Civic Participation and Community Engagement (CPCE)

The Civic Participation and Community Engagement (CPCE) activity supports civil society organizations to better advocate and serve their communities, increasing citizen engagement and participation. There are over 3,000 registered Community Service Organizations (CSOs) in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian CSOs play a key role in providing basic services in the region. As of October 2022, CPCE signed 22 subaward grants totaling 1,255,833 to Palestinian civil society organizations, many of them focused on providing leadership opportunities for women and youth to effect positive change in their communities. The project will make up to 25 subawards to advanced basic democratic freedoms and common goals shared between the American and Palestinian people.

Al-Jaleel Society for Care and Rehabilitation the Charity ($39,910) empowers youth with disabilities to actively participate in their communities. Through the activity, 15 participants with disabilities in Jenin will receive project management skills training to design and implement six income-generating initiatives that raise community awareness of the rights of people with disabilities.

Al Majd Society for Community Development ($25,000), in collaboration with students from the Arab American University and Al-Quds Open University, provides training, coaching, and mentoring to 50 youth in Jenin to support participatory learning, community leadership, and implement three youth-led initiatives to improve youth civic participation.

Caritas Jerusalem (CJ) ($62,000) promotes access to career and entrepreneurship skills for 125 young social entrepreneurs in Marj Ibn Amer Area- Jenin.  The activity supports career and skills training, employment matchmaking services for youth, and youth-designed initiatives. Additionally, CJ supports 300 students with career counseling and growth opportunities to fulfill the needs of the labor market. 

The Charity for Youth Engagement & Empowerment (CYEE) ($76,000) supports 60 emerging female leaders who address what they identify as the significant absence of young, female representation in their communities. The "Women in Action" activity equips young women with the knowledge, skills, best practices, and experience to become promoters and advocates for female representation in their communities. 

Community Development and Continuing Education Institute (CDCE-I) ($78,000) encourages youth participation and accountability in local governance through 13 Local Youth Councils and 11 Social Accountability Committees in 23 communities. These committees enable youth to take ownership of their communities and provide early opportunities to develop leadership skills and community participation.

Dalal Institution for Culture and Arts ($43,360) supports youth to research, design, and advocate for social and economic initiatives affecting vulnerable populations in the Bethlehem area.  The activity will fund training sessions and facilitate visits to increase communication between citizens and community leaders. As part of this activity, 30 youth aged 15-18 will receive mentoring and coaching to increase self-esteem, leadership, and community engagement skills. 

Diabetic Patients Friends Association (DPFA) - Health Rights Broadcasted Live ($39,430) trains 65 youth on health rights, community leadership, and social advocacy to address the needs of patients with type 1 diabetes in Tulkarem. The participating youth will lead the design and implementation of five social initiatives to promote health rights in the targeted communities. Using a combined approach through media campaigns, awareness workshops, and new initiatives designed by youth, the Diabetic Patients Friends Association will ensure patients with diabetes have an equal say in their health rights and community engagement.

Hebron Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC) ($73,000) uses media campaigns and group discussions to transform social norms that perpetuate gender based violence (GBV) with a focus on youth engagement. The activity will gather focus groups to determine the largest challenges around GBV prevention and train 160 youth on media campaign skills and implement four initiatives to mobilize local youth as agents for change in marginalized communities in Hebron. 

Holy Land Trust (HLT) ($41,000) takes steps to address the inequities that lead to GBV by training 30 women from marginalized communities. Training includes leadership, social and vocational skills.  In addition, the activity implements a media campaign to promote women's rights and economic engagement. Holy Land Trust will implement 20 women-led business initiatives to improve women’s economic participation.  

INJAZ Palestine ($45,366) removes obstacles preventing youth from integrating into civic action, economic empowerment, and informal education. INJAZ trains professionals from community-based organizations and the private sector to implement education workshops for over 500 students for improved civic participation. Additionally, INJAZ will host an innovation camp for 40 youth to develop initiatives that solve common problems in their communities.  

Institute of Modern Media (IMM) - Al-Quds University ($59,000) addresses the workforce gender gap among university graduates by promoting and supporting 50 women-led entrepreneurial initiatives across the West Bank. The project advocates for inclusiveness of vulnerable communities in the workforce, including persons with disabilities, focusing on women with hearing impairments. 

Jabal An-Nar Club ($34,770) works with 60 youth in Nablus to lead and implement youth campaigns for societal change. Training for participants includes media and visual design training, and dialogue skills. Youth determine campaigns that address issues in their daily lives, including economic opportunity in their communities. 

The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC) ($59,000) empowers and advocates for 270 mothers and their children with disabilities. JPBC engages mothers to design training curricula for parents and community-based rehabilitation organizations in caregiving, advocacy, and community mobilization for youth with disabilities. The activity encourages early support for youth with disabilities, increases accountability of public-sector service delivery, and improves access for children with disabilities. 

Juhoud for Community and Rural Development ($75,000) empowers 125 youth (at least 50% women), including persons with disabilities, in five communities in Ramallah and Salfit governorates. In partnership with community based organizations and local governments, Juhoud enhances youth life skills through leadership and financial skills training and implementation of five initiatives designed by youth to increase community participation for the next generation.  

MAAN TV Network ($90,000) creates a youth steering committee representing the North, Central, and South of the West Bank. The committee creates, facilitates and coordinates three youth advocacy networks through 30 youth representatives (including journalists and those trained in media). Maan empowers youth by delivering specialized, practical modern media training and implementing youth-led media activities to promote accountability and transparency and create change. 

Palestine Sports for Life - For All ($49,000) increases community participation and social inclusion of youth, women, and people with disabilities in the northern West Bank by training 25 youth representing five youth centers and sports clubs in the Tulkarem District. The project will build the capacity of local trainers and coaches, both young women and men, in Sports for Development (S4D) to enable them to deliver gender-sensitive and inclusive sports intervention and activities in their communities.

Palestine Wildlife Society ($38,240) provides go-green and eco-conscious training for more than 280 people in East Bethlehem. Participants design and implement go-green information sessions, workshops, information booklets, and eco-friendly initiatives influencing communities' practices. Participants and their impact on the communities pave the way for a greener and cleaner environment for this, and future, Palestinian generations. 

Palestinian Center for Communication and Development Studies- PCCDS/Hebron ($26,670) empowers and trains 100 young women aged 18-28 to raise community awareness and support community and social initiatives around issues that affect young women. Through the activity, youth will design and implement four initiatives focused on social change for women’s empowerment.

Partners for Sustainable Development (PSD) ($72,000) supports 100 secondary school and university graduates to take steps toward a sustainable community and encourage social engagement. The activity provides life skills training and further educational opportunities. The approach enhances youth creativity and innovation to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and mindset by identifying and addressing community challenges through 20 youth-led initiatives. Additionally, the activity will provide links to incubators to extend opportunities beyond the life of the project.

Roles for Social Change Association - ADWAR ($70,000) supports women’s empowerment in select local communities through developing four women committees and workshops targeting both men and women on issues related to gender equality. The activity will launch a Women’s Council, in addition to the existing Men’s Council, and facilitate discussions between the two, and between women and local decision makers, to expand meaningful dialogue and accountability for women’s issues. The activity will work in targeted local communities in Bethlehem and Hebron governorates. 

Shiam - Youth Make the Future ($77,053) works with 12 established Youth Councils in the West Bank to support youth as agents of change. Youth will participate in two bootcamps focused on designing and implementing environmental initiatives in the West Bank to increase youth awareness and engagement in community-based environmental projects. The project trains 60 youth on business models, time management, goals and objectives design,  problem-solving, budgeting, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and presentation skills. Following the training and bootcamps, the project will select six initiatives for financial support using local Palestinian incubators. 

Taawon for Conflict Resolution - “Dawrak” ($79,300), in coordination with community-based organizations, engages three community service committees in the areas around Tulkarem, Qalqilya and Northwest Jerusalem to design and implement media and advocacy campaigns, hold public hearing sessions, and implement six community initiatives to hold Joint Service Councils and Local Government Units accountable for improving community service delivery.