Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action

The Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD.A) is a non-governmental organization initiated in July 1999 and based in Beirut. Whether working in Lebanon or across the Arab World primarily in Yemen, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, CRTD.A seeks to contribute to the social development of local communities and organizations through enhancing capacities particularly in gender analysis, gender and development, poverty and exclusion, for the purpose of contributing to creating a more just and equitable environment.

CRTD.A has a dynamic and flexible team of highly specialized researchers, trainers and practitioners who are able to respond to diverse needs and changing environments. Our team draws on varied and extensive skills and experiences from across the region. CRTD.A operates within the different cultural and linguistic environments of the Middle East. An advantage of CRTD.A's is its ability to tap into a vast network of key scholars, researchers and practitioners across the Arab World. Furthermore, CRTD.A is guided by a voluntary International Advisory Board (IAB) of highly regarded gender and development experts.

CRTD.A's main projects
The Machreq/Maghreb Gender Linking and Information Project (MACMAG GLIP)
The project provides a platform for exchange of research, analysis, training, capacity building and institutional development on Gender and Development (GAD) throughout the Arab world. One of the main components of the GLIP project is the Gender Resource Library. This Library includes over 1456 titles in Arabic, French and English of relevant books, reports and periodicals on women and gender development. It is available directly and on-line to interested students, researchers, practitioners and NGOs.

Independent Resources and Information Services (IRIS)
The project engages with government agencies, NGOs and international organizations on issues of poverty and social developments in Lebanon. IRIS accomplishes this through providing an informative monthly bulletin, an interactive website, training workshops and top quality action-oriented research. IRIS also houses an extensive library collection called the NGOs & Social Development Resource Library. With over 3175 titles in Arabic, French and English, the Library includes books, reports, theses and periodicals on social and political development, civil society, women, gender and other relevant issues. IRIS offers this valuable library service both directly and on-line to researchers, practitioners, students, and NGOs. Furthermore, IRIS brings together Lebanese universities, research institutes, academics and practitioners to encourage networking and collaboration for social development in Lebanon.

Women Economic Empowerment Project (WEEP)
The was initiated in 2000 by the CRTD.A with the support of the British Embassy in Beirut and later on by the Global Fund for Women. Essentially operating in Lebanon, the project also includes capacity building activities in other countries of the region focusing essentially on gender and the economy and gender budgeting (weep.crtda.org). The overall purpose of WEEP is to contribute to creating a positive transformation in gender relations through empowering women and building their capacities to become economically independent and form and maintain their own grassroots organizations. WEEP is also linked to CRTD.A Gender and Leadership initiative which seeks to empower women through strengthening leadership skills and practice and through facilitating access to IT training and knowledge.

Active Citizenship and Gendered Social Entitlements
(ACGEN) is a regional action-research project of CRTD.A implemented in partnership with IDRC. Using Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine as case studies, the research explores the relationship between the state, NGOs and active citizens in bridging the gender gap in key social entitlements namely health, education and social services. (acgen.crtda.org)

Some of the key questions raised by the research include:

* Who provides services and how? What is the nature of the gender gap?
* What is the relationship of communities to state & NGO service providers: Clients or active citizens?
* Are NGO services weakening the concept of public goods?
* How are experiences of citizenship?, social inequality? and entitlements' gendered?

This action research is producing a body of knowledge which aims at contributing to policy dialogue on gender and social entitlements in the region.

The Arab Women's Right to Nationality Campaign
The idea of the came about during a regional CRTD.A meeting On March 8th 2002 in response to the concern and commitment expressed by participating NGOs to work across the regional for womenï¿½s right to nationality. The campaign was conceived within the framework of the Gender and Citizenship programme. The first phase was in the form of an action-research on Arab Women's Right to Nationality conducted in seven countries: Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan, and national reports for each of these countries were written. Those reports have been compiled in a regional report that was presented in October 2003 at a regional validation meeting in Beirut. The second phase was planned during a regional strategy meeting held in Beirut on November 2004, with representatives of the concerned NGO's as well key actors and stakeholders in the field of gender, citizenship and nationality. A regional and country-based strategy, as well as a regional action plan took off in early 2005.

The Lebanon Development Gateway
The (LDG) was launched by CRTD.A in 2003 with the support of the The LDG is one of the 55 country gateways worldwide, using Information Communication Technology to contribute to gender equality and social development at the community and national levels. The project has completed its planning phase and is now engaged in starting up its implementation phase which includes the construction of a development knowledge portal (in both Arabic and English) on gender equality and social development with particular focus on the needs an priorities of the LDG stakeholders namely NGOs/CSOs, local municipalities and community centers as well as private sector companies with social responsibility. Current and past events of the project including workshops, meetings with partners and an e-forum can be found online.

CRTD.A's vision
CRTD.A's vision is to contribute to a buoyant and active NGO community, and to a thriving and just society in the region at large. CRTD.A is committed to values of gender equality, acceptance and respect of diversity and strives for social justice. CRTD.A endeavors to take actions of the highest international standards that reflect the needs and opportunities of a challenging and changing world.

CRTD.A aims to achieve this through conducting cutting-edge action-oriented research, providing quality training, capacity building, and informational resources, and facilitating organizational development and dynamic community mobilization. CRTD.A works with both local and international NGOs, development practitioners, and academics in order to create informed action and promote policy dialogue on issues of poverty, gender equality, social exclusion and sustainable development in the Arab Machreq & Maghreb region.

CRTD.A stands for gender equality, responsibility, accountability, social values, justice and efficiency.

What CRTD.A does?
Partnerships with NGOs
CRTD.A engages in partnerships with NGOs with whom it shares a common vision. It work with partners at both local and levels in order to share best practices, support capacity building and promote policy advocacy on cross-cutting and national issues that face the region. CRTD.A also assists organizations in reaching their full potential through supporting them to make the most effective and efficient use of donor aid and financial resources.

Technical support and training
CRTD.A provides technical support and training to NGOs, governmental partners, researchers, and international agencies on numerous areas of social and community development with particular focus on gender equality and equity. Our services cover efficient and effective resource mobilization, strategic planning, project/program management, counseling, and project/program monitoring and evaluation.

CRTD.A has developed locally based training modules and resource kits on "Gender and Participatory Development" as well as "Gender and Participatory Research" as well as other key topics including readers, training and resource material. Support provided by CRTD.A also includes referrals and linkages with other organizations, projects and funding.

Research; production and dissemination of learning and knowledge
CRTD.A focuses on the theory and practice of qualitative, participatory, action-oriented social research. CRTD.A also produces original literature on gender and development, gender mainstreaming, gender training, social development, civil society and poverty. These and other relevant issues are given further exposure in our bulletins, monthly updates, newsletters, translated materials, books, website and other electronic communications. CRTD.A runs an established and highly sought after resource information centre, which provides indigenous and international information and research on Gender and Development issues, Lebanon, and the Arab World. Access to a resource library is offered to academics, researchers, practitioners, donors, and NGOs among others.

Consulting services
The (CRTD.A) team provides consultancy services for NGOs and other development actors in areas such:

* Needs and situation analysis reflecting local social demands
* Proposals to address respective problems
* Implementation of proposed strategies
* Review and evaluation of impact of projects
* Gender mainstreaming

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