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PROFILE
Who we are:
The Independent Resource and Information Services (IRIS) is an autonomous,
innovative initiative associated with the Collective
for Research and Training on Development Action(CRTD-A).
CRTD-A is a non-profit civil society organization based
in Beirut that was set up in July 1999 by a group of
development scholars and practitioners with a long experience
of working in social development, voluntary and civil
action.
The IRIS team is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines which provides the project with, multidisciplinary sources of information and expertise.
The project has extensive links with both local, regional and international development organization, practitioners, grassroots groups, donor contacts, research centers and advisers.
IRIS Partners are brought together by a common commitment to values of diversity, open dialogue, transparency, accountability, the promotion of a just society, gender equality
and a keenness to reflect the interests civic-minded, non-governmental organizations. Together, our aim is to help build a vibrant, effective and cooperative civil society.
What we do:
Lebanon has a rich sector of non-governmental community organizations working in many different fields. These NGOs play an essential role in addressing the country's social and economic problems, both independently and in association with government initiatives.
Despite the growth of this sector and continual establishment of new organizations, few
mechanisms exist to enable the consistent exchange and flow of information between NGOs and to assist cooperation and coordination between related projects.
The effectiveness and impact of NGOs in Lebanon is seriously constricted by this gap in
communication and information.
Through providing opportunities for learning, information exchange and communication,
IRIS seeks to address these problems that NGOs are facing.
The work of IRIS contributes significantly to the capacity building of local NGOs :
The project's broad goals are as follows:
- Disseminate news briefs and analysis on NGOs, poverty and social development;
- Promote dialogue, exchange and debate on civil society;
- Increase the coverage of NGOs and development issues in the media;
- Mainstream gender awareness in social development;
- Increase the effectiveness of the NGO sector through all of the above.
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