Building a viable and democratic civil society in refugee camps in the Southern West Bank

This project is in coordination with Solidarité Socialiste and funded by the Belgian Government.
Cooperation with SolSoc started in 1997. The current project will run until 2008.

Working with Young Palestinian Women in the Southern West Bank

Beneficiaries are 190 women in three refugee camps in the southern area of the West Bank; Al-Deheisheh, Al-’Azza, Aida, Al-Fawar and Al-Arroub refugee camps. The women involved are aged 16 to 30 years. Bisan targets individual women with training and ideas’ development. The program consist of capacity building of the individual women, development of small economic projects, granting to kick-start these projects, institutional strengthening towards the woman and the centers where they are being integrated, and a networking component between the woman and existing community centers and between the women from the different camps. These are the main components of the program

In a parallel developmental process, the established women’s centers in each of the camps are also targeted. The project combines the development of individual skills with the further institutionalization of existing organizations through the creation of networks. As the project progresses, the individual approach to developing group projects are married with the focus on existing organizations by providing these organizations with skilled women and ideas from the training process.

This group is targeted for a number of reasons;
First, young women represent an important population section with regard to progressive change. Second, poverty rates in the southern West Bank are higher than in other areas of the West Bank, except perhaps in Jenin and the Bedouin areas. Third, it has been shown in development literature that working with women, rather than men, provides a greater potential for the impacts and benefits of development work to impact societies as a result of women’s strong role in the family.

The development of women’s organizations and participation in the public life is substantial to promote and enhance the building of a democratic and viable civil society, especially in the southern area of the West bank, where traditional values and cultures are in abundance, and cover the whole aspect of economic, social and cultural life. Empowering women and organizing them in strong and coherent groups will strengthen their political, economic and social participation, and will enable them to serve their interests and needs, and to guarantee appropriate youth public policies and adequate services.

The cooperation of Bisan Center with Solidarite Socialiste / FCD of Belgium in the Bethlehem area consists of a multi-tiered program under the general header of building a viable and democratic civil society in the refugee camps. The current program has a 302.250 € budget and runs from 2003-2008.

The biggest component builds women’s skills and empowers them on the path toward implementing projects of their own, networking and the starting up of women centers. The targeted women live in Azza, Aida, Duhaisha, Al-Arroub and Al-Fawar refugee camp.

FADOC/PFDP Partnership for Development Program

The road to economic opportunity, democratic participation, and community development starts with broad participation by all segments of the community. The community is the basic building block of society, and the citizens themselves are the most critical aspect of community development. One way the community can be maintained and sustained is through the improvement on the organizational level. Small, local NGOs, grassroots organizations, and charitable societies have daily contact with their community, and thus are intimately acquainted with the development needs and priorities of those with whom they live and work. By empowering these small NGOs, the communities they serve are strengthened.

MA'AN, Bisan, and PAC aim to use capacity building as a tool for youth and their institutions to become active as entities in the social change process in their communities. Currently, neither the youth nor the clubs themselves are fulfilling the role that they should be to be active in the process. Although the youth are the largest stratum in Palestinian society, they do not have the opportunity to actively participate in shaping Palestinian civil society.

MA’AN, BISAN, and PAC believe they all share the same vision with Solidarité Socialite (FCD) and see that their partnership will help them all to achieve their joint goals, which include focusing on democracy, equal opportunities, a safe and conducive environment, and capacity building.

Specifically, the grant purpose is to support the design and conduct of programs by Palestinian CBO’s targeting children and adolescents, and focusing on “citizen building” through community activities and service. The development of grassroots youth activities is vital for the nurturing of a responsive, democratic society. Democratic theory illustrates the importance of social interaction, skills, leadership and institutionalization in creating the necessary linkages between individuals and state structures to ensure accountability and transparency.

In cooperation with Ma’an Development Center and the Popular Art Center the PFDP/FADOC program (Partnership For Development Program) had each partner coach two local community based organizations through a joint training and networking program.

There are six different instruments that this project aims to utilize to successfully implement this program and provide capacity building for social change for the youth clubs and they youth of the communities. First, there will be numerous workshops and training sessions. These training activities will help provide the youth with then necessary skills and knowledge to better manage the youth clubs as well as make them more effective vehicles for the social change process. Second, there will be a coaching component that will ensure that the clubs receive individualized training and follow-up. Third, the project will encourage networking amongst the youths of the villages by implementing a joint campaign for the youth. Fourth, advocacy plans will be developed based on the social based issue workshops. Finally, there are small grants that will be given to each youth club so as to implement their own activities.