Gaza – Recently, MIFTAH, with the support of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat, capped off five days training for 20 civil society activists, male and female youth volunteers and employees in civil society institutions. The training focused on the capacity-building of participant leaders so they could play a role in raising the public’s awareness on active citizenship and on the importance of social, political and electoral participation. The training was facilitated by Salah Abdel Ati, training and capacity-building expert, and trainer Mahmoud Abdel Hadi.
Shadia El-Ghoul, MIFTAH’s field coordinator in Gaza welcomed the participants, explaining the goals of the training, which are part of the Elections Support Program and part of MIFTAH’s contribution to the capacity-building of civil society leaders and youth activists. In addition to the abovementioned goals, she said the training aimed to reaffirm the need for youth social and political inclusiveness and for working towards holding general elections as one of the people’s basic rights. She said youth must also be a part of municipal elections, both as candidates and voters.
Gaining skills and information
The participants said they were happy with the skills and knowledge gained from the training, maintaining they would put these skills and information into practice.
Legal and administrative empowerment
The training included subjects pertaining to legal and administrative empowerment in local and municipal councils, the formation and structure of municipal councils and the relationship between the Ministry of Local Government and the people. The training also included the definition, reasons, importance, tools and practices of social accountability, its practical implementation and risks and benefits.
Active and effective learning
The training adopted methods of active and effective learning, focusing on experimentation, exploration and practical application so the participants could gain practical skills through brainstorming, organized interventions accompanied by an LCD presentations, working in groups, dialogue and debate, actual practice of activities, stimulation exercises, role playing and case-study methods.
Reality of local government bodies
On the first day, trainer Salah Abdel Ati presented the historical evolution of local government and local bodies in Palestine and followed by the current state of these bodies, the role they play and the services they provide. He also gave a brief description of the local council law given that it is the legal framework for organizing the work of Palestinian local councils and its relationship with the Ministry of Local Government.
On day two, he highlighted the formation and structure of municipal councils, addressing the administrative aspects that govern these councils and bodies. He also highlighted the relationship between municipal councils, the Ministry of Local Government and the citizens including a clarification of the legal relationship between this ministry and local bodies. Abdel Ati then addressed the challenges faced by these councils in their relationship with the ministry and the citizens.
What is social accountability?
Day three of the training addressed the definition of social accountability and the development of this concept, its foundations and justifications. This was organized through brain storming, dialogue, debate and discussions along with commentary from the trainer. The importance and conditions for social accountability were also addressed through group work.
Accountability tools and practices
The sessions on the fourth day were focused on the tools and practices of social accountability. The trainer showcased several experiments and case studies for social accountability within the framework of the Ministry of Local Government and local councils. Social experiences were also presented by the participants and trainers in addition to a PowerPoint presentation and a short film.
Benefits and pitfalls
On the fifth day, the training addressed the benefits and pitfalls of social accountability and the challenges it entails. The day focused on how to avoid these pitfalls and create successful experiences. Working groups were set up in addition to dialogues and debates with a focus on the role of NGOs in promoting accountability. The training included the tools and skills for coordinating and managing public meetings conducted through modern and advanced techniques. It also addressed time management and its importance. This was all aimed at honing the skills of the young participants who will later work on coordinating these public meetings in their own communities between local council members and groups of women and youth on the issues discussed throughout the training.
بمشاركة 20 ناشطا مجتمعيا ومتطوعا: 'مفتاح' تختتم تدريبا في غزة حول بناء قدرات نشطاء المجتمع المدني في مجال المساءلة المجتمعية
تاريخ النشر: 29/08/2015
بقلم: مفتاح
غزة – اختتمت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" مؤخرا بدعم من سكرتاريا حقوق الإنسان والقانون الدولي الإنساني، تدريبا على مدى خمسة أيام، بمشاركة 20 من نشطاء المجتمع المدني ومن الشباب المتطوعين والعاملين في المؤسسات الأهلية، استهدف بناء قدرات المشاركين القيادية ليساهموا بدورهم في رفع الوعي لدي الجمهور بالمواطنة الفاعلة وأهمية المشاركة المجتمعية والسياسية والعملية الانتخابية، وذلك بإشراف كل من صلاح عبد العاطي خبير التدريب وبناء القدرات، والمدرب، محمود عبد الهادي.
افتتح التدريب بالترحيب بالمشاركين من قبل منسقة برامج "مفتاح" في القطاع موضحة أهداف التدريب والتي تأتي ضمن برنامج دعم الانتخابات وفي إطار مساهمة "مفتاح" في بناء قدرات قيادات المجتمع المدني والنشطاء الشباب ليساهموا بدورهم لرفع الوعي لدى الجمهور بالمواطنة والتأكيد على المشاركة المجتمعية والسياسية وضرورة العمل على عقد الانتخابات الوطنية عامة كحق أساسي من حقوق الشعب الفلسطيني ، مؤكدة على ضرورة مشاركة الشباب في الانتخابات البلدية من خلال الترشح والانتخابات.
اكتساب المعارف والمهارات
وأبدى المشاركون في التدريب رضا عاما عن محتوي التدريب، وتقدما واضحا في اكتساب المعارف والمهارات لدى المشاركين ، الذين أكدوا بأنهم سيعكسون ما تلقوه من معلومات ومكتسبات ، على ممارستهم العملية أثناء تأدية أدوارهم في المجتمع.
بينما أوصى المتدربون بضرورة الاستمرار في عقد دورات متقدمة ومتخصصة لتطوير قدراتهم في مجال المساءلة المجتمعية، وزيادة مدة التدريب، حيث أظهرت لهم احتياجات جديدة.
التمكين القانوني والإداري
وكان التدريب اشتمل على موضوعات في التمكين القانوني والإداري لعمل المجالس البلدية والمحلية
ودور المجالس البلدية وتطورها، وتشكيل وهيكلية المجالس البلدية، وعلاقة المجالس البلدية بوزارة الحكم المحلي والمواطنين. كما اشتمل التدريب على المساءلة المجتمعية، ماهيتها، وأسباب وأهمية وأدوات وممارسات المساءلة المجتمعية، وواقع التطبيق العملي لها، والمنافع والمخاطر الرئيسية للمساءلة.
التعلم النشط والفاعل
في حين اعتمد التدريب على طرق التعلم النشط والفاعل كما ركز على التجريب والاكتشاف والممارسة العملية خلال التدريب ليمكن المشاركين من اكتساب المهارات عملياً، عن طريق العصف الذهني، المداخلات المنظمة مترافقة مع عرض LCD، وعمل مجموعات، الحوار والمناقشة، الممارسة الفعلية للأنشطة، تمارين التنشيط، تمثيل المواقف، طريقة دراسة الحالة.
واقع هيئات الحكم المحلي
واستعرض المدرب صلاح عبد العاطي، في اليوم الأول من التدريب، التطور التاريخي للحكم المحلي والهيئات المحلية في فلسطين ، وواقع هيئات الحكم المحلي الراهن ودور الهيئات المحلية والخدمات التي تقدمها، وقانون الهيئات المحلية باعتباره الإطار القانوني لتنظيم عمل الهيئات المحلية الفلسطينية، حيث يحدد طبيعة عمل الهيئات المحلية وعلاقاتها مع وزارة الحكم المحلي.
في حين، استعرض في اليوم الثاني من التدريب، تشكيل وهيكلية المجالس البلدية، حيث تم التطرق إلي النواحي الإدارية المنظمة للحكم المحلي والهيئات المحلية، تلاها توضيح التنظيم الإداري للهيئات المحلية تشكيل الهيئات المحلية وهياكلها والأنظمة المتبعة فيها. ثم علاقة المجالس البلدية بوزارة الحكم المحلي، والمواطنين، تم فيها توضيح العلاقة القانونية بين وزارة الحكم المحلي والهيئات المحلية، تلاها بحث واقع العلاقة وعلاقة الهيئات بالمواطنين والتحديات التي توجه الهيئات المحلية في علاقتها بالوزارة والمواطنين وسمات الحكم المحلي في فلسطين.
ماهية المساءلة المجتمعية
وتناولت جلسات اليوم الثالث من التدريب، ماهية المساءلة المجتمعية، تم فيها تقديم تعريفات المساءلة ، وتطور مفهومها، وأسسها ومبرراتها، من خلال عصف دهني وحوار ومناقشة وعرض وتعقيب من المدرب. كما تم التطرق إلي أسباب وأهمية المساءلة المجتمعية، وشروط المساءلة، من خلال عرض من المدرب وحوار ومناقشة وعرض مجموعات العمل باستخدام طرق نشطة
أدوات وممارسات المساءلة
بينما تطرقت جلسات اليوم الرابع من التدريب إلى أدوات وممارسات المساءلة المجتمعية، وتحديد وسائل وأدوات المساءلة المجتمعة والتي تم التعرض لها بالشرح والتوضيح إلي جانب عرض من المدرب لوسائل المساءلة المجتمعية. وتطبيق عدد من التجارب ودراسة حالات للمساءلة المجتمعية تمت في إطار الحكم المحلي والهيئات المحلية، وتم عرض تجارب مجتمعية من قبل المشاركين والمدرب والي جانب عرض بوربيونت وفلم قصير.
المنافع والمخاطر
في حين تم في اليوم الخامس، تناول المنافع والمخاطر الرئيسية للمساءلة الاجتماعية، وتحديد المنافع والتحديات والمخاطر وسبل تلافيها والتقليل منها وكيفية إنجاح تجارب المساءلة المجتمعية ، من خلال عمل مجموعات وعرض من المدرب وحوار ومناقشة، والتركيز على دور المنظمات الأهلية في المساءلة من خلال تحديد أدوار المجتمع المدني، وتضمن أدوات ومهارات تنسيق وإدارة اللقاءات الجماهيرية التي تمحورت حول إدارة الحوار عبر التقنيات الحديثة والمتطورة بالإضافة الى فن إدارة الوقت وكان ذلك هدفا في ضرورة صقل مهارات المشاركين الشباب الذين/ اللواتي سيعملون لاحقا وبمتابعة من "مفتاح" على التنسيق للقاءات الجماهيرية ضمن مجتمعاتهم/ن المحلية بين /ن أعضاء وعضوات مجالس الهيئات المحلية ومجموعة من النساء والشباب الناشطين مجتمعيا محاولة منهم في الوقوف على القضايا المجتمعية المتعلقة بالقضايا الخدماتية المقدمة من هيئات المجالس المحلية، وذلك بالاستناد إلى المعلومات التي تم تزويدها للمشاركين في التدريب.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
