Agricultural Development Association (PARC) Palestine West Bank P.O.Box: 25128 Shu’fat Jerusalem Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.pal-arc.org www.parc.ps Gaza Email: [email protected] Email:[email protected] Branch Tel Fax Head Office - Ramallah 02 2963840 02 2963850 Head Office - Gaza 08 2805040/1/2 082805039 Middle Branch - Ramallah 02 2952650 02 2952650 Jerusalem Office 02 5833818 02 5831898 Jericho Office 02 2327296 02 2327298 Salfit Office 09 2515220 09 2515220 North Branch - Al-Zababdeh 04 2510461/2 04 2520461 Nablus Office 09 2380912 09 2380912 Tulkarem Office 09 2675944 09 2675944 Azzoun Office 09 2900874 09 2900874 South Branch - Hebron 02 2294585 02 2290288 Bethlehem 02 2770812 02 2750388 Who We Are The Agricultural Development Association (PARC) is a leading Palestinian non-profit, non-governmental organization involved in rural development and women’s empowerment. PARC provides advice, awareness support, services, and special consultancies for individuals, groups, and institutions involved in similar domains. PARC relies on the broad and efficient participation of its beneficiaries, and moreover on developing the qualifications of its experts to better benefit and develop a democratic Palestinian civil society. General Goal To Contribute in Achieving Sustainable And Integrated Rural Development A Policy of Quality We do what we say and ensure the quality of our work A policy of quality is identified at PARC as the adherence by management and staff to providing technically distinguished development services (In the approach and professional sense) Such services spring from the needs and expectations of the marginalized rural communities extending from their living humanitarian, and environmental prospects and in line with best utilization of available resources. PARC seeks to provide services through a permanent and developed system of administration focusing on staff, and maintaining team and voluntary spirit. Board of Directors Name Board Title Location Issam Abu Alhaj Chairman Ramallah Naser Abu Alata Deputy Chairman Gaza Husam Abu Faris Treasurer Ramallah Hatem Alshanti Deputy Treasurer Gaza Ahed Ghanem General Secretary Tulkarem Sahab Shaheen Member Nablus Jamal Ed-Dadah Member Gaza Dawoud Iraikat Member Jericho Salah Zahran Member Jerusalem Abdel Raq Salameh Member Gaza Lutfi Abu Hashish Member Beit Lahem Asma Atawneh Member Hebron Jameel abu Hamida Member Gaza Supervision Committee Name Location Amira Abu Shousheh Jericho Fatima Altous Ramallah Ahlam khdair Nablus Basel Abu Daka Gaza Contents I. An overview of the Palestinian Context over the Year 2012 1 I.1 Political Situations 1 I.2 Economic Situations 3 I.3 Social Conditions 4 I.4 Local NGOs 5 I.5 Agricultural Situations 6 II. Overview for 2013 9 III. Executive Summary 13 IV. Target Locations & Beneficiary Groups 31 IV.1 Target Locations 31 IV.2 Target Beneficiaries 33 V. Partnerships and Alliances 37 V.1 Partnerships with NGOs 37 V.2 Partnerships with Governmental & semi-Government Institutions 38 V.3 Relations with Companies Institutions Emerging from PARC 39 V.4 Relations with Universities & Academic Institutions 41 V.5 Partnerships with Private Sector 42 VI. Annexes 43 VI.1 List of PARC Ongoing Projects in 2012 43 VI.2 Summary of the Five Years Plan Achievements (2008-2012) 49 Message of the Board During the previous years, conditions at the political arena in general exacerbated alongside the escalated actions of the Israeli occupation and settlers on the ground, and the year 2012 wasn’t exception. The agricultural sector and the Palestinian rural areas were the most affected by the Israeli occupation policies and the internal conflict between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. All effort made to resolve the latter issue reached a deadlock. At the regional and international levels, the Palestinians Cause witnessed a setback in terms of changes that took place, especially in the neighboring countries. Despite the financial crisis that overshadowed living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the continued siege against Gaza, restrictions to movement of individuals and goods and the many frustrations facing the Palestinian people, a glimmer of hope is in sight after the international community acknowledged – relatively late – Palestine’s status as an observer state in the United Nations. Although this achievement was not that great, still, it opened the door wide for big Palestinian efforts, which would bring in more gains to the Palestinian people in the international organizations to help encounter the frequent Israeli violations. On the other hand, the Palestinian economy witnessed a distorted growth due to the international assistance and oPt –driven policies by changing donor agendas and finance directions, which was combined with unprecedented price rise of foodstuff and commodity, and this was accompanied by a decrease in over all income. Additionally, there have been governmental decisions intended to increase dependence on domestic revenues and bring changes to structure of the taxes and fees, which, in turn, impacted living conditions of all groups. The spending basket for foodstuff and basic needs went up for the first time to be more that %40 of gross income, and this has been –and still – impacting the levels of people’s saving and investment, which would diminish the chances of actual growth and employment. All of which has proven that economic and social policies adopted in Palestine were fragile up against the heavy load imposed by Israeli occupation, for which procedures have established more dependence. The Israeli restrictions (closures, demolitions, confiscations) undermined the Palestinians’ endurance, as well the socioeconomic policies associated with decline in the fundamental rights and general freedoms. PARC, as one of the civil society components, took these developments very seriously, especially towards the disadvantaged groups in the Palestinian rural areas, where PARC was the first to raise its voice against the rises in the prices, offered suggestions to empower small farmers and producers and called upon active boycott to settlements’ products and support the national ones that could compete with the Israelis, and to enhance the domestic capacity to replace the policies of reactions with real initiatives. In the light of spending changes and priorities, PACR looked for developing a micro agricultural and domestic production as an important resilience foundation, taking in consideration the slowing peace process into account. PARC increased its actions in areas classified ‘C’ in the West Bank and undertaken special activities that helped influencing donors’ policies upon targeting these areas, as they constitute the best opportunity to make the two-state solution possible . At the domestic level, PARC showed interest in enhancing role played by institutional references and improving staff to face the rapidly changing development agenda. The board was interested in putting a code of conduct into action for PARC practices at all levels, and looking forward to the strategic plan that would move the programs and the actions techniques to the next level, which helps reinforcement of different rights based on the effective role played by the groups struggling for economic/social policies that empower the marginalized groups depending on fundamental rights, especially general freedoms. Overview of the board achievements during 2012: The former BOD Of PARC , where its term expired July 2012, held seven meetings, while the new BOD held seven meetings since its been elected until the end of the year, where the following themes have been discussed: 1. Initiate the strategic thinking and planning for 2013-2017. 2. Confirm the Importance of maintaining Jerusalem registration. 3. Approve the bank facilitations. 4. Approve the opening of the PARC office in the Jordan Valley. 5. Approve additional contribution into the capital of REEF Finance. 6. Endorse the financial/administrative report of 2011 before presenting it to the general assembly for approval. 7. Organize PARC assets and investments. 8. Arrange meetings of the general assembly in July 2012. 9. Agree on the internal action protocol within the board and with the executive management. 10. Draft a plan –for the board of directors and a number of action control policies for the board. 11. Meeting with executive staff in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for consultation and revision of developments. 12. Follow up the consequences of the staff resignation in the Gaza Strip and form a special committee to review – the impact of these resignations. 13. Adopt the representation of PARC in REEF Finance, REEF for Agricultural Investment and Marketing and WATAN TV channel. 14. Organize field visits and participate in events and exhibitions sponsored by PARC. 15. Showed interest in role played by PARC in the local elections held late 2012, as a democratic entitlement supported by popular participation. 16. The rise in the prices and the high rates of living cost had a special interest at the board discussions due to its direct impact on small producers and low-income people. 17. Arrange a visit for the chairman of the board to the Gaza Strip to review the conditions there closely. Chapter One An overview of the Palestinian Context over the Year 2012 I.1 Political Situations Generally speaking, excluding what the Palestinian leadership has achieved regarding the Palestine’s statehood bid to the UN, we can say that there have been no changes in the political arena compared with 2011. The year 2012 witnessed the following developments: 1. The latest Israeli elections brought an extreme right-wing government to power, the same as the previous governments that controlled the oPt, kept the settlements in the West Bank and maintained the Gaza Strip siege and impeded the peace process. 2. The Israeli violations in Jerusalem expanded as if the Israeli government is in race with time to establish solid changes on the ground, as occupation procedures continued to influence many living aspects. 3. The Israeli attacks in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem went on.