Ramallah – As part of its “Supporting Young Palestinian Women Leadership: Promoting Women’s Voices” implemented with support from the American Consulate General in Jerusalem’s Public Affairs Office, MIFTAH concluded a six-day training course on “networking and alliance-building” in Nablus, Ramallah and Bethlehem. Approximately 50 people participated.
MIFTAH CEO Dr. Lily Feidy said, “The training is aimed at enabling young women to learn skills for developing strategies and channels of communication that help in building alliances and networks to support community initiatives lead by the participants.”
The project is part of the “Women Empowerment” program, which is aimed at capacity building and supporting groups of young women activists in community work so they are at the forefront of community activity.
Kristin Haffert, an advisor on the development and execution of initiatives that promote gender equality and expand women’s leadership opportunities said, “The training aims to teach the “how-to” for using relationships to achieve the goals you are working for and how to make these relationships strategic. It is also aimed at pinpointing the other necessary tools for achieving this goal. Haffert explained how to build alliances, coalitions and strategic communication; she also talked about the best use of community relations networks for support and advocacy of their issues, especially the initiatives they will be working on in the next two months. Haffert said Palestinian women are unique in their active and positive participation in spite of all the individual challenges they face.
It should be noted that three target groups in this project received capacity-building training in dealing with audiovisual media effectively, advocacy and issue-based campaigning in addition to this training course in order to employ these acquired skills in three youth initiatives on violence against women, namely sexual harassment.
Participant Inas Allan from Jerusalem and student at Al Quds University said the training was very unique. “It taught us about how to use our various social relationships and employ them in the services of advocacy for a certain cause. This is important and useful at both the personal and professional levels.”
Inshirah Ahmad from Jericho, who also participated in the training said, “The negative social culture about sexual harassment needs time to change, but it also needs tools. This training gave us broad guidelines for putting this change in motion.”
Dua’ Zahdeh from Hebron said she received information during the training that she had never been introduced to before, saying it was to-the-point and comprehensive. She said it clarified many terms pertaining to networking and alliances that were not clear to her before. “This is one of the best training courses I attended so far.”
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.
