Ramallah - As part of MIFTAH’s Participation Enhancement Programme, The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH signs a Partnership Agreement with GIZ Local Governance and Civil Society Development Program.

The agreement stipulates the implementation of the project “Improve the capacity of council members in selected Local Government Units”. The project aims at increasing the capacities of members of 36 Local Government Units in the West Bank districts so they can take on leadership roles in the management of local governance more efficiently and effectively.

Dr. Lily Feidy, MIFTAH CEO, welcomed the Head of the GIZ delegation, Orlech Nitschke, Programme consultant, Jehad Shakhskir and Technical Coordinator, Hiba Tijani. Dr. Feidy pointed out that the project is part of MIFTAH’s core direction to promote women's political participation, a project which began in 2003. On his part, Mr. Nitschke considered this partnership a result of the intersections and correlation between the strategies and objecties of the programmes in both organizations.

The project comprise a series of training workshops, which will address a different set of subjects including, but not limited to: local government laws, measures, procedures and policies that govern Local Government Units, strategic and development planning, and spatial and urban planning. The programme aims at enabling the target group of male and female members to offer gender-responsive services to their communities through community participation. The programme themes also embrace urban planning, including regulations of Local Governance, the impact of sewage on health and the environment; and water management. The project will commence this month and continue through January, 2015.