Ramallah – MIFTAH has always looked to spur on Palestinian youth in taking the initiative in the process of social change as part of its program for strengthening young Palestinian leaders. This program has been in operation since 2003 and has resulted in the formation of the Palestinian Political and Social Youth Network, comprised of Palestinian youths from various universities and communities throughout the West Bank. This year, the platform for the network was expanded to include a new group of active community leaders who underwent 11 days of intensive training on social transformation in conflict and strategic planning, according to the KUMI methodology.
The training was conducted over the course of four months, during which MIFTAH provided the target group with tools, ideas and skills necessary to become positively active and influential in their respective communities with the ultimate goal of merging them with the original network to implement community initiatives and activities.
Four youth leaders spoke of their experience: Hanin Allami from Beit Ummar, in the Hebron area; Raed Al Atrash from Hebron; Bayan Rjoub from Dura, Hebron; and Nicola Qawwas from Bethlehem. Here are their testimonies.
Hanin Allami: I underwent a real change
Hanin, a media student at Al Quds University, says the KUMI training had a tremendous impact on her. “Before the training, I felt as if I were a recipient; I would act without much thought. A real change has taken place in me and I feel I can think about things much deeper and not accept them as given facts without discussing and questioning them first.” Hanin also says she is more tolerant of others now after admittedly being somewhat rigid in her way of thinking, her beliefs and opinions. “Now I can calmly listen to others and accept them without it affecting my own beliefs,” she said.
Hanin went on that she even spread her newfound knowledge to her family by initiated discussions on basic issues in society such as religion. “There were changes in me that I never expected,” she admits, adding that she understands that social change does not happen overnight and that it takes patience and respect for others. “That is why I now understand the importance of partnership and accepting others for what they are without trying to change them.”
Raed Al Atrash: We broke away from indoctrination
Raed, a second year student of media administration in the Palestine Technical College in Arroub and president of the youth PLC, shared similar sentiments. “What is so distinctive about the 9-phase KUMI approach is the joint effort and work that goes into it, far removed from the method of indoctrination.” Raed admits that before the training, he was not very accepting of other people’s needs and finding middle ground with them. “After participating in the KUMI trainings, I am more accepting, more respectful of others and their needs,” he said, adding that he now has a stronger ability to analyze the conflict “whether from my perspective or from the perspective of others.” Raed also says he uses the knowledge from the training with his family and friends, accepting their needs without this impinging on his own needs and convictions.
This transformation was not easy for Raed, especially during the first few days of the workshops. He came with rigid political preconceptions and struggled internally after each training session. However, once he became involved in the training and broadened his mind, he was far more able to accept the needs of others and respect their ideas and convictions. Now he sings to a different tune: “I think this methodology should be used in all trainings for youth and women and in all sectors of society. We must build bridges of communication and understanding.”
Bayan Rjoub: A better understanding of Reality
Bayan, a student at Hebron University, says the most valuable thing she took away from the KUMI training was a better understanding of the reality around her, the resolution of conflicts and arriving at the truth. “I began to understand my needs and distinguish between goald and the people who I may clash with. This will make things easier for me in the future. The most important thing I learned was how to separate between the goal and the need so I do not forfeit my needs,” she said. She explained how in the past, anything that was different to her was deemed as hostile. “I always argued with my teachers over their teaching methods; they were oppressive and would hit the students,” she said. “Now I understand the problem between us and I can choose the more appropriate way to solve this problem.” Even at home, her family has become more accepting of Bayan in spite of the differences between them. “Still, I feel I can influence them towards change in spite of social norms.”
Nicola Qawwas: A qualitative Change
Nicola is extremely active in his own community – a Birzeit University student of mechatronics engineering, vice president of the youth PLC and a volunteer in more than one organization. He says the training added a number of things to his life that were not present before, including the ability to analyze conflicts and deal with them differently. “We went from working at the level of goals to the level of needs. In the past we used to approach our problems in the wrong way, but now we deal with the ‘other’ in another language. We help them reach the outcome in a way that they will understand.”
Nicola says the training paid off in his everyday life, in his community and even at the level of the youth PLC. “There are constant conflicts and bickering in the council, but after the training I can see a radical change. Now, I can understand the needs of others and not just their goals, hence, we can set our goals in a way that will meet our needs, even at the family level.”
Ruham Nimri: dealing with Cultural and Structural Depth Analysis
Ruham Nimri, one of the facilitators of the KUMI training explained that the methodology addresses the cultural and structural depth of societies in internal and external conflicts. Culturally, the methodology studies the culture of the given society through delving into the social norms that were prevalent during the time period that produced this particular culture. In addition, the methodology clarifies how to interpret this cultural depth through the structural depth – the laws and social structures that hold up and fortify the culture. Furthermore, he says the methodology lays down a group of new concepts, namely the concept of basic human needs, and works to meet those needs as a condition for the transformation of identity-based social conflicts. Here, the solution is at an entirely different level; it is not the solution of conflicts, but the social transformation of them, eventually arriving at the best solution that meets the needs of all conflicting parties.
It should be mentioned that the youth groups are preparing to carry out interactive activities in the coming stage, including debates with officials in an attempt to narrow the gap between Palestinian youth sectors everywhere. The activities are also aimed at building bridges of responsive communication to unify Palestinian youth concerns and build bonds of continuous participation and interaction with all social and political issues.
MIFTAH is also preparing for its third summer camp to be held during Sept – October 2014, for the Palestinian Youth Network during which youth groups will be brought together and a safe participatory space created, which is necessary for the network to operate as an influential body for youth in the Palestinian arena.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
