Country Programs

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In 1999, Algeria began to emerge from a decade-long civil war.  The country’s stability and human rights situation hinge on widespread political reform and the ability of the human rights movement to break the culture of impunity for perpetrators of human rights abuses.  The government has failed to address unexplained disappearances of an estimated 7,000 people in the 1990s.  A continuing official state of emergency prevents independent and impartial investigations into the serious rights abuses committed during the conflict. Rights groups report that military and security forces continue to conduct extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention, and torture.

To promote the rule of law, the Fund supports organizations that represent families of those disappeared whether by the state or by armed extremist groups in their struggle for justice, accountability, and fair reparations.  These organizations are calling for an independent truth commission and the repeal of a law making it illegal to denounce crimes committed during the civil war. The Fund also supports women’s rights organizations to help women who suffered violence during and after the war to bring legal charges against their attackers. Finally, the Fund supports activists challenging discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS that undermines efforts to stop the spread of the disease.

The Fund aims to provide sustainable support for human rights organizations.  To that end, we maintain a long-term focus on specific countries and regions where we believe strategic grant-making can make a difference in advancing human rights protections over time.  The Fund has had a grants program in Algeria since 2004.