Press Releases

Lebanese Associations Receive MEPI Funding

October 24, 2006

Four Lebanese associations received funding from the most-recent round of Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) competition for Small Grants.  The program is a key component of MEPI and is aimed exclusively at supporting local groups at the “grassroots” level on projects that contribute to reform and democratic growth in their countries.  The Lebanese projects funded by MEPI included informative public opinion polling to gave citizens a voice in the political process to inform reformers in government of the electorate’s demands; a series of roundtables aimed at furthering the transitional justice agenda in Lebanon; an innovative approach to reconcile civil society with the judiciary and a shadow youth government aimed at promoting political engagement and education.

From November 2005 to September 2006, a wide range of civil society organizations sought support for their project ideas from the MEPI Small Grants Program through applications submitted to U.S. Embassies throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  In the five countries covered by the MEPI Regional Office in Tunis - Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia – 18  project proposals totaling $617,936 were approved; a $224,000 increase in this program's funding to these five countries over the previous round.

"This Small Grants program is a concrete demonstration of MEPI’s commitment to supporting home-grown reform.  We are responding to proposals from local groups whose objectives match those of MEPI,” said Peter Mulrean, Director of the MEPI Regional Office.  “It was great to see how many local groups and individuals are eager to contribute to democratic growth across this part of the region, and that they welcome the support the U.S. can lend to their project ideas," he added.
The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) was launched by President Bush in  2002, and in four years has devoted more than $293 million to programs in the region that support the spread of democracy, the growth of economies, improvements in education, and the empowerment of women.

MEPI Announces Funding Opportunities to NGOs in Lebanon

November 18, 2005

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut, through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), announces two funding opportunities for NGOs, professional associations, universities, and other civil society groups to propose and carry out projects that advance democracy and reform. These two MEPI funding opportunities aim to support the growth of democracy by seeking and supporting project ideas directly from civil society groups in this region. The two programs include the MEPI Small Grants Program and the MEPI Standing Program Announcement.

Details on these programs follow:

MEPI Small Grants Program: Funding is available for Lebanese members of civil society to undertake local or national projects that increase political openness and democratic processes, create new economic opportunities, enhance access to and quality of education systems, and/or empower women. Proposals are accepted and selected by the U.S. Embassy, Beirut. For information on the small grants program, including application instructions, visit http://lebanon.usembassy.gov and click on the link for "MEPI Small Grants Program".

MEPI Standing Program Announcement: An open competition for grant and cooperative agreement applications to carry out national or regional projects that focus on one or more of the priority areas of reform addressed by MEPI. In this competition, MEPI intends to support non-governmental organizations based in the Middle East and North Africa that are committed to increasing the role of all citizens, especially women and youth, in achieving:

• improved governance;
• democratic practices and institutions;
• economic growth founded in international free trade practices and entrepreneurship; and
• educational practices that cultivate critical, creative, and independent thought and civic and social responsibility.

Proposals are accepted and selected by the Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative at the U.S. Department of State. For more information on the Standing Program Announcement, including application instructions, visit www.mepi.state.gov and click on the link for "current opportunities".

Young Lebanese Entrepreneurs Travel to Bahrain and Celebrate Launch of G8 Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence November 10, 2005

Twelve young Lebanese entrepreneurs will participate in a two-day conference in Manama, Bahrain, hosted by the Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, November 16-17, 2005. Featuring practical business training and discussion of economic reform, the conference will bring together 120 entrepreneurs from 16 countries and territories in the Middle East and North Africa. The conference program will provide advanced business training and networking for owners and executives of growth companies in the region.

Entrepreneurs attending the conference are graduates of the Middle East Entrepreneur Training in the U.S. (MEET U.S.) program, which is sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative. Fourteen Lebanese entrepreneurs participated in the MEET US program during the last two years. This year, five young Lebanese entrepreneurs will participate in the program in San Diego, California. The Lebanese participants met with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Elizabeth Dibble during her visit to Beirut, November 8, 2005, to discuss their participation in this U.S. Government-funded program.

The Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence in Bahrain, a joint initiative of the G8 and the Government of Bahrain under the Broader Middle East and North Africa partnership initiative, will also be officially launched during the conference. The Center will serve as a region-wide catalyst for entrepreneurial activity, job creation and economic development, and economic reform.

U.S. Ambassador William T. Monroe will offer the keynote address at the conference on the morning of November 16. Participants at the conference will also hear from international resource organizations, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Financial Service Volunteer Corps. Participants will be able to share lessons learned from running their own companies, will receive cutting-edge training in negotiation, business communication and time management, and will participate in workshops on business regulation, innovation, and financing.

The conference organizer is the Beyster Institute at the Rady School, University of California, San Diego. The Beyster Institute is also implementing the full MEET-US program and is the lead consultant for the Center. Each of these activities is funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative, of which more information can be found at:
www.mepi.state.gov

Fact Sheet: MEPI To Fund Seven University Partnerships

November 02, 2004

The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is pleased to announce awards to seven University Partnership grants. The grants will fund partnerships between U.S. and Arab universities and their economic and civil society partners, with the goals of both improving the quality of instruction, research, and materials, and enhancing Arab universities\' administrative and managerial capacity. This is the second year of MEPI\'s University Partnership Program, managed by the Association Liaison Office (ALO) for University Cooperation in Development, funded through USAID.

The awards total $699,841 and will cover areas such as Information and Communication Technologies, American Studies, Business and Economics, and Media and Journalism. The selected partnerships are:

- Colorado State University and Helwan University(Egypt) to develop online courses integrating business administration and engineering education;

- Madonna University (Michigan) and Notre Dame University (Lebanon) to establish full-fledged American studies programs on both campuses;

- University of Michigan-Dearborn and Al-Quds University (West Bank) to link teaching and research on American Studies at the two universities;

- Duke University (North Carolina) and Effat College (Saudi Arabia) to produce the first engineering curriculum available to Saudi women;

- Montana State University and Al-Akhawayn University (Morocco) to enhance professional level teaching of information and communications technology;

- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (Egypt) to build capacity in information and communication technology in computer-related courses; and

- Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l'Information, Universite de la Manouba (Tunisia) to enhance professional level teaching of journalism and communication skills.

MEPI is a Presidential initiative founded to support economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East and expanded opportunity for all people of the region, especially women and youth. More information about MEPI can be found at: http://mepi.state.gov.

U.S. Embassy Announces MEPI-Funded Internships for Young Lebanese Businesswomen August 1, 2005

The Embassy of the United States of America announces the start of recruitment for the Middle East Partnership Initiative U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women (MEPI BIP). A program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Middle East Partnership Initiative, MEPI BIP is designed to provide 41 talented young women, ages 22-32, with unique opportunities to learn management and business skills while working in the dynamic and productive U.S. business environment. Last year, four Lebanese young businesswomen traveled to the United States to participate--with 37 others from Middle Eastern countries--in an academic and practical program lasting four months.

Competition for the program is merit-based, and selection will be made based on the participant’s leadership potential, commitment to professional growth in the business sector of their economies and knowledge of English.

Applications are available at no charge online on the U.S. Embassy website or at www.amideast.org or at www.mepi.state.gov or through the Amideast office in Beirut (01-989901, ext. 200). The deadline for applications is September 10, 2005. Finalists will be announced in mid-October 2005. Participants will begin the program on November 14, 2005.

U.S. Ambassador Signs Grants to NGOs under MEPI

September 16, 2004

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman today signed four grant agreements with Lebanese non-governmental organizations totaling $99,000, under the auspices of the U.S. Government's Middle East Partnership Initiative.

The Safadi Foundation will receive a grant of $25,000 to create four language labs in Tripoli to teach women and young people language and information technology skills. These labs will allow persons otherwise unable to access modern information and communication technology to learn about and use this technology. The labs will also teach the language of the Internet, namely, English, to those who do not have access to such training.

The International College in Beirut will receive a grant of $25,000 to strengthen literacy skills. The college will train teachers to teach literacy and act as resources for literacy training in their neighborhoods. The goal of this project is to create and provide a model for effective literacy teaching.

The Ambassador signed a third grant for $25,000, awarded to the Lebanese American University to research, write and produce eleven booklets on basic life skills, including health, nutrition, civic education, legal rights, and empowering women. These booklets will help women develop needed literacy and life skills.

Finally, the Centre for Development and Planning will receive $24,000 to develop a program for high school students to teach the concepts of democracy, transparency, and accountability in government. The project will include training workshops and producing material to help students learn more about democratic traditions.

The Middle East Partnership Initiative, or MEPI, is a major initiative of U.S. President George W. Bush to support economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East through partnerships with private sector businesses, non-governmental organizations, civil society elements, and governments. The initiative was launched in December of 2002, and has supported large-scale projects. This is the first time that the U.S. Embassy in Beirut has awarded small grants to non-governmental institutions to carry out projects in support of MEPI's goals.