The Tharwa Foundation was established to continue the work of the Tharwa Project, an independent initiative launched in Syria in 2001 by activist and dissident Ammar Abdulhamid to spotlight the condition of religious and ethnic minorities and foster constructive dialogue between majority and minority communities in the broader Middle East and North African (MENA) region.
With a small paid staff, and a network of approximately 40 regular contributing reporters, Tharwa had developed communication tools that enable inter-communal dialogue in the MENA region. Utilizing an interactive website, publications, and a number of regional and international advisors and partnering institutions, Tharwa had fostered new avenues for communications.
However, as the Project continued to produce reports on the sensitive issues of minority rights and political reform, it attracted increased scrutiny from the government in Syria, impairing its ability to operate freely. Eventually Mr. Abdulhamid, himself a vocal critic of the Syrian government, was asked to leave the country. He returned to the United States on September 7, 2005.
Renewing the Dialogue on Diversity, Democracy and Reform:
The Establishment of the Tharwa Foundation
Despite these setbacks for the Project, the Tharwa team continues to operate effectively in Syria and the MENA region, and its number of supporting partners and regular contributors is on the rise. The Tharwa Foundation established its headquarters in the Washington, DC area in December 2006. The Foundation sponsors a number of activities in the region, such as the Tharwa Institute for Democratic Leadership, established in 2007. Tharwa’s multimedia reports and publications are now hosted online at this site. The US office now administers and coordinates Tharwa’s programs and activities, and hopes to expand the scope of these activities over the coming years to enable the emergence of a new, diverse class of democratic leaders, empowered to represent the true aspirations of the people of the broader MENA region.
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