As part of MIFTAH’s interest in empowering and supporting youth leaders for effective participation in decision-making, the Political and Social Active Palestinian Youth Network recently capped off its youth camp activities. The camp was part of the organization’s “Empowering and supporting youth leaders” project which MIFTAH launched in 2003 and which is aimed at empowering youths to participate in the political and social change and development process in Palestine. MIFTAH is keen on promoting an environment of dialogue for Palestinian youths, including an annual evaluation to guarantee continued harmony and interaction between them.
Creating a participatory environment
The camp aimed at creating a participatory environment for the political and social action of youth in Palestine, through integrating groups of young leaders targeted in the program and enabling them to actively participate in this regard. In all, 60 male and female members of the network participated in the camp.
Abdallah Qadah: self-realization
Abdallah Qadah, a leader in the Youth Network said the trainings and exercises were aimed at allowing participants to reach self-realization and reconciliation. The youths were also urged to pinpoint their goals at the personal level in line with the network’s goals. “Self-harmony is a step towards harmony with all the group’s members,” Qadah said. “Because building a strong team requires determining the roles and positons of each member and knowing what each of them can add. “ He added that the camp exercises were able to create a harmonious rhythm with the network and steer it in one direction.
Ala’ Al Wazni: acceptance of the other
Youth and community activist Ala’ Al Wazni says that while she has participated in youth camps before, this youth camp was unique and different. She said there was interconnection and harmony between all the participants and groups. “We were able to build better and more harmonious relationships all while each of us maintained our own ideas and convictions. At the personal level, I was able to break many barriers between myself and others. It helped that everyone there was very open-minded and accepting of the other in spite of their differences. This, I believe, is the most important achievement of this event.”
Isra’ Al Qaya: Breaking down walls
Isra’ Al Qaya from the village of Kufr Zeibad in the Tulkarm district had a similar opinion. She said the camp gave her the opportunity to become acquainted with many more members of the Youth Network in addition to participating in the various trainings and workshops. “We were trained in the use of drama, how to develop our leadership skills and how to be open to other people’s opinions. This really helped in breaking down many walls for me,” Qaya said.
Shadi Zeidat: Believing in oneself…a model for qualitative youth dialogue
MIFTAH coordinator for the Political and Social Active Palestinian Youth Network Shadi Zeidat said the goal of the camp was to promote relations between all members of the network irrespective of when they joined. On this basis, he said, the camp’s programs were built in a manner that focused on the use of drama, which helped everyone determine individual and also collective priorities. All of this ultimately helped to promote one of the most important values which the network believes in, which is the quality of safe participatory space for everyone, regardless of differences in their ideas or affiliations, Zeidat said. He added that all of the youth network’s participants believe in its vision and approaches. This, he maintained, was imperative for guaranteeing that these approaches are achieved at the political and social levels all while respecting the individual convictions of each participant.
Zeidat added: “The level of respect that all the participants in the group have for the network’s values is an indicator of the importance of the network and this unique experience in youth action in Palestine.” He also said this promoted the value of the network socially, which in turn strengthened its success and increased its impact on the issues with which it is involved. In addition, Zeidat said the camp served as motivation for all Palestinian youths to join, given that it is an independent and effective dialogue-based youth environment far removed from the various social and political contradictions and disputes.
ضمن برنامج 'تقوية ودعم القيادات الشابة'
شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسياً ومجتمعياً تختتم فعاليات مخيمها الشبابي
تاريخ النشر: 22/09/2016
بقلم: مفتاح
ضمن اهتمام "مفتاح" بتمكين ودعم القيادات الشابة وصولاً إلى مشاركة فاعلة في صناعة القرار، اختتمت شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسياً ومجتمعياً مؤخرا ، فعاليات مخيمها الشبابي، في إطار برنامج "تقوية ودعم القيادات الشابة" الذي أطلقته "مفتاح" منذ العام 2003 والهادف إلى تمكين الشباب من المساهمة في عملية التغيير والتطوير في فلسطين على المستويين السياسي والاجتماع، حيث تحرص مفتاح على تعزيز البيئة الحوارية الجامعة للشباب الفلسطيني، وتقيم مثل هذا التجمع سنوياً لضمن استمرار التناغم والتفاعل ما بين الشباب الفلسطيني.
خلق بيئة تشاركية
وهدف المخيم إلى خلق بيئة تشاركية للعمل الشبابي السياسي والاجتماعي في فلسطين، من خلال دمج مجموعات القيادات الشابة المستهدفة في البرنامج، وتمكينهم من المشاركة الفاعلة في هذا المجال، بمشاركة 60 مشاركا/ة من أفراد الشبكة.
عبد الله قدح: تحقيق الذات
وفي هذا الإطار قال عبد الله قدح، القيادي في شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسيا ومجتمعيا، إن مجموعة التدريبات والتمرينات التي تلقاها المشاركون في المخيم، كان هدفها الوصول بالمشاركين إلى تحقيق ذواتهم والتصالح معها، وتحديد أهدافهم على المستويات الشخصية بما ينسجم مع أهداف الشبكة. وأضاف:" الانسجام مع الذات خطوة باتجاه الانسجام مع جميع أعضاء المجموعة، لأن بناء فريق قوي يتطلب تحديد دور وموقع كل واحد فيها، ومعرفته بما يمكن أن يضيفه للفريق. وبالتالي كانت مجموعة التمارين قادرة على خلق إيقاع منسجم مع كل الشبكة ووضعه في توجه واحد وهو الهدف الذي تسعى إليه الشبكة".
آلاء الوزني: تقبل الآخر
ومع مشاركات لها في مخيمات شبابية سابقة، إلا أن مشاركة الناشطة الشبابية والمجتمعية آلاء الوزني في المخيم الشبابي الأخير كان مختلفا ومتميزا، وظهر فيه التداخل والانسجام بين جميع المشاركين/ات فيه من المجموعات الشبابية المنضوية في إطار شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسيا ومجتمعيا.
تقول آلاء:" تمكنا من خلال هذا التجمع الشبابي من بناء علاقات أفضل وأكثر انسجاما، مع احتفاظ كل واحد منا بأفكاره وقناعاته. على الصعيد الشخصي تمكنت من كسر كثير من الحواجز بيني وبين الآخرين.. وكان الحضور جميعه منفتحا في فكره متقبلا للآخر رغم الاختلاف معه في الرأي. وبرأيي هذا أهم ما تحقق من هذا التجمع".
إسراء القية: كسر الحواجز
مشاركة أخرى في شبكة الشباب هي الناشطة المجتمعية إسراء القية من قرية كفر زيباد بمحافظة طولكرم، عبرت عن رأي مماثل لزميلتها الوزني، مشيرة إلى أن التجمع الأخير لمجموعات الشبكة أكسبها معرفة وتعرفا أكبر على أعضاء كافة المجموعات المنطوية تحت إطار الشبكة الشبابية.. " بفضل تمارين وتدريبات غنية ونوعية تلقيناها على مدى أيام التئام المخيم، باستخدام الدراما، وتطوير مهاراتنا في القيادة، وبالانفتاح على آراء بعضنا البعض، ما ساهم في كسر كثير من الحواجز".
شادي زيدات: إيمان أكثر بالذات..ونموذج حواري شبابي نوعي
بدوره، قال شادي زيدات منسق شبكة الشباب الفلسطيني الفاعل سياسيا ومجتمعيا: "هدف التجمع بشكل رئيسي إلى النهوض بواقع العلاقات بين أعضاء كافة أعضاء الشبكة بغض النظر عن سنة انضمامهم لها، وعلى هذا الأساس تم بناء برنامج المخيم بطريقة تركزت على توظيف الدراما من خلال تمارين مختلفة ساعدت الكل على تحديد الأولويات الفردية وحتى الجماعية، ووطدت العلاقات بين كافة المشاركين/ات، وهو ما ساعد حتماً في تعزيز واحدة من أهم القيم التي تؤمن بها الشبكة، وهي نوعية المساحات التشاركية الآمنة بين الجميع بغض النظر عن اختلاف انتماءاتهم وأفكارهم، وأن الكل في إطار الشبكة يؤمن برؤيتها وتوجهاتها على مختلف الأصعدة من أجل ضمان تحقيق هذه التوجهات على المستويين السياسي والاجتماعي بشكل جماعي ومتناغم، مع التأكيد على احترام القناعات والتوجهات الفردية لكل مشارك/ة". وأضاف زيدات "مدى احترام كافة المشاركين/ات لمجموعة القيم النوعية التي تؤمن بها الشبكة يدلل على أهمية هذه الشبكة وهذه التجربة الفريدة من نوعها في العمل الشبابي في فلسطين، ويعزز من قيمة الشبكة مجتمعياً، وهذا من شأنه أن يعزز من نجاحات الشبكة ويزيد من تأثيرها في كافة القضايا التي تعمل عليها، إضافة إلى كونه عاملاً محفزاً لكل الشباب الفلسطيني للانتساب إليها كونها بيئة شبابية حوارية مستقلة ذات تأثير وبعيدة كل البعد عن التناقضات والتجاذبات السياسية والمجتمعية المختلفة"
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.
