In the last few months some people have tried to attack Syrian women observatory in the context of attacking the observatory’s establisher and supervisor MR.Bassam AlKadi, by assigning the observatory as a property for the establisher, and lying about the fact that the observatory have not get any investment from any foundation inside Syria or outside.
Also there is no one of volunteers, who have worked in the observatory during the last eight years get any penny for the work they did, whatever its kind is: writing, researching, following up on field, protecting violence victims, etc.
Syrian women observatory did explain many times that the choice of not having any kind of investment is a choice based on beliefs that do not accept getting money for encouraging people to volunteer and convincing them that they have a social interest in volunteering.
That’s why we announcing for the first and last time that Syrian Women Observatory is a civil unlicensed organization, and did not ask any Syrian or non-Syrian party for licensed application and did not associated with any unpublished on the observatory’s site agreements or collaborations.
The establisher and supervisor of Syrian Women Observatory was only responsible for all expenses required for working, of course with the effective help of the teamwork that have changed many times during the last years (except for some members who still from the beginning), this help reflected in small and outspreads finance contributions, however these contributions played an important role in the work of the observatory, especially in handling their expenses themselves which was really heavy burden.
In addition, there were some individual donations as follows:
- About 120.000 S.P provided over a year at monthly rate about 10.000 S.P from Syrian citizen “Ameera Abo AlHasan” in years 2008-2009;
- About 90.000 S.P provided as one year hosting for observatory’s server for the year 2010 provided by Syrian citizen “Dina Abo AlHasan”;
- 1000$ (about 45.000 S.P) provided by an expatriate Syrian citizen who does not want to reveal his name, this amount was used to help families of rape victims that Syrian media talk about in years 2007-2008;
- Since launching of Syrian Women Observatory till now Syrian citizen ‘Kosay Abd AlRahman’ who resident in Germany has afforded a part of internet expenses, and sometimes afforded the whole expenses, he afforded about half million S.P;
- Outspread simple finance contribution from Syrian citizen.
Altogether, the cost of observatory’s working since establishment till the end of year 2010 has been 4.5 million S.P.
This is the investment of Syrian women Observatory that some people are trying to manipulate in using some dirty game that truly shows how much empty are they, they do not hesitate to di9stort work of thousands Syrian people, who really have been working so hard for a new violence and discrimination free society, equality in citizenship, and rejecting all kinds of discrimination based on gender, religious, nationality, or any other base. Unfortunately some of these manipulators have worked in the observatory one day, and then their minds have been disappeared by the illusions of ‘revolution’ then they find no harm distorting their own work, showing a clear picture about the self distortion these illusions caused.
As for talking about observatory’s sponsorship and support by Lady Asmaa AlAssad, this is a lie and never happen implicitly or explicitly, and neither the supervisor nor the members have met Lady Assma, and Lady Assma have not paid a penny for the observatory.
And to be clear, we must say that since year 2005 we have refused and still refusing many open offers to invest Syrian Women Observatory, some of them were singed blank from all kinds of foundation organization in Europe and USA, duo to hard working, integrity, deep work they have seriously touched in the observatory. But we unequivocally refused, because we hardly believe that working in Syria is something Syrian must do, not anyone else.
But we said many times that the only party whose investment can be acceptable in Lady Assma AlAssad. In one condition: this investment must be on public, has no condition about working and orientation, and publish the finance details on the observatory’s site. And as you see, this did never happen.
We said that our attitude of Lady Assma is clearly based on respect and appreciation of what she did during the last few years and still doing it, despite the utter media failure in receipting this work to people and also despite of stupidity and platitude in talking about her work, because some people do not see her as human and citizen and not even the president’s wife, they see her like the observatory: a good material to show how much empty are they and how decent their ideas about society are, and how much they are ready to sacrifice everything for their illusions and ambitions.
So this is the truth about Syrian Women Observatory’s investment that known by everyone who has worked with the observatory, this is the truth that made one of the most important bases of observatory’s work. And today we are publishing this summary report to clear the picture that some traitors are tried and still trying to distort, because the observatory was and still be a mirror that reflects how shallow and deceptive they are by demonstrating beyond doubt that there is always an ability to work hard for the ones really want to work no matter what the difficulties are, but those traitors never want.
SWO, Source in ARABIC (30/9/2011), Investment of Syrian Women Observatory and Its Relationship with Lady Assma ALAsaad