Citizenship refers both to the status of being a citizen of country/State or geographic area with a corresponding government, and the enjoyment of human rights, the respect of responsibilities and contributions to the community. At the heart of the concept of citizenship is the state of belonging to a community, that is, to a grouping of people who recognize that they have something in common.

 

“What unites them may simply be an acceptance of the legitimacy of the State within which they live. It may also be a strong affective bond based on shared history, ethnicity, religion or common purpose.” (Starkey, 2002, p. 7).

Citizenship brings with it a set of legal, social, cultural and political practices, as well as rights and responsibilities.

 

The citizenship program is a main program at ANHRE. ANHRE used, developed, and adapted four major toolkits in citizenship to the Middle East and North Africa Region. The toolkits are used widely by its members. ANHRE, through its members, produced an intensive literature on Civic Education analyzing the context and renewed the concept to confront new challenges such as hatred speech, intolerance, and radicalization.

 

It is not easy to promote active citizenship, particularly among people who have been traditionally marginalized from social and political spheres. By engaging communities in a process of critical reflection while equipping them and motivating them to take concrete actions, ANHRE toolkits aim to enhance their ability to participate more effectively in decision-making processes on issues that affect them and hold their governments accountable.