EU support to “Djazairouna” for the victims of terrorism

Algeria, have witnessed 100,000 deaths and hundreds of reported missing during the 1990's bloody trap. Among the victims, Charifa Khaddar’s brother and sister, both assassinated in 1996. A few months later, she establishes the “Djazairouna” association, which means "Our Algeria", whose mission is to give victims of terrorism a voice.

Bassma Karacha - Algiers, Al-Hayat

Algerian association “Djazairouna”, whose mission is to support victims of terrorism, is carrying out a project entitled “Dar El-Hurrya”, which consists of organizing awareness campaigns about children's and women's rights, in addition to relief activities for the victims of the wave of terrorism that Algeria had witnessed throughout the 90s. The delegation of the European Commission in Algeria decided to contribute to this initiative, with 99,000 Euros for a period of three years.

This EU funding initiative falls under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (IDHR). “Djazairouna” is one of seven local associations situated in six Algerian provinces that received this year financial support ranging from 50 to 100 thousand Euros to promote the protection of children's rights, HIV prevention, social and professional integration of marginalized youth, as well as to fight violence against women.

This is the second time “Djazairouna” receives a EU funding. Three years ago, the EU had brought support to a project entitled “Memory”, a commemorative initiative for victims of terrorism in the 90s, including a campaign to raise awareness on the rights of victims, as well as on children’s rights within schools. According to Charifa Khaddar, president of the association and sister of two victims murdered in 1996, “this project was a great success. Schools that were not in the list of beneficiaries called for participating in these campaigns.” Hence, “the association was encouraged to implement another project in order to reach more children and more women, along with a particular attention to the victims of terrorism living in the province of Blida, 50 km far from the Algerian capital."

Dar El-Hurrya project
The Dar El-Hurrya project aims at creating a common space that would link all the activities implemented by the association. Since 1996, its establishment date, the “Djazairouna” association endeavors to bring support to the victims of terrorism in the province of Blida. Since 1996, members of the association are calling for the government to draw up a specific law that legitimates the status of “victim of terrorism”, with all pertaining moral and financial rights. According to Charifa Khaddar : "Victims of terrorism" are persons and families killed or injured in the bloody traps that Algeria had witnessed in the 90s (included those who were killed during collective massacres), assassination of targeted intellectuals. The definition also concern violated women and police agents who were killed or injured while fighting terrorism.

The other part of the project has consisted of organizing campaigns in schools and youth centers, in collaboration with the directorates of vocational training and sport & youth, that seek to raise awareness on their rights, specifically according to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. Campaigns were also launched to inform women across the country of their legal rights, and of the "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)".

Within the framework of this program, the association hires - and provides training sessions for supervisors to be in charge of supporting and accompanying Algerian women victims of terrorism, targeted by the association, through workshops and entertaining activities.

Thanks to its efforts, “Djazairouna” became a well-known association. Its President Charifa Khaddar has received several international awards. French magazine “L’Express” included her in the list of the 100 most influential Algerian women in 2005. Khaddar was also awarded the International Prize for Human Rights in London.

The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights includes 14 EU-funded projects in Algeria, with a total budget of 5 million Euros. For its part, the Algerian government is not contributing financially to this initiative. According to the official in charge of the program at the EU delegation, the EU insists on protecting its right to choose for itself the associations and the projects that seek the promotion of democracy and human rights, and the protection of children and persons of specific needs, as well as Algerian women victims of terrorism.

On the overall level, the EIDHR strategy for 2007-2010 is to reach 5 main objectives, which are: enhancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; strengthening the role of civil society in promoting human rights and democratic reform; supporting actions on human rights and democracy issues in areas covered by EU guidelines such as armed conflict areas; supporting and strengthening the international and regional framework for the protection of human rights, justice, the rule of law and the promotion of democracy; and enhancing the reliability and transparency of democratic electoral processes, in particular through elections observation.

You can also see: ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/eidhr_en.htm