Civil Society Development in Iran

Iran is undergoing a period of rapid social transformation marked by increased civic participation. The Population Council promotes civil society development, with a special emphasis on activities that strengthen the capacity of Iranian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Council supports these activities through the Iran NGO Initiative (INI), and the Hamyaran Iran NGO Resource Center.

In 2001 Hamyaran was established as the first NGO resource center in Iran. Hamyaran promotes provincial coordination across the country, development of a national NGO ethical code, and electronic connectivity to information technology. Increasingly, Hamyaran is focusing on community empowerment and community-driven development through such projects as:

• Implementing community-driven development pilot projects throughout Iran, particularly in Ardekan, Bam, Brujerd, Mashad, and Saravan.
• Working with the Iranian government in its efforts toward decentralization, including encouraging government officials and Iranian NGOs to engage in active dialogue.
• Working closely with local communities, local officials, and grassroots NGOs on capacity-building projects such as initiatives in Bam that focus on networking, sustainable disaster management, employment generation, and vulnerable parts of the community, such as female-headed households.

Hamyaran is an associate partner of the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF), a partnership among the World Bank Institute, the United Nations Development Program, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region think tanks and NGOs. Together they are devoted to increasing access to knowledge as a way to empower people to help themselves. Hamyaran has been chosen to make a presentation on community empowerment at the 2005 MDF meeting. In September 2004, Hamyaran hosted a MENA regional conference on community empowerment for sustainable development and created a MENA region community empowerment network.

In 2005, the Population Council and Hamyaran will begin a unique program to make use of the extensive information on young people in Iran. They will build on the rich base of statistics and studies already in existence, but so far not adequately synthesized or analyzed for their potential to inform youth policies and programs. The project will involve researchers, policymakers, and young people by engaging youth organizations across the country in consultations and qualitative peer data collection to complement the statistical studies already in place. A medium-term goal is the creation of a youth leadership network with the skills and experience needed to contribute to meaningful change in Iran.

Location
Iran

Dates
1997–ongoing

Population Council researcher
Ragui Assaad

Non-Council collaborators
Mohammad Baquer Namazi, Reza Sheikh (INI/Hamyaran)

Donor
Ford Foundation

Publications/Resources on this project

Offsite Links

• The Hamyaran Iran NGO Resource Center
• The Iran NGO Initiative

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This page updated 27 June 2005

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