US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4955

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004955 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KWMN, IZ, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: IRAQI HUMAN RIGHTS NGOS ON WAY AHEAD 
 
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLCOUNS ROBERT S. FORD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B 
) 
AND (D). 
 
 1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  A group of Iraqi non-governmental 
organizations (NGO) told PolOff and DRL representative on 
December 7 that capacity-building is the greatest need of 
most NGOs in Iraq.  They said it is especially difficult 
for independent NGOs to sustain themselves and they often 
rely on donations from their own members, as well as from 
wealthy patrons, to carry out their work.  Many NGOs do not 
know where to look for funding, which they say donors often 
provide only to a small community of NGOs, or how to write 
proposals to obtain funding.  Attendees noted that the 
Ministry of State for Civil Affairs has not effectively 
paved the way for the growth and sustainment of civil 
society, and has established cumbersome registration 
requirements.  They unanimously agreed that the most 
critical human rights need is addressing poverty.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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KEY NGO REQUIREMENTS ACCORDING TO NGOS 
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2. (C) A group of Iraqi non-governmental organizations 
(NGO) told PolOff and DRL representative Vitessa Del Prete 
on December 7 that capacity-building is the greatest need 
of most NGOs in Iraq.  Transitional National Assembly 
member and Failee Kurd Samia Aziz said that, as is the case 
with many NGO leaders, she supports her organization with 
her salary.  Not only was she unaware of donor funding that 
is available for the type of work in carried out by her NGO 
(providing financial support to financially disadvantaged 
youth and orphans), but she claimed to have no idea how to 
develop proposals to solicit such funding. 
 
3.  (C) Buthaina Suhail, board member of the Women's 
Alliance for a Democratic Iraq and head of the Iraqi Family 
Society, agreed with Aziz, stating that many NGOs, 
particularly independent NGOs, rely on donations from their 
own members, as well as from wealthy patrons, to carry out 
their work.  Head of the women's branch of the Iraqi 
Islamic Party Faria Hadeed said that her organization, 
while the beneficiary of some small grants, has sustained 
its work -- which focuses on empowering women economically, 
politically, and socially -- primarily through donations. 
All also complained that donors routinely fund the same 
small community of NGOs. 
 
4.  (SBU) All the roundtable participants agreed that it is 
especially difficult for independent NGOs to sustain 
themselves.  NGOs associated with political parties and 
religious groups have a distinct advantage over independent 
NGOs, they said, because the infrastructure to support 
their work is provided by the sponsoring organization. 
(NOTE: USAID has a USD 43 million grant with the Americas 
Development Foundation that is designed to address NGO 
capacity-building and sustainability issues.  Under the 
USAID program, four civil society resource centers have 
been established in four regions to provide technical 
assistance and small grants to Iraqi civil society 
organizations.  END NOTE.)  Meeting attendees also said the 
State Ministry for Civil Affairs has not effectively paved 
the way for the growth of civil society -- especially for 
independent NGOs.  Suhail said she has not even bothered to 
register her NGO due to what she considers to be excessive 
registration requirements.  (NOTE: The TAL requires that 
all NGOs register with the Government.  END NOTE.) 
 
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GOVERNMENT MISSES THE MARK ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
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5.  (C) When asked to identify the most critical human 
rights-related gaps, Suhail stated that, while democracy- 
building is necessary, "hungry people do not care about 
democracy -- they care about getting food."  However, she 
pointed out that the Government has not focused on the real 
needs of the people -- the same needs that several of their 
NGOs address.  "We do not need more mosques," she insisted, 
"We need schools, orphanages, and homes for the poor."  Her 
counterparts agreed, estimating poverty levels to be 
between 50 and 70 percent and said they are especially 
acute in the South.  (NOTE: According to the Iraq Living 
Conditions Survey conducted in 2004 by the Ministry of 
Planning and Development Cooperation in coordination with 
UNDP, 28 percent of households describe themselves as 
"among the poor in Iraq."  END NOTE.) 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (SBU) Roundtable participants represented a cross- 
section of many of Iraq's ethnic, religious, and political 
orientations.  Despite their differences, all attendees 
conveyed the same message -- NGOs are key players in 
addressing the problems the country is facing, but still 
require assistance to develop the necessary capacity to be 
effective.  This is evident in the growth of Iraq's civil 
society and the increasing effectiveness of many NGOs -- 
despite the challenges they face.  As a fundamental 
component of Iraq's human rights infrastructure, it is 
critical that we support the growth of Iraq's nascent civil 
society and ensure that NGOs develop the tools, knowledge, 
and capacities to implement and continue successful 
projects.  We will continue to work with our interlocutors 
-- within the Government, the international community, and 
civil society -- to identify opportunities for capacity- 
building, including funding availability and NGO advocacy, 
as well as to leverage existing capabilities.  END COMMENT. 
KHALILZAD