NDC seeks out the needs, concerns and hopes of small NGOs and CBOs in the northern governorates.
On Thursday 3rd of May, the NGO Development Center was excited to take part in an information meeting with 70 NGO workers held in the Salfit Governorate offices. Facilitated by chairman of the Palestinian National Institute of NGOs (PNIN), Nasfat Al Khuffash, the meeting provided an opportunity for NDC to gauge the most urgent interventions needed in this part of the West Bank, and for small NGOs and CBOs to express their frustrations, concerns and insights into the social and financial environment they work within. The importance of this type of outreach work cannot be overstated and Palestine TV was present to cover this initiative.
The meeting began with an introduction from Nafat Al Khuffash and speeches from Ghassan Kasabreh (NDC Director) and the Governor of Salfit, Issam Abu Baker. Ghassan Kasabreh expressed NDC’s desire to hear the thoughts and opinion of NGO workers and thanked PNIN for organizing the meeting. The NDC team then provided information about NDC’s various work programs.
NDC manages two funding streams: the Palestinian NGO IV Project (PNGO IV) which supports organizations involved in social service delivery, and the Human Rights and Good Governance Secretariat which provides vital assistance to NGOs involved in the struggle for rights and justice in the occupied Palestinian Territory. Jamileh Sahlieh, Grants Manager, gave a presentation which focused on the process of NGO grant applications and NDC’s selection process. Secondly, through the Sector Development Program (SDP), NDC works to increase the capacity of the sector as a whole. Sector Development Manager Areej Daibas provided attendees with an insight into NDC’s commitment to long-term sector support and, in particular, the importance of good internal governance for small organizations hoping to ensure the sustainability of their activities. Finally, Hasan Hamarsha, Masader Portal Coordinator, introduced the audience to the NDC Portal, www.masader.ps. The site offers an online mechanism that gives all NGOs in Palestine the chance to share experience, knowledge and expertise in a geographically divided environment. The portal is free to join and consequently a hugely valuable resource for small, community-based organizations.
A vigorous and impassioned question and answer session followed the presentations. This part of the day was particularly beneficial for NDC. Ultimately, these meetings provide NDC with a direct link to the most pressing concerns in Palestinian society. Only through this kind of engagement can future programs be more responsive to the needs of the community they hope to serve.
Following the meeting, the NDC team and members of the NGO community visited a prisoner’s support tent erected by the people of Salfit in solidarity with the many hundreds of Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli jails. In the face of the occupation, the fortitude shown by the Palestinian people is also a constant feature of the NGO partners NDC works with every day, every week and every year.
NDC is committed to continual engagement with Palestinian NGOs that may suffer from lack of access to capacity building programs and funding. Indeed the agenda of the NGO Development Center is directly linked to the changing needs of the Palestinian NGO sector. It is hoped that regular information meetings across the occupied Palestinian territory will continue to enhance NDC’s community knowledge and social accountability processes.
