Ramallah – Under the title of “Active Citizenship and Promoting Social Participation, last month MIFTAH organized a series of town hall meetings in various districts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of its “Election Support Project.” The meetings targeted male and female members of local and municipal councils along with residents of the districts in order to promote the concept of good citizenship in terms of rights and duties. Another goal was to promote the concept of social participation especially in terms of the role of women in local councils in addition to young leaders and their active role in their community and to empower elected female leaders in these councils to connect with civil society organizations.
Jerusalem
In the Jerusalem area villages of Jdeera and Beit Anan, MIFTAH held two separate town hall meetings facilitated by trainer Itidal Jareeri, which aimed at clarifying the concept of citizenship and linking it with the active role of youth and women in communities as marginalized sectors. Jareeri explained citizens’ rights and duties and also focused on the role of social committees and members and citizens of local bodies towards their communities.
During the two meetings, social participation was defined as a process through which citizens play a role in political and social life in their communities. Forms of participation for women and youth in devising general polices were also addressed such as promoting citizen participation in decision making and creating social, educational, economic and political policies through various means. This could be through direct participation such as elections, voting or nominations in order to reach decision-making positions or indirectly through questioning decision makers. Participation through advocacy and pressure groups was also discussed.
In the Beit Anan meeting, the participants reaffirmed the importance of their local council and community to participate in various social, political and strategic planning activities. They recommended the necessity of receiving training courses on social media, factional pluralism and also needs-specification methods.
The participants thanked MIFTAH for addressing the issue of citizenship and bridging the gap between the community and local council members.
Tulkarm
In the Tulkarm-area villages of Baqa Sharqiyeh and Qafeen, MIFTAH organized two separate meetings for village councils and the residents in order to promote the status of female members of these councils and highlight the importance of active women in society.
In Safareen, also in the Tulkarm area, MIFTAH held a town hall meeting entitled “Raising the awareness of women in elections as voters and members,” which targeted male and female members of local councils and representatives of organizations in the town, who recommended holding regular town hall meetings to discuss the problems and concerns of the citizens.
Jenin
In the Jenin-area village of Taybeh, the town hall meeting focused on the same topic and was facilitated by social activist Hussein Sawalha. The participants recommended creating job opportunities for women, establishing production units for economically supporting women and capacity-building for them through proposal writing workshops, in addition to encouraging them to present initiatives.
Also in the Jenin district, MIFTAH held another meeting in Yaabad aimed at promoting communication between the women local council members and the community. The participants recommended the need for more women in the town to attend MIFTAH training courses and provide opportunities for women leaders to become more involved in social action. Another recommendation was the need to connect women members and leaders with donor organizations.
Bethlehem
In meetings organized in the Jab’aa village and in the Sadeel Institute in Bethlehem, both facilitated by attorney ‘Ala Ghanayem, the participants recommended the importance of having more of these awareness meetings that target women and youth. They said this was especially important for villages and remote areas, far from the city center. They recommended support for youth projects in particular that would help to develop and advance society.
Jericho
A number of recommendations resulted from the meeting held in the Jericho Municipality entitled “Promoting citizenship and community participation,” most importantly the need to promote communication between the public and the municipality in regards to meeting their needs and following up complaints. They also recommended having more of these meetings to promote the concept of good citizenship and community rights and duties.
Nablus
In the Nablus district, a town hall meeting was held in the village of Quseen, also to promote the concept of active citizenship and merge the idea of sound citizenship and social integration in the development process of the village; it also aimed to increase communication between the residents and the village council to discuss the village’s problems, issues and to understand the needs of the people. The participants recommended following up on pending issues such as problems related to water meters. They also requested more awareness and network meetings with development organizations to raise the awareness of women and help them to be more informed and benefit from the experiences of others.
Hebron
In the Hebron-area town of Beit Ula, MIFTAH held a town hall meeting in which a group of men and women from the village attended and which was facilitated by activist Taha Abu Hussein. The meeting resulted in a group of recommendations, the most significant being the inclusion of civil society institutions in political participation and the importance of working with women to raise awareness on their rights and issues pertaining to their participation in addition to enabling women to take the initiative in demanding their rights.
Gaza Strip
On the same note, MIFTAH held two town hall meetings in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on the topic of citizenship; the target group was several students and graduates with the aim of raising the awareness of the participants on citizenship and political participation. The meetings were also aimed at urging citizens to participate in elections through nominations and voting along with raising the awareness of the participants on the importance of the role of local and municipal councils. Concepts such as citizenship, belonging, nationality and the relationship between the political authority and the people were addressed. Topics such as the 2006 parliamentarian and municipal elections were discussed in addition to the Elections Law of 1996, which was amended in 2005, women’s participation in the elections based on the quota system and the site-specific situation of the Khan Younis district and its municipal council.
MIFTAH was granted a Special Consultative Status with the United Nations' ECOSOC
Date posted: September 28, 2020
By MIFTAH
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy- MIFTAH was granted a special consultative status to work with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), through which MIFTAH seeks to contribute to promoting the Palestinian narrative and international advocacy based on international legitimacy and United Nations resolutions related to the Palestinian cause.
The ECOSOC is the principal organ that coordinates the economic, social, environmental and related work of the 14 United Nations specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. It serves as the central forum for discussing international economic, and social and environmental issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system.
ECOSOC provides NGOs the opportunity to be heard by a truly global audience and contribute to its agenda. ECOSOC has been the main entry point into the UN system for NGOs. ECOSOC remains the only main UN body with a formal framework for NGO participation
What is Consultative Status?
Consultative Status is an accreditation framework that benefits both the United Nations and the NGOs. Consultative arrangements are to be made, on the one hand, for the purpose of enabling the Council or one of its bodies to secure expert information or advice from organizations having special competence in the subjects for which consultative arrangements are made, and, on the other hand, to enable international, regional, sub-regional and national organizations that represent important elements of public opinion to express their views according to ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, part II, paragraph 20.
NGOs with Consultative Status can work with the United Nations Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies in various ways, including in consultation with Member States. They can also contribute to a number of activities including information dissemination, awareness raising, development education, policy advocacy, joint operational projects, participation in intergovernmental processes and in the contribution of services and technical expertise
An NGO with consultative status can attend international conferences and events, make written and oral statements at these events, organize side events, enter United Nations premises, and have opportunities to network and lobby.
MIFTAH considers obtaining this Consultative Status timely and paramount to begin organizing its participation through the Council's sessions during 2021.
Signing ceremony for new cooperation agreement between MIFTAH and the Norwegian Representative Office
Date posted: November 28, 2019
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – MIFTAH and the Norwegian Representative Office to the PA signed on Monday, November 26 a new one-year cooperation agreement in a ceremony held in Ramallah.
Head of the Board of Directors, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, signed on behalf of MIFTAH while Norwegian representative, Ms. Hilde Haralstad signed on behalf of the Norwegian Representative Office.
During her speech at the signing, Dr. Ashrawi said, "For the past 18 years the Norwegian Representative Office has been one of the oldest and most significant of MIFTAH's supporters in its efforts towards promoting the principles of democracy and good governance in Palestine”. She also said this support was a continuation of the crucial work at this stage in supporting and empowering young leaders and women as change-makers, saying it gives this sector the ability to influence and change, especially in light of the difficult circumstances and challenges of the current political stage. Ashrawi also reiterated the importance of collective efforts in a coordinated and holistic manner between the various parties, which inevitably lead to change.
Dr. Ashrawi reaffirmed the Norwegian support for the Palestinian cause, expressing hope that Norway and other likeminded countries continue to stand on the right side of human rights and good governance and recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, justice and statehood. She concluded her speech by expressing sadness for Ms. Haralstad's departure from Palestine, where she has served since 2016.
Meanwhile, Ms. Haralstad confirmed Norway's continued support for Palestine in its quest for statehood and human rights. She said she was proud to have partnered with an institution that supports the principles of democracy and good governance and which works for women's and youth issues such as MIFTAH. She also stressed on the important role Palestinian civil society institutions play in supporting the Women's Peace and Security agenda and expressed her sadness for leaving Palestine, saying she would continue to support the Palestinian cause.
The signing was attended by women's and rights institutions in addition to MIFTAH board members, representatives from the General Union of Palestinian Women and representatives from other MIFTAH funders and partners.
