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Civil Society Advocacy
The Lebanese Parliament has a unique experience in the region in involving NGOs
and other civic society groups in shaping public policy. The Forum for
Parliamentary Dialogue (FPD), a non-partisan, non-profit organization, was
created in 1999 through the collaborative effort of a group of NGOs. It was formed to
strengthen the role of civil society in policy analysis and formulation, and to
identify opportunities to expand the influence of private citizens in the
legislative process. The FPD has been instrumental in developing beneficial
networks between NGOs and the legislature and several seminars organized by the
FPD have been conducted within the LP to increase awareness of the concerns of
civil society. Communication between citizens and Parliament has been actively
supported and enhanced by the introduction to the LP of the latest information
technology resources, including the first parliamentary website in the region,
that facilitate improved communication and dialogue between citizens and
government.
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