Dr. Atallah Kuttab, WA Director General, participated in a panel entitled “Risks & Remedies: Equipping Civil Society to Perform in the Information Age,” part of the Guide Star International Assembly’s event on Transparency, Civil Society and Effective States in the Information Age held in London, September 2007. In his paper entitled“The impact of aid policies and government regulations on civil society organizations (CSOs) in Palestine specifically and in the Arab World generally”, Dr. Kuttab discussed the ways that civil society can be effective. He explained how many CSOs are responding to constraints: “Due to increased government controls in their effort to suffocate civic societies, more of those organizations are coming together to set a standard for transparency and accountability as a means of protection and encouraging more giving in the region for NGO implemented programs aiming at alleviating poverty.”
The Guide Star International Assembly held September 19-20, 2007, brought together 60 associates from around the world who are working to build transparent civil societies by developing new national Guide Star systems. The event aimed at highlighting the importance of robust and vibrant civil societies for positive development outcomes and good governance, examining the risks facing civil society and discussing what is needed to further enable CSOs and ensure their effectiveness.
Earlier on, Dr. Kuttab attended the Ford Foundation’s 50th anniversary of Cairo Office held at al Menia Parks, Cairo, September 10th 2007. The event included a retreat of a number of Ford Foundation’s offices from all over the world.
In the retreat, Dr. Kuttab discussed the impact of aid policies on poverty alleviation programs in the Arab region especially in Palestine. Describing the challenges of daily life of Palestinians, Dr. Kuttab said: “In Palestine due to restrictions on mobility due to Israeli practices, more births are happening at home with disastrous effect on maternal health. All gains of the last years have been wiped out in the last five years”
Over the last five decades, Ford Foundation has awarded more than $200 million to over 350 institutions towards fostering democratic values, alleviating poverty, strengthening higher education, advancing peace, and promoting respect for diversity and pluralism in the region.
WA has partnered with Ford Foundation on a number of grants over the past years to support Palestinian developmental and emergency needs. The most recent partnership agreement signed a month ago involves the establishment of a “Jerusalem Community Fund” with joint funding of more than one million dollars to promote integrated, sustainable development in East Jerusalem through supporting the civil society organizations.
