Who Are We?

The M-Coalition is the only regional advocacy network specifically devoted to the needs of LGBT in the MENA region. M-Coalition was established in January 2014, with the support of MPact Global and The Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE MENA) who has been the hosting body of the organization, in response to a shared concern that current HIV/AIDS strategies and responses in the region are not adequately responsive to Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and later expanded to include all aspects of health for MSM. In 2018, M-Coalition officially started working on health needs for Lesbian women and transgender populations. In 2019 M-Coalition merged with AFE MENA and the once 7-member steering committee of regionally recognized LGBT advocates and HIV/AIDS professionals became the program advisory council for M-Coalition.

The M-Coalition works through advocacy, information exchange, knowledge production, networking, and capacity building activities, sustained over time at the local and regional level. The M-Coalition also strives to involve members of the LGBT community and people living with HIV and other Key Populations at all levels of its strategy, policy development and implementation, and internal governing processes.

Our Mission

Our Mission Make every one of our target population healthy.

Our Vision

Achieve societies where gender and sexual health and rights, as well as mental and bodily integrity are promoted, recognized and respected.

 

Introducing M-Coalition Network

M-Coalition was established in 2014 as a network of experts on MSM and HIV health in the Middle East and North Africa. The network focused mainly on the steering committee representing different countries and identities within its constituencies. As M-Coalition expanded its scope to LGBTIQ Health and KP health, the steering committee also evolved.

However, the participatory network did not come to place until 2019, with the support of the Robert Carr Network Fund, M-Coalition put in a governance system that ensures the input of communities into governance, programming and financial oversight.
Today, M-Coalition Network is a network of organizations, national and regional, working to promote health rights and other rights for LGBTIQ and Key populations in MENA.

The partnership/membership for M-Coalition is a mutual agreement between organizations and M-Coalition to ensure collaboration, communication, support and networking.

Today partners from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, and Jordan are part of the network. The Network also allows partners to be represented in the General Assembly of MCO and have a decision making power in the strategy and implementation of programs for M-Coalition.

In June 2020, M-Coalition Network General Assembly had its elections and voted the new Technical Board as follows:
Ahlem Azzi (Algeria) Chair – Mohamad Aisani (Algeria) co-Chair – Krissou Jilali (Morocco) Programmatic Oversight – Tatyana Sleiman (Lebanon) Financial Oversight – Ihab Elwy (Egypt) Governance Oversight

The Network had its first meeting in July 2020, and is working closely with its network members to update the M-Coalition Strategy 2019-2024 and in 2021 will be working closely with its partners to establish a regional health strategy moving forward.

The current M-Coalition Network Partners are:

Organization Name Country
AIDES Algeria
AMAN Jordan
ATL Tunisia
ATP+ Tunisia
Bedayaa Egypt
Marsa Lebanon
Mesahat Sudan
Mosaic Lebanon
OPALS Morocco
RDV+ Algeria
SIBA Regional 
Skoun Lebanon

Mrs. Azzi Ahlem: President (Chair)

A human rights activist since 2009, She has been active from 2011 to 2016 as the support group program coordinator at the Association for the Right to Prevention. Ahlem is also the founder of Reve De Vie Positif RDV+ (Dream of positive coexistence) in 2017, which aims to fight for the rights of people living with HIV / AIDS and vulnerable groups and strive to live together in peace. Member of the Nawara Association for Women in the Middle East and is fighting for uninterrupted access to treatment in Algeria and the Middle East.
Ahlem was honored by the United Nations Development Program and the Global Fund platform for her efforts in combating AIDS and defending human rights in Marrakesh 2019, and the challenges continue

Mohamed Aissani Vice President (Co-Chair)

Mohamed Aissani is a motivated and committed family man, he does not hesitate to take the initiative to give his time and energy and do volunteering. Passionate about the history of civilizations and the environment and recycling which is an inexhaustible resource opted for the biodegradable object for our future. Mohamed participated in numerous studies, surveys, training, meetings, national and international seminars in organizations fighting against HIV, Caritas NGOs and feminist and human rights collective

Krissou Jilali: Programmatic Oversight

Public health executive since 1973, specializing in communication applied to health programs, retired since 2012, involved in the fight against STIs / AIDS since the appearance of the first HIV case in Morocco. Currently national coordinator of the support program of the World AIDS Fund to OPALS

Tatyana Sleiman: Financial Oversight

Development & Fundraising Manager at Skoun Lebanese Addictions Center
Organizational Development and Fundraising expert with over 15 years of experience in the non profit and humanitarian sectors, engaging with local, regional and international institutions. Experienced fundraiser in the fields of human rights, equality, mental health and substance use.
Responsible for devising and implementing diversified funding streams through individual, corporate and institutional sources.

Ihab Elwi: Governance Oversight

Ihab is a holder of a master’s degree in Gender and Development in 2018 from Faculty of Economic and Political Science, Cairo University and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex; his thesis addresses sexual violence against men in conflict settings and NGOs’ provisions. Ihab has more than ten years of experience in human rights and international development at the operational and programmes’ sectors; namely, management and coordination, donors’ relationships and fundraising, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy. Ihab is the current Deputy Executive Director of a grassroots’ LGBTQI+ organization that works on SOGIESC rights in the Nile Valley area (Egypt and Sudan).’’

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