PCPD ANNUAL REPORT
2011
PalestinianPeace for Centre and Democracy
Sabat Building – 2nd floor, Edward Saed St., Ramallah, P.O. Box 2290 Phone: +9722965981 Fax: +97222965983 Email: [email protected]
www.pcpd.org [email protected] YouTube: PCPDpalestinian
CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL | 3
2011 BY NUMBERS | 4
2011 HIGHLIGHTS | 5
POLITICAL ANALYSIS: CHANGE, YOUTH AND THE UN PLAN | 6
WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE AIM FOR AND WHAT WE BELIEVE IN | 8
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT | 10
WHO WE WORK WITH | 11
OUR PROGRAMMES | 12
LIBERATION AND INDEPENDENCE | 14
DEMOCRACY AND THE PURSUIT OF RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND EQUALITY | 16
YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING | 18
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT | 20
CAPACITY BUILDING | 22
COMMUNICATIONS | 22
SUCCESS STORIES | 23
CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED | 25
LOOKING AHEAD: 2012 AND BEYOND | 26
LEADERSHIP | 27 PCPD Annual Report 2011 2
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
Dear friends and family,
2011 has been a momentous year, for the Arab World, Palestine, and PCPD. The Arab Spring left our organisation incredibly optimistic, as we saw PCPD’s values and mission affirmed by people all over the Middle East. The principles of democracy and human rights, which we hold at the center of our work, were boosted and exemplified by ordinary people and the media alike. Our main target groups – the youth, marginalised, poor and middle classes – rose up peacefully and made their voices heard around the globe. This success has made PCPD’s work that much more crucial. We are responsible for our people, and in supporting them to be active citizens.
Despite the difficulties of economic crisis and Israeli occupation, PCPD implemented all of our projects successfully in 2011, and continues to serve every area of the West Bank. We participated in the UN September Statehood Initiative through marches, workshops, youth-produced TV sessions and articles.
For PCPD, 2011 was truly the year of the youth. After training with us, Palestinian youth have harnessed the power of the media, using local and main TV Space Channels as a platform for open democratic debate and free expression of opinion. PCPD is incredibly proud of all youth and staff who participated in the March 15 Youth Movement, striking 24 hours a day for two months in Nablus, until their demands were heard in the May 4th Reconciliation agreement. We love seeing our organisation represented in the struggle for increased democracy and civil society here in Palestine.
PCPD could not achieve such success without the generous support of our donors, partners, the community, and PCPD general assembly, board of directors, staff, supporters and volunteer. I would like to thank every person and organisation who received us in his home institution, volunteered his/her time, and was with us in the darkness. You all have lit a light for the coming year ahead, a year which marks unchartered territory and the possibility of even greater success here at PCPD.
Cheers, Naseef Muallem
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2011 BY NUMBERS
32initiatives carried out by men and women who received PCPD training
>180 PCPD years in operation 83 cooperating 19 supporters community-based organisations
10 projects in implementation 4 field offices and
1 head office 6 women and 3 Operating in all 11 men on the Board districts of the West Bank of Directors
TV sessions 32 11 full-time and 2 produced on the part-time staff funders empowerment of members 10 youth
366 Facebook friends and supporters
923 viewers of PCPD videos and TV sessions on YouTube
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2011 HIGHLIGHTS
EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES
PCPD’s partners and trainees have increased their efforts to impart their knowledge
gained from our activities by implementing their own initiatives in their local communities.
EXPANDED NETWORK OF CBOS
We have increased our cooperation with CBOs and now have a total of 83 partners in the West Bank. SIGNIFICANT YOUTH PRESENCE AT EVENTS
Our conference on “Palestinian Civil Society and the Arab Spring” was attended by 120 people, mainly youth, and the vast majority of papers at the conference were written and presented by young people. UNPRECEDENTED RESPONSE TO TV SESSIONS SOCIAL MEDIA
ENGAGEMENT PCPD gained substantial
national and international High levels of recognition to TV sessions activity on PCPD’s produced as part of our Facebook page youth programme. and YouTube demonstrate the desire of young Palestinians to participate in debates and be FOCUS ON PRACTICE-BASED ACTIVITIES involved in decision-making A focus on practical activities rather than purely theoretical training has led to a processes. high demand for PCPD to support CBOs to implement their own initiatives.
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POLITICAL ANALYSIS: CHANGE, YOUTH AND THE UN PLAN
The Middle East has undergone tremendous political freedom of expression, freedom of political parties and and social changes since the beginning of 2011, other equal rights, regardless of sex, religion, and namely in the eruption of the Arab Spring, in which other qualifiers. Fulfilment of such objectives requires Arab people have gone to the streets to make their time. Social democracy will require another revolution voices heard. The uprisings reached most Arab in its own right. True social justice is a complex countries, beginning in Tunisia and extending to process that requires years or even decades to Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria and others. Arabs in achieve. At minimum, the Arab Spring can reduce the their respective nations, catalysed by economic, gap between rich and poor, and begin the struggle for political and social developments on the international human rights. The third core value of the Arab spring level, began to demand change, and, in turn, their was the value of the youth. Their widespread actions affected the rest of the world. Revolutions and participation in these revolutions indicates that they popular uprisings occurred around the globe, following have their own clear vision and will. The results of the example of the Middle East. these revolutions ride on their account.
The Arab Revolutions hold three main values at their These values resonated with Palestinians and core. Firstly, they clearly articulated that people ultimately catalysed the March 15 Youth Movement, themselves are the solution. By seeing themselves as an event without precedent in Palestine. Palestinians agents for change, Arab people themselves become continue to live under occupation, compounded by actors. Secondly, they saw two distinct and clear aims financial crisis and political division between the West of the revolutions: the fulfilment of both political and Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and the Diaspora. On March social democracy. Taking these two goals into 15th 2011, for the first time in Palestinian history, consideration, one must recognise that the revolutions hundreds of thousands of young people went to the are far from finished. Genuine political and social streets advocating for two well defined objectives. democracy take years to realise. Thus, Arab countries They called for an end to the political separation and that underwent revolution are, naturally, still suffering an end to the occupation. The movement subsided from crisis. While many expected that these uprisings after May 4, 2011, when Abbas and Meshaal signed would solve their problems in a few days or months, the initial reconciliation agreement in Egypt. While this the revolutions are only in their initial stages promise for unification unfortunately weakened the scientifically speaking. For example, the French grassroots movement, the voice of the youth is still Revolution began in 1789 but did not see elections or heard everywhere. It asks for an end to systematic full results until years later. In the cases of Tunisia and marginalisation, and a guarantee to basic rights such Egypt, one aspect of political democracy has been as employment and political participation. Such achieved by holding elections. However, political demands cannot be silenced. democracy does not mean elections alone. It includes
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Regional and international powers have attempted to prematurely on this process and deeming it a success interfere in the recent Arab revolutions, as each or failure, one must recognise that it is a revolution in country seeks to protect its own interests and maintain itself. Palestinians have chosen this path toward influence. In Palestine as well, similar interferences liberation, based on the majority of public opinion exist. Thus, Palestinians and all Arabs in general find supporting seeking statehood and a decisive political themselves in a crucial period. While a time frame for decision put forth by the PLO. While the strategy of achieving human dignity is uncertain, people are internationalising the Palestinian cause should have generally optimistic that the future of the Middle East been adopted decades ago, it is never too late to put will be better than the past. these issues on the global agenda. The majority of Palestinians see international recognition of Palestine as the way to bring about local political change, even if such recognition does not mean immediate membership in the General Assembly. Nations in the world are gradually on their way toward recognising Palestine as a state. While Israeli and international opinion will play a major role in the advancement of the Palestinian agenda, Palestinian unity is the major precondition for future success and furthering of the Palestinian cause. The Israeli government’s current mentality will have no place in a democratised region. Therefore, as the Middle East continues to witness political changes in the coming months and years, ultimately Israel will feel pressure from regional and international powers, but not without a calculated effort and unity from within Palestine. Palestinians need unification to empower themselves, genuine unity that lies in accordance with the international community and law. To project onto the global stage, Palestinians must speak at one time, with one voice and a clear vision for a future of two states for two people. Unification means acknowledging that youth are the ones who will establish an independent Palestinian state and thus granting them a role in the decision-making process. Unification means strengthening the democratisation process by having presidential, parliamentary and local elections as well as elections for the Palestinian National Council. Lastly, unification means developing, organising and committing to non-violent
resistance. The September UN Statehood Initiative distinguished
2011 for Palestinians. Palestinian civilians and PCPD has strengthened significantly during 2011 as a leadership demonstrated their commitment to gaining result of the Arab Spring and new voices in the Arab legitimacy and justice for their cause through world so greatly affirmed our own vision, mission and international recognition and the rule of law. Since objectives. Hundreds of PCPD youth supporters 2009, Palestine has been developing governmental continue to boost the organisation by participating institutions, giving attention to tourism and economic regularly in and volunteering for activities. Everyone at projects, enacting new measures of taxation and PCPD, board of directors, general assembly, attempting factional reconciliation, all as preparation directors, staff, trainers, supporters and friends for qualification at the UN. September has passed, but included, feels optimistic toward the coming year, the request for statehood and international recognition despite challenges that lie ahead. is, in itself, an ongoing process. Rather than reflecting
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WHO WE ARE
Our vision is to be a pioneering and progressive organisation working in the field of political and democratic development within the borders of a free and independent Palestinian state that has a parliamentary democracy system, respects human rights in general and women’s rights in particular and guarantees social justice to all its citizens.
Our mission, as an independent civil organisation, is to work towards empowering our target groups in general and youth and women in particular. We facilitate dialogue and training workshops to enhance the ideology, culture and values of democracy and genuine peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence (PDI) of 1988. We seek to develop capacities of civil society organisations and activists and revive voluntary work and community participation as a means to liberate the Palestinian society from the occupation and all forms of backwardness based on the values of human rights, tolerance, participation, accountability and the rule of law.
WHAT WE AIM FOR
. To enhance the notion of genuine peace as a mean to establish an independent Palestinian state based on the PDI and UN resolutions;
. To consolidate and promote the principles and notions of participatory democracy and spread its practices in the Palestinian society;
. To develop the role of youth through reviving community participation and the feeling of national belonging;
. To empower women and enhance their political, economic and social role in public spheres in order to contribute to developing gender equality. The absence of gender equality will expose women to increased personal, structural and cultural violence, as well as gender-based discrimination;
. To build the capacity of PCPD staff in order to become more efficient in impacting the youth and enabling them to get involved in the construction and development process.
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WHAT WE BELIEVE IN
Political commitment to the PDI and to genuine peace as a mean to retrieve the legitimate Palestinian rights.
Equality regardless of sex, religion and political affiliation. Our activities target both sexes in all locations and gender equality is ensured within our staff and our Board of Directors which consists of four women out of seven members.
Transparency is not a slogan for PCPD; it is a daily practice in the work of PCPD. Both the Board of Directors and the General Assembly are implementing their work in an efficient and creative manner. The executive body informs both governing bodies on all work details including signed contracts, budgets and relationships with partners.
Teamwork is at the heart of our work. The executive management and staff assess the needs of our target groups, draft them into ideas and proposals, refer them to the Board and the Board submits them to the General Assembly for ratification. These projects then get implemented on the ground by staff, volunteers and supporters of PCPD.
Decentralisation and delegation form an indispensable part of PCPD’s management methodology as it helps in creating quick response mechanisms to the needs of our target groups, encourages new initiatives and gives wide authorities to coordinators and the facilitators in their locations.
We believe in the importance of cooperation and networking with local organisations that include marginalised groups. This helps us understand the needs of those groups and helps them to build their capacities to voice their needs and impact their communities. PCPD is part of the grassroots organisations network that was established in 2005 and we work in full partnership with its members.
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WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
“The PCPD concentrates on raising “From my own point of view, what makes the PCPD awareness about important issues special is the accountability and transparency, which is missed in many other organisations. The second (political issues, media, etc). Also it thing is the important issues we are trained in, these encourages some of the distinctive issues and subjects are very important for the supporters, and targeted groups by Palestinian people to know.” Zainab funding special ideas, and activities they “PCPD is working on political and social issues, have suggested.” Nasime Kashour while other organisations usually only focus on one of the two.” Youth supporter
“PCPD contributed in developing “I saw in the PCPD a real and tangible importance on the skills and personality of many friends within its projects like the the level of the experience I gained from it. I became more ‘Get to Know your Country’ project, skilled and after the trainings and workshops as well as the workshops conducted by PCPD where they invited implemented by PCPD, I now have the ability to be a politicians, thinkers, etc.” leader. PCPD gives the opportunity to develop personality Isam Farraj in a practical way, not just theoretical.” Soria Elayyan
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WHO WE WORK WITH
ON THE LOCAL LEVEL: PCPD-CBO PARTNERSHIPS PCPD works in all areas of the West Bank, including rural and marginalised areas. Our work could not extend this far without the cooperation of various community-based organisations (CBOs) who act as envoys to our target communities. These strategic partnerships help to increase the impact of our work, particularly through the creation of libraries, community centres, and schools of democracy throughout Palestine. In 2011, we entered into 14 new partnerships and now work with 83 CBOs, mainly women and youth organisations.
ON THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL: PCPD FUNDERS and PARTNERS Our ongoing efforts towards developing just peace and a democratic society would not be possible without the generous funding and consultancy provided by the following organisations. We share with our partners a common vision to develop a democratic, peaceful and self-sufficient Palestinian society and thank them for their interest in conducting field visits and meeting beneficiaries. Together, we are committed to building this society on shared values and premises: freedom and tolerance, equality and equal rights for all, social justice and respect for human rights.
. Christian Aid . Cordaid . Finn Church Aid . Kvinna till Kvinna . Action Aid . National Endowment for Democracy (NED) . The NGO Development Center (NDC) . Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) . Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer international Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) . Coalition for Integrity and Accountability (AMAN)
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OUR PROGRAMMES
Our main target groups are young women and men who are marginalised by most political parties and the Palestinian Authority in general.
We work with university students when they have been nearly forgotten by political and civic organisations.
We work with the poor and marginalised located adjacent to the wall while most people have stopped including these groups in their work.
We work with local governments and CBOs in order to strengthen participatory democracy at a time when the popular civil and political sectors have been disenfranchised by cancelled elections.
We write and translate progressive literature at a time when all one finds on the newsstands and bookshops are filled with topics of little importance to Palestinian liberation.
We conduct activities and events with Palestinians who live in Israel – when these people are excluded by most other Palestinian NGOs.
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Our 2011 action plan was successful with each project containing different activities including workshops, training courses, conferences, media, adoption of initiatives, publishing and distributing books, creation of progressive libraries, book discussions, demonstrations, television sessions, and manuals for training.
Five strategic goals constitute the backbone of PCPD and the ideal ways to fulfil PCPD’s purpose of establishment in 1992. It was established with the strong believe, that by building capacity of the disadvantaged and marginalised in society and by empowering them to become actors and agents of change, the Palestinian society will eventually overcome all challenges and difficulties in order to establish the secular Palestinian state in accordance with the PDI that stipulates:
Based on the normative framework of the PDI and our assessments on the ground, a strategic plan for the period of 2010 to 2012 was elaborated. This strategy serves as a compass of our work and all of our work is directed towards the strategic goals as listed below. For each of these goals, we developed programmes which frame PCPD’s projects and activities.
“The State of Palestine is the state of Palestinians wherever they may be. The state is for them to enjoy in it their collective national and cultural identity, theirs to pursue in it a complete equality of rights. In it will be safeguarded their political and religious convictions and their human dignity by means of a parliamentary democratic system of governance, itself based on freedom of expression and the freedom to form parties. The rights of minorities will duly be respected by the majority, as minorities must abide by decisions of the majority. Governance will be based on principles of social justice, equality and non-discrimination in public rights of men or women, on grounds of race, religion, color or sex, and the aegis of a constitution which ensures the rule of law and an independent judiciary. Thus shall these principles allow no departure from Palestine's age-old spiritual and civilization heritage of tolerance and religious coexistence,” (Paragraph 12, Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988).
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LIBERATION AND INDEPENDENCE
STRATEGIC GOAL: To enhance the notion of genuine peace as a mean to establish an independent Palestinian state based on the PDI and UN resolutions.
The Women and Family Affairs Centre (WFAC) in Our peace programme aims to revive the independence Nablus chose to implement an initiative entitled dream and consolidate the ideology, culture and values of an equitable peace for Palestine based on the Palestinian “Protecting and Promoting the Rights of the Disabled” Declaration of Independence (PDI) of 1988. The principles aimed at increasing awareness of the rights of disabled proclaimed in the PDI are in perfect harmony with people in Palestine according to law, and how best to international law, UN resolutions, human rights, participatory help them live a decent life. The WFAC chose to democracy and commitment to the establishment of a organise four local workshops on the following issues 1) Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. In the event of Citizenship 2) Types of disability 3) Reports on elections, part of this programme includes the monitoring of disability and 4) Disability Act – Number 4, 1999. such. In 2011, two projects focused on raising awareness of the PDI and its principles, and motivating fellow Palestinians Each of these workshops had between 11-19 to play a role in the independence process and in combating participants discussing the topics presented. the occupation using non-violent means.
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CITIZENSHIP IN PARTICIPATION
This two-year project focuses on engaging young leaders at a community level and providing them with skills that they can take back to their communities and organisations to serve as leaders and advocates for democratic change and civic participation. In order to achieve this, we have chosen to work with 20 CBOs (community-based organisations) throughout the West Bank to enrich and strengthen local youth through education and community engagement. Through this, PCPD hopes to develop participants not only in their knowledge of basic issues such as democracy issues, civil society, CBOs, Palestinian and international law, and electoral and political systems, but also through training in networking and lobbying, teamwork, negotiation skills, and media cooperation. Following the training, participants are able to plan, organise and implement their own initiatives. As a result at the end of 2011, 19 CBOs had implemented at least one initiative addressing political and rights issues in their own communities.
The Aqaba Rural Women Association in Tubas organised a NOVEMBER, THE MONTH OF series of four workshops focusing on different topics with the aim to SOLIDARITY AND INDEPENDENCE raise awareness of important issues in the local community. An average of 26 participants engaged and debated topics such as Every year in connection with the anniversary of the Palestinian citizenship, volunteer work, democratic participation and team Declaration of Independence (PDI), work, and ‘Landmines, Weapons Waste and Residue’. PCPD organises events to remind the Palestinian community of the principles inscribed in the declaration. PCPD conducted four live TV sessions in November 2011 debating the principles written in the PDI and their absence from the Palestinian context.
Apart from own events and gatherings to remember the PDI, PCPD encourages its CBO partners to implement their own initiatives to promote concepts and principles such as participatory parliamentary democracy, human rights, rule of law and gender equality.
In November 2011, PCPD partner, the CBO Nibras, organised the raising of a stone monument engraved with the PDI in the village of Dar Salah, Bethlehem.
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DEMOCRACY AND THE PURSUIT OF RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND EQUALITY
STRATEGIC GOAL: To consolidate and promote the principles and notions of participatory democracy and spread its practices in the Palestinian society.
The Civil Society and Democracy programme aims to spread the principles of democracy stated in the PDI and the implementation of these in and by Palestinian civil society to achieve an independent Palestinian state according to international law and the UN resolutions. The PCPD views the internal use of democracy and transparency in Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as a prerequisite for a wider respect of democracy and increasing the success and trustworthiness of CSOs in Palestine. The programme also focuses on educating youth and society on the importance of addressing democracy not only as a political issue but a social issue as a real practice of citizenship. Under this programme in 2011, four projects were focusing on promoting the democratic process, rule of law and responsible citizenship.
PROMOTING THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN these youth went on to receive advanced training in PALESTINE political participation, lobbying, national and This project aims to engage Palestinian youth, aged international law, and political systems, and a further 18-28 years, in the democratic process through 21 youth appeared on nationally televised discussion practical and theoretical training on the principles of sessions about topics including; the Palestinian High democracy, as outlined in the PDI. Throughout 2011, Court Decision regarding the postponement of PCPD staff has worked towards these aims by elections as illegal, youth and social injustice, the providing 800 Palestinian youth across the West Bank Palestinian UN bid and President Mahmoud Abbas’ with workshop events assessing the Arab Revolutions speech to the UN. and the absence of elections in Palestine. 108 of
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RULE OF LAW, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN TRANSPARENCY AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT RIGHTS This project seeks to engage all actors on the local In July 2011, PCPD and Action Aid together launched level towards a model of community development a project guided by a common vision of increasing based on human rights, contractual governance, youth participation in decision-making. The project citizenship and participatory decision-making. By aims to encourage cooperation between local doing so, it undertakes steps towards changing the governments and the youth and to influence local situation in Palestine where the current system of governments to realise the need and actively seek to elected official decision-makers is hardly addressing work with the youth. Project activities implemented the concerns of the constituents and where within this project include meetings, workshops, Palestinian civil society grids have come to a stand- training sessions, drafting processes and negotiations still. In 2011, targeted youth and local decision-makers between the youth participants and local government received training on good governance, human rights, representatives with the aim of the two parties and accountability, as well as how to analyse their producing and signing an agreement of cooperation – communities’ needs. In cooperation with local a cooperation in which youth supports the local authorities, the youth started to implement activities in government with its needs while also demanding more their communities, such as a constructing a shelter in participation, responsibility and transparency from the Shuhada, planting a public garden in Doha, or local representatives, through concrete activities. enhancing civic education in Ellar and Tammoun.
YOUTH FOR CHANGE Within this project, activities are implemented which encourage and support young people trained by PCPD to participate in public life at the local level by undertaking practical political initiatives such as initiating campaigns, becoming involved in local community institutions and running office, advocating for representational government in Palestine. PCPD is also seeking to establish solid platforms of good governance within the PCPD’s targeted CBOs. Beyond the realisation of individual projects, PCPD was able to respond to new and unforeseen needs, to further build the capacities of its staff and improve the managerial and financial system of cooperating CBOs as well as to widen its regional outreach. As of today, PCPD cooperates with 83 CBOs and more than 250 young men and women support its work on a voluntary basis. After receiving training by PCPD in 2011, the targeted young people carried out more than 30 initiatives, opposed to the only sporadic implementation of initiatives in 2009. At least 10 CBOs have carried out their first Board of Directors elections since September 2010 instead of appointing the members during General Assembly meetings as witnessed before.
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YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN “Why is it not me who DECISION-MAKING
is the director of the youth club – why is he STRATEGIC GOAL: To develop the role of youth through reviving community participation and the feeling of national belonging. 50 years old?”
Mahmoud Young people make up the largest demographic group in Palestine; despite this they do (youth supporter) not enjoy adequate access to employment opportunities or political and social decision- making. This programme aims at activating the political role of youth regarding the democratic process and aims to educate and empower young Palestinian men and women to face the current political challenges, be active citizens and successfully assert their rightful place in society. “PCPD is giving EMPOWERING YOUTH THROUGH MEDIA chances as well as roles and responsibilities for In 2011, PCPD launched a ‘Youth in Media’ project which is being implemented over a period of three years. The project contributes to the efforts to increase youth participation the youth to implement in peace building and in advancing the democratic process through better interaction their own ideas.” between the youth and the media. Youth activists involved in this project are gaining increased knowledge about the unique position which the media holds in the peace Youth supporter process.
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Mohammed Al-Amleh During the first year of the project, 80 Palestinian youth from across the West Bank acquired knowledge about the role of media in politics. Mohammed lives in Bir Nabala and Subsequently, 21 participated in advanced training on 32 media skills and is an active Palestinian youth in planned TV sessions, which focused on the following topics: President political and social arenas. Studying Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to the UN in September 2011, challenges media is one of his dreams but he was facing the youth in Palestine, unemployment amongst youth, emigration unable to pursue a media course at of Palestinian youth, the 23rd anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of university and instead sought Independence and the International Day of Solidarity for the Palestinian alternative means to make his dream People. come true. Mohammed saw an Public response to the TV sessions far exceeded expectations as PCPD opportunity to realize his dream when received an overwhelming number of calls during and after the he participated in PCPD’s workshop transmission of TV sessions. The response from viewers was felt mainly ‘Training of Trainers’ in which one of through the calls to the channels and through comments in PCPD’s the subjects taught was media, Facebook group, as well as visits to PCPD offices to inquire about their including skills on how to speak in potential involvement in the second year of the project. Due to front of a camera and how to use a professionalism shown by the PCPD staff and trainees, and savings from microphone. negotiating session budgets, a TV session was broadcast on the national space channel, Palestine TV.
Later he participated in a live TV session in Tulkarem and after which he was asked to participate in a TV show on Wattan TV where he talked about problems faced by youth and argued that youth have the ability to act, not just to watch. Pursuing his dream, he participated in a PCPD youth media project in 2011. Here he trained for eight months concluding with conducting his own session live on Al-Quds Educational TV. Mohammed has since been invited as a special guest on Palestine Space
Channel and received requests to
conduct more TV sessions.
PALESTINIAN YOUTH THROUGH BORDERS AND BARRIERS
PCPD partnered in 2010 with Baladna to encourage networking and cooperation between young Palestinians living very different lives. The encounters between youth from both sides of the green line aimed to build bridges of communication between the youth and to contribute to the exchange of experiences and expertise from both sides.
Additionally, activities sought to strengthen the national Palestinian identity on both sides and aimed to encourage and stimulate critical thinking, advocacy, discussion and debating skills among the participating groups, and to contribute to initiating an interior dialogue about crucial Palestinian issues.
The project activities included five training sessions and one study trip to Haifa, the latter symbolising the end of the project. Through this project, Palestinians from both sides of the green line (the 1948 territory and the 1967 territory) met, exchanged experiences, talked about their cultural and social identity, their life conditions and worked together on ideas for further joint projects.
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WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
STRATEGIC GOAL: To empower women and enhance their political, economic and social role in the public spheres in order to contribute to developing gender equality. The absence of gender equality will expose women to increased personal, structural and cultural violence, as well as gender-based discrimination.
Our women empowerment programme aims to encourage young women to become agents of change in order to increase female representation in political, social and economic spheres and to reach decision-making positions. PCPD recognizes that the role of Palestinian women in public life is significant to reaching independence and to the successful development of a democratic state. All of our projects seek to encourage equal participation of men and women in all activities, however one project in 2011 focused exclusively on capacitating Palestinian women through CBOs to engage in public and political life in their communities and on the national level.
Personal development story: Adiba Adiba from the Beit Ummer task force recently impressed the trainers and the rest of the participants at the ActionAid ILTS training in Bethlehem. Fadi – one of the trainers also working with PCPD - called Hiba during the training to tell her that Adiba is an especially strong and very good participant. Adiba has never been engaged in such trainings or such a project before – she did not know anything about negotiation, about gender etc. before arriving at her first training in Beit Ummer.
“Before the training I worked in the youth club training boys and girls – but I did not grasp that this is actually working with gender”.
When Adiba selects an issue to work on she understands how apply the issue practically and realistically. Lately Adiba joined Hiba at a meeting with the Shyoukh Youth Task Force (12th of January) to see how the group of Shyoukh is approaching their work. After that she used this inspiration with the Task Force in Beit Ummer. She is one of the main drivers of the Task Force there.
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PALESTINIAN WOMEN IN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
In 2011, PCPD launched a three-year project aimed at developing the capacity of 100 female civil society members in order to equip these women with the skills and knowledge to become politically active in public life. These women have been recruited through CBOs, which are working for the benefit of women to be fully prepared to engage in all aspects of political life in their own communities and at the national level. Many of these women are affiliated or members to these CBOs, university graduates, unemployed, or activists on a local level.
The project focused on implementing training workshops for the selected women which included topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the role of civil society as a school for democracy, transparency and good governance in CBOs, gender issues in advocacy and lobbying and in the media, the role of social media in the Arab Spring, media portrayal of women, and how women can be political activists. In subsequent trainings, the women’s skills in lobbying and advocacy were increased and their knowledge on the Palestinian political system, current events and women in the media was enhanced.
Following the training sessions, many women were able to implement their own practical political initiatives, thereby increasing their participation in the public sphere. Bringing together women from all over the West Bank also served to facilitate networking for exchange and planning joint activities. In 2011, the process of improving the CBOs’ governance of representation, and management and financial system began and will continue throughout the rest of the project life cycle.
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CAPACITY BUILDING STRATEGIC GOAL: To build the capacity of PCPD staff in order to become more efficient in impacting the youth and enable them to get involved in the construction and development process.
In order to provide the best possible support to our local partners and target groups, we are committed to developing the capacities of our own staff. In particular, we are seeking more efficient ways to enable our target groups to become involved in project construction and development processes.
In 2011, we introduced a new financial management system and all staff received training provided by Aman (Coalition for Integrity and Accountability) on how to use the system. We believe that the knowledge and skills gained from these training sessions will help to strengthen PCPD’s internal administration as well as enhance the support we provide to our local CBO partners in the development of their own financial management systems.
Several staff members took part in training sessions conducted by our partner, Action Aid. These trainings focused mainly on developing trainers’ skills in methods of appreciative enquiry, leadership, evaluation of sessions, communication and general training methodology.
In November 2011, PCPD partner GIZ seconded a Development Advisor to the PCPD to support the development of PCPD staff capacities, and organisational development until the end of 2013. Especially, the Development Advisor will support PCPD staff in the implementation of PCPD’s new monitoring and evaluation system and support the development of skills in reporting and project management.
PCPD continues to increase the number of books available in our libraries. Throughout 2011, we have experienced an increasing number of users borrowing books and engaging in discussions about topics related to democracy, human rights and international law. Our library users include supporters and students from Bir Zeit University, Khadoury University, the American-Arab University, Al-Nashar University and Bethlehem University.
COMMUNICATIONS
PCPD recognizes the value of stakeholder engagement, and as such, we have taken the opportunity in 2011 to make use of various social media tools. This strategy has benefited us in increasing public awareness of our work in the West Bank, and has been particularly effective in mobilising Palestinian youth at events and in discussions on political and social issues.
In the second half of the year, PCPD launched a Facebook group which saw us reach 366 members by the end of 2011. We have been able to use this platform to share critical news items and activities pertaining to PCPD’s work, as well as feature relevant articles that can inform our target groups about current events and political issues. Members of the group have so far been incredibly active on the site, notably during the Arab uprisings.
Eight TV sessions produced as part of our youth activities were uploaded onto YouTube, with videos such as “Analyzing the President’s Speech”, “Challenges Faced by the Palestinian Youth”, and “Youth: Reality and Challenges” gaining hundreds of views. We also strengthened our media presence on TV where one of our Coordinators, Ibraheem, discussed our joint PCPD-Baladna project “Palestinian Youth and Identity” on the Palestine Today Channel.
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SUCCESS STORIES
Words of Basima Abou Tabeekh, Head of Women PCPD ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Activities Centre (Jenin Camp) The PCPD Annual Conference held on December 10 The Women Activities Centre has implemented various 2011 focused on Palestinian civil society and the Arab training sessions for their staff and General Assembly Spring and called on civil society to use new tools and (including fundraising for small projects, strategic procedures in order to become self-reliant. The main recommendation for Palestinians and especially planning, communication skills, coordinating and politicians, who are relying on foreign donations, was to communication with other organisations). The most provide specific support and attention to the agricultural successful programme is working with PCPD through and tourism sectors, and to youth participation. trainings and meetings, through which I gained knowledge Participants also reiterated the call for an end to the and practical experiences which help in the empowering separation between Fatah and Hamas, and emphasised that any reconciliation should be based on the political refugee women on legal issues. The workshops and follow- principles as set out in the Palestinian Declaration of ups on administrative and financial issues made me Independence. The main conclusion agreed upon by all capable of managing any project and the costs. This is participants was the importance of empowering the thanks to PCPD which made us trusts ourselves and Palestinian youth to assume their legitimate role in decision-making. Five papers were presented at the believe in our abilities. conference, most of which were prepared by PCPD supporters and volunteers with the support of PCPD staff.
YOUTH INITIATIVES
The revolutionary wave which has swept across the Middle East since late 2010 positively inspired the Palestinian youth to advocate for a representative government in Palestine. Many of PCPD’s supporters and former trainees were active in the March 15th youth movement calling for an end to the division between the two rival parties Fatah and Hamas. Seven university students who had previously received training by the PCPD and are now supporters came together and formed a Facebook group calling for a strike in Nablus. The group successfully recruited 50-60 other young people, both men and women, to carry out a sit-in strike aimed at pressuring Fatah and Hamas into reconciliation.
During the weeks of the sit-in, the protesters arranged a political programme each day, including political presentations, exhibitions, theatre performances and folklore. The initiators invited PCPD’s General Director to give a political talk about the South African experience, which engaged several young people who have now become PCPD supporters. The sit-in initiative began on the 15th of March and ended when Fatah, Hamas and 11 other factions signed the reconciliation agreement on the 4th of May.
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Personal story: Imad
Assalweh “My name is Imad Assalweh and I am studying political
science at al Najah University and I live in Nablus. My ambition is to pass my
knowledge about philosophy and logic to others, because they don’t have this kind of
knowledge and this is the fault of our schools and universities in Palestine.
So I was thinking of teaching political issues from logical
ETHNA SOCIETY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND YOUTH view. In August 2011, I DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION heard about initiatives implemented by PCPD. So I PCPD supported the cooperation between Ethna Society for Higher Education, Youth Development Association and Ethna Municipality to gave them an idea about an address the problem of pollution in the village caused by the burning and initiative (training in politics), improper disposal of rubbish. Their common initiative has included raising and they approved it. I awareness amongst their own community through workshops and campaigns, and winning over the support of the local police and the implemented the training with Governor. In cooperation, these partners have together succeeded in a friend of mine, and this was convincing the Bethlehem and Hebron Districts to work together to establish the first step to reaching my a rubbish dumping ground away from the communities. dream. It was four training sessions, one session every week AL RAM YOUTH COUNCIL (four hour sessions). Through
PCPD has worked to support the Al Ram Youth Council to increase their the training I had the ability to knowledge on citizenship, democracy, election procedures and lobbying and give my knowledge to others, advocacy. Building on this knowledge, the youth council has planned, and give them new ideas, and mobilized and implemented initiatives addressing issues which they have identified in their local community. One of their most successful initiatives hear their points of view. So I sought to improve the local environment of Al Ram by painting pavement finally gave training in politics, curbs, installing road signs and planting trees. The 15 members managed to international relations, mobilise their community to plan, donate and participate in implementing actions. political theory, etc. and I succeeded.”
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CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Operating within such a complex political, economic and social context continues to pose a number of challenges for PCPD and 2011 was no exception.
Palestine has not been immune to the financial crisis that has recently affected the global economy, impacting upon the private and public sectors and NGOs. High prices and low salaries mean that Palestinians, young people especially, are more concerned about covering their daily expenses than they are about the democratic process. However, PCPD continues to make an effort to raise awareness of the benefits of participation in order to change policies.
The absence of local government elections resulted in the reluctance of some CBOs to work with such governments, feeling that they lacked legitimacy. PCPD has managed to facilitate compromises and cooperation on service provision to the local community, highlighting a need regardless of the absence of elections.
During the implementation of our women empowerment programme, PCPD faced obstacles in gaining women’s participation in activities that were located away from their homes. As a result, we reorganized activities to mainly take place in local communities, providing women the opportunity to actively participate.
Based on our monitoring and evaluation activities and feedback from our target groups, supporters and donors, PCPD has considered the following lessons learned from our 2011 activities.
PCPD believes it is now important to adopt an action-based approach in its project implementation, in which knowledge and skills of our target groups are not simply gained on a theoretical level, but are also strongly utilized on a practical level. Additionally, during project implementation, PCPD sees organisational flexibility as crucial to project success and potential impact. We intend to take a more adaptable approach during project planning and implementation phases. Also, we seek to acquire core funding in order to be able to respond to unforeseen needs.
An important lesson learned in 2011 has been the need for better coordination between PCPD and similar NGOs working in the fields of political development and democracy, in order to avoid duplicate actions, to facilitate large- scale projects, and to lower competitiveness in obtaining donor funding. Within PCPD’s internal operations, capacity building of our staff has so far proven to be effective and will be continued and enhanced. PCPD is looking to introduce a standardised training process as well as comprehensive preparation for appointed trainers. Networking with other organisations that deliver more specialised trainings would be an additional asset.
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LOOKING AHEAD: 2012 AND BEYOND
In 2012, PCPD will remain committed to striving towards a just peace and democratic, independent Palestinian state. As we approach the completion of our strategic plan for 2010-2012, we hope to accomplish and build on the following key issues:
. To expand PCPD’s activities into the streets by increasing the number of initiatives undertaken by target groups. After receiving extensive training these groups are now prepared to take action.
. To enhance our youth programme to adopt a more practice-oriented approach. Workshops and trainings will thus be limited in number and instead the focus will be on youth forming their own lobby groups and identifying relevant community issues which they will address through their own designed campaigns and initiatives.
. To implement the newly developed comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system.
. To enhance cooperation with other NGOs operating in the same field in order to bundle efforts accordingly, to up- scale impacts and to decrease competition for donor funding.
. To enhance the social media outreach.
. To widen the network of supporters and partners, to maintain relationships of trust with current donors and to reach out to new donors as and when needed in order to implement potential future projects.
. To influence current efforts of the PNA to find solutions for the financial crisis, and to introduce training sessions on alternative economic systems to our political education programme, encouraging civil society actors to express their needs and interests on a knowledgeable basis.
. To expand PCPD’s activities to the Gaza Strip; this is not currently possible due to the political division and the occupation.
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LEADERSHIP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011
Ms. Faddwa Khader Ms. Intisar Qareeb Ms. Haneen Zeidan Chairwoman Secretary Member Ms. Sona Arouri Mr. Tayseer Arouri Ms. Nadia Harb Deputy Chairwoman Member Member Mr. Munther Dakkak Mr. Amin Enabeh Ms. Ghadeer Abu Gazala Treasurer Member Member
PCPD TEAM
Mr. Naseef Mu’allem Ms. Eman Zayyad Ms. Hiba Al-Arab Director General Coordinator of the Centre of the West Bank Coordinator in Hebron Ms. Hilda Issa Ms. Haneen Abu Sada Mr. Zuheir Tmazi Administrative and Financial Director Coordinator of the South of the West Bank Coordinator and Trainer Ms. Linda Nasser Ms. Asmahan Bushnaq Mr. Rami Rizeqallah Administrative Assistant Trainer and Facilitator Accountant (part-time) Mr. Hussein Sawalha Mr. Ibraheem Abed Jawwad Coordinator of the North East of the West Facilitator Bank Ms. Ikram Zbeidat Mr. Fadi Ishtaya Coordinator of the North West of the Coordinator in Nablus West Bank
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1. Mr. Abbas Milhem 11. Mr. Hashem Barahma 21. Ms. Najah Hamad 2. Mr. Ali Khilleh 12. Ms. Hana Abideen 22. Mr. Odeh Naser 3. Mr. Abed Al-Majeed Hamdan 13. Ms. Haneen Zeidan 23. Ms. Pnina Thabet 4. Mr. Amin Annabi 14. Ms. Intisar Al-Salman 24. Ms. Rafeef Mujahed 5. Ms. Basma Al-Naji 15. Mr. Khaleel Sheeha 25. Ms. Randa Abed Rabbo 6. Mr. Ezat Al-Shuaybi 16. Mr. Muhammad Salim 26. Mr. Sameer Abdulla 7. Ms. Faddwa Khader 17. Mr. Munther Al-Daqqaq 27. Ms. Sona Qaod 8. Ms. Ghadeer Abu Ghazaleh 18. Ms. Nadia Harb 28. Mr. Tamer Issawi 9. Mr. Issa Samandar 19. Mr. Naeem Al-Ashhab 29. Mr. Tayseer Arouri 10. Mr. Hanna Amireh 20. Mr. Nidal Al-Kafri 30. 30. Mr. Taleb Awwa
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