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engagement

PALESTINE EMERGING emphasizes civic engagement in the reconstruction process.

The recent ‘Roof Over Our Heads’ campaign launched at COP27 helps vulnerable and informal settlements build better. The ‘Mahila Mandal’ or ‘women’s club’ is the lead organization driving the implementation.

GOVERNANCE, PARTICIPATION

PALESTINE EMERGING supports working with civil society groups and leaders to understand their needs, map their skills, and help them prepare for employment and post-conflict transition.

Use combinations of in-person and digital forums to encourage constructive contributions by individuals, families, representatives of civil society groups, and surrounding communities. Offer leadership development programs to build capacity for strategic collaborations with international agencies. Define anchor projects rooted in community and family networks. Prepare local communities for activities related to reconstruction. Longer-term, build permanent governance structures that coordinate efforts with related international stakeholders.

Support a Palestinian Fund for Reconstruction and Development, an over-arching interdisciplinary ministry responsible for overseeing reconstruction, continuously adapting to community needs and feedback, and ensuring effective and inclusive progress. This body will complement the Agency for Reconstruction in implementing critical infrastructure projects. 

See also: 

Peru Reconstruction with Changes

Saudi Royal Commission

Establish a Covenant of Mayors, a formal agreement among local governorates to actively participate in and advance reconstruction efforts, emphasizing the crucial role of local governance in the development process.

Promote Youth Engagement Programs. These will include online and in-person initiatives to encourage civic engagement and enhance employability. Related programs will focus on training for freelancing, volunteering, and participation in community projects. Create a shadow board in the agency for reconstruction to ensure youth participation.

Launch Professional and Investment Training programs to attract local and international investments, leveraging the Palestinian diaspora and international volunteers for the development of commercial skills.

Host Citizen Assembly Platforms. These digital forums, managed through pre-agreed protocols, allow the public to communicate their needs directly to delivery agencies, establishing a responsive dialogue between communities and reconstruction bodies. 

See also: 

Bosnia Citizen Assemblies

Abu Dhabi’s Arab Youth Program

Launch Pro-Bono Legal Workshops to educate local communities on legal processes and rights, which will be useful for navigating business and land acquisition challenges during reconstruction, while enhancing legal literacy and empowerment. 

See also:

LawWorks UK

Organize a Palestinian Diaspora Network to engage with Palestine-related affairs. The network will offer mentorship and networking components, pairing diaspora with local Palestinians.

Convene a Women’s Club, a secure forum to enfranchise women and young family members and incentivize them to participate in community planning and the broader reconstruction process. Create a global mentorship program to match local women leaders with international women mentors to provide advice, guidance and support.

GAMECHANGER 

PALESTINE BOND

Develop a crowdfunding platform where individuals around the world can invest in long-term reconstruction bonds to support economic and infrastructure development. The Bond will produce patient capital for investment, generate stable long-term returns on investment and will be deployed to invest in a selective range of heritage-related projects or specific communities. 

While the Palestine Bond is a financial vehicle intended to support economic growth, its primary characteristic will be to create soft power by fusing Palestinian themes with the interests of a wide range of international and Palestinian diaspora groups.

Various thematic products will cater to the preference and mandates of various groups, e.g., women-owned SME businesses; long-term infrastructure projects; green conservation; preparation of UNESCO sites, and boosting tourism initiatives such as ‘Bring Christmas Back To Bethlehem’.

The platform will integrate with approved platforms, e.g., crowdfund me, and partner with various local and international organizations working on advocacy and diaspora group engagement. 

During World War II the US introduced more than 100 different war bonds, raising USD 185bn over four years from about 84 million Americans (with an average investment close to USD 2,000). 

Chen, J. (2022).