With the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, Libyans embarked on the difficult task of transitioning to a more democratic society. The success of the July 7, 2012, election demonstrated the Libyan people are willing to embrace their responsibilities under a new democracy. Nonetheless, gaps in citizen knowledge about their political process, as well as a lack of civic education capacity within Libyan organizations, remained a challenge.
The Libyan Voter Ownership and Increasing Civic Engagement project partnered with Libyan civil society organizations to increase citizen understanding of human rights and civic responsibility. The project also sought to increase citizen engagement in, and oversight of, the political process.
Funded by the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, the Voter Ownership and Increasing Civic Engagement project supported Libyans in this process by helping them learn about, and engage with, their developing electoral and political systems.
By providing capacity-building and grants to Libyan civil society organizations, the project supported a Libyan-led approach to promoting voter and civic engagement among the population, cultivating a culture of respect for human rights and civic responsibilities.
The project employed traditional media to disseminate informed, targeted and salient civic and voter education messages that resonate with youth and women. The delivery of targeted engagement messages inculcated a sense of civic activism and responsibility among key groups, which encouraged them to further instill these messages among their family, friends and peers.
Together with partner Souktel, Inc., Creative trained civil society partners to collect, categorize, publish and present citizen feedback on political processes. The program established a Citizen Feedback Database using SMS services, which allowed citizens to use their mobile phones to express concerns and report incidents on electoral fraud, local governance, violence and other issues.