international recogni- there have been some other develop- tion for his performance of his anthemic ments from our OFF community from the song “Irhal” in Tahrir Square in Cairo, at Arab World in 2020. the height of the Arab Spring protests in Egypt in 2011. He became known as the voice of the uprising and the singer of the revolution, and was subsequently arrest- ed and tortured by state security forces, and barred from performing in Egypt. In 2014, Essam left Egypt when he was offered safe haven in Sweden, where he became the city of Malmö’s first safe ha- ven musician. Since then, he has contin- ued to write songs that critique Egyptian politics and call for democracy and re- Remembering Shady Habash spect for human rights. In his acceptance speech for the 2019 Václav Havel Prize for On May 1, 2020, Egyptian photographer Creative Dissent, he acknowledged the and filmmaker Shady Habash died at age artists, creators, and activists who face 24 in Egypt’s Tora Prison, where he had imprisonment and punishment for their been illegally detained for more than two work, including those who collaborated years for producing Egyptian musician on his own musical projects. and Havel Prize laureate Ramy Essam’s music video “Balaha.” His case never A promising cinematographer and edi- went to trial or received a verdict. tor, Habash had worked on a number of

8 projects for various artists, and had no his arrest and conviction are unjust, HRF input on the message or lyrics of “Bala- celebrates Rajab’s release and reunion ha.” He was only 22 years old when “Bal- with his family. aha” was released and he was arrested, along with several others — including Rajab co-founded the Bahrain Human the song’s lyricist, Galal al-Behairy — on Rights Society in 2000 and is a Founding trumped-up charges of “insulting the Director of the Bahrain Centre for Human military” and “spreading false news.” Rights, which won the Index on Censor- Habash spent the remainder of his life ship’s Freedom of Expression Advocacy in Tora Prison, where he was tortured Award, among others. For his work fo- for more than 800 days until his death cusing on the rights of migrant workers from medical negligence, despite Egyp- and prison conditions, as well as civil tian law which permits no more than rights in Bahrain, Rajab became known two years of pre-trial detention. At the as one of the most revered leaders of the time of Habash’s death, Essam had been Arab Spring uprising in Bahrain. Despite setting the words of Habash’s final let- having been frequently targeted by the ter from prison to music, for a song that regime, with multiple arrests and pris- was meant to be part of a campaign for on terms, torture, beatings, smear cam- Habash’s release. Instead, the song — paigns, travel bans, threats against his “Prison Doesn’t Kill/The Last Letter from family, and home raids, Rajab remains a Shady Habash” — is now a memorial, and staunch defender of human rights. He has its proceeds will go to filmmakers and pho- received international recognition for his tographers at risk of state suppression. work, including the Woodrow Wilson In- ternational Center for Scholars’ 2011 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award.

In 2015, Rajab was scheduled to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum, but was arrest- ed that year for a social media post doc- umenting torture within Jaw Prison and comments about Bahrain’s involvement in the Yemeni civil war. Bahraini activist Said Yousif Almuhafdah read a letter from Ra- jab on his behalf at the Forum that year.

Nabeel Rajab’s Release From Prison

On June 9, 2020, Bahraini activist and op- position leader Nabeel Rajab was condi- tionally released from prison, nearly four years after he was arrested for social me- dia posts criticizing the regime on June 13, 2016. He will now be able to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. While

9 INTRODUCTION

“

IF WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF AN ARAB SPRING 2.0, THEN

IT IS GREAT THAT WE ARE EMPHASIZING THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF PREPARING “ POST-REVOLUTION INSTITUTIONS.

10 The response of Arab regimes to the dem- 2011 marked an important year in the ocratic aspirations of their people has history of the Arab World. Years of frus- been to close all avenues within which tration with repression and injustice civil society can effectively operate. The sparked protests and revolutions across fundamental challenge that activists face many countries in the Arab World, in- is the difficulty of turning their ideas and cluding Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bah- initiatives into institutions (associations, rain, and Yemen. Although each country foundations, etc.). Activists are struggling in the Arab World had its own social, po- to transform their work into larger and litical, and economic complexities, they more unified social movements, mainly held one thing in common: the collective because of targeted smear campaigns, ar- changemaking acts of individuals (such rests, harsh intelligence and counterintel- as peaceful protests, campaigns, or oth- ligence hacking, foreign meddling, restric- er civil society mechanisms) that created tive legal frameworks and dysfunctional broader social movements. court systems, and in some cases, limited access to tangible resources and relevant trainings and workshops. Furthermore, funding for the promotion of democracy and human rights-related work has dra- matically declined in the last decade, as compared to the previous decade. With- in the context of the current coronavirus pandemic, funding has also increasingly been shifting toward responding to the global health crisis and away from fund- ing human rights organizations.

Another challenge for activists and move- ments in the Arab World is the fact that there is no consensus on how to negoti- ate and speak in Arabic about methods of nonviolent action, mental health, or LGBTQI rights, among other issues. The In 2019, protests against government corruption emerged absence of this kind of terminology in in Iraq. Arabic is an area that advocates from the Arab World can prioritize by defining Nearly a decade later, using well-tested tac- terms. For instance, in the arena of strate- tics and the wisdom of experience, activ- gic nonviolent resistance, it is very import- ists in the Arab World have continued to ant to have clear distinctions in Arabic march in protests in countries like Algeria, about what constitutes a strategy versus Iraq, Palestine, and Sudan. However, the what constitutes tactics; strategy is the state of civil society and social movements campaign in which civil society and social in the Arab World, and their ability to per- movements are engaging, whereas tactics form following the crackdown by Arab are the actions applied throughout a spe- regimes after the 2011 uprisings, remain cific geography and scope of time. A lack critically at risk. Will the spirit of the Arab of clarity on these and other key concepts Spring fade away or lead to lasting change? has historically impeded the effective use of nonviolent resistance.

11 With these challenges — which stem Key to all of this is understanding that from a mixture of fear, despair, and movements begin when action is tak- dire circumstances — the effectiveness en by individuals working with others of mass mobilization has declined over who share an alternative vision for soci- the years. Scholars have attributed this ety. The power struggle between people decline to opponent adaptation. Author- and government in the Arab World has itarian regimes are using more sophis- propelled the use of nonviolent action in ticated means to undermine and defeat movement-building and elevated the goal nonviolent struggles. Activists are ad- of building a network and creating coa- dressing this reality with great creativi- litions of experts and activists who can ty, bravery, and tactical innovation, but pool resources. require further strategic planning to de- velop the skills and structures needed to Advocates from the Arab World have make their movements sustainable, espe- learned lessons from the protests of the cially in the face of new kinds of repres- Arab Spring and before, and need to capi- sion. Therefore, activists and their allies talize on the strengths they acquired and should continue to apply existing meth- the opportunities the protests presented. ods of nonviolent resistance which have However, opponents of freedom have also proven to be successful, while working adapted and are now better prepared on an efficient long-term strategy and to undermine movements for change. adaptable tactics. To build stronger and more sustainable movements that can succeed, advocates from the Arab World need to connect and develop bonds within their communities, but also ones that transcend borders, al- lowing them to rely on each other and share best practices on an ongoing basis and identify collective priorities to keep the regional momentum alive.

Participants embrace during a session on community-building.

12 REPORT OVERVIEW

This report was created by and for our com- munity, based on the findings that were gen- erated from the active engagement and con- structive discussions that took place during the Working Retreat. The purpose of this re- port is to (1) present a roadmap for activists on how to build and unite a movement in the Arab World and (2) share with a global audience an overview of the current state of civil society and social movements in the region.

The report is broken down into four main sections:

LEGAL WHERE THINGS STAND IN THE REGION

FUNDING STRENGTHS TO SEIZE UPON

ACTION ITEMS MEDIA TAKEAWAYS

QUESTIONS TO MENTAL THINK ABOUT HEALTH

13 LEGAL

14 defamation and incitement laws. In Syria, WHERE THINGS STAND for example, counterterrorism laws such IN THE REGION as Law No. 19, use overly broad language to label providing humanitarian assis- tance, documenting human rights abuses, Activists in the Arab World are con- and peaceful protests as acts of terrorism; fronted with a variety of legal obstacles, those suspected of these acts are sent to including the existing legal framework, military courts, forced to confess, and de- judicial harassment, and a lack of legal prived of due process — even their fam- and human rights education. Howev- ilies’ assets are seized, pursuant to such er, there are opportunities to overcome charges. Meanwhile, the Law of Terror- these obstacles. ism Crimes and its Financing and the An- ti-Cyber Crime Law in Saudi Arabia and Legal Framework in the Arab World: Bahrain’s penal code, press and publica- tions law, and anti-cybercrime law have Activists in the region are confronted with been used to stifle dissent in those coun- 1 laws restricting, among other things, the tries. Syrian human rights lawyer Khalil rights to freedom of expression, associa- Matouk, Saudi human rights lawyer and tion, and peaceful assembly. Technology activist Waleed AbulKhair, and Bahraini and access to the internet give people a activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja (and up platform for their voices, but restrictive until recently, Nabeel Rajab) are among laws also amplify the risks people may those currently imprisoned as a result of face as a result of speaking out. the overly broad application of these texts. Freedom of expression is one of the tools necessary for human rights activists to carry out their work, as it enables them to detect, document, and report on hu- man rights abuses. The application of criminal law (in violation of internation- al legal standards) when human rights activists exercise their right to freedom of expression unquestionably leads to restrictions on their work. For example, Morocco’s penal code contains ambigu- During the civil society and social movements session at the OFF Working Retreat, participants discussed the ous language that can be used to impose legal framework in the Arab World. heavy-handed restrictions on the press and on publication law. Even in Tunisia, Restrictive and flawed laws on free speech where the civic space is freer than in that have been used against activists in other countries in the region, authorities the region include overly broad terrorism use and selectively apply different laws and national security laws, state of emer- and broad provisions to infringe upon gency laws, press and media laws, cyber- digital rights and to jail bloggers. For crime laws, penal code provisions, and example, in cases where the press code

1These laws have been elaborated on as part of HRF’s Free Speech Unlimited project, which analyzes domestic legal systems from coun- tries around the world and contrasts them with international law’s strictest and most protective standards for the right to freedom of expression. This project was designed to help activists and civil society groups understand their country’s free speech regulations, and it includes information on at least one important free speech case per country, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (read here defamation and incitement cases from Saudi Arabia and defamation and incitement cases from Bahrain). 15 is applicable (Article 55), the courts are dan, Morocco, and Tunisia, which have instead selectively applying the telecom- used these lawsuits to crack down on munications code (Article 86) because it freedom of expression. In effect, these provides for harsher sanctions. lawsuits silence dissent through in- timidation to prosecute acts of free There are also NGO and/or “foreign speech,2 and restrict activists and civ- agents” laws that impose restrictions on il society from mobilizing by draining civil society in the Arab World. In Egypt, their resources. for example, the 2019 NGO law places limitations on the ability of NGOs to car- • There is also a lack of protection for ry out their work. The law uses vague legal representation, including protec- language, such as “national security,” tion against threats to lawyers. How “public order,” and “public morals,” to can lawyers defend victims of human restrict the scope of NGOs’ activities, and rights abuses, if they themselves are forbids NGOs from carrying out political being harassed for doing their work? activities, entering into agreements with foreign entities, and using local or for- • From an educational standpoint, there eign funding. Such provisions enable the is a lack of legal literacy and training regime to paralyze the work of NGOs and for lawyers specializing in internation- target human rights and pro-democracy al human rights law. groups in the country. In Algeria, parlia- ment adopted a law to amend the penal code to impose a punishment of impris- STRENGTHS onment and a fine on those who receive TO SEIZE UPON funds to perform acts deemed likely to undermine state security. In practice, la- beling this as a crime impacts the free- 1. The possibility of joining forces against dom of association and legitimate cooper- judicial harassment — which is present ation between national and international in most countries in the Arab World — associations to even perform simple stud- and leveraging international solidarity ies on certain laws in Algeria. is a strength to capitalize on.

Lastly, the lack of both independence of - Activists from the region share a the judiciary and transparency in the leg- great deal of collective expertise and islative process — a result of the lack of have the ability to register NGOs out- separation of powers in the political sys- side of their countries. tems of the governments in the region — poses serious obstacles to civil society in 2. The opportunity for civil society activ- the Arab World. ists to push for a broad, regional move- ment that is committed to challenging Judicial Harassment and restrictive laws, which is another com- Legal Education: mon obstacle that civil society activists in the Arab World face, also presents a • Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Partic- strength for activists in the region to ipation (SLAPP) lawsuits are common capitalize on. in countries like Bahrain, Egypt, Jor-

2In Tunisia, for example, several journalists have had such pending cases against them for years, resulting in a form of harassment that manifests in repeated summons to the police or court, which can lead to psychological impacts on the activists and self-censorship. 16 3. Advocates from the region should seize This requires consolidating activists’ upon the use of universal jurisdiction. work around specific objectives and Pursuing legal redress against abusive establishing standards for common governments and officials from the re- phrases and terminology. Some cam- gion in democratic countries that ad- paigns that exemplify the strength of here to the rule of law is a mechanism civil society activism in pushing back by which activists can hold govern- against repression and are a source of ments accountable for their abuses. inspiration for challenging restrictive laws in the region include:

ACTION ITEMS

1. Leverage international solidarity on behalf of those facing judicial harassment by:

• Creating alliances to fight judicial ha- rassment and SLAPP in order to pool - Killun yani killun! All or nothing. resources and recruit allies who are All of them means all of them. in a position to speak out about judi- cial harassment without reprisal. Di- - #ArabTyrantManual asporic communities can talk about judicial harassment without the risks - We are all Darfur that activists living in their home - #JustFall “Tasgot bas” countries face. • Incorporating underrepresented groups • Utilizing international bodies and such as women, the LGBTQI commu- special procedures such as the sub- nity, people with disabilities, and reli- mission of individual complaints, al- gious and ethnic minorities into civil so- legation letters, and urgent appeals to ciety campaigns related to the freedom the UN Working Group on Arbitrary of expression in the Arab World. To ef- Detention and the UN Special Rappor- fectively push back against restrictive teur on the independence of judges laws, these groups need to be given and lawyers. visibility within the public space, and their individual causes need to be ac- 2. Push back against restrictive laws counted for. in the Arab World by: • Lobbying parliamentarians before • Creating coalitions and campaigns that domestic laws are adopted. Building unite people from diverse fields. While strong and reliable relationships with it is important to leverage internation- members of parliament (MPs) can be al solidarity to address judicial harass- helpful in tackling despotic legisla- ment, it is just as important to have tion. However, lobbying parliamen- region-wide solidarity and a strategy tarians can only truly be successful in to push back against restrictive laws. less closed states, as lobbying requires

17 MPs who are freely elected, rather advocate on behalf of all people in an than appointed by the ruling regime.3 independent manner. Believing in hu- man rights and fighting for underrep- 3. Reform law school curricula and le- resented groups is not enough to win gal training of lawyers and judges cases and address the root causes of in the region by: the abuses they face. Therefore, it is important that lawyers are better in- • Holding debates to strengthen their formed about comparative decisions critical thinking and analytical skills, and arguments before judgments are for which they do not receive ade- rendered. Law school curricula — and quate training in law school. Some de- laws more broadly — need to be inclu- bates for inspiration include: sive of the rights of all people, includ- ing, but not limited to: - The debates organized by 7iber.com in small art spaces in Jordan at the - Women height of the Arab Spring and - The LGBTQI community - Religious and ethnic minorities - The presidential debates orga- - Indigenous groups nized in Tunisia by the Munatha- - People with disabilities; and ra Initiative. - Individuals struggling with men- tal health. • Identifying the legal obstacles faced by members of underrepresented groups to ensure that lawyers and judges can

Agnès Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions, led a conversation at the OFF Working Retreat.

3Although it is nearly impossible to effectively lobby parliamentarians in the Arab World, this method has worked in Tunisia. In Tunisia, civil society organizations succeeded in blocking a draft law that aimed to amend the penal code and introduce new crimes to fight against fake news and defamation online. Civil society organizations mobilized to publish a joint press release and impose other forms of pressure (e.g., through interviews and online communication), leading many MPs to see the law’s dangers in relation to freedom of expression and with- draw their support for it.

By contrast, in Algeria, two dangerous laws were published when lobbying parliamentarians proved unsuccessful due to institutional opacity which prevented civil society from obtaining a copy of the draft laws to form a legal analysis. Both laws contain provisions at- tacking the freedom of association, freedom of expression, digital rights, and personal data protection. 18 QUESTIONS TAKEAWAYS

• Judicial harassment and a lack of accounted for in the process of re- independence of the judiciary are forming law school curricula and pervasive issues in the Arab World. the training of lawyers and judg- es. Legal professionals need to • Lawyers and judges need to chal- consider the risks and challenges lenge restrictive laws and think that women, the LGBTQI commu- critically. In order to do so, there nity, religious and ethnic minori- needs to be an improvement in le- ties, and other underrepresented gal literacy and training in inter- groups face. There also needs to national human rights law. This be a shift in the discourse on how requires reform of law school cur- these groups are seen in the re- ricula in the Arab World. gion and the implications that this has in reforming law school cur- • The legal obstacles faced by un- ricula and the training of lawyers derrepresented groups need to be and judges.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. What are other strengths or opportu- nities that you can identify for activ- ists in the Arab World to seize upon in confronting their legal obstacles?

2. What have activists from other re- gions of the world done to overcome legal obstacles? What are some les- sons learned that can be applied to the social, political, and economic circumstances that activists from the Arab World are faced with?

3. What are some ideas of projects that can be pitched to provide solutions to these obstacles?

Participants reflect on successful strategies for advancing freedoms.

19 FUNDING

“ ...THE SHEER POWER OF

INFLUENCE OF THIS SPECIFIC GROUP COLLECTIVELY NEEDS TO

BE LEVERAGED IN SOME FORM OF COLLABORATION BEYOND THE RETREAT. “

20 - An example of the impact of shift- WHERE THINGS STAND ing agendas on activists and NGOs is the prioritization of anti-terror- IN THE REGION ism and counter-radicalization ef- forts. When funding for human rights work dries up and when an- Due to the constant geopolitical shifts in ti-terrorism and counter-radicaliza- the region, donor states are increasing- tion become prioritized for funding, ly cutting their funding for their human NGOs and activists shift their work rights and democracy promotion efforts. in order to meet new funding re- This has created an unprecedented lack quirements. As a result, their previ- of funding opportunities for local actors ous work is lost, and they are forced in the Arab World. The current challenge to become experts on something today is to revive a civil society that is on unrelated to their initial cause and life support due to a lack of funding and on work they may not be able to ef- interest from foreign donors in combina- fectively carry out. This example tion with the comprehensive crackdown showcases a fundamental structur- from Arab governments. As a result, civil al problem: funding is often tai- society is “all but dead” in the Arab World. lored to the needs of the funders, and not to the objective reality on- The obstacles to funding will be addressed the-ground which deals with pro- as they relate to NGOs and civil society, as moting democracy and advancing well as donors. Although activists have human rights. These causes may trouble getting funding for their work, no longer be viewed as relevant there are ways to overcome these obstacles. amongst donor countries and pri- vate/international donors. Funding, NGOs, and Civil Society: - Another example is related to the • Funding fragmentation, shifting polit- COVID-19 crisis and the fact that ical agendas among donor states, and many donors have shifted away cause-/issue-based funding present ob- from funding human rights or- stacles for activists and NGOs in the ganizations, instead prioritizing Arab World. Because foreign govern- health-related responses to the pan- mental and non-governmental donors demic. Human rights organizations often fund on issue-based advocacy, working in or on the Arab World this fragments the sources of funding have started reporting a shift in and creates incentives for local activists donor interest from international to shift their work in order to meet the support to localized, national sup- requirements of these narrow projects. port, as a result of the economic This limits access to funding and inter- crisis arising from the pandemic. feres with the growth of local NGOs and activists as they become dependent on • A large number of NGOs in the Arab these sources of funding and particular World lack the institutional knowledge issues. Consequently, when the political and skills that are required to fulfill agenda shifts amongst state and/or pri- the drafting, submitting, and reporting vate donors, activists and NGOs have to requirements of donors. start all over again to meet new fund- ing requirements.

21 - Given that homosexuality is consid- ered a crime in countries across the region, LGBTQI organizations can- not register in their own countries, which impacts their ability to ap- peal to donors and file for grants.

• There is a need to improve the abili- ty of women in the region to become more financially independent. Even NGOs are affected by norms and values within the Arab World which cement a Participants were split into groups to discuss funding for NGOs in the Arab World. woman’s place as in the home, leading to few women in high administrative levels or in trustee roles. In humani- This means that NGOs need to figure tarian contexts, most working women out how to register legally, how to write hold lower-level positions, rather than grant proposals, and/or how to meet management or leadership positions. reporting requirements, for example, when donor funding comes without • Government-organized NGOs (GON- providing the support and training GOs) also represent a threat to hu- that is necessary for NGO institu- man rights, as they are created by gov- tion-building in the Arab World. ernments mainly for political purposes to counter independent civil society or- • Fundraising and NGO registration re- ganizations and human rights activists. strictions also exist in some countries. In reality, GONGOs are often controlled For instance, it is illegal to fundraise by the government or its security appa- locally and internationally in Oman. ratus with the aim of undermining le- Furthermore, it is illegal to establish gitimate, independent NGOs and civil an organization whose activities might society groups. This results in the fol- be considered contrary to society, its lowing consequences: values, or the political system under Oman’s penal code. Meanwhile, in - GONGOs monopolize access to for- Egypt, under The Law on Regulating eign donors and partners, thus the Work of Civil Associations, NGOs blocking legitimate civil soci- cannot receive foreign funding without ety groups in the region from government approval. much-needed funding.

• As an underrepresented group in the - Independent civil society activists region, the LGBTQI community faces its and NGOs compete with one anoth- own set of obstacles in receiving fund- er for the same sources of funding ing for activism-related work. from international private or gov- ernmental donors. - Many grants — such as those for op- erational and digital support — are - GONGOs often pursue the govern- given to general human rights or- ment’s point of view, preventing re- ganizations because they are well- form by shifting the focus of inter- versed in writing proposals. national private and governmental

22 donors to match the government’s to the resources that they secure narrative. As a result, donors end from donors. Because of the lack up investing in GONGOs instead of of vigorous financial and account- legitimate, civil society organiza- ing controls, the line gets blurred tions in the Arab World. by the heads of these NGOs be- tween money earmarked for proj- Morocco and Egypt present prime ex- ects and personal revenue. As a amples of how only a few organizations, result, much of the organization’s which are very close to the regime, re- funding gets diverted solely to the ceive enough funding for their activities, salaries of the heads of the orga- which aim mainly to wipe clean the re- nization and their family mem- gimes’ hands. bers, which is a common practice for these NGOs. Funding & Donors: - In the relief and humanitari- an aid sectors, corruption exists From a donor’s perspective, there are within some NGOs in the form of several issues that need to be taken into diverting donations of food and account in providing funding to activists medical equipment and selling and NGOs in the Arab World, including: them in the market. In turn, re- • Competing interests and agendas be- sources are not used in the man- tween NGOs in the region, which can ner intended by the donor. be mitigated by encouraging part- - Some NGOs are set up as fronts nerships and applications for grants to launder money for govern- in groups. ment officials and even business • Prioritizing the safety of activists and groups. This discredits NGOs protection of their identities in or- and civil society groups in the der for them to continue to engage in Arab World and undermines in- their advocacy. dividual accountability in the eyes of the public; NGOs in the - Given the situation in the region, do- region are perceived as mon- nors should be aware that a broad ey-making entities that do not scope of activities that activists en- have any ethical or moral com- gage in can be described as being mitments. This ends up con- against the state or societal values. firming government propagan- Balancing donor requirements with da that paints civil society as the activists’ situation on-the-ground stooges of foreign powers that (such as by not requiring a registra- are trying to undermine their tion certificate from them) should be countries. This is evident in Syr- an important consideration. ia, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, and other • Corruption that exists within certain countries in the Arab World. NGOs, and nepotism. - Some NGOs serve as a one-man show and exist to gather funding at the expense of impact. Their impact is negligible compared

23 - The long-term impact of the above • Accountability for donors and the mon- occurrences boils down to the itoring of funds, due to instances of dis- following: appearing funding (e.g., USAID) - When society is encouraged - There are reports of money paid by authoritarian regimes to for by different parties, but with- abandon the idea of individu- out actual knowledge on how the al responsibility, that concept money was spent. becomes replaced by the idea that only the government can • Poor legal infrastructure. solve any problem. Thus, the • Difficulty registering banking institu- idea of an engaged citizenry tions abroad. that takes matters into its own hands and creates innovative • Difficulty making financial transfers solutions to the various issues into war zones such as Syria. facing society is abandoned. As a result, the cause of de- mocracy suffers as it loses its substance and authoritarian STRENGTHS governments’ domination of TO SEIZE UPON society is reinforced, resulting in the “tyranny of the few.”

• Sanctions on certain countries. 1. Areas of sustainability, including • Excessive risk for foreign donors fund- small business incubation hubs, pres- ing entities with little or no financial ent an opportunity for activists from tracking and reporting capacity. the Arab World to build even better business models and enhance their so- • Prioritizing funding for women and cial impact. youth-led organizations. • Sustainability refers to the ability to • Putting in place a quota of women reliably generate and secure monetary board of directors members for an and human resources, as well as a legal organization to be eligible to receive framework that provides a layer of pro- a grant. tection to activists and civil society ac- tors that prevents the government from • Reconsidering eligibility and risk mit- shutting them down. igation standards based on locations and contexts. • These incubators offer the possibility to generate revenue for activists in NGOs Other Issues: in the Arab World through successful businesses or start-up ventures. These incubator models keep the most talent- A myriad of other issues that relate to ed and driven activists focused on their funding activists and NGOs in the Arab work and allow them to maintain their World include the following: independence and overcome any finan- cial hardship that may lead them to abandon their work.

24 2. Opportunities to diversify sources of 6. Encourage self-reflection by donors on income through donors, donations, and how to provide infrastructure and in- memberships are also a strength. stitutional support to NGOs in the Arab World by seeking input from recipient 3. Lastly, shareable crowdfunding tech- organizations, and develop a new strat- niques (such as the example of the egy based on regional specificity. Sudanese diasporic community suc- cessfully raising $1 million through 7. Establish a knowledge base on NGO crowdfunding) can be very impactful. registration and provide endorsement badges on reliability.

8. Create opportunities to provide finan- cial assistance to NGOs affiliated with ACTION ITEMS underrepresented groups in the region, including the LGBTQI community.

9. Create opportunities for women in 1. NGOs should share grant application the region to become financially in- resources. Recipients of funding must dependent, through the promotion of cooperate with one another. small businesses.

2. Utilize training centers on proposal writing to equip advocates with the skills necessary to most effectively and TAKEAWAY clearly provide examples of how to an- swer all of the questions in proposals.

3. As a complement to utilizing train- • Funding to NGOs must go ing centers, increase training in grant hand-in-hand with providing writing for advocates and NGOs, in- support for institution-build- cluding how to create an acceptable ing. This means assisting NGOs profile for these organizations and how with developing the institu- to improve projects annually to secure tional knowledge and skills opportunities to increase funding. they need in order to fulfill their obligations to donors 4. Create a list of preferred donors. such as drafting and submit- ting update reports, and meet- 5. Strategize how to increase individ- ing the legal requirements to ual donations, or at least maintain, be registered as an NGO. core funding.

25 QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. What are other strengths or opportunities that you can identify for activists in the Arab World in confronting their funding obstacles?

2. What have activists in other regions of the world done to overcome funding obsta- cles? What are some lessons learned that can be applied to the social, political, and economic circumstances that activists from the Arab World face?

3. What are some projects that can be pitched to provide a solution to some of these obstacles?

26 MEDIA

27 which can result from covering con- WHERE THINGS STAND troversial subjects. For example, Ra- seef22 loses 1% of its followers each IN THE REGION time it covers taboo topics, such as LGBTQI news.

Activists in the Arab World face obstacles • A lack of positive feedback and/or in presenting and branding their activism pitching articles to journalists also through the media, since popular topics presents a challenge for activists in will not necessarily create change or alter the region. ways of thinking. Activists struggle with a lack of independent Arabic-language me- • Funding structures and the econom- dia in the region; a lack of interest from ics of publishing complicate matters major Arabic media outlets; censorship because funding becomes an impedi- and/or self-censorship; and media outlets ment to publishing stories when they that are unwilling or unable to promote are merely published for clicks. campaigns which themselves have limited funding and communications leadership, • Interviews can backfire if taken out of and simultaneously target activists with context, and might be used to under- government smear campaigns. However, mine ongoing movements. there are opportunities to effectively pres- ent this activism. Censorship and/or Self-Censorship:

• Some activists and journalists limit their own freedom of speech through self-censorship. They find it ill-advised to post comments on social media that might cause people to further question the objectivity of journalists in general.

• Many stories are not reported by exter- nal stakeholders or by activists them- selves, due to fear of repercussion.

• Fear of government reprisal is difficult to mitigate. Activists must constantly think of the implications of speaking Participants identify action items for civil society and social movements in the area of the media. out at risk to themselves and others. While anonymity may appear to be an Little Interest from the Media: initial solution, it can come at the cost of credibility. • Every media agenda is driven by events and clicks, and there is a struc- • Activists are being blocked on social tural Western audience bias. media and face retaliation for expos- ing regimes’ abuses. • Outlets lose money when they fail to accrue a very high number of readers, • Women, in particular, are consistently targeted on social media, and efforts

28 to control trolls and address this is- sue are severely lacking. Women have voices, but the tools to make them vis- ible are nonexistent. In Lebanon, for example, women are more present than men in activism, but they often face sexist abuse and accusations of being “honorless.”4

• Regimes have sought to exclude largely positive representations of women in the media.

Unwillingness of Media to Promote Campaigns:

• There is a limited menu of options within the Arabic space for activists to get their message out to the greatest number of people. There is a consen- sus that those in the Arab World are consistently held to lower standards of freedom of speech, particularly in rela- tion to topics such as religion, atheism, and authoritarian rulers. Most media outlets within the Arab World are also state-run, with very few exceptions.

• Social media companies consistently remove posts by activists for unex- plained reasons, and the process by which an activist can report such vio- lations of their free speech is long and arduous. For instance, activists noted that reporting violations to Twitter and Facebook is not a simple or short Bloomberg journalist Bobby Ghosh and Deutsche Welle process, and it can take a long time be- journalist Nick Spicer held media trainings with the fore a post reappears or an activist is participants. Naina Bajekal, the deputy international provided a reason as to why a partic- director at TIME, provided tips on how to pitch an op-ed. ular post was removed. Furthermore, repressive governments have the re- sources with which to fight activists on social media platforms by targeting their posts with computer programs that create false positives for commu- nity standards violations.

4However, it is important to note that this is something that is getting weaker with time. 29 TAKEAWAYS

• Social media usage is key for direct- a two-way relationship between me- ly and immediately disseminating a dia and activists. message, and social activists are at the forefront of change on social media. • Identifying dedicated allies and sup- port on a per-message or per-topic • Wide-reaching media options with- basis before speaking up on social in the Arabic space are limited, as media, can help avoid a backlash. is funding, but activists are part of a network. It is important to keep • Mobilizing your audience into a building upon a wide pool of cre- community that can actively sup- ative and skilled people who can port you when there is a backlash share resources and pitch stories, for is vital. Ensuring that this commu- example (and who often lack a plat- nity bridges across sectors and sects form of their own). to overcome biases is an important component of this. • It is sometimes difficult for activ- ists to focus the media’s attention on • Think about the risks and challeng- their pertinent issues, but the media es women face both offline and -on can also be strategic in promoting is- line, as well as how to shift the dis- sues of activism, so there needs to be course on how women are seen.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. What are some media-related tips that you can identify for activists in the Arab World?

2. What have activists in other regions of the world done to overcome media-related struggles? What are some lessons learned that can be applied to the social, political, and economic circumstances that activists from the Arab World face? WHERE THINGS STAND IN THE REGION

30 TIPS FOR ACTIVISTS

Here are some things to keep in mind 7. Providing only partial context can when drafting a story or pitching one to derail the truth, and partial truth is the media: problematic because it creates a false narrative on-the-ground. 1. Articles often get fewer clicks than tweets, but articles are important 8. It’s better to speak directly with a because they add credibility to a journalist in a live interview. Writ- campaign, for activists and nonac- ing out your responses suggests a lack tivists alike. of spontaneity, and an editor is never 100% sure precisely who is writing. 2. Clearly identify the goals you want to achieve with a story and the outlet you 9. Pictures, sound bytes, and quotes from need for it — local, independent me- stakeholders are very important for dia, or global. stories and can see high social media penetration, so include these where 3. Summarize your findings in two sen- possible. This is the difference be- tences and ask yourself: “What is new, tween a page 20 and a front page story. different, or personal in this story?” 10. Maintain more than one social me- • If a story is declined, follow up dia account and try to get at least one with the editor to ask what the verified and protected. When local outlet might be looking for in a fu- media fails to cover your story out of ture publication. fear of local government, you will still have your own independent outlet via 4. Identify journalists who are likely to which to convey the story. cover your cause or issue. When reach- ing out to correspondents or pitching 11. Ask others in your network to help stories, show that you have read their spread your desired messages. This content. Circumvent the process by may place pressure on local media to calling a local news correspondent at cover the story — albeit sometimes ac- the desk who will fight for your story. cording to the local government nar- rative — and this is your chance to 5. Topics vs. Stories: Topics invite curios- create needed debate and highlight an ity, whereas good story ideas begin as a issue from your perspective. question, and have shape and specificity. 6. Journalists are looking for the 4W1H in a story: what, where, when, who, and how (‘why’ is within the realm of opinion). • However, it is understood that not every individual story will contain all of the elements.

31 MENTAL HEALTH

“

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP OTHERS IF YOU DO NOT HELP YOURSELF FIRST. “

32 WHERE THINGS STAND IN THE REGION

Proper mental health care is critical for activists who make up the broader move- ments within the Arab World. Activists experience both first and second-hand trauma in carrying out their work, but of- ten do not or are unable to seek help to ad- dress these mental health and wellbeing challenges, due to the continued stigmati- zation of mental health issues in the Arab World and globally, as well as the general Participants reflect on the importance of mental health unavailability of such services. However, and wellbeing. there are opportunities to overcome these struggles which fall under the categories of awareness & representation and region- • Supporting the rights of underrepre- al contextualization, among others. sented groups in the region, includ- ing the LGBTQI community, can be achieved through the promotion of mental health. The LGBTQI commu- nity has played an important role in

“ every revolution in the region. How- ever, once the revolutions are over,

WHEN IT IS FORBIDDEN TO it is one of the first communities to BE YOU, IT IS EVEN MORE be forgotten. FORBIDDEN TO ADVOCATE “ Regional Contextualization: FOR YOUR CAUSE. • There is a need for culturally-inclusive care that involves identifying what works for the Arab World and recog- nizing cultural definitions of terms like “wellbeing,” which often convey Awareness & Representation: loving oneself as a selfish act. This leads to group and/or self-sabotage as • Activists need allies, support, and a well as a lack of compassion. sense of community, especially when - Whereas in some cultures — partic- it comes to mental health. ularly in the West — “wellbeing” is based on the individual, the term is • Mental health and disability justice often considered to mean a collec- are areas that need to be better repre- tive wellbeing in the Arab World. sented in the Arab World.

33 • The current terminology that exists Other Issues: in Arabic on mental health is insuffi- cient, and linguistic barriers remain • A lack of time, productivity, profes- a challenge. sionalism, self-care, health, wellness, and definitions of such terms are also • There are few mental health services among the challenges that activists in within the region, particularly for the the Arab World face, which contribute activist and LGBTQI communities. to their mental health problems.

- For many people in the Arab World, - For instance, how can activists contact with LGBTQI issues is limit- overcome their trauma without ed to online forums — and often in the proper resources or terminol- the form of insults in Arabic. Useful ogy for defining the trauma they information on issues relevant to are experiencing? the LGBTQI community, including mental health, is not available in • Financial security also is a challenge, Arabic, making it difficult to fight particularly when the field of mental stigmas and overcome obstacles. health is often viewed as a side proj- ect and few NGOs, entities, and insti- tutions have dedicated mental health professionals who can secure funds, and specialize in this field. - How do activists raise money spe- cifically for mental health-relat- ed causes? - What is the best way to spend or al- locate that money?

Lebanese artist and activist Zena el Khalil invited the participants to take part in her Mantra Matrix project by painting the word “salam” (peace). This interactive art project uses mantras as words of consciousness to initiate group healing.

34

STRENGTHS TO SEIZE UPON

1. The stories of activists who are 2. Making connections and recognizing working on coping with mental that individuals have needs, present health challenges can serve as activists in the region with opportuni- a source of inspiration and a re- ties that should be built upon because source to fellow activists who are it can create a community that can heal facing similar struggles. Leverag- and support its members. ing existing activists’ networks to share experiences with trauma, as well as a desire to avoid confront- ing that personal trauma, allows them to become “wounded healers” for each other.

TAKEAWAYS

• Human rights advocacy can be help by taking charge and offering taxing on one’s physical and men- other kinds of support and aid in tal health, and a lack of aware- those moments. ness by activists and their allies around poor mental health and • Post-traumatic growth is possi- wellbeing can lead to dysfunc- ble when a problem is acknowl- tional activism, which sometimes edged and professional support is translates into a conscious choice provided. Activists can transform to deprioritize oneself. the trauma they experienced into knowledge and power. The deci- • It is important to recognize that sion to take action and embrace the it is not wrong to pause and take possibility for positive outcomes some time to care for oneself avoids passivity and a state of while in a mental state of survival. mind centered on victimhood. Self-awareness reminds us of why we are doing good, and allies can

35 TIPS FOR ACTIVISTS

1. Turn your pain into a strength or de- 3. Share information with each other in velop a community by focusing on in- order to develop an awareness, so that spiring stories and communication. In it is common to say, “It’s okay to ask order to empower ourselves, we need for help.” Normalize the idea and im- to translate our stories of trauma into portance of seeking professional help heroic narratives, and remove the vic- when needed. tim mindset. • Develop healthcare that is cultural- 2. We need to develop culturally-sensitive ly-sensitive, in order to educate so- Arabic terminology, support commu- cieties, share stories, break taboos, nities, and trust circles to remove stig- and remove the stigma surround- ma, break taboos, and help us develop ing this topic. critical perspectives. This includes de- fining terms such as “wellbeing” and “consent” as well as what they mean on both individual and collective levels.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. What are some other mental health-related tips that you can identify for activists in the Arab World?

2. What have activists in other regions of the world done to cope with mental health-re- lated issues? What are some lessons learned that can be applied to the social contexts that activists from the Arab World are faced with?

Mental health was among the many topics that was addressed at the OFF Working Retreat.

36 RETREAT IMPACT

37 tactics that are effective and those that The OFF Working Retreat forged a commu- may be contributing to defeat; relevant nity of advocates from the Arab World and emerging trends; how repressive entities experts from the media, digital security, are responding to nonviolent demands; and mental health fields, among others. It and how groups are themselves adapting facilitated the free and unhampered flow their struggles against these increasingly of information between advocates from sophisticated opponents. the region and global experts through the creation of a digital forum on an end-to- end encrypted platform through which participants frequently exchange up- dates, lend their expertise and support, share presentations and resources, and THE OFF WORKING keep one another informed about import- RETREAT PLAYED AN ant developments in the region. Exchang- “ es that have taken place since the Retreat IMPORTANT ROLE IN include journalists reaching out to advo- cates for interviews, advocates providing HELPING TO CLARIFY support for each other’s campaigns, and OUR THINKING experts providing advice on digital secu- about how we can leverage our existing rity matters. knowledge and resources on strategic non- violent action by innovating the process of Here are our top examples of impact and collecting and sharing knowledge among a collaborations that are a direct result of new generation of activists and organizers. the OFF Working Retreat: Jamila Raqib, Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institution 1. Nonviolent Education Action Center - An important collaboration is being developed by participants Jamila Raqib, Iyad el-Baghdadi, and Ahmed Gatnash who are designing an experimental space focusing on advancing nonviolent action education among activists and organiz- ers. It is envisioned as distinct from a clas- sical training program — using innova- tive online and offline training methods to connect people to tools and resources to help them develop wise strategic plans that incorporate insights and experience from their own struggles.

It will also serve as a means to continu- ously refine the existing resources and advance our understanding of how global movements are conducting their struggles for human rights, freedom, and democra- cy; the challenges they face; strategies and

38 2. Growth of HRF and OFF Community - titled, “Keeping Protest Movements Alive By holding the OFF Working Retreat, HRF During the Pandemic.” Among the speak- expanded its community, which now in- ers, were two participants who met at the cludes over 30 new members who had OFF Working Retreat. With the growth of never been to an OFF event before. The our community, HRF has a highly quali- group has already taken advantage of this fied pool of potential panelists for the 2020 network via the end-to-end encrypted dig- and 2021 Oslo Freedom Forums to cover a ital platform that HRF created to connect variety of pressing issues. this community.

For example, one of the main Retreat ses- sions emphasized the importance of sus- taining mental health. Through the digital platform, activists have provided one an- other with psychological support since the Retreat, which has strengthened the sense of community among the participants.

3. Oslo Freedom Forum Regional Ex- perts & Speakers - With the expansion of our community from the Arab World, HRF has a wider network of activists and OFF community and Retreat members participated experts from the region who serve as in a COVIDCon panel, “Keeping Protest Movements Alive During the Pandemic.” consultants or potential speakers for our events. For example, after giving opening remarks during the Retreat’s session on 5. OFF Working Retreat Design Sprint civil society and social movements in the Workshop - The OFF Working Retreat and Arab World, one of our participants will this report are just two components of a be a speaker during the 2020 Oslo Free- multi-step process. If public health allows dom Forum. One of our mental health ex- for it, at the 2021 Oslo Freedom Forum in perts will also be featured as a mainstage Norway, HRF plans to host an OFF Working speaker at the 2021 Oslo Freedom Forum. Retreat Design Sprint Workshop to build on the discussions that took place during This network of activists and experts will the Retreat, along with the findings of this also more broadly provide consultative report. The objective of this workshop is to advice on HRF’s work on the Arab World, gather a select group of activists from the including with regard to the submission Retreat, along with members of HRF’s and of cases from the region to the UN Work- OFF’s donor community, to design a proj- ing Group on Arbitrary Detention, advoca- ect or initiative that will address at least cy campaigns, and research. one of the issue areas identified during the Retreat: legal, funding, media, or mental 4. Oslo Freedom Forum and COVIDCon health. The long-term goal of this work- Panel Discussions - OFF Working Retreat shop is to execute a funded project stem- participants have also taken part in pan- ming from the actions identified during el discussions at HRF and OFF events. In the workshop. April 2020, for example, HRF held COVID- Con, which featured a panel discussion en-

39 6. Op-eds + Media Placements - During the OFF Working Retreat, TIME deputy international director Naina Bajekal pre- sented a session to participants on how to pitch an op-ed. The tips Bajekal provided have been successfully utilized by Retreat participants, including by HRF staff mem- bers who placed an op-ed in The Indepen- dent regarding Saudi Arabia’s history of sportswashing and attempted takeover of Premier League team Newcastle United.

Lastly, Raseef22 translated and pub- lished in Arabic an article about cryp- tocurrency and freedom by HRF’s Chief Strategy Officer.

7. Interviews - During the OFF Working Re- treat, Deutsche Welle journalist Nick Spicer led a training on how to conduct Skype, FaceTime, and other video interviews. Af- ter the Retreat, he shared with participants a guide summarizing the information that was presented during his session, includ- In addition, the source of inspiration for ing web links to the session videos and the “Keeping Protest Movements Alive photos and links for elementary gear, such During the Pandemic” COVIDCon panel as a lavalier microphone. He offered his as- discussion, was Bloomberg journalist Bob- sistance to participants, helping them set by Ghosh’s op-ed “Coronavirus Blunts Mo- up proper home studios and conducting mentum of Second Arab Spring.” During practice interviews via Skype. the Retreat, Ghosh led a media training session, and while writing this op-ed, In response to this session, one of our par- reached out to Retreat participants about ticipants noted: “I had a Skype interview the subject, through the digital platform today and I followed your advice, it was the that HRF created. The content of his op-ed best interview I did in a while…” Through also includes Gene Sharp’s 198 Methods of Nick Spicer’s facilitation, that same partic- Nonviolent Action, which was addressed ipant took part in an interview with Deut- by Jamila Raqib and Iyad el-Baghdadi sche Welle regarding Syrian refugees and during the movement-building session the assault in Idlib in December 2019. they led at the Retreat. 8. Global Magnitsky Submissions - As part of its Anti-Corruption Initiative, HRF documents the links between corruption

40 and authoritarianism and submits evi- dentiary case files under the Global Mag- nitsky Act, which allows the President to block or revoke U.S. visas, and to block all U.S.-based property and interests owned by foreign individuals and entities who have committed, overseen, or financed se- rious human rights abuses or acts of cor- ruption. As a result of partnerships forged during the OFF Working Retreat, HRF is currently pursuing cases against individ- uals in the Arab World, for eventual inclu- Twitter presented a virtual discussion that was sion on the Specially Designated Nationals moderated by one of our participants. List for sanctions. 11. Digital Security Support - Since the 9. Technology Partnerships - Jigsaw, a Retreat, digital security experts who pre- technology incubator created by Google, sented training workshops have frequent- was represented at the Retreat, and one of ly offered their assistance and provided its team leads presented a session on cen- the most up-to-date tips and information sorship and VPNs, which encouraged par- through the messaging platform that HRF ticipants to examine their practices and created, so that participants can protect provided them with the tools to fortify themselves and securely carry out their their own digital presence. Jigsaw expand- work. Activists, too, have been able to ed its network through this Retreat and directly reach out to the technology and is now more aware of the ongoing issues digital security experts to discuss topics and needs of activists in the Arab World, ranging from VPNs to internet shutdowns. which is informing its product decisions and prioritization. 12. Connection with UN Special Rappor- teur & UN Special Procedures - During the 10. Twitter Account Verification - During Retreat, Agnès Callamard, the UN Special the OFF Working Retreat, one of our partic- Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or ipants moderated a virtual discussion with Arbitrary Executions, held a conversation Colin Crowell, the former vice president of with participants about her investigation Global Public Policy at Twitter. Some of the into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Par- topics that were raised included: ticipants learned more about her mandate and now have a direct line of contact with • The deletion or suspension of human her and access to other UN Special Rappor- rights activists’ accounts; teurs and/or procedures. • T witter’s ties with governments in the MENA region, and what this means 13. Research & Report Collaborations - for the safety of human rights activ- The collective knowledge of participants ists; and at the OFF Working Retreat presented op- • Hacking and how activists can protect portunities to collaborate on research. For themselves on Twitter. example, HRF and the Syria Campaign are currently collaborating on a policy brief As a result of this discussion, several Re- that will address justice and accountability treat participants were able to have their for war crimes that have been committed Twitter accounts verified. in Syria.

41 CONCLUSION

42 opportunities they can seize upon in a The 2011 Arab Spring and 2019 pro- variety of areas, including legal, funding, tests demonstrated that activists from media, and mental health. What became the Arab World continue to take a stand apparent from the engaging discussions against oppression and injustice. The during the OFF Working Retreat was that ideas presented in this report were in- these different areas all intersect with spired by the lessons learned from these one another, and there were many cre- nonviolent movements. ative ideas generated about movement -building. Activists identified the follow- While activists from the Arab World face ing action points as priorities to work obstacles on both individual and collec- toward in building and uniting a move- tive levels, there are many strengths and ment in the Arab World:

1. Activists and movements in the Arab World need to define their narrative by identifying their goals and what they want to achieve.

2. Activists must always remem- ber to focus on what inspires their movement and use that to develop their messaging.

3. To promote unity and maintain Participants engaged in an escape room game curated the momentum of the move- and presented by Maze of Tales. ment, activists need to create coalitions and networks that in- clude people from diverse fields and backgrounds, including, THERE ARE but not limited to, experts and members of diasporic commu- OPPORTUNITIES nities.

ACTIVISTS CAN 4. Reinforced by the creation of co- SEIZE UPON. THE alitions and networks, activists in the Arab World need to pool INTERSECTION resources in order to sustain BETWEEN THEM the movement. BECAME APPARENT

DURING THE And it is with these building blocks that the ideas from the OFF Working Retreat RETREAT. can be transformed into tangible, on-the- ground policy change in the Arab World.

43 TESTIMONIALS “

HOMELAND MAY BE OUR LAND AND OUR ROOTS. HOMELAND MAY BE A FATHER, A MOTHER, AND A FAMILY. BUT WHILE AWAY FROM HOME, I DISCOVERED

THAT HOMELAND MAY ALSO BE WHEN YOU SEE YOUR HOPES IN THE EYES OF THOSE WHO SHARE THE SAME

CAUSE AND WHEN YOUR PAIN AND STRUGGLES TOUCH THEIR HEARTS, AND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE. IN YOUR PRESENCE, AND EVEN IF I WAS AWAY FROM HOME, I WAS IN A HOMELAND OF “ SINCERE AND BEAUTIFUL FEELINGS.

44 YOU DID “I AM HUMBLED AND SOMETHING INSPIRED BY YOUR UNIQUE. PLEASE DETERMINATION CONTINUE DOING AND STRENGTH. THIS. WE NEED IT. KEEP RESILIENT UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. Thank you, HRF team, for giving this platform to form a community and for your sincere great efforts and dedica- tion to support the route to democracy. “WHAT AN AMAZING OFFSITE. I ENJOYED THIS WAS ONE OF MEETING EVERYONE, THE BEST HUMAN AND I LEARNED A LOT. RIGHTS EVENTS I’VE I HAD READ ABOUT EVER BEEN TO. IT YOUR GREAT WORK ENABLED MULTIPLE AND COVER YOUR BIDIRECTIONAL STORIES. RASEEF22 IS EXCHANGES; I WAS AT YOUR DISPOSAL ALSO ABLE TO TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR ESTABLISH MANY CAUSES AND ASSIST IN EVERY WAY. NEW RELATIONSHIPS, Always at your disposal, I hope we meet INCLUDING FINE again. A big thank you to HRF. MEMBERS OF THE HRF FAMILY!

45 LISTENING TO THE STORIES AND ‘My greatest superpower is hope.’ ‘The helicop- ter is in the sky to film the story of your story of DISCUSSING being a hero’ — said to a 5 year-old on a Lesbos “beach. ‘Dictators can be re-tuned.’ I cannot for- POSSIBLE FUTURES get the people who said these, and many other FOR MENA WAS A things. You people who have given up so much personally so that universal values — most of all MUCH-NEEDED freedom — can be shared by others. DOSE OF I FELT DEEPLY HUMBLED INSPIRATION IN BUT ALSO GREATLY THESE TROUBLED INSPIRED TO MEET YOU TIMES, SO I’M DEEPLY ALL AND HEAR SOME GRATEFUL FOR IT. OF YOUR STORIES. A very big thanks as well as to the Oslo Free- dom Forum team for its vision and hard work and adding, somehow, a magical dose of fun to the proceedings.

IT’S BEEN SUCH AN HONOR TO SPEND THIS TIME WITH YOU. YOU I AM REALLY GRATEFUL INSPIRED ME, YOU “TO HRF FOR GIVING MADE ME LAUGH, ME THE OPPORTUNITY AND YOU MADE TO LEARN, SHARE AND ME CRY. I HOPE CONNECT WITH THE THIS IS JUST THE COMMUNITY. BEGINNING. I’m humbled by all the stories I’ve heard, the heroism of the activists, and the effort you all put to make the world a better place. [...] I had such a fantastic experience.

46 APPENDIX A: GENE SHARP’S 198 METHODS OF NONVIOLENT ACTION

47 lems that exist in specific countries, in- During the OFF Working Retreat, exec- cluding ongoing struggles, consolida- utive director of the Albert Einstein In- tion of authoritarianism, civil war, and stitution and former OFF speaker Jamila countries in transition. Raqib led a session dedicated to move- ment-building, along with Iyad el-Bagh- Participants selected methods of nonvio- dadi. The Albert Einstein Institution lent action and sequenced them in accor- is an organization which conducts re- dance with their specific contexts, con- search, issues publications, and conducts sidering the following questions: workshops on strategic nonviolent action worldwide. Upon joining the Institution in 2002, Raqib worked closely with its founder, Gene Sharp, the world’s leading 1. Why did you sequence your scholar on strategic nonviolent struggle. methods this way? Together, they published “Self-Libera- tion: A Guide to Strategic Planning for 2. Which of them build power Action to End a Dictatorship or Other Op- and which of them under- pression,” which has been used through- mine your opponent? out the world as a practical guide for non- violent resistance. 3. How relevant are they to your context or others? Gene Sharp’s 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action was the focus of Raqib’s session. 4. Have you used the methods, The methods are the individual actions and how far did they work? that have been historically taken by peo- ple conducting struggles, including the methods of nonviolent protest and per- suasion (such as vigils, marches, and pe- titions); the methods of social, econom- ic, and political noncooperation (such as economic boycotts, labor strikes, and boycott of elections); and the methods of nonviolent intervention (such as hunger strikes, sit-ins, and creation of alterna- tive institutions).

The session aimed to simulate the pro- cess of strategic planning — the se- quencing of methods in order to build power and conduct struggle by denying cooperation and obedience to the oppo- nent, in order to make the pressure on unjust systems unbearable.

Iyad el-Baghdadi helped to contextual- ize the workshop to the Arab World, and to encompass the distinct political prob-

48 198 METHODS OF NONVIOLENT ACTION

The Methods of Nonviolent Protest and Persuasion The Methods of Social Noncooperation Formal Statements Ostracism of Persons 1. Public speeches 55. Social boycott 2. Letters of opposition or support 56. Selective social boycott 3. Declarations by organizations and institutions 57. Lysistratic nonaction 4. Signed public statements 58. Excommunication 5. Declarations of indictment and intention 59. Interdict 6. Group or mass petitions Noncooperation with Social Events, Customs, and Communications with a Wider Audience Institutions 7. Slogans, caricatures, and symbols 60. Suspension of social and sports activities 8. Banners, posters, and displayed communications 61. Boycott of social a airs 9. Leafl ets, pamphlets, and books 62. Student strike 10. Newspapers and journals 63. Social disobedience 11. Records, radio, and television 64. Withdrawal from social institutions 12. Skywriting and earthwriting Withdrawal from the Social System Group Representations 65. Stay-at-home 13. Deputations 66. Total personal noncooperation 14. Mock awards 67. “Flight” of workers 15. Group lobbying 68. Sanctuary 16. Picketing 69. Collective disappearance 17. Mock elections 70. Protest emigration (hijrat) Symbolic Public Acts The Methods of Economic Noncooperation: 18. Displays of fl ags and symbolic colors Economic Boycotts 19. Wearing of symbols 20. Prayer and worship Actions by Consumers 21. Delivering symbolic objects 71. Consumers’ boycott 22. Protest disrobings 72. Nonconsumption of boycotted goods 23. Destruction of own property 73. Policy of austerity 24. Symbolic lights 74. Rent withholding 25. Displays of portraits 75. Refusal to rent 26. Paint as protest 76. National consumers’ boycott 27. New signs and names 77. International consumers’ boycott 28. Symbolic sounds Action by Workers and Producers 29. Symbolic reclamations 78. Workmen’s boycott 30. Rude gestures 79. Producers’ boycott Pressures on Individuals Action by Middlemen 31. “Haunting” o cials 80. Suppliers’ and handlers’ boycott 32. Taunting o cials Action by Owners and Management 33. Fraternization 81. Traders’ boycott 34. Vigils 82. Refusal to let or sell property Drama and Music 83. Lockout 35. Humorous skits and pranks 84. Refusal of industrial assistance 36. Performances of plays and music 85. Merchants’ “general strike” 37. Singing Action by Holders of Financial Resources Processions 86. Withdrawal of bank deposits 38. Marches 87. Refusal to pay fees, dues, and assessments 39. Parades 88. Refusal to pay debts or interest 40. Religious processions 89. Severance of funds and credit 41. Pilgrimages 90. Revenue refusal 42. Motorcades 91. Refusal of a government’s money Honoring the Dead Action by Governments 43. Political mourning 92. Domestic embargo 44. Mock funerals 93. Blacklisting of traders 45. Demonstrative funerals 94. International sellers’ embargo 46. Homage at burial places 95. International buyers’ embargo Public Assemblies 96. International trade embargo 47. Assemblies of protest or support The Methods of Economic Noncooperation: The 48. Protest meetings Strike 560 Harrison Ave 49. Camoufl aged meetings of protest Symbolic Strikes Suite 402 50. Teach-ins Boston, MA 02118 97. Protest strike USA Withdrawal and Renunciation 98. Quickie walkout (lightning strike) 51. Walk-outs tel: 617.247.4882 Agricultural Strikes 52. Silence fax 617.247.4035 99. Peasant strike 53. Renouncing honors [email protected] 100. Farm Workers’ strike www.aeinstein.org 54. Turning one’s back

49 APPENDIX B: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

50 OSLO FREEDOM FORUM PANELS

During the early years of the Oslo Free- • Dawn of a New Arab World dom Forum, there were two discussions that took place that were about the Arab • Arab Uprisings: One Year Later Spring. You can find them here:

OSLO FREEDOM FORUM RECAP VIDEOS

You can also learn more about the Oslo • 2018 Oslo Freedom Forum recap video Freedom Forum with these recap videos: • 2019 Oslo Freedom Forum recap video

HRF & PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE FROM THE ARAB WORLD

HRF’s Impact Litigation program pro- Arab World who were jailed in viola- vides international legal representation tion of their rights to freedom of expres- to prisoners of conscience whose cases are sion and association, including Mah- emblematic examples of the brutality of moud “Shawkan” Abou Zeid, Waleed dictatorship. HRF’s team of international Abulkhair, and Raif Badawi. attorneys litigate on behalf of these cou- rageous individuals before international HRF’s Center for Law and Democracy courts and semi-judicial bodies, such as has had a 100% success rate petitioning the United Nations Working Group on Ar- the UNWGAD. bitrary Detention (UNWGAD). If you would like to suggest a politi- Throughout the years, HRF has support- cal prisoner case from the Arab World, ed human rights advocates from the please contact [email protected].

51 SPONSORS The Oslo Freedom Forum Working Retreat for the Arab World was made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors:

52 The Human Rights Foundation unites people in the common cause of defend- ing human rights and promoting liberal democracy. Our mission is to ensure that freedom is both preserved and promoted around the world. For more information about the Human Rights Foundation, visit https://hrf.org or contact us via:

hrf.org @hrf /humanrightsfoundation /humanrightsfdn @hrf humanrightsfoundation [email protected] +1 (212) 246-8486

Cover illustration by Stephanie Cui, inspired by the 2019 protest movement in Sudan.

53