Community Development and Bisan’s Neighborhood Corners

Initiated in 1991, the Neighborhood Corners Program is the cornerstone of the Bisan Center’s community development work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It targets youth, children and women through community-based organizations in villages, cities and refugee camps.

Responding to the specific needs of communities, and aiming to strengthen and empower Palestinian community-based organizations (CBOs), the program has resulted to date in 40 centers being developed or upgraded, offering services such as community meeting areas, libraries, computer centers, playgrounds and day-care centers. Integral to its vision of development is a strong component of programs for the community, including youth leadership, vocational training, women’s awareness and institutional development.

Infrastructures created through the projects enjoy wide positive recognition by their local communities. The Neighborhood Corners have been used by increasing numbers of youth and women and have accommodated other community members such especially children. The internet cafes and libraries have been made public and are providing vibrant forums for discussion and networking as well as the exchange of ideas and experiences. These centers have now become revitalized and represent hope and opportunity for changing the quality of life, civil action and participation in a difficult political environment. Leadership trainings in the framework of the Neighborhood Corners have been perceived by youth and women as particularly beneficial for the communities they serve. Other activities such as aerobics classes, children’s workshops and reproductive health workshops have also been highly successful and much in demand.

Changes in management and administrative practices within CBO’s, as well as an increase in and renewal of constituencies, are starting to be observable. Through the training and establishment of activities, there exists a greater awareness that centers must work towards sustainability. The libraries and Internet cafes have developed sustainable systems of operation, creating a model for other community efforts. In terms of constituencies, increasing numbers of male and female youth have benefited from the Leadership and Counseling Programs; many of these youth are promising candidates for the General Assemblies of the targeted CBO’s. Focus groups organized to document and identify concerns and social issues of youth through the development of case studies has enabled youth to identify and articulate their problems and concerns and to propose solutions. The participation of women’s centers in the Organizational Capacity Assessments also assisted women in identifying their rooted organizational/ institutional problems and in formulating solutions. This process is continuing through the implementation of a genuine institutional development program, which is participatory and empowering by itself, as all members of the organization participate actively in the process.

The projects have also provided an opportunity for certain active women to gain the appreciation and recognition of the community and to be elected to leadership positions. The programs are well on the way of being systemized. A new cadre of professionals within Bisan has been trained, new initiatives are being implemented in various regions of the West Bank. In the process a Neighborhood Corners Kit manual has been developed to facilitate future programs. Also Bisan has established a strong presence in the region through its local offices in Bethlehem in the South and in Nablus in the North of the West Bank This is in a context where local communities have lost access to programs and services developed by other NGOs, as most of these are based in Ramallah or Jerusalem.

It is certainly a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm of the Bisan Center staff that such positive results were achieved in the difficult context of the last few years. However, many challenges remain to be met in order to ensure the sustainability of project outcomes and in the long term, reasonable hopes of achieving the stated impact. Continuation of the existing Neighborhood Corners Projects and the establishment of new projects in the future will be based on lessons learned to date and on insights gained through project activities and a continued presence in the implementation areas. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of these achievements through a more comprehensive approach of democratic community development. br>