خبر اختتام برنامج "المواطنون الفاعلون" في محافظات الشمال

نظم المجلس الثقافي البريطاني بالشراكة مع مركز العمل التنموي-معاً يوم الأربعاء الموافق 9 ايار 2012 وللعام الثاني على التوالي حفل تخريج المشاركين في برنامج المواطنة الفاعلة الذي ينفذ في محافظات نابلس وجنين وطولكرم وسلفيت وقلقيلية وطوباس وذلك وذلك تحت رعاية رئيس الوزراء الفلسطيني د. سلام فياض وبحضور د. محمد أبوزيد وكيل وزارة التربية والتعليم العالي بالنيابة عن رئيس الوزراء ومديرة المجلس الثقافي البريطاني السيدة ساندرا حمروني والمدير العام لمركز العمل التنموي- معاً السيد سامي خضر ومحافظو المحافظات المعنية و245 مشاركا في برنامج المواطنة الفاعلة.

وفي كلمته للحضور أكد د. محمد أبو زيد على أهمية مشاركة الشباب بعملية بناء الدولة الفلسطينية عن طريق مساهمتهم الفعالة بخدمة مجتمعاتهم، وشدد كذلك على دور الشباب في قيادة عملية وضع السياسات للمؤسسات الوطنية من أجل الارتقاء بالواقع الفلسطيني، وثمن الجهد الذي قامت به المؤسستان بالشراكة من أجل تنفيذ المشروع متمنياً لهما النجاح في تنفيذ المرحلة الثالثة هذا العام.

وقد شكرت السيدة حمروني كلا من السيد سامي خضر والمدربة غادة القدومي بالإضافة إلى اللجان المحلية والمديريات في المحافظات المختلفة وخصت بالذكر الراحل موسى قدورة محافظ مدينة جنين على دوره الفاعل.
كما وأثنت على الجهود التي بذلت في سبيل أن تتحقق مجموعة من المشاريع ضمن برنامج المواطنة الفاعله وذكرت منها مشروع ترميم مدرسة الأيتام في مدينة قلقيلية وانشاء مواقف حافلات في جنين بالإضافة إلى مشروع مكتبة الأطفال في قرية برقين ومشروع حركة العمل التطوعي في نابلس ومجموعات العمل مع فئات ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة في مدينة طولكرم.

ويذكر أن المجلس الثقافي البريطاني كان قد أطلق برنامج المواطنة الفاعلة العام الماضي بالتعاون مع مركز العمل التنموي- معاً في المناطق المهمشة في فلسطين بهدف تطوير قدرات الأفراد من أجل تحديد الاحتياجات المجتمعية والتمكن من تطوير مبادرات لمعالجة هذه القضايا والمشاكل. وقد عملت المؤسستان على تحقيق الأهداف من خلال توفير الفرص والأدوات اللازمة للشباب الفلسطينيين المشاركين، للتواصل المباشر والتواصل عبر الانترنت مع أقرانهم في المملكة المتحدة ومناطق مختلفة أخرى من العالم وذلك بهدف دفع التفاعل الايجابي ومبدأ التشارك وتبادل الأفكار والخبرات والمعارف بالإضافة إلى بناء علاقات جديدة وتحقيق فهم أشمل لدور الفرد في المنظومة العالمية.
ومن جهة أخرى أشاد مدير عام مركز العمل التنموي – معاً سامي خضر بالبرنامج وبالشراكة التي تحققت بين معاً والمجلس الثقافي البريطاني، والتي أسهمت في تطوير برنامج نموذجي ساهم بشكل كبير بتشجيع القيادات المجتمعية على المشاركة الفاعلة في مجتمعاتهم المحلية وعلى تطوير مجموعة من المبادرات التنموية التي انطلقت من احتياجات مجتمعاتهم وعملوا مسترشدين بالتدريب العملي الذي حصلوا عليه على تنفيذ تلك المبادرات.
وتجدر الإشارة إلى أن أهمية اختيار المحافظات تنبع من أهمية تفعيل دور المواطنين للمشاركة في رصد وتحديد الاحتياجات الأساسية فيها. وقد استفاد من المرحلة الأولى من البرنامج 245 شاباً فلسطينياً تمكنوا خلال المرحلة الماضية من تصميم مجموعة من البرامج المجتمعية لمعالجة القضايا المرتبطة باحتياجاتهم داخل المجتمعات ليستفيد أكثر من سبعة آلاف شخص من تنفيذ المشاريع التي صممت لتلبية احتياجاتهم.
ويشار إلى أن برنامج المواطنة الفاعلة الذي يقوم عليه المجلس الثقافي البريطاني وينفذه في عدة مناطق حول العالم منها ستة دول في منطقة شمال أفريقيا والشرق الأدنى هي الجزائر ومصر وسوريا ولبنان والأردن وفلسطين، هو عبارة عن شبكة عالمية تتكون من قادة المجتمعات وشركاء المجتمع المدني المحليين في البلدان المشاركة. ويهدف المشروع إلى بناء الفهم والثقة بين المجتمعات عن طريق إنشاء شبكة عالمية مستدامة لقادة المجتمعات الذين يمكنهم العمل معاً من معالجة القضايا العالمية في القرن الواحد والعشرين.
ويستخدم مشروع المواطنة الفاعلة العلاقات الثقافية الدولية للمساعدة في معالجة التحديات الرئيسية، وتشمل هذه قضايا تنتج عن الاختلافات في العرق أو الدين أو الثقافة، والتلوث والحماية البيئية، والصحة والفرص التعليمية، والمشاركة الديمقراطية إضافة إلى الاستبعاد الاجتماعي، ومشاركة النساء وفرص العيش الكريم.

MA'AN Celebrates Palestinian Child's Day in Bardala

In cooperation with UNICEF and Save the Children, MA’AN Development Center conducted an open day for the children of Bardala, Kardala, and Ein al-Beida. More than two hundred children participated in the event. This event was done as part of the events celebrating the Palestinian Child’s Day and it took place on the 29th of April 2012 in Bardala.
Activities included moonwalks, music and dance, distribution of helium balloons for every child, gifts for the children, and hospitality. The  children all wore hats and t-shirts that were designed and procured by MA’AN. All of this is extremely important to these children. Children in the Jordan Valley are not able or allowed to enjoy many things that other Palestinian children are able to enjoy. Unemployment and poverty are at their highest in the Jordan Valley, hence this sort of recreation is extremely beneficial to the children there. Also, considering recreational space and activities are minimal at best, these children especially appreciated this activity.

One of the children, Maha Foqaha, 12 years old has a broken leg but was really excited about the event. Although she could not play she told a coordinator of ours that we must come back after her leg is healed so she can enjoy all the carnival activities next time we come.

MA’AN Development Center Sponsors a Sports Day at Al Nahda School in Jerusalem

As part of the community initiatives in the Child Resilience Project, a project that is being implemented in cooperation with Save the Children International, MA’AN Development Center conducted a sports day for more than 150 children between the ages of  6 and 12. This event took place at Al Nahda “A” school on 29 April 2012. The children who have been participating in the Child Resilience sessions came up with the  idea to network with children in other branches of Al Nahda in an effort to introduce them to the concept of child resilience and the activities they are doing in that project.
“I am benefiting a lot from this project and I am having fun at the same time. I feel privileged to be part of such a project and I want to spread the word to other girls in other Nahda School branches”, Reem 12 years old.

MA’AN Holds a Volunteer Day in Zbeidat

As part of the project “Voices to be Heard,” funded by the Norwegian Representative Office, MA’AN organized a volunteer day in the village of Zubeidat in order to celebrate the work that has been completed in the village through the generosity of the Norwegian government. On Sunday, May 6, 2012, MA’AN invited 25 students from the Rosary Sisters’ High School in Jerusalem to come to Zubeidat to learn more about the community and the Jordan Valley as well as to volunteer in the village.

The students from the Rosary Sisters’ High School spent the first part of the day in the two preschools in the village playing with the children and distributing sweets and small toys to the children. After playing in the preschools and touring the village, the students volunteered to paint a wall outside of the Secondary School. With support and direction from an artist from Ramallah, the students painted colorful scenery to beautify the school walls. Finally, the students from Jerusalem met and spoke with students from Zubeidat to share experiences, challenges, and to speak about life in two very different parts of Palestine. This sharing of stories between the two sets of students allowed young women from Zubeidat – many of whom had never visited Jerusalem – to learn more about each other as well as to offer support from two parts of Palestine facing very different challenges.
The volunteer day was organized to celebrate the completion of MA’AN activities in the village. Through the Voices to be Heard Project, MA’AN has built a new outdoor play area for one of the preschools in the village and provided toys, books, and other educational materials to both of the village preschools. The improvement of the preschools in Zubeidat was greatly needed; 45% of the village are youth and the village previously lacked an adequate play area.
In addition to the rehabilitation of the village’s two preschools, MA’AN has equipped the Zubeidat Youth Club with furniture, essential management equipment, and, importantly, a library for both youth and children. Finally, MA’AN has also installed a new computer lab in the Zubeidat  Secondary School that will serve not only the school, but will also be available for use by the Youth Club and the greater community. The work in Zubeidat, thanks to the Norwegian Representative Office, is a testament to the importance of youth throughout the Jordan Valley and, indeed, Palestine.  The rehabilitation of the preschools, the equipment provided to the Youth Club, and the installation of the computer lab will help the community better serve the needs of the youth of Zubeidat.

MA’AN Development Center Commemorates Palestinian Prisoners’ Day

Every year on April 17th, Palestinians commemorate Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. This year, through the Child Resilience project carried out by MA’AN in partnership with Save the Children Sweden, a full commemoration event was organized. As part of their community initiative, the children of al-Aytam School in Jerusalem participated to express their solidarity with all prisoners in an event that took place on the 23rd of April 2012 at their school. Children specifically honored the sacrifice of Sana’ Shihada, a former prisoner.

100 children and 30 parents took part in the activities including, sport competitions, taekwondo, cultural competitions, a sketch by Fanakeesh group on discrimination between boys and girls, and a separate sketch on the importance of maintaining the Arabic language. At the end, gifts were distributed to the children who attended.

MA’AN Commemorates Orphan Week

On April 8, as part of MA’AN Child Resilience Project, a community initiative was implemented in the neighborhood of Izariyeh  in Jerusalem. Thirty girls from Jerusalem Girls School in Silwan visited a total of 120 children in the Jeel al-Amal Boys’ orphanage and Zuhoor al-Amal girls’ orphanage. The students from the Silwan School brought gifts with them, provided from MA’AN and Save the Children, to give to the children. Activities included moonwalks, various games, and a clown.

MA’AN Development Center Celebrates Palestinian Child Day

Palestinian Child Day is celebrated every year on April 5th. In commemoration of this event, over 400 children were brought to Al Hakawati theater in occupied East Jerusalem. The event was organized and prepared for over a month by national and international institutions working in Jerusalem on child related issues. Some of these organizations include Save the Children, UNICEF, Juzoor, Palestinian Counseling Center, and Al Maqdese for Society Development.

The event, “Step by Step to Fulfill our Rights” emphasized the issues of discrimination that children face, and will inevitably continue to face, unless initiatives are put in place to promote and protect their rights.

The children were accompanied by 80 parents and walked to Al Hakawati theater. Before the event at the theater began, there was a moment of silent to give respect to all Palestinian martyrs. At the theater there were snacks, a face painting stand, balloons, and a clown. Short films, poetry readings, songs, art pieces, and more were presented by children for children.

Palestinian Students of Jerusalem Commemorate Arab Orphan Week

On April 5, 2012, Palestinian children from the al-Nahda school in occupied East Jerusalem visited Dar al-Tifel school for orphans, also in East Jerusalem, as part of the Child Resilience project with Save the Children. This initiative, put forth by the girls of al-Nahda to commemorate Arab Orphan Week, raised awareness and support for  Palestinian orphans in the area.

One hundred orphans and 50 girls from al-Nahda participated in the event. Moonwalks were provided for the children, as well as games, dancing, and dabkeh. At the end of the event, gifts were distributed to the participating children.

Open Day at Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem for Children with Cancer and Kidney Failure

MA’AN Development Center recently organized an open day at Augusta Victoria Hospital in Occupied East Jerusalem on 3 April 2012. This event was part of the Child Resilience Project’s community initiatives, coordinated with Save the Children.  Through positive and engaging activities, the open day aimed to  provide support for the 100 children with cancer and kidney failure at the hospital.

This initiative was proposed by al-Nahda school, one of the seven schools currently partaking in the Child Resilience Project. An additional40 girls from the sixth and seventh grade of al-Nahda school participated in the open day.  The students spent the day with the children, participating in various activities. They then brought gifts to the children, as well as a clown who specialized in entertaining children with illnesses.

The open day provided the children at Augusta Victoria Hospital with important time to interact with other youth, in a positive and engaging environment. The activity was equally enriching  for the students of al-Nahda, who collectively worked to prepare and implement the open day, while also contributing to the betterment of young children’s lives in their own community.

Parallel Realities: Israeli Settlements and Palestinian Communities in the Jordan Valley

MA’AN has recently completed its newest publication entitled “Parallel Realities: Israeli Settlements and Palestinian Communities in the Jordan Valley.” This factsheet describes in detail how and why Israeli settlers live in the Jordan Valley. It documents the incentives that Israeli settlers receive in order to move to the Jordan Valley settlements, including tax breaks, unlimited water resources, and numerous grants for the starting of a business. At the same time, this publication documents how Palestinians live in the Jordan Valley and details how the State of Israel is attempting to entice Jordan Valley Palestinians to leave the Jordan Valley through an oppressive occupational regime, such as those issues relating to water and building restrictions. Furthermore, there are specific case studies involved where services and rights are put side by side to highlight the stark contrast that is a direct result of Israel’s policies in the Jordan Valley. Please visit http://www.maan-ctr.org/pdfs/FSReport/Settlement/content.pdf for this important report.

MA’AN Hosts Heinrich Böll Stiftung Co-President and Ramallah Office Director

On Tuesday, April 3rd, MA’AN hosted a number of high ranking members of Heinrich Böll Stiftung for a field visit to the Jordan Valley. This included the co-President Barbara Unmüßig, the Director of Heinrich Böll’s Ramallah office, Dr. René  Wildangel, and Heinrich Böll’s Project Coordinator, Lama Hourani.
The visit began at MA’AN’s office where MA’AN gave an hour long introductory presentation on the current situation of the Jordan Valley in regards to the Palestinians. This included a short history of the region, current challenges facing its Palestinian inhabitants, as well as relevant images to further illustrate these issues.  Questions were taken throughout the presentation. Afterwards, the group was then taken to the Jordan Valley to visit a number of important sites of interest.
The first field visit was to the Bedouin community of Ras al-Auja where Heinrich Böll representatives had the opportunity to speak with Abu Hathem, a chief of the community. Abu Hathem explained in great detail,  the various problems that Palestinian residents in the community face, such as water shortages, lack of electricity, and harassment from the Israeli army and settlers. The representatives walked through the  community to view the water sources that originally allowed the residents to more prosperously  live and herd their animals. They then viewed one of the deep wells the state of Israel has built in recent years in an attempt to monopolize water supplies for settlements.

From Ras al-Auja, the group traveled north to the Palestinian community of Fasayil al-Foqa. In Fasayil, they were shown numerous houses renovated by MA’AN through various projects. They had a discussion with Khalid, a local resident whose house was renovated by MA’AN. He discussed the current challenges in his community, including flying checkpoints, lack of roads, lack of water, and military harassment.

After their visit to Fasayil, the group was brought to Zbeidat for lunch and a brief overview of the situation in the village. On the way, representatives also visited the Massu’a dump site to see the Israeli government’s mismanages of  settlement waste in the region. In Zbeidat, discussions were held with the head of the village council, and the leader of the women’s committee. They discussed issues pertaining to land confiscation, settlement labor, building restrictions, and agricultural strangulation.

Lastly, the delegation was brought to the herding community of Ein al-Hilwe in the al-Maleh region of the northern Jordan Valley. They were hosted by the head of village council, who gave a walking tour of the region while pointing out historical sites along the way. Israel forbids Palestinian’s from accessing or restoring these historical sites. Surrounding the community were Israeli soldiers engaged in military exercises, stationed just 400 meters from Ein al-Hilwe. The village council head discussed the problems with military harassment, settler land confiscation, water restrictions, and issues pertaining to construction.

MA’AN hopes to host more meetings and potential projects with Heinrich Böll in order to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley.

MA’AN Conducts a Camp for Palestinian Adolescents in Zbeidat

On the 29th and 30th of March, MA’AN Development Center conducted a camp seminar for Palestinian scouts in the village of Zbeidat, in the Jordan Valley. The days were chosen for their significance, as Land Day and Earth Day fall on these dates. The camp theme “Staying in the Jordan Valley,” was coordinated with the Palestinian Ministry of Education.  The camp was created to support and bring attention to Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley, and to also allow children from throughout the West Bank to interact and socialize in an enriching and positive space.

Overall 60 children from Hebron, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and the Jordan Valley were present in this camp. The ages of the children ranged between 13-16. They engaged in workshops throughout the two days. These workshops revolved around topics related to identity, culture, and teamwork within their communities and especially within their scout troops.

Overall, the children gained important skills in the topics covered by trained professionals from MA’AN. In the context of  the celebration of Earth Day and Land Day, these children developed skills that will contribute to their ability to remain steadfast on their land in the face of extreme restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation.

NDC Youth Club Project Update
April, 1 2012

Youth clubs are meant to help youth, offer them a safe place to gather, and exercise their energy in recreational, social, and cultural activities in a positive manner.  Also they are meant to empower youth and imbue them with the confidence and skills needed to flourish in their schools, jobs, relationships, and life in general. As such, clubs must be used as a means to effect change for development in communities.  Throughout the NDC project, it has and will continue to offer a full spectrum of activities that will help Palestinian youth mature and grow.

The following has been achieved so far:

Open Day and Graduation Ceremony in Jerusalem

On the 23rd of March, there was an open day and graduation ceremony at the Dar al-Tifel school in Jerusalem. This is as part of the Child Resilience Project implemented by MA’AN in cooperation with Save the Children Sweden. Seven schools were included in this, including Dar al-Awlad, Dar al-Aytam A, Al-Nahda A, Shu’afat Boys’ School, Shu’afat Girls’ School, Jerusalem Boys’ School, and Jerusalem Girls’ School.

In total, 175 children, 15 parents, and ten teachers attended the event. The children, in addition to celebrating their graduation, were actively playing around and enjoying the day. There were two clowns who spent the day painting faces, singing, and making balloon animals. Also there were moonwalks for the children to play and jump around in.
While all of this was going on, mothers were given a lecture on healthy nutrition for children by a doctor specialized in the field. At the end of the day, all the children received small gifts and certificates were given to the children who participated in the first cycle of the child resilience project. Overall, it was a great day for the children, the parents, and the teachers of the seven schools and was a positive influence on the communities involved.

MA’AN Development Center Hosts Program Directors and Regional Directors from Save the Children

On the 23rd of February MA’AN Development Center was pleased to host eight regional and program directors from Save the Children for a tour of the Jordan Valley. MA’AN’s guests included, Annie Foster, Regional Director of the SCI MEEE region, Tom Krift, Vice President of SCUS, Tom Tauras, Regional Director of SCUS, Greg Ramm, Director of Global Programmes at SCUK, Arun Muttreja from the transition team in London, Anniken Elisson, the Global Programme Director of Save the Children Sweden, Sanna Johnson, the Regional Director of Save the Children Sweden and Herluf Madsen, the Global Programme Director of Save the Children Denmark.

Before arriving in the Jordan Valley, the delegation visited the Save the Children project currently carried out by MA’AN and the Palestinian Counseling Center regarding child resilience and protection programs in Jerusalem. Upon reaching the Jordan Valley, the guests were first brought to the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar. They listened to a presentation given by the head of the community, Abu Khamees, followed by a Q&A with the principal of the school.

After departing Khan al-Ahmar, the directors were brought to the school in Fasayil al-Foqa, another Palestinian Bedouin community in the Jordan Valley. At the school they were acquainted with the difficulties of education in the Jordan Valley for Palestinians living in Area C. They had an initial presentation by the advocacy coordinator of MA’AN on education and living conditions of children in the Jordan Valley. This was followed up by a roundtable style discussion with the principal of the school and the leader of the community. They went meticulously through the list of difficulties, but also the potential of the children in the community if given the proper opportunities. Beginning in May, a new project with support from Save the Children Denmark will be launched that is aimed to support youth in the Jordan Valley. This will be done by providing vocational training sessions aimed at the local job market and establishment of youth clubs.

Norwegian Representative Office Visits MA'AN Project Activities in the Jordan Valley as part of "Voices to be Heard" Project

On Wednesday, the 25th of January 2011, MA’AN Development Center welcomed the Norwegian Representative Office (NRO) to the Jordan Valley to tour various activities that MA’AN has been able to implement due to the support of the Norwegian government. MA’AN’s Director General and program staff met with Hans Jacob Frydenlund, the official Representative of the Norwegian government to the Palestinian Authority, the NRO First Secretary Lars Christie and Muntaha Aqel, the Program Advisor from the NRO headquarters in Jerusalem. Mr. Frydenlund, Mr. Christie, and Mrs. Aqel were given a presentation on the current state of the Jordan Valley and were able to tour the Palestinian villages of Zubeidat, Fasayel and Jiftlik.

During their visit, the representatives from Norway visited several houses that MA’AN has renovated in Fasayel and Jiftlik and two preschools in the village of Zubeidat that will be rehabilitated as part of the the Voices to be Heard project. The representatives also had the chance to meet with Hassan Jermy, the head of the Zubeidat village council, and Salam Zubeidat, the head of the Zubeidat Youth Club.

A Day of Fun, Service, and Culture:
Youth Volunteering and Cultural Networking Day in the Jordan Valley with the FADOC “Partnership for Development” Project
December 23, 2011

On Thursday, December 23, the MA’AN Development Center, the Popular Art Center, and the Bisan Center for Research and Development implemented a full day of activities in An-Nassariya in the Jordan Valley as part of the FADOC project "Partnership for Development.” More than 90 young people from nine youth clubs based in the governorates of Ramallah and Nablus participated in activities ranging from volunteer service, to networking, to cultural performances.

The youth carried out a number of voluntary activities in and around the area schools including cleaning, rehabilitating infrastructure, painting walls and murals, planting trees, and helping farmers harvest their crops. In addition, the youth provided entertainment for local children, playing games, painting faces, and putting on plays.

According to Rami Massad, the project coordinator, "This day has achieved the goals that were planned by youth volunteers from the Jordan Valley region, and integrated the exchange of experiences and ideas with volunteers from outside the region. They all partnered together in the volunteer and cultural activities, which captured the attention of government and private institutions in ​​the Jordan Valley.”

Emad Hamdan, president of the club that organized this volunteer activity, said that this event was "a milestone in the history of local sports clubs and the region in general."

The event concluded with an evening of art and performances jointly presented by youth from the Jordan Valley and visiting youth volunteers. Youth from the area took the lead and performed traditional folk arts of dabkeh dancing, zajel singing, and poetry to an audience of approximately 150 people, showcasing these participating institutions and their effectiveness.

MA’AN Celebrates the 22nd Anniversary of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child as Part of the Child Resilience Project in East Jerusalem Schools

Palestinian children are exposed to several forms of violence and discrimination on a daily basis, most of which are directly or indirectly related to the Israeli occupation. Settler and military violence, detention, house demolition and deficient access to services are some of the concerns affecting Palestinian children and weakening family and community structures. In East-Jerusalem about 11,900 children were not registered in any public or private educational Institutions (Save the Children education fact sheet) because of a lack of adequate schools and high fees of private schools. The separation wall makes it difficult for at least 6,000 children and 650 teachers to access schools. The average household is 7.2 persons, which leads to overcrowding, violence and abuse. According to OCHA, 407 children have been displaced in 2010 as a result of house demolitions and evictions. A further 536 demolition orders have been issued, putting another 1,499 children at risk.

To start off the day, the UNRWA welcomed the attendants. Children from Shu’fat camp gathered to participate in various activities such as handicrafts, face paint, dancing and singing, racing competitions, capoeira and theatre.

During the event special emphasis was put on the articles 19, 28 and 31 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child that explain children’s right to be protected, the right to education and the right to play in a safe and adequate environment. Participating organizations have come together to emphasize the need to work in order to end the spiral of violence Palestinian children are exposed to, especially in East Jerusalem, and to encourage more organizations to continue to fight for the respect of children’s rights.

“We want to learn and play in a safe environment”

MA’AN Conducts New Trainings within the Active Citizens Program

The British Council’s global “Active Citizens” program is currently being implemented in 20 countries around the Middle East, central Asia, and Europe. The vision of the program is for people to recognize their potential and exercise their responsibility to engage in positive sustainable development of their communities at both the local and international level. The program aims to contribute to positive social change locally within their communities, as well as globally through large-scale sustainable development. To accomplish this, participants establish an enduring global network of leaders influence dialogue in their communities, learning and acting together to address global and local issues.
MA’AN, in coordination with the Jenin district venue where the trainings were held, and with the participation of the Governor of Jenin, Mr. Qadora Mousa], conducted 30 hours of this new training in November 2011. The first training took place from November 21, through November 24, with an additional session on the 29th, for a total of five training days. The project will extend to five new districts –, Salfeet, Qalqilya, Nablus, Tubas, and Tulkarem – and will continue in Jenin as well. To complete a total of 210 hours, an additional 180 training hours will be held in 2012.

The sessions were positive and focus on constructively using the assets of the community rather than focusing on the problems – “solution finding” rather than “problem solving.” Training topics included the following:

MA’ANs Holds its 2011 Annual General Assembly Meeting

On November 19th, 2011 MA’AN Development Center held its annual general assembly meeting for the year 2011. 43 out of 66 of its board members participated in a video conference held jointly between both MA’AN Ramallah branch staff as well as that of Gaza.
The Chair Person, Dr. Raji Musleh, presented the annual report of the board of directors to the general assembly. This was followed by the Director Generals, Sami Khader, presentation of the annual progress report for 2010. During his detailed presentation he pin pointed some of MA’ANs most prominent achievements for 2011, which included the following:

Ernst and Young, the financial auditors, presented the audited financial statement which was followed by an open discussion with active participation from the general assembly members. Reports, both financial and narrative, were approved by the general assembly and recommendations were given and discussed for the upcoming year of 2012.

MA’AN Ramallah:

MA’ANs Press Conference on the Israeli Crimes Committed Against Palestinian Water Resources

As part of MA’ANs Environmental Online Magazine activities, a press conference on the Israeli crimes against Palestinian water resources was held on 22 November 2011. This conference aimed to uncover Israel’s theft of underground water sources (aquifers) as well as surface water, in addition to their destruction and pollution of these sources. The organized, systematic “parching” policies of Israel in the West Bank and Gaza are particularly targeting the Western basin as well as the Jordan River basin. 

The press conference was conducted to mobilize local, Arab, and international media to form a lobbying force in support of the interventions of international communities in the occupied Palestinian territories in hopes of halting Israeli’s theft of various Palestinian water sources.

Spokespersons included Jameel Mtour, Vice President of the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority (EQA), who presented a general yet intensive viewpoint on the most prominent Israeli violations committed against the Palestinian environment. Ahmad Al Hindi, Director General of the National Water Council, spoke about how the occupation exhausts the supply of Palestinian underground and surface water by illegal pumping.

Dr. Ayman Al Rabi, Executive Director of the Palestinian Hydrology Group, presented data that prove Israeli theft of Palestinian water in accordance with Israel’s water-hoarding policies. Finally, George Kurzom, Editor-in-Chief of MA’AN’s Online Green Magazine, addressed Israel’s policies of systematic destruction in the Jordan River basin. He presented information about misleading, forged facts by Israel related to the amounts of and access to Palestinian water resources. Furthermore, he discussed the overexploitation and drought of the Jordan River and Dead Sea, as well as the Israeli waste water and factories that are polluting the Jordan River basin.

Recommendations included urging environmental and human rights institutions to focus their work on legal aspects concerning environmental humanitarian issues, and for the media to provide additional coverage of such initiatives. There is a need to highlight the Palestinian water crisis in order to work towards change.

Additionally, it was strongly recommended that a neutral, international team of scientists and technology experts be formed in order to test water contamination levels caused by Israeli pollution in the Jordan River basin and the Palestinian aquifers. There are many dangerous effects of such pollution, which create significant health hazards that affect the local population, about which the community needs to be aware. Raising awareness is crucial in order to bring Israel to justice for its offenses against Palestinians with regard to its abuse of Palestinian water resources.

MA’AN Supports Youth and Sports in the Jordan Valley

As part of the “Voices to be Heard” project, funded by Cordaid, MA’AN is continuously supporting the Jordan Valley Popular Committees’ (JVPC) in their responsibilities towards the Jordan Valley communities. This project aims at:

To support youth in the Jordan Valley area, MA’AN provided Ain Al Sultan Club with new uniforms for their football team on November 21st, 2011. This contribution came after noticing a growing interest in sports in Palestine, particularly in this area. MA’AN hopes to motivate youth and support them in practicing and pursuing their hobbies as well as perhaps accomplishing their dream.

On behalf of MA’AN, Ms. Abeer Abusnayna (NDC Youth and Development project manager) along with Mr. Adli Hanaysheh (NDC Youth and Development project coordinator), distributed the uniforms to the team members. Mr. Sultan Mohammed Alousta, Mr. Liqa’a Samir, and Mr. Abdel Hafez Sheikh were also present on behalf of the administrative board of Ain Al Sultan Youth Club. Finally, the Ain Al Sultan camp administration also participated in this activity in order to reflect on their concern for youth in their community as well as their needs.
Sports teach teamwork; the distribution of these uniforms is but a simple gesture to display unity amongst these young players. It is worth mentioning that the Ain Al Sultan’s football team is very strong, working hard towards achieving great success on a local level. The team deserves accolades for its successes and requires the support of the community in order to further reach its goals.

MA’AN Addresses Children’s Psychosocial Issues in Seven East Jerusalem Schools within its “Child Resilience” Project

In East Jerusalem, schools are facing many access and protection issues; they are threatened with sealing and demolition orders and are often prevented from opening their doors to students. Also, a shortage of over one thousand classrooms exists. In 2009/2010, approximately 12,000 out of 93,633 compulsory school-aged children were not registered in any educational institutions. Not only are children denied access to their schools, they also have to deal with the over crowdedness of their classrooms, the lack of recreational and extracurricular activities, as well as the dangerous environment around them.  This is mainly due to these schools infrastructure and the schools existence in an environment that is in direct contact with settlers or soldiers, prohibiting them from accessing safe play areas.
Since April 2011, MA’AN Development Center along with Save the Children Sweden, with funding from Save the Children Denmark, have been implementing the “Emergency Response to School Based Psychosocial Intervention as Means to Secure Children’s Right to Education and Protection in Occupied Palestinian Territories” or “Child Resilience” project in seven East Jerusalem schools. The overall objective of this project is to enhance East Jerusalem families and children’s psychosocial wellbeing and coping strategies as well as create a protective learning environment for the targeted children.

A set of 16 structured workshops are planned based on an activity manual with 30 optional activities. These workshops take place during, or after school hours. These workshops are:

• Getting acquainted and working together
• My life
• Our community
• Children’s rights
• Children in our community
•  “What is violence?”
• “Keeping safe from violence”
• “Normal reactions to abnormal events”
• “Exploring feelings”
• “More feelings”
• “My body is mine”
• “Friendship”
• “Understanding conflict”
• “Solving conflict”
• “A world with peace”
• a. “My future”  or b. “Our future”

The participatory approach the project is using has brought to the children’s attention to the importance of their important role within their community. The students are expected to acquire a number of life skills techniques and tools (strengthening confidence, healthy coping, stress-handling, peaceful interaction, problem-solving, concentration and motivation, as well as playfulness) that will assist them in their everyday lives, becoming positive and active agents in their community.

Indirect beneficiaries of this project include teachers and field coordinators who have also been trained to carry out and support the children during the implementation of these workshops. A four day workshop- targeting 18 teachers, principals and counselors, took place in order to train these individuals on the proper way to carry out the different project activities. The teachers were introduced to the principles and the application of the Child Resilience techniques. Furthermore, four mentors were trained to co-facilitating the 16 sessions with the teachers. Parents have also been targeted though parent meetings and gatherings to ensure that the lessons learned within the workshops are supported by the parent’s reinforcement at home.

Furthermore, an introductory training on existing referral pathways in East Jerusalem was held during the month of September with the stakeholders (Juzoor, PCC and SC) along with MA’AN. Participants from each organization shared their experiences in the psychosocial field and the procedures taken when they came across cases that had to be referred to specialist for further assistance and support. Therefore, the most appropriate and qualified bodies in such cases were to be determined.

 

Progress in MA’ANs Project “Land Reclamation in Jerusalem District”

On the 1st of July 2011, MA’AN Development Center along with UNDP began the implementation of a land reclamation project specifically targeting the North-western locations in Jerusalem. These locations include: Al Jib, Biddu, and Qatana. The projects activities are to be completed by June 2012. In the upcoming period, the project aims to improve food security with minimum cash input and maximum results through sustainable methods of land development and without doing harm to the environment. There is a major focus on heavy land reclamation as well as other activities, mentioned below,  to improve the income of small holder famers by granting them access to improved productive natural resource assets (land and water).

• Project Activities:

1. Land reclamation
2. Land rehabilitation
3. Distribution of seedlings
4. Construction of cisterns

The project will ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalized villages in the area are supported and given a good foundation to build and develop their resources. The direct beneficiaries (42 families) will mainly be small-holding farmers with limited income, and large sized household whose main provider works in agriculture. Priority will be given to families that have members with special needs and those headed by women with at least a member being able to work in agriculture.

• The project plans to achieve the following:

1. Land reclamation of 152 dunums of agricultural land
2. Land rehabilitation of 36 dunums of agricultural land
3. Construction of 20 agricultural cistern (total capacity: 1300 cubic meters)

MA’AN Launches its New Project “Empowering Youth in the Jordan Valley”

On Monday, October 3rd, 2011, MA’AN Development Center launched its new project, “Empowering Youth in the Jordan Valley,” funded by Agence Francaise Developpment through the  NGO Development Center (NDC) and implemented by the NGO Development.  This project targets the 15-29 age group in 8 youth clubs in area C, namely Al Aghwar Al Wusta Club, Tubas Youth Club will act as an umbrella organization for the villages of -Kardala, Bardala and ‘Ein el Beida-, Zubeidat Youth Club, Jiftlik Sports Club, Al Hilal Sports Club, Fasayel Youth Club, Al Auja Youth Club, and Duyuk Sports Club.

The overall objective of the project is to empower youth in the Jordan Valley in order for them to become active citizens who can effectively and proactively shape their communities. The project specifically aims to achieve this through enhancing building the capacities of the participating CBOs so that they become more efficient and effective in providing quality services that meet the needs of youth in the Jordan Valley. The projects outputs will benefit more than 2,300 club members, youth participants, and will assist in the formation dabkeh dance groups and boy scouts. In addition to this, the distribution of 1,200 books and 51 computers on the participating clubs will take place. Moreover, the project will work on building the capacities on youth, both genders, by providing them with a number training courses and workshops.

This event was hosted by Jericho’s Municipality Theatre in the presence of all the partners. A number of officials and representatives (Jericho & Jordan Valley’s Mayor Representative- Mr. Jamal Rjoub, Jericho’s Municipality Director- Mr. Hasan Saleh, the General Director for Adolescents and Childhood Department of the Ministry of Youth- Mr. Fathi Khader,  Jericho’s Education and Higher Education Director of Directorate- Mr. Mohammed el Hawwash, Director of Directorate Jericho (Ministry of Youth)- Mr. Jamal Abu Zayed, Director of Directorate Tubas (Ministry of Youth)- Mr. Arafat el Masri, Agence Francaise Development Representative- Mr. Hani Tahhan, Grants and Programs Unit Director (NDC)- Ms. Jameelh Sahliyeh, NDC Programs Officer- Mr. Saed Quzmar, and MA’ANs Director General- Mr. Sami Khader) ,who were also present, gave speeches highlighting the current situation in area C as well as youth and women’s  role in community development.

Project manager, Abu Abu Snenieh, followed this by a presentation which introduced the 90 participants to the project by covering the following topics:

• Needs assessment conducted in the area
• Project goal, specific objective, targeted age group, and targeted area/club
• Implementing organizations
• Project activities (physical improvements, capacity building component, cultural activities, youth initiatives, and advocacy campaigns).
• Project outputs
• Open discussion
• Closing words

October 6, 2011

Group meeting for AMECNA2 Partners with the external consultants to discuss the primarily findings of the Mid-Term External Evaluation

Palestinian NGOs and consultants are discussing the primarily findings of the external evaluation at MA’AN Development Center.

MA’AN Development Center hosted special meeting to present and discuss the primarily results of the external evaluation for the Australian Middle East NGO Cooperation Agreement, Phase 2 (AMENCA2). The five-year AMENCA Program is implemented in Gaza Strip and the West Bank through partnership between Palestinian and Australian NGO’s. This Mid-Term external evaluation was conducted in the previous weeks by external international consultants in coordination with the AusAID, Palestinian, and Australian NGO’S partners including: MA’AN, ActionAid, Institute for Community Partnership at Bethlehem University (ICP), World Vision, CARE, ARIJ, ASALA, and Economic & Social Development Center in Palestine (ESDC).
The AMENCA2 partners discussed the status of their partnership as well as the primarily findings in the evaluation. The two consultants, appointed  by AusAID, reflected on the results of their evaluation of Year 2 of the AMENCA program, several weakness and strong aspects of the program were discussed and mechanism of future collaboration were also highlighted.  It is expected that a final conclusions of the evaluation will be resealed to all partners in the coming few weeks, the recommendations will also be presented to the AusAID in Australia.
Worth mentioning that the international consultation team was denied entry to Gaza Strip to carry on the evaluation there because the team was not granted the required ‘entry permit’, issued by the Israeli Authorities, to enter Gaza Strip.

The Successful Completion of MA’ANs “Towards Food Sustainability in Gaza” Project

MA’AN Development Center – Gaza Branch has completed the implementation of its 3 years project titled “Towards Food Sustainability in Gaza” which is funded by Cordaid. This project aimed to alleviate poverty through sustainable income-generating activities by strengthening the self-sufficiency of some of the poorest households in six villages in the middle area governorate in Gaza strip which include Wadi Assalqa, Deir Al Balah, Al Zawaida, Al Nuseirat, Al Maghazi, and Al Buraji.
In the first two years, the project achieved distinct progress in the main activities, including but not limited to the following specific achievements:

Moreover, great achievements have been made throughout the third year and final year of the project (October 1st, 2010 through July 31st, 2011). Some of this periods main achievements include, but are not limited to, the following activities:-

1. Enhancing Farmers Capacities:

2. Increasing the Availability of Cultivated Lands

3. Promoting Animal Husbandry

4. Additional Activities:

MA’AN Completes the Rehabilitation of Two Schools in Area C

MA’AN along with OCHA began the implementation of their “Emergency Rehabilitation of Four Schools in Area C of the West Bank” project in July 2011. This project targets facilities benefiting 200 students in Fasayil Al Fauqa, Khallet Sakariya , Ka’abneh, and An Nabi Samwel schools. Its aim is to create a safer and more accessible environment for students in order to receive a rich and comprehensive education. During the month of October 2011, the project has completed the rehabilitation of two schools- Khallet Sakariya and Al Ka’anbeh schools.
Rehabilitation activities included the following:

- Khallet Sakariya School

During the work of the gate	The gate
Part of the fence

- Al Ka’abneh School

A classroom before the insulation work	A classroom after the insulation work
Before painting	After painting
The bathrooms before the rehabilitation	The bathrooms during the rehabilitation works
Part of the fence	The gate
Cement works on ground and the containers after the painting work

A Palestinians Incomplete Success Story

Najah Qudeih, a previous beneficiary of the AMENCA project; one of MA’ANs food security projects implemented in partnership with the Union Abroad- APHEDA and part of the AMENCA program funded by the Australian Government. She had a large family- eight children in addition to her husband. Her eldest daughter, a 21 years old young woman, was engaged to be married on the1st of May, 2011. Najah was very delighted when she was selected to be part of the animal husbandry activity (rabbits) within the AMENCA project. She became even happier when she received training on the proper ways to breed her rabbits after receiving two cages with eight female and male rabbits. During MA’ANs repeated visits to this small project, they noticed her dedication and ability to transform it into a farm with more than 100 rabbits.  

The rabbits were also used for the family’s food consumption and sold to neighbors for additional income for her family. During the field coordinators visits, they noticed Najah’s determination to grow and develop her project. She would constantly question the possibility of being granted a loan through the AMENCA Project to expand her humble project into the largest rabbit farm in the area. Najah and her husband have been very persistent with their care for the rabbits; they fed them and looked after them on a daily basis. Najah felt as if they were her own children.  

This family’s house lacked the most basic requirements that enabled them to live a decent life; the walls of their house, close to the Israeli borders, were previously burned by the white phosphorus bombs they were attacked with during the Israel military offensive on the Gaza Strip. The family was forced to flee their house to evade continued tank fire. During on of MA’ANs field visits, Najah was cooking on wood fire for lack of cooking gas. Sadness filled her eyes at that moment, but her dignity and pride overpowered as she stated, “maybe I don’t have cooking gas and I don’t have much of what other families have, but I am happy because my kids are outstanding students, thank God. This gives me great hope that they would be able to provide a better live for their own families.”

The bereaved husband says that he lost everything in just one moment, his wife, his daughter, and even their source of living – their small rabbit project. The rabbit cages were damaged by the shelling and many of the rabbits died; the farm returned to its starting point. The husband said with tears in his eyes: “I hope that God will indemnify our family for its loss.” Of course this is only one of many tragedies that have affected Palestinians, especially Gazans.

MA’AN is looking for ways to support the family in this critical time. We urge international organizations, especially AusAID, who was also affected by this disturbing occurrence with the attack on their beneficiary, to take a step towards supporting and making Palestinians voice be heard across the world. This woman and her two daughters were only trying to live a comfortable and peaceful life.

MA’AN Makes Progress with the Implementation of Activities within the NRO “Voices to be Heard” Project

As part of the “Voices to be Heard“ project,  funded by the Norwegian Representative Office ( NRO), MA’AN is continuously  supporting the Jordan Valley Popular Committees’ (JVPC) in their responsibilities towards the Jordan Valley communities . This project aims to contribute to the protection and stead fasten the Jordan Valley citizens most basic human rights. Empowering the Jordan Valley CBOs and LPCs to better and effectively serve their own communities so as to strengthen their own voice and remain resilient in the face of forced systematic displacement and exclusion concludes the projects purpose.  

MA’AN has implemented three main activities thus far:

• Olive Tree Planting Solidarity Campaign

Local and international supporting bodies (e.g. The British Council, The World Council of Churches (ICC), Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), The Spanish Cooperation, as well as American, Brazilian, and French solidarity individuals and groups) joined MA’AN and the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign (JVSC) in an organized volunteer activity on June 26th, 2011. This activity was an  awareness raising campaign held in solidarity with families threatened with displacement after their homes in Al Fasayel Al Wusta were demolished  (refer to the following press release for more information: MA’ANs Emergency Response to House Demolitions in Fasayil and Al Hadidiyeh, Jordan Valleyhttp://www.maan-ctr.org/press.php#fassayil ). It was also a means ofprovidingsupport to Fasayel Al Foqa resident’s right to exist on their land.

The occupations continuous violations against the Jordan Valley residents have been seen as an ongoing Nakbeh. Therefore, as part of the campaign, 300 olive trees were planted; each tree was named after a village that was demolished by Israeli forces to symbolize that these villages will never be forgotten. Furthermore, they symbolize the resistance of Al Fasayel village, who has remained steadfast in the face of the occupation; they are willing to sit under the trees for shelter from the blistering summer heat so long as they don’t have to leave their land, crying “WE WILL NOT BE UPROOTED !"

JVSC plants olive trees in the village of Fasayel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RL3gED9UGQ

• MA’AN Supports the Organization of the Jordan Valley’s 3rd Football Tournament

For the third year, MA’AN supports the Jordan Valley Popular Committees in the organization of their 3rd football tournament. This project aims to contribute to the protection and stead fasten the Jordan Valley citizens most basic human rights.

The main focus of the tournament was to highlight the importance and right of the Jordan Valley citizens to have such tournaments to take place in their area. Moreover, to bringing attention to the sport facilities poor conditions and stress the needs of these clubs. Most importantly, the tournament targets the activation and participation of the Jordan Valley sports clubs football teams, specifically those in Al Uja, Fasayel, Zbeidat and Jiftlik. Two guest teams, Anata and Dahiet El Bareed- from Jerusalem- have also been hosted for this event. The tournament was launched on the 10th of July and will continue on for nine days, until the 25th of July in Al Uja playground.

• MA’AN Implements 20 House Renovations in Al Jiftlik, Jordan Valley

House renovations were also conducted by MA’AN targeting 20 families in Abu El A’ajaj area working as farmers living under bad conditions in an inadequate environment. These house renovations were organized by the Jordan Valley Popular Committees who work closely with the communities in this participatory process, coordinating and implementing this activity with the residence. The purpose of this activity is to support the families in building their own houses; providing building material and technical supervision, in addition to promoting the use of mud brick buildings.

MA’AN Supports the Jordan Valley Popular Committees (JVPC) in Organizing Workshops within the CORAID “Voices to be Heard” Project

Throughout MA’ANs many projects which are implemented in the Jordan Valley (JV), the main goal is to support JV citizens through empowering Local Popular Committees (LPCs) to better advocate on behalf of residents and to mobilize international solidarity. It is obvious, however, that residents of the Jordan Valley have little or limited human and material resource. Therefore, implementing capacity building trainings for the LPC is very crucial in order to develop their lobbying and advocacy skills.

Under the CORDAID funded project, “Voices to Be Heard, “MA’AN supported the Jordan Valley Popular Committees (JVPC) in organizing two workshops last month. The first workshop titled “Media and Dealing with the Press” was attended by 30 participants who received 6 training hours on this topic. The second workshop, “Photography and Documentation of Human Rights Violations” was attended by 15 participants who received a total of 12 training hours.

These workshops were directly implemented by the Jordan Valley Popular Committee (JVPC) targeting active local community members, activists, and members of the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign. The focus of these workshops was to invest in linking the JVPC to the local communities in order to build their capacities as well as raise awareness on the day to day violations facings Area C residents.

 The Successful Completion of FADOC’s “Enta Wein” Summer Camp

During the month of June, a new networking and capacity building activity was carried out by the partner organizations, MA’AN Development Center, Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Popular Art Center (PAC) to strengthen the youth’s role and commitment to their new responsibilities as advocacy, capacity building, networking, and youth mobilization committees within the Partnership for Development Project (FADOC). FADOC’s second summer camp, this year’s entitled “Enta Wein,” took place in Salah Khalaf Center- once a detention center (1967) in Al Fara’a, Nablus. The summer camp lasted a period of 5 days (June 28t till July 3rd 2011) with a total of 60 youth participants, both males and females. The events carried out mainly consisted of training workshops, lectures and discussions, in addition to cultural evenings.

Each day had a theme connected to social change within the Palestinian context.  

The participant’s day would start at 6:30 am, where the youth would wake up to get dressed for the morning assembly held at 7 am. During this time, a 15 min morning exercise would take place as well as the raising of the flag and singing the national anthem. Each of the 5 groups (“A’aoud” –Return, “Huriyati Lan Tamout” –My Freedom Will not Die, “Watan” – Home Land, “Al Mustaqbal” – The Future,  and “Tabahwa”), would then yell their group shout. After breakfast, two consecutive training workshops divided by a short coffee break would last till 1 pm. The youth would then have their lunch break, followed by their attendance of a lecture/discussion based on participatory approaches (group work and presentations).

The topics of the trainings and discussions for each day went along with the overall themes. The purpose of the trainings and seminars conducted was to install the individual, collective, and national identity of these young Palestinians and develop the spirit of volunteerism in them so that they will be able to take on initiatives on their own. Furthermore, the approaches used within these sessions aimed to develop their teamwork skills as well as their ability to advocate and lobby for issues that concern them on the national and international level. And for this reason, the summer camp was titled “Enta Wein,” meaning “where are you” or “where do you stand?” The rationale behind this question was to urge youth to think about their individual place and role as youth in the process of development and change.

For the evening activities, representatives from each group would meet with the cultural activities    coordinator in order to plan the cultural evening activities planned for any given night within the summer camp. Talent shows, singing, dancing, charades, competitions and challenges would take place till 11:30 pm and sometimes would last up till 12 am. On the third day the participants were able to take a field trip to an amusement park in Tulkarem, as well as visit a local CBO- Dar Qandeel working in theater and music. The youth were also able to visit a home based “museum” filled with Palestinian artifacts and historical pieces, as well as beautiful citadel where they had a scavenger hunt.

This camp was a great success and it was filled with active youth who were willing to learn and develop their capacities in order to contribute to the process of change. Their efforts were recognized during Enta Weins’ closing ceremony were each participant received a certificate. We were pleased to have a representative from our Solsoc partner, François Sarramagnan, with us for the first two days of the summer camp, and we are hoping to have him back with us in September in order to witness more of the youth clubs activities.

MA’ANs Emergency Response to House Demolitions in Fasayil and Al Hadidiyeh, Jordan Valley.

Demolitions of 18 tent structures in Fasayil Al Wusta as well as 6 tents in Al Hadidiyeh took place in the Jordan Valley on the 15th and 21st of June. 24 families, including their young children, were left without a home in the squirming heat where their belongings were scattered along the area or ruined by Israeli settlers. Demolition orders were only sent three days previous to these treacherous acts, only to occur mid-day where workers are outside the area and the women and children are left alone. The area was sealed during this time and the working men were not able to enter to be with their families. Their water tanks were damaged, and electricity cords confiscated. High level of psycho-social distress could be diagnosed within the children in the families from the continuous attacks that occur in these areas.

MA’AN, in partnership with the Jordan Valley Popular Committees (JVPC), and supported by the DanChurchAid (DCA), have been the first to make an emergency response to these attacks. Meetings with the families who have been affected by the demolitions were facilitated by the JVS in order to conduct an assessment of the damage that occurred on the 23rd of June. The emergency response team was able to talk to the families and discuss their needs.

These needs included:

MA’AN focused on supplying the families with human shelters since this was seen as the families’ main concern and immediate necessity. There were specifications for the type of tent structures and their sizes, and therefore families were included in the rehabilitation process with the supervision of MA’AN and JVPC. They were given the chance to participate in the design, purchases, distribution, and installation of tents.

Tents were put up in the first week of July where Fasayil was supplied with eighteen structures and Al Hadidiyeh with six. Each tent’s area was 30 m2 and the structure and covers were custom made taking into consideration the specifications requested by the residence.

• Visit the following link to perceive the communities reaction to the demolitions that occurred last month in Al Hadidiyeh, as we as view JVPC volunteers install new tent structures for affected families: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKkDE2uEVxA

MA’ANs Implementation of Training Workshops in 90 Youth Centers in the Palestinian Territories

Within the Adolescent Friendly Spaces project funded by UNICEF, MA’AN Development Center in partnership with Tamer Institute for Community Education, the National Committee of Summer Camps (NCSC), and under the umbrella of the Ministry of Youth and Sports conducted a set of training workshops in order to build the capacities of this projects beneficiaries. Adolescents from 90 youth centers in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip participated in these trainings along with the centers coordinators and board member’s. Furthermore, the youth centers local committees (focusing on youth participation) were formed in order to ensure the sustainability of participating CBOs and were also able to benefit from this activity.

85 youth center coordinators have received 60 training hours in communication skills, leadership skills, community work skills, as well as management of campaigns and other initiatives. Furthermore, Members of the centers local committees received 11 training workshops- a total of 136 training hours benefiting 125 adolescents within these committees. Topics covered within these trainings included leadership skills (positive and systematic thinking), community work, critical observation techniques, teamwork, planning, time management, communication skills, and appreciative inquiry.

MA’AN Contributes to the Improvement of the Jordan Valley Residents Living Conditions through House Renovations

Following the Oslo accords, 90% of the Jordan Valley became Area C, controlled by Israel and considered a military fire zone. Demolition and removal orders have been affecting this area’s most vulnerable communities- Bedouins. Difficulties accessing water, poor health care, and hygiene issues are all major issues that they face. An evident deterioration of the structure of Palestinian living conditions has been most alarming threatening the existence of hundreds of communities on their land leading to forced displacement. Solidarity with vulnerability communities as such is very crucial in order to reduce the aftermath of Israeli policies on Area C residents. Furthermore, this is an urgent need to look for affordable solutions using their knowledge as well as exiting materials within the community.

MA’AN has been very supportive of the Jordan Valley Solidarity Movement Campaign “To Exist is to Resist;” a network of Palestinian grassroots from all over the Jordan Valley as well as international supporters aiming to protect Palestinian existence in addition to supporting communities on the ground. Together they have been able to implement many projects to support the Jordan Valley resident’s right to live on their land. They are currently implementing a project funded by the Spanish Cooperation titled “Improvement of Life Conditions of the Palestinian Population in the Rural Areas of the Jordan Valley”- an emergency project taking immediate action to improve the socio-economic conditions, as well as create a sanitary habitat for the most vulnerable Bedouin populations in the Jordan Valley. 

MA’AN Jenin Office Conducts a Workshop Covering One of the Most Effective Non-Toxic Pest Controls–Yellow Sticky Traps

During the month of June, MA’AN Jenin Office conducted a workshop in Al Kafriyat introducing farmers to one of the most effective non-toxic pest controls, yellow sticky traps, and their importance in combating olive fruit flies. This workshop was part of this year’s Olive Campaign activities within the AMENCA project “Rural Livelihoods and Food Security through Capacity Development” implemented in both Tulkarm and Khan Younis by MA’AN in partnership with the Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, and funded by the Australian Government- AusAid.

About 60 farmers from the area attended the workshop. Engineer Hassan Abu Lord- Director of MA’ANs Jenin branch, along with Engineer Alaa Jomma- Project Coordinator, were also present for this activity. The main focus of the workshop was to inform farmers about the olive fruit fly and the damage it could cause to their production in terms of quantity and quality as well as to introduce them to one of the most environmentally sound techniques used to eliminate this pests adverse effects on their produce. Engineers displayed how farmers could develop their own yellow traps instead of buying them from the market, which could be very pricey.

Finally, the participants thanked MA’AN for the efforts undertaken by the center in supporting the olive sector in addition to the agricultural sector in general. MA’AN ensured farmers that it will continue to support both sector in the upcoming period in order to develop their skills and production.

MA’AN Conducts [ToT] Life Skills Workshops for Facilitators of the Adolescent Friendly Spaces Project

MA’AN Development Center, in partnership with UNICEF, Tamer Institute for Community Education, the National Committee of Summer Camps (NCSC), Al Nayzak, as well as the Palestinian Family Planning Association (PFPA), have contributed to providing standardized adolescent friendly services  within the Adolescent Friendly Spaces Project. This project falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and plans to reach to adolescents in 90 spaces in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza.

As a training establishment, MA’ANs role in the project has been to equip the most qualified facilitators and animators with knowledge and experience in different life skills topics so that they would be able to provide these services for the project’s direct and indirect beneficiaries. The Life Skills Manual will be used as reference for the training materials.
Training topics conducted during this month include:

• Facilitation Skills
• Communication Skills
• Gender
• Advocacy, Lobbying, and Networking
• Negotiation Skills- Conflict Transformation.
• Problem Solving  
• Creative Thinking- Positive Thinking.
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Team Building
• Change Management
• Time Management/ Decision Making

Twenty seven training days, targeting the Life Skills facilitators, took place in the month of May and June. Nine training days in the south (six centers in Hebron, four in Bethlehem, and five in the Old City, Jerusalem); nine in the central region (three centers in Tubas, six in Jenin, six in Nablus, five in Tulkarem, three in Qalqiliya, and three in Salfeet); and nine in the north (two in Jericho, five in Jerusalem, and six in Ramallah). Facilitators demonstrated increased knowledge and skills in providing quality services for youth, as well as being able to distinguish between applied techniques based on age when working with both children and adolescents.

The Development of a Life Skills Manual within the Adolescent Friendly Spaces Project

The Adolescent Friendly Spaces project has contributed to providing standardized adolescent friendly services reaching adolescents in 90 spaces in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza.
This project is implemented by MA’AN Development Center, in partnership with UNICEF, Tamer Institute for Community Education, the National Committee of Summer Camps (NCSC), Al Nayzak, as well as the Palestinian Family Planning Association (PFPA), falling under the umbrella of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

In April 2011, MA’AN published its Life Skills manual following UNICEF and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) classification of life skills, by compiling resources and educational materials from experts in the field. The main purpose of developing this manual is to promote a comprehensive behavior change approach that concentrates on the development of adolescents skills (communication skills, conflict management, cooperation and teamwork, etc).

Content: The manual contains five sections which include:- Section I: Defining “Life Skills” Section II: Appreciative Inquiry Section III: Cognitive Abilities Critical Thinking Skills Section IV: Personal Abilities Skills for Increasing Internal Locus of Control Section V: Skills for Managing Feelings Anger Management Skills for Managing Stress Interpersonal Abilities Interpersonal Communication Skills Negotiation and Refusal Skills Negotiation and Conflict Management Empathy Cooperation and Teamwork Advocacy Skills Networking and Motivation Skills Gender

A variety of exercises, pictures, quotes and techniques are displayed in the manual, enabling an interactive learning system. After conducting the ToT workshops, facilitators are sure to possess the needed tools required in order to offer both children and adolescents crucial life skills supporting their healthy transition from childhood to adulthood.

MA’AN Launches Year Three of the AMENCA2 program, “Rural Livelihoods and Food Security through Capacity Development” Project

On Tuesday June 7th, 2011, MA’AN Development Center launched its third year of the AMENCA 2 Program in the areas of Tulkarem and Khan Younis. This project is being implemented in partnership with the Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA and Funded by AusAid. The projects two main objectives include: A: Improving food security for vulnerable households in two clusters in Tulkarem and Khan Younis. B: Increasing the capacity of local partner NGO and CBOs working with target communities to better serve their constituents, especially women.

A general meeting took place in Al Kafriyat Municipality which was attended by the project team from MA’AN, the project Village Support Committee (VSC) members who were representing all of the villages in the targeted cluster of Al Kafriyat area.

During the meeting, the project team presented the VSCs with the projects achievements for the previous two years as well as the activities that are to be implemented in the West Bank – Tulkarem, Al Kafriyat area, during year three. Activities planned consist of rehabilitating 140 dunums of land, installing 25 plastic houses, and constructing 50 agricultural cisterns and rehabilitating 20. In addition to this, there will be an implementation of 50 animal husbandry activities as well as establishing a water pond for irrigation. Finally, an Olive campaign will be conducted for this year of the project as well.

Whereas in Gaza – Khan Younis area, the projects activities during its third year will rehabilitate 120 dunums of land and will implement maintenance work for 120 green houses which will include the rehabilitation of secondary irrigation networks and distribution of fertilizers and seedlings  . Furthermore, the project will distribute 65 rabbit units and provide a total of 700 labor days for workforce participation.

As for the year three plan for the capacity building program within this project, the team informed the attendants that there will be four trainings conducted which will target members of the beneficiary CBO’s targeted in the project. Moreover, 10 grants will be provided in addition to 10 revolving funds. The beneficiary selection process was also discussed during the meeting with the village support committee members and they were asked to provide the project team with any further suggestions or recommendations they may have to make year three as successful as year one and two.

MA’AN Releases Four New Environmental Reports Covering a Variety of Ecological Issues Facing Al Kafriyat Area

During this month, MA’AN has released four new environmental reports in its Green Magazine. With the support of MA’AN’s environmental expert, our media reporter covered news and updates on the environment in Al Kafriyat area.

These reports discussed a variety of environmental issues facing Al Kafriyat area. For instance, Issue 5 talks about the transformation of a waste dump into a beautiful green field used as a garden/park for the people in the south region of Palestine. This dump had been placed in this location for the past three decades without any strategic planning; located on the main road leading to Tulkarem, residents of the area have complained about the scene and smell for the past couple of years. Only now have they been able to enjoy a pleasant, sanitary park after the dumps content was transferred to Zahrat Al Finjan dump station in Jenin.

The development of Al Juneidy nursery in Nablus was put forth in Issue 6. After gaining some experience in the agricultural field, the nursery was moved to a different location in Nablus in 1994 away from irrigated trees in order to prevent contact with contagious plant diseases. The nursery has reached great success with its environmental methods, using organic compost and minimal use of pesticides. They have been able to develop over 30 million seedlings currently distributed to nearby villages and cities. They have also used genetic engineering methods to improve the quality of different fruits and vegetables in hopes to develop pure Palestinian plant breads.
Issue 7 covered some of the complaints put forth by farmers near the Cappy soft drink factory in Kufur Zibad. Farmers are mainly complaining about the water smelling like plastic; it maybe even be polluted since many of their olive trees located near the spring have been dying. Our reporter made a visit to inspect the factory. She noticed that the factory was fully equipped with the newest technology enabling them to complete a great amount of work without a large number of workers.

Finally, Issue 8 talks about the disappearance of certain animals which used to be very evident on Palestinians lands years ago. Rarely do Palestinian resident of the West Bank get to see a wild rabbit, partridge, or deer in their natural habitat. The report goes in depth on how there are a variety of reasons for this phenomenon: 1. over haunting these animals by Palestinians, 2.the abundant use of chemical pesticides and compost affecting the animals food source, 3. The Apartheid Wall which not only trapped Palestinians but also their animals, 4. an increasing number of fox in comparison to wild rabbits, etc.   

Solidarité Socialiste Supports Palestine through Brussels 20K Run

Since 2003, MA’AN has been working with Solidarité Socialiste (Solsoc) on projects targeting youth, women and agriculture. Solsoc is a non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 1963 by the Action Commune Socialiste party working towards development, democracy, and equality. Solsoc fights for a fairer distribution of power and equitable distribution of wealth throughout 12 countries in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

The first FADOC program launched in Palestine, “Partnership for Development” was in 2004. Solsoc partnered with MA’AN, Bisan Research and Development Center, as well as Popular Art Centre (PAC), working with close to 50 youth clubs in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, and Gaza. In January 2011, the project entered its third phase, which will last till 2013, extending its network to include the Nablus area. The projects objective is to enhance and strengthen the role of youth organizations on the local, district and national level in social community development and social change. Building the capacities of CBO’s and youth will be done through providing them with a variety of trainings to enhance service provision and community service, advocacy and lobbying , as well as networking skills. This will also give them the chance to interact with other CBO’s within the project and exchange experiences as well as learn from previous successes.

On May 29th, 2011, the Solsoc team, composed of 15 volunteers, participated in Brussels’ 20 km Run as a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people and, more particularly, the partner organizations in Ramallah, Nablus, and Gaza through the FADOC program. Solsoc has always remained steadfast of the Palestinians rights and has made it clear during their visit to Palestinian in late 2010 that they would support vulnerable groups to advocate for their rights, and have shown this help not only through finical means.

The team, including the former project officer Gladys and the present Francois, trained for two months in order to prepare for the run. The idea was to capture the attention of the 30,000 guests who attended this event with the teams shirt logo; a male and female running with the colors of the Palestinian flag which read “Running for Palestinian” on the top and FADOC on the bottom. Solsoc has also launched an appeal on their website, email, in addition to their Facebook page to call for the support of their public for the joint program in Palestine. Individuals were invited to support Solsoc’s efforts by donating a desired amount for a good cause. They have managed to raise money and it will be used to finance the 20% of the program budget.

Installation of Fridge Container for Farmers in the Jordan Valley

During the month of April, MA’AN Development Center in partnership with Jordan Valley Popular Committees installed a fridge container (90 m3) designed to store dates as well as other fruits and vegetables for farmers in the Jordan Valley. This project was supported by the Association France Palestine Solidarite (AFPS) to assist farmers specifically located in Al Jiftlik area.

Originally, the Jordan Valley has rich agricultural land, a warm climate and abundant water sources offering economic and political prospects. But with the violation of the Israeli occupation of these citizens’ basic human rights and the isolation of this region, it is hard to prosper and flourish. For this reason, and as a part of the “To Exist Is To Resist” Project, MA’AN works to empower citizens of Area C and especially farmers working towards achieving financial stability.

Farmers in the area will benefit from this initiative helping them work towards solving a major economic issue. Prior to the installation of the fridge, farmers would sell their produce to the Israeli market for cheap for fear that their perishable products will go bad since without any means of storing them. Purchasing their own products for personal consumption obliged them to pay double the price that they sold it for. For instance, a farmer would sell his dates to an Israeli merchant for 13 NIS a kilo, a week later he would have guests over and would have to buy his own dates for double the price.

Farmers in Al Jiftlik area will no longer have to rush to vend their products; they will be able to store and sell them past their picking season. Finally, they have the ability to determine and control the price they want to sell their products for, and who they want to sell it to.

The farmers gratefully welcomed this initiative; workers from the village helped prepare the ground for installation, in addition to putting up shields to protect the fridge from changes in the weather. MA’AN has arranged for a committee to take charge of, run and manage the fridges. These specific farmers were nominated for this task since they were available in the area and will be able to follow up and cooperate with other farmers in getting the most of this project.

Later in the project, farmers were be supplied with 1500 plastic boxes for storing products along with  1000 carton boxes for marketing them. Furthermore, the project will work with the farmers in maintaining and caring for the fridge and their products. The Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign field workers will also be of continuous support to these farmers and will be able to monitor and follow up with their progress as well as provide any further technical assistance if needed.

Distribution of School Supplies to Jordan Valley Schools

MA’AN Development Center, supported by the Grassroots International Organization, has distributed school materials to three schools in the Jordan Valley during the month of March, 2011. These schools include Al Kabana School in Jericho, Khalid Bin Al Waleed School in Fasayil Fuqa (which was mainly constructed by MA’AN along with the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign), as well as Fasayil Tahta School. Students received stationary and educational tools (paper, pens and pencils, markers, folders, calculators, paint, chalk boards, maps, in addition to sport supplies such as footballs and basketballs, etc) to provide them with a more conducive learning environment as well as to engage them in different school activities.

This is not the first time that MA’AN distributes such supplies to the schools in the Jordan Valley. In fact, MA’AN has been extremely supportive of education over the years and especially in this area. This is mainly as a result of the harsh conditions these vulnerable groups live in, where they are denied the right to their most basic needs due to their location in Area C which is subject to and under the constant threat of the demolition of their schools and other public services. MA’AN will continue to work in partnership with other NGOs, different ministries, as well as local and community based organizations to encourage the steadfastness and existence of these populations with great focus on youth in the occupied Jordan Valley.

MA’AN Participates in the Palestinian National Food Security Council

For the first time, the Ministry of Agriculture established the Palestinian National Food Security Council. Its elections were conducted on March 22nd, 2011 where MA’AN was nominated to represent the Agricultural NGO’s.
Its Board of Directors is currently made up of 11 members. Qualified individuals were elected to fill in the four positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. MA’ANs Director General, Sami Khader, was nominated and on the 13th of April the positions were announced; Mr. Khader was chosen as the Treasurer.
This council consists of representatives from all stakeholders; its structure displayed below:

Students from the London School of Economics visit MA’AN

20 students from the London School of Economics (LSE) visited MA’ANs Ramallah branch on 26th of March, 2011. These students are a part of the Political Science and Political Economy (PSPE) research group at the university who come from different parts of the world including Norway, America, Sweden, Switzerland, China, Cypress, Germany, France, and Britain.

This year a faction of the PSPE group visited Palestine. During their stay, a meeting with MA’AN was arranged for and the students were presented with two general presentations introducing them to the most prominent issues facing Palestinians in the NGO sector as well as vulnerable areas in Palestine such as Area C and Gaza.
The director general of MA’AN, Sami Khader, gave a presentation about the Palestinian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the West Bank and Gaza. This presentation described the developmental role of these organizations, the way they are funded, as well as the challenges that they face in their work on both internal and external levels. Such obstacles consist of:

During the second presentation, the Resource Development and Advocacy Coordinator, Cecilia Smith, introduced the students to one of the most vulnerable areas in the West Bank (Area C), the Jordan Valley. She provided them with background information on the geographical location and population of this area. In addition to this, she discussed the political, economic, and social issues facing its Palestinian residents focusing on the serious implications caused by the Israeli occupation violation of human rights in relation to water, and its effect of the environment leading to the growing epidemic, desertification. The demolition of homes, schools, and public service areas is a constant worry. Land is constantly confiscated and grazing areas are closed causing adverse effects on their livestock, production, and consumption patterns.

The student’s field visits to different parts of Palestine- such as Al Amari refugee camp, Jalazoun camp, Bilin, the old city in Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nablus- provided them with a glimpse of the difficult circumstances that the Palestinian people face under the occupation. Some of the stereotypes that have been developed over the years in the minds of these students as a result of misinforming media sources have been removed. This has been possible due to meetings with different NGOs who work with the poorest and most marginalized communities. MA’AN especially clarified the issues faced by vulnerable groups in the Jordan Valley and Gaza, opening their eyes to the many violations of Palestinian human rights. Furthermore, meetings with Palestinian citizens allowed the students to let go of the false image they previously possessed regarding Palestinian social reality in terms of Palestinian customs, traditions, and even culture- viewing it more positively.

MA’AN Distributes Beehives, Signs Grant & Revolving Funds Contracts with Women and CBOs in Al Kafriyat Area

The “Rural Livelihoods and Food Security through Capacity Development” project is funded by AusAid and carried out by MA’AN in partnership with the Union Abroad-APHEDA.
Its two main objectives include:

On April 11th, 2011, MA’AN began its distribution of 240 beehives to 80 beneficiaries in Al Kafriyat, as well as an addition 100 beehives in the Oxfam Novib project to 20 beneficiaries in Tubas. This was done after the women received the proper training in addition to a specialized intensive breeding course. The capacity building workshops that the women received equipped them with the needed skills and tools allowing them to care for, and combat any diseases that they may come across in the future.

MA’AN and OCHA finalize the “Additional Classrooms & Renovation of Rawa’iin School” Project

March 15th, 2011 marked MA’ANs completion of its “Additional Classrooms and Renovation of Rawa’iin School” project in Al Rawa’iin Community located 18 km south east of Bethlehem. The main objective of this project was to create a safe environment, conducive to learning for the children of this community.

Education for children is the backbone of development; hence, to offer proper educational facilities leading to the possibility for the children to receive a well rounded education is a definite urgent matter. Due to the community’s extremely poor conditions, the possibility of providing a proper education to its children was a very difficult responsibility to carry on their own. The inadequate number of classrooms which were further not insulated properly left the children sitting in sweltering heat or shivering cold depending on the season. During raining periods the rain was pouring in through broken ceilings and windows.
Following the assessments conducted by MA’AN together with OCHA and HRF, the project was proposed as a strategic measure for a humanitarian response rather than directly saving lives or livelihood. It is crucial for children to have a proper and stimulating learning environment where they can feel safe and have the possibility to develop into educated and creative individuals.

Activities implemented through this project include:

• Providing insulation of existing containers
• Adding yet another container
• Completely replacing inadequate existing container
• Providing four additional classrooms
• Repairing of ceiling
• Providing an additional sanitation unit
• Improving the school yard
• Improving the fencing and the school gate
• Improving the flooring in the containers
• Implementing maintenance work for the existing water fountains

Before	After

The children, teachers as well as parents are happy with the new facilities which have improved the overall aesthetics and outdoor environment, materializing a more conducive learning environment for these children. The principal and the teachers of the school are committed to work for that the level of drop-outs will decrease and promote the benefits of completing secondary school.
Increasing the number of classrooms has provided the students with additional classroom space so as to avoid cramping students of the same age group in one classroom. There is also an expected increase of attending students at the start of the new school year in September, with children joining from outside of the community as well as around 10 new children for first grade. Furthermore, through adding more sanitation units, the school does now not exceed the maximum number of 25 children per sanitation unit as stated by the MoE.
This rehabilitation and extension was a first in what the principal outlined as a long term plan to eventually facilitate the possibility for the children to be able to do the Tawjihe at the school. This would have a huge impact in increasing the steadfastness of the community. Moreover, this intervention is expected to increase the educational level of the girls in the community as these tend to study fewer years than boys. The principal anticipates that this will influence the behavior of the girls as to stay in longer in school.
Overall, the principal, the teachers as well as the project staff at MA’AN are very happy with the outcome of the intervention. The objective of the project is well achieved and has lead to further improvement of the school, which will work in favor for an enhanced educational experience for the children of Al Rawa’iin community.

 

Australian Delegation Visits MA’AN

Given MA’ANs strong relationship and working partnership of 22 years with the Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad (APHEDA) and the Australian government (AusAid), many Australians are aware of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). They are very supportive of Palestinians, their identity, and their resilience in the face of the Israeli occupation.

Following two successful study tours to APHEDA’s Middle East program in 2010, a growing interest in the issues of the region pushed the organization to plan yet another Middle East Study Tour for 2011. This tour was organized to visit Lebanon, Jordan, and the oPt (West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem). Australian trade union officials, staff and members had the opportunity to move beyond the regular tourist trail, where they were provided with a unique opportunity for to see, hear, inquire and learn about the myriad contemporary, and historical, issues of the Middle East.
The tour had two aims:  

On March 31st, 2011, an Australian delegation of 13 individuals came together from different labor unions in Australia to visit MA’ANs offices in Ramallah. MA’ANs Director General, Sami Khader, discussed the social, economic, and political situation in both the West Bank and Gaza explaining the various internal and external challenges that face Palestinian NGOs, thus impacting the way these organizations operate.

Sandra Rasheed, MA’ANs Program Manager, gave a comprehensive presentation discussing MA’ANs work in the past 22 years, focusing on the different projects that are currently being implementing. She thoroughly discussed the AMENCA project, now in its second phase of implementation, titled “Rural Livelihoods and Food Security through Capacity Development.” This project is funded by AusAid and carried out in partnership with APHEDA.
Ms. Rasheed made clear the projects attempt to reduce the level of vulnerability through enhancing food security and building local capacities, particularly for women. She further discussed its focus on 10 villages from the northern West Bank area (Tulkarem), as well as the southern Gaza Strip (Khan Younis) where there are high levels of food insecurity and poverty. The project is proposed to last five years, April 2009-March 2014, with a total budget of approximately AUD$6 million. Its two main objectives are:

A scheduled visit to MA’ANs Gaza branch office will look further into the actual on ground implementation of this project, visiting women and farmers targeted in the Rural Livelihood project. This delegation will also visit other key areas in West Bank to gain further knowledge on the situation in Palestine.
In all, those who return from this tour will acquire a better understanding of the many obstacles that face the Palestinians, especially those caused by living in a state of ongoing conflict. A participant in a previous tour, Sally McManus- secretary in the Australian Services Union NSW/ACT branch- stated:   

MA’AN Honored as an Active NGO in Enhancing Food Security and Developing the Agricultural Sector

On March 30th, 1976, six Palestinian citizens were killed, one hundred wounded, and hundreds of others were arrested by Israeli forces while protesting against the illegal confiscation of their land. Israel has expropriated thousands of dunums for "security and settlement purposes” in the land occupied during the 1948 war, and this was nothing new to their regime. Land symbolizes more than just property to Palestinians; it represents their identity and existence. Till this day, Palestinians commemorate this day, “Land day”; a day that marks both tragedy and hope of return.
This year, under the auspice of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salam Fayyad, the Ministry of Agriculture held a festival announcing the operational structure of the agricultural sector and the establishment of 10 agricultural and national councils for food security. Furthermore, diligent NGO organizations were recognized for their role in the food security and agricultural sector, and therefore awarded with a certificate honoring their hard work and efforts over the years which have contributed to the protection of Palestinian land. Their work with grassroots to achieve sustainability and support the resistance against the occupations confiscation of land used for Israeli settlements was also acknowledged.
These organizations included: MA’AN Development Center, the Farmers Union, Union of Palestinian Farmers Association, Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), as well as the Land Research Center. The Chairman of MA’ANs Board of Directors, Dr. Raji Musleh, accepted this certificate on behalf of the organization as a whole. Currently, MA'AN is working on 45 projects running in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 50% of which are in the agriculture and food security program. 
These projects incorporate MA'AN’s mission of working within the poorest and most marginalized areas focusing on agricultural sustainability, food security, and community development. Activities implemented include land rehabilitation and reclamation, water harvesting, and working with the fishery sector. MA’AN also works on establishing home gardens, maintaining green houses, and constructing agricultural roads. In addition to this, MA’AN supports Palestinian farmers through best practice training as well as conducting environmental awareness workshops to confirm the importance of protecting our environment.

Active Citizens encouraged around the world and in Palestine

The British Council is currently implementing a global program called Active Citizens in 20 countries around the Middle East, central Asia and Europe. The vision of the program is for people to recognize their potential and exercise their responsibility to engage with others together in the positive sustainable development of their communities at local and international level. The program is developed in the frame of intercultural dialogue and global citizenship with a guiding principle globally connected, locally engaged.
The fundament of the program is the people - their competencies and their will and striving for an improved community, to strengthen the assets available. To have individuals realize that they themselves are the biggest assets of all and that much can be achieved with a positive focus and work with the assets of ones own community.
With this focus, the program aims to contribute to positive social change within communities and to global sustainable development. To accomplish this, individuals are trained to establish an enduring global network of leaders who as influencers in their communities’ dialogue, learn and act together to address global and local issues.

The training targets individuals who already play a role in their local communities, through civic engagement or through volunteering and build on their own skills and models to mobilize the citizens and create community cohesion. The interactive training encourages group work knowledge sharing and focus on global citizenship. Moreover, how individuals can work effectively with difference to achieve better understanding of the local community and global interdependency. The sessions are positive and focusing on constructive results using the assets of the community rather than focusing at the problems – ‘solutionfinding’ rather than ‘problemsolving’. It is further an excellent possibility for active individuals to network and come together in developing solutions for shared difficulties. These trainings will produce what is called Master Trainers who then will conduct workshops in their respective countries and thus transfer the knowledge acquired.
In the occupied Palestinian territory, four persons have been trained as master trainers and facilitators. These four persons are from MA’AN and have conducted workshops in Hebron as well as in the Jordan Valley. The number of participants in Hebron is 90 and 60 in the Jordan Valley whereof 15 respectively 10 individuals are developed into Community Motivators who then have the opportunity to develop professionally and to be more involved in implementing project and support positive development.
The Active Citizen program started in June and its initial training phase has just been completed which will be followed by project implementation. In the workshops that have been carried out, the participants was, besides the topics mentioned above, also trained in project planning and has been encouraged to hand in project proposals. The accepted projects will be delivered by the participants based on what they learned and where they feel they can make a positive impact in their own community and communities they interact with.
In order to ease the knowledge sharing and success stories as well as difficulties, the Active Citizen program has an online social forum for its participants. This strong IT component will facilitate the participants to easier put themselves in a global context and feel more encouraged to produce success stories from their own communities based on the values of being an active citizen – to be able to take usage of the assets and components already available in their community and build for a sustainable development.

Active Citizens graduate with honors

On Thursday March 17, 131 Palestinians graduated trough the Active Citizen Program funded by The British Council and implemented in Palestine through MA’AN Development Center. The program promotes an intercultural dialogue and a global citizenship for persons around the world and encourages people to work with the biggest asset available – themselves.
 

The graduation of the 131 participants who have been trained in Hebron and the West Bank through the Active Citizen program took place in Ras Al Auja community in the Jordan Valley and concluded the first phase of the implementation of the program. The graduation took place under the auspices of Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, and was attended by many community members including the Director General of MA’AN Development Center, Sami Khader, the British Council Directors, the Governor of Jericho, the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign, and the Minister of Agriculture.

The Director of the British Council, Mrs. Sandra Hamrouni, gave a brief overview of the Active Citizen program and confirmed the importance and success of the program in the Jordan Valley and Hebron area. She proposed the possibility of the programs future expansion to several areas in the West Bank including Nablus, Tulkarem, Jenin, and Qalqilya. Mr. Sami Khader took the opportunity to raise the problems in the Jordan Valley with emphasis on the situation of schools, lack of access to water, settlements etc.
Finally, Mr. Salam Fayyad expressed his gratitude and happiness towards this excellent initiative in developing the youth’s capacities who will contribute to the development of our society. He emphasized the impact that the occupation has left on the lives of the Jordan Valley residents who are located in Area C. He further assured that there will be political investment in the Jordan Valley focusing on developmental projects as well as including them in the government’s development plan. As active citizens, the graduates are more aware of their rights, and will be able to encourage other youth in their community to work together to create positive social change.

MA’AN Signs Partnership with Heinrich Boll Stiftung

Sami Khader, Director of MA’AN Development Center, signed a new contract with Heirnrich Boll Stiftung Palestine on (Jan 20, 2011). MA’AN will implement a 3 year project entitled "Keeping Green: Raising Awareness on the Palestinian Environment," jointly with the Heinrich Boll Stiftung.
Currently, there is a lack easily accessible information available to the researchers and the public regarding environmental and agricultural issues and a lack of practical and accessible reference guides in Arabic. This project’s overall goal is to contribute to the protection of the Palestinian environment and to continue raising the awareness of the Palestinian public regarding environmental and development matters.

This will be achieved through the implementation of the following activities:

The project aims to provide researchers, students and those working in the field of development with new knowledge regarding environmental and agricultural issues. This will enable them to influence policy and law makers regarding the regulation of practices which impact the environment. Specifically, the project is committed to informing the general public by providing them with new knowledge, which in turn will benefit and sustain their communities while allowing them to take a larger role in the development process. This in turn will encourage and nurture a sense of ownership of the environment. The project will also have an immense impact in terms of environmental sustainability. The new found awareness the community will gain will contribute to an ongoing process of shared learning and pride in the contribution to the maintenance of keeping their communities environmentally safe.

Expected Results:

1. Awareness and capacity among stakeholders at all levels is enhanced to support national and local environmental policies.
2. Public and decision makers are more informed on issues that pertain to the environment.
3. Marginalized sector participation in the environmental process especially of women and young people is enhanced.
4. Dialogue is created to inform the Palestinian Authority so as to create environmental protection policies to safeguard the environment and protect it from exploitative protection.

This is not the first contract MA’AN signs with HBS and certainly not the only environmental project they have worked on jointly. This relationship has been strong for over than a decade and MA’AN is excited to be working with HBS once again.

MA’AN visits Rawai’in School in Bethlehem

On the 20th of January, MA’AN toured the Rawai’in School in Bethlehem governorate to see the results of the rehabilitation project it implemented there thanks to funding from OCHA received through the Humanitarian Response Fund.
The event was attended by Mr Sami Khader, Director of MA’AN Development Center, Mr Ramesh Rajasingham head of OCHA, Mr Max Gaylard the Humanitarian Coordinator also from OCHA, Mr Douglas Higgins , the Deputy Special Representative of UNICEF-OPT, a representative from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, representatives from the Swedish Consulate, Mr. Abdullah Shakarneh, Director of the Bethlehem Governorate Office of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in addition to other representatives from this Ministry as well as the head teacher, class teachers and students from the school.
The project has resulted in the rehabilitation of the old classrooms and the installation of new windows.  Three new classrooms were added to the school along with a separate sanitation unit.
The school is in a very isolated, rural part of Bethlehem governorate and serves the local Bedouin community. This community, partly as a result of living in Area C, is extremely marginalized without access to services and proper infrastructure.
This project forms part of MA’AN’s work in the poorest and most marginalised areas of the West Bank, particularly Area C. Through projects such as this one, MA’AN aims to provide communities with their basic needs and support their steadfastness.
Speeches were given by Mr Gaylard, Mr Shakarneh, and Mr Khader. In his speech, Mr Khader stressed the importance of partnership between all stakeholders and the continuation of these partnerships in order to maximise efforts and results and benefit communities. He also stressed the importance of working in Area C. Area C constitutes 61% of the West Bank and 50-60,000 Palestinians reside there. Palestinians living in this area suffer serious economic hardships and from the consequences of Israeli aggressions and practices aimed at controlling and uprooting them from their homes and land. 

Mr Khader also talked about the development of the Rawai’in school which has gone from consisting of 1 tent and 2 teachers who taught only 10 children to 1 room made of metal sheeting to its present incarnation of a 10 classroom building with much better conditions for children to learn in. He also called for the further development of the school, such as adding solar panels and building additional classrooms in order to expand the building. It is crucial to include at least two supplementary classrooms in order to help prevent the destined dropout of female students upon the completion of their 10th grade education, since there are no available classrooms to allow them to complete their secondary education.

Volunteer day to mark the successfully implemented FADOC program in the West Bank

To finalize FADOC’s 2nd year of working with 8 youth clubs from villages in Ramallah governorate, a workshop facilitated by Mr. Mazen Hashweh was held in Ankar Suites Hotel Ramallah in December. The purpose was to evaluate the progress and accomplishments of the last year as well as to pin point the obstacles faced and the lessons learned.
The following day, to mark a successful program implementation, MA’AN Development Center, Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Popular Art Center (PAC), along with members from the 8 youth clubs went to the Jordan Valley to carry out a final day of volunteering to assist communities in need. The aim of this event was to bring together the youth clubs for a last networking event focusing on giving back to the communities. During this day, the clubs volunteered in four of the poorest Bedouin communities in Area C helping them create a safe, fun and pleasant environment for the children of the communities. Volunteers also helped a farmer whose land is being threatened with confiscation.
The volunteers were divided into four groups, targeting Al Ka’abneh School, Khaled bin Al Waleed School, El Noor kindergarten in Jiftlik and a farmer in the Mishtal area.

The volunteers were divided into four groups, targeting Al Ka’abneh School, Khaled bin Al Waleed School, El Noor kindergarten in Jiftlik and a farmer in the Mishtal area.
For the schools of Al Ka’abneh and Khaled bin Al Waleed, a group of volunteers painted hearts, flowers, beards and moustaches, glasses and Palestinian flags and clowns on the children’s faces with vibrant colours.  When all the children’s faces were painted, the volunteers then led them in games. First, they stood in a circle introducing themselves with their names. Then, they began playing Ring-around-the-Rosie and the weekday game (Sbt-ahad). Meanwhile, another group of volunteers cleaned the school grounds. Another group painted its exterior structures and classrooms after which they decorated its walls with creative nationalistic murals such as the Palestinian flag, and the old city of Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock, as well as fun characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and SpongeBob.

a goody bag was delivered to each of the smaller children containing a story colouring book, colouring pencils and modelling clay. To the older students, a file, blank notebook and a multi-coloured pen were distributed. The day, as well as the gifts, caused great joy and the children ran around very excited showing each other their gifts.

The last volunteer effort was carried out in the Mishtal area. Many of the farmers in Area C are facing land confiscation by the Israeli Authorities. During the last month, various voluntary groups have been present in the Mishtal area trying to help a farmer keep his land, which is currently at high risk of being confiscated. The confiscation of his land, the same way as many other Palestinians have experienced their lands being taken from them, will leave the farmer and his family without the ability to support themselves. One of the excuses used by the Israeli Authorities when they confiscate land is that the land has not been in use and therefore can be taken without harming anyone. This puts pressure on Palestinian land owners in Area C not to leave their land used (although even though using ones land does not secure possession). In order to assist the growth on these particular grounds, the volunteers spread 400 bags of soil to help olive seedlings.
Following a successful day full of great achievement the four volunteer groups gathered at Jiftlik’s public community house where they were hosted by the Jordan Valley Solidarity Committee for a traditional Palestinian meal – Fatit Adas (lentils). During the dinner, each group leader presented the group’s tasks and accomplishments followed by poetry, singing and dancing.

Solidarity day carried out with volunteers from Kafriyat

On November 25, 2010 MA’AN Development Center in partnership with AFEDA (Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad) arranged a solidarity day focusing on the olive harvest on the lands of Mr. Emad Abdel Fattah and Mr. Mohammad Bushnaq in Kafr Abboush. 43 volunteers from the Kafriyat area arrived to show presents on the grounds and assist the farmers with the olive picking.

MA’AN provided caps as sun protection as well as lunch for all the participants which had a very productive day with great achievements. The farmers were very thankful and expressed his great appreciation to the support given to him.

Strategic Document developed to enhance the joint efforts of the Local Popular Committees in the Jordan Valley

Through the project ‘Voices to be Heard’, MA’AN in cooperation with the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign aims to contribute to the support of  the Jordan Valley citizens in order to capitalize Local Popular Committees (LPCs) capacities and skills to better advocate on behalf of residents and to better mobilize international solidarity.
The situation of the citizens of the Jordan Valley is very bad.  Israel is continuously escalating its assaults and violation of human rights against Palestinians. This includes demolishing houses, destructing the sheds where farmers and Jordan Valley citizens market their agricultural products, destroying animal barracks, confiscating land, preventing residents from accessing their own lands and controlling the movements through several checkpoints.

The citizens of the Jordan Valley suffer constant violations to their basic human rights. The ‘Voices to be Heard’ project is designed to support them to become active citizens and claim holders at both national and international levels.  It is particularly important to these people whose human rights are denied, and who are consequently marginalized and displaced from the socio-political development process. For them to effectively take decisions on how to advocate for their own rights, how to be the main agents for change in their communities, how to formulate their own agenda, and how to disseminate their own message to the world.
As part of the project’s activities, a work shop was held with the core LPC members on December 4th, 2010. During the one-day meeting, held at the YMCA in Jericho and facilitated by Mr. Waddah Abdulsalam, a total of 27 LPC members, whereof 15 women and 12 men, discussed and concretized their work into what will be a finalized strategic document.

The initiative was much appreciated, both with regards to the structuring of the committees future work that will strengthen the foundation on which they stand, as well as the knowledge sharing opportunity the day provided them with. The participants discussed, among other issues, the strengths, achievements, weaknesses of the LPCs in order to look at how to improve the work. They also formed a three year work plan which will facilitate a common goal and the means to reach it.

The formulation of a strategic document for the LPCs aims at increasing joint efforts between the committees who are currently facing difficulties due to geographic distances and lack of communication possibilities which lead to a split focus. It will also assist the committees be more specific and structured in their advocacy methods to better raise public awareness on their rights. . In addition, it aims at having a shared foundation and work plan that will further enhance the notion of advocacy as a shared responsibility between various community segments in order to make them  active leaders in their local communities.     

Wave of demolitions strikes citizens of the Jordan Valley

Demolition of Abu Al Ajaj

The citizens of the Jordan Valley in the West Bank continue to suffer from the daily injustices and human rights violations carried out by the Israeli state. The occupying regime implemented in the area is seriously affecting people’s lives on multiple levels. The situation in the Jordan Valley has during the last couple of weeks escalated with regards to demolitions of homes and other types of buildings. This is an urgent call to the national and international communities: the demolitions have to stop!
The demolitions in Khirbet Yasra and Abu Al Ajaj can be given as two examples in the appalling development of demolitions throughout the Jordan Valley as well as in other parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Early in the morning last Thursday November 25th, mass text messages were sent out alerting that 1 or 2 demolition teams were moving into the Jordan Valley with destination not yet known. For the people of Khirbet Yasra in Tubas Governorate and Abu Al Ajaj close to the Village of Al Jiftlik this day would be more difficult than anticipated.
In the village of Khirbet Yasra, inhabited by more than 13 families consisting of around 120 people, Israeli forces demolished two houses, four animal shelters as well as the village mosque, according to the village council. The demolitions resulted in the displacement of two Palestinian families of 11 persons. The experience of one of the families affected, the Abu Fwas family, is typical of what numerous families in the Jordan Valley are suffering from. Including this demolition, they have been uprooted from their home three times as a result of the Israeli apartheid regime.

The Yasra Mosque

The Abu Fwas family

As mentioned, apart from residential buildings and animal shelters, the Israeli forces also demolished the village mosque which has served as a central location for the resilient Bedouin population for more than four decades.
Located within close proximity to the village of Khirbet Yasra is the newly established Israeli military camp ‘Camp Cobra’. The strategy used in this case to create closed military areas and to then use the ‘safety of the people living close by’ as a justification for handing out demolition orders and carrying out demolitions is frequent.

A demolished home

In Abu Al Ajaj in Jiftlik area, Israeli Demolition Forces (IDF) displaced 16 people including 12 children as they demolished three buildings. Two of the buildings were residential and livelihood shelters as well as one storage for animal fodder. In addition, the soldiers ruthlessly killed a number of young sheep and destroyed a considerable amount of fodder, further threatening the livelihoods of the families.

Dead sheep in Abu Al Ajaj

Abu Al Ajaj

The families received demolition orders from the Israeli authorities for the buildings demolished in 2008 which were currently challenged and held before the Israeli High Court. Abu Al Ajaj, as can be seen on the map, is situated close to the new settlement of Masu’a. The settlers have during the recent weeks made aggressive attempts to expand their settlement into the land of the village through, among other things, illegally fencing off land. 
These are only two instances of numerous demolitions carried out in various places throughout the occupied Palestinian territories during the last weeks. However, in addition to these two recent incidents, hundreds of other people are also suffering from Israel’s cruel military actions. The cruelty of the Israeli regime implemented in Area C is beyond all understanding. It is a complete violation of International Humanitarian Law and it needs to be stopped immediately. MA’AN strongly encourages the international community to work with us against these actions of cruelty, to speak up and demand the end of the occupation of Palestine.

National Campaign for Creating Friendly Learning Environments

On Sunday, 21 November 2010 MA’AN participated in a celebration of solidarity among Palestinian youth at the Ka’abneh school in the Jordan Valley as part of the National Campaign for create friendly learning environments.  The campaign is a joint effort between MA’AN, the Tamer Institute for Community Education, the National Committee for Summer Camps, UNICEF and Save the Children International to provide friendly, safe centers across the West Bank and Gaza for Palestinian children.  The event was attended by Majid Al Fitiyani, the governor of the Jericho governorate, Ms. Jean Gough of UNICEF and Mr. Mohamed Al-Hawash, the director of the Jericho Education Office.

The celebration displayed solidarity between the youths from across the West Bank and the students of the Ka’abneh school, which is located in Area C of the Jordan Valley and is in desperate need of improvements.  A youth dubkeh group from Jericho gave a beautiful performance while other youths from Ramallah gave speeches, in Arabic and English, about the importance of a good education.  Mr. Fitiyani, Ms. Gough and Mr. Al-Hawash spoke about the importance of education and how safe learning environments are essential for the success of the children and the future of Palestine.

While the day highlighted the effort to provide safe spaces for Palestinian students by eliminating violence, smoking and drugs, the real success of the day was showing the Ka’abneh community that they were are not alone in their struggle for education.

Chess tournament for Jordan Valley youth

As part of the series of events and activities carried out by MA’AN Development Center for youth in the Jordan Valley, a chess tournament was held in Jericho on Friday the 22nd of October. The tournament was organized in cooperation with the Palestinian Federation of Chess and supported by Cordaid.
The tournament was attended by Mr.  Fathi  Khader, who was representing Mr. Musa Abu Zaid, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, Mr. Yosef Zbeidat and Mr. Nabil Faza’a from the Palestinian Federation of Chess, Mr. Maher Balo, representative for the Jericho Governorate. Mr. Seif Saradeh was attending on behalf of the Mayor’s office of Jericho, Mr. Khalid Sbasi from Jericho Directorate of Youth and Sports, Mr. Wahbeh Asfour from MA’AN as well as a number of other representatives from clubs in Jericho and elsewhere in the Jordan Valley. 

The tournament was carried out in five rounds. The level of play was outstanding and in full compliance with the rules, and the atmosphere was pleasant, making it a model for successful sport tournaments.
Following the finalization of the tournament Mr. Yosef Zbeidat conveyed words of gratitude to Mr. Musa Abu Zaid. Mr. Fathi Khader, speaking on behalf of Mr. Musa Abu Zaid stressed the great need for the ministry to work with young people through national initiatives and sports. He further highlighted the importance of joint initiatives for assisting youth in community development both in Jericho but particularly in the Jordan Valley because the Palestinians there suffer daily violations and abuses from the Israeli Occupation Forces. Mr. Musa Abu Zaid thanked MA’AN for its continued efforts in community development work and stressed that such initiatives must be given extra attention by the local community in the different governorates. Mr. Wahbeh Asfour, on behalf of Mr. Sami Khader Director General, confirmed MA’AN’s continued interest and commitment in youth activities. He emphasized the importance of being involved in the Palestinian development process and for developing capacities and expertise among Palestinian youth in particular.

To conclude the tournament, a final ceremony was held where medals were handed out to the participants and trophies for the winners. The winner of the tournament was Ismail Zubeidat, in second place came Ahmed Zbeidat, in third place Walid Abu Bakr, and in fourth place Salah Drea’at.

New Board of Directors elected for MA’AN Development Center in the West Bank and Gaza

On 10/10/2010 MA’AN Development Center held its annual General Assembly meeting to elect the new Board of Directors for 2011 as well as to review the Annual Report for 2009. 57% of the members of the General Assembly were present during the meeting which fulfilled the minimum of 50% attendance needed to legitimize the election of the Board members. The meeting was held in a democratic way and facilitated by video link between the West Bank and Gaza.

Following an introduction by Mr. Odeh Zajmoury, Chairman of the Board, MA’ANs Director General Mr. Sami Khader presented the key achievements, figures and pictures from the Annual Report of 2009. During 2009, MA’AN implemented 61 projects, of which 24 were in Gaza, 30 were in the West Bank and 7 covered both. Out of the 61 projects, the majority, as can be seen in the table below, focused on food security. After the presentation of the Annual Report which was warmly received due to the great number of successful achievements, Ernst & Young Co. presented the audited financial report.

The elections resulted in a new 2011 Board that is 44% women and 66% men.
The West Bank is represented by Dr. Raji Musleh, Ahmad Abu Ghosh, Basma Abu Swai, Maha Abu Shusha and Munir Rafidi.  Representatives from Gaza are Manal Bashiti, Amani Rizk, Mustafa Kahlout and Hasan Ziyada

Fasayel team wins Jordan Valley football tournament supported by Cordaid and MA’AN Development Center

A football tournament was carried out during the month of September 2010 attended by five teams from different communities in the Jordan Valley namely, Zubaydat, Al Jiftlik, Fasayel, Nasiriyah and Al Auja. The tournament was a part of an extensive project funded by Cordaid focusing on supporting the citizens of the Jordan Valley both with regards to advocacy capacity building and human rights awareness. The football tournament together with the support given to the five teams enrolled was, as a part of the project, designed to help promote a positive sense of self and to create confident personal and group identities. It further facilitates networking possibilities for youths as it helped them to compete with other teams in the Jordan Valley. The finals of the tournament were held on September 24th in Al Auja where the hosting team met Fasayel. The competition resulted in a gold medal for Fasayel, silver for Al Auja and bronze for Zubaydat.

The finals were attended by Mr. Musa Abu Zaid Deputy Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Yousef Lafy Representative of the Palestinian Football Association, Mr. Majed Abu Zayed Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Office in Jericho as well as Mr. Sami Khader Director-General of MA’AN Development Center. In addition, the audience consisted of presidents and members of local councils of the five villages participating together with hundreds of fans adding up to about 1,500 people on the grandstand. The tournament was successfully carried out in good spirit and fair play cheered on by an enthusiastic audience. A trophy and medals were handed out to the winning teams by Mr. Musa Abu Zaid, Mr. Yousef Lafy and Mr. Sami Khader.

The Sports Clubs in their turn handed a plaque to MA’AN Development Center as an appreciation of the support provided to them. Apart from initiating and supporting the football tournament, the teams with a total of 110 players have all been provided with sports equipment including full uniforms with athletic shoes and soccer balls together with other training supplies.

Together with the other representatives attending, Mr. Musa Abu Zaid was very pleased with the outcome of the tournament. In his speech he stressed the important role of MA’AN in supporting CBOs and youths around the West Bank and in Gaza with capacity building. Mr. Sami Khader confirmed MA’ANs commitment to work in the Jordan Valley, in particular with the youth clubs. He stressed the importance of young people taking part in preserving the society by being actively involved in their local communities and confronting the systematic destruction executed by the Israeli occupation. He further addressed the youth clubs and promised that MA’AN will carry out two other events shortly, namely one chess tournament as well as one cultural competition e.g. questions and answers.

Lutheran World Foundation and MA’AN Development Center distributed school and health kits to children in the West Bank

Distribution of aid to Al Kahabney School

On 21st of September 2010, MA’AN visited Al Kahabney School in the Jordan Valley to distribute stationary and classroom equipment donated by the Norwegian Representative Office

Al Kahabney School, located north of Jericho next to the settlement of Yitav in the middle of a closed Israeli military zone, serves around 70 Bedouin children from various Bedouin villages in the Jordan Valley. Half the year, the children have to be bused in, often from miles away, as their families move in the summer to find new grazing fields for their animals. The rest of the year they live next to the school. Bedouin communities are especially at risk of having their homes demolished and are frequently issued with demolition orders. In July, the entire village of Al Farisiya was demolished by the Israeli Occupation Forces and residents lost everything, including school bags and equipment for school.

Demolition homes in the Jordan Valley of in order to expand nearby settlements.