Tharwa Project

Has anyone ever heard of a group called the Tharwa Project?

This is their website: http://www.tharwaproject.com/

In brief, from the website itself:

The Tharwa Project is an independent initiative that seeks to provide a free platform for the discussion and dissemination of ideas that can contribute to raising the standards of civic awareness in the Broader Middle East and North Africa Region. Due to the wide scope and complexity of this objective, the Tharwa Project operates on different levels and includes a number of components and programs, each focusing on a particular topic that goes to the heart of the Awareness Gap separating this Region from the developed world.

I wonder if they are affiliated with NDI or other American organizations in any way. The website appears to be very balanced and amongst the journalists, Haytham Mouzahem is quite a decent one. Apart from that, the bittermelon folks (www.bittermelons.org) are very distinguised in the work that they do, and are not a sell out to niether side (Americans or Anti.).
The same with the list of donors, the people sound fairly good.

I wonder what others think! I hope more people participate too.