DADRI
is an independent non-partisan, non-advocacy, and non-religious,
Cairo-based data research institute and fact-tank that designs and
generates open-access databases, quantitative sociological
indicators, and indexes and aggregates alternative knowledge,
history, and archives for historical and contemporary social,
political, cultural, and legal issues in Egypt and beyond.
We
started as a documentation initiative under the auspices of the
Egyptian Center
for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR)
in 2013,
expanded into an independent research center in 2015,
and got registered as a civil company in accordance with the
Egyptian Law in 2016.
Through its databases, publications, training and capacity building, and academic and consultative services, DADRI strives to make data and archival materials easily accessible to the wider public as well as the more specialized audience of researchers, academics, journalists, among others. During this process, DADRI aims to a) foster the skills of individuals and the development of local capacities with interest in documentation and archiving, and b) cooperate with newly born initiatives that share DADRI’s values by using their services and supporting their work.
Our
Vision
Transforming
communities and societies living under the conditions of information
asymmetry, mis/disinformation, and censorship, to ones
where individuals have inviolable rights to free-flowing,
evidence-based, decentralized knowledge, transparency,
accountability, and justice.
Our Mission(s)
Creating open-access data sources designed and shared in a professional, decentralized, impartial, and methodical manner to foster data and information sharing;
Building alternative archives of social history to foster the public’s learning about political, social, and cultural issues in Egypt and beyond;
Collecting, collating, and aggregating already produced narratives based on the “history from below” and “collective remembering” approaches;
Enhancing the archival and analytical research skills of local capacities interested in data research, documentation, and archiving;
Developing data sharing, visualization, and publication models based on consultative and participatory approaches
Our
Culture and Values
Independence and impartiality: We are a non-partisan, non-governmental, non-advocacy, and non-religious institute. Human rights and humanitarian values are our compasses.
Freedom of information and transparency: We aspire to make the right-to-know equally accessible to all individuals of all backgrounds and we believe that transparency should be a pillar of governance on micro and macro levels.
Data protection (Information privacy): We are committed in an open-access policy with regards to our databases, archives, and publications, and we are equally committed to a data protection policy for personal and sensitive information.
Professionalism and accountability: We ensure the highest standards of accuracy and precision in our methods of data gathering and we are accountable for our data collection.
Participatory and non-discriminatory work ethic: We strive to maintain a collaborative, participatory, and non-discriminatory work ethic to ensure our staff’s personal and professional needs, roles, and priorities are taken into account irrespective of their gender identities and backgrounds.
Creativity, flexibility, and safety: We seek to sustain flexible work operations to accommodate our team’s personal and professional needs, encourage their creativity, and ensure their safety under restrictive political conditions.
Fairness and acknowledgment: We acknowledge our team’s hard work and we offer them stable working conditions, and fair contracts and remuneration commensurate with their efforts, progress, and experience.
Our
Audience
The general public;
Decision and policymakers and government officials;
Researchers, academics, bibliographers, activists, archivists, statisticians, data miners, and those with a general interest in archiving, statistics, big data, and digital means of expression;
Independent or university-based research centers think tanks, data tanks, public opinion polling agencies, and international and local consultancies;
Civil society organizations (CSOs) including NGOs, INGOs, political parties, rights groups, and advocacy initiatives and movements;
Media outlets, print, broadcast and online, journalists, and all other media personnel
