Sharek Signs 37 Agreements of Partnership Grants with a Number of Youth Institutions and Groups

Ramallah, 4 August 2007. Sharek Youth Forum has signed 36 partnership agreements within its programs Bridges and Partners in Ramallah, the West Bank, in the presence of representatives from youth organizations and groups benefiting from the project "Be the Change" within Partners program.

Sharek's Executive Director Bader Zamareh underscored the importance of such programs that reinforce the philosophy of working together in partnership in order to improve service provision to the public and beneficiaries. He emphasized that Sharek seeks to ensure wider geographic coverage and work with new partners. The executive director of Burj Al-Laqlaq Center in Jerusalem Imad Al-Jaouni, on behalf of youth institutions benefiting from the program, talked about the importance of such type of programs, emphasized the importance of partnership and thanked the Forum for offering such opportunity to partner organizations.

The coordinator of Start Group Mateel Abu Ein talked about the planned project and praised Sharek Forum and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation for offering such opportunity to the group and to institutions working with youth.

Bridge program coordinator Mohammed Issam stated that the program aims at supporting education and offering children a secure environment through the enrichment and recreation rooms "homework centers." According to Mr. Issam, Six partnership agreements were signed for the establishment of such rooms with Burj Al-Laqlaq Center and Sur Baher Forum in Jerusalem, Safir Society in Nablus, Laje' Center in Aida refugee camp, Bethlehem, Talfit Women Center, Jayyous Municipality and Yamoun Municipality.

Mr. Issam added that the program is supported by the Arab Gulf Programme for UN Development Organizations, which funded the establishment of these rooms, and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, which supported the implementation of activities in the rooms.

The coordinator of Partners program for building the capacity of youth institutions, Hazem Abu Hilal, explained that the program is implemented through two projects: The first is "Be the Change" project to support youth groups, which has been offering support to ten groups in the West Bank: Start Group, Ruq'a and Forums of Birzeit Students, which are implemented in Ramallah and the surrounding villages, Al-Khayma and child municipal council, which are implemented in Hebron, Bethlehem and the surrounding villages, Al-Quds University group and Young Initiators in Jerusalem and suburbs, Future Builders and I Exist groups in Jenin and the surrounding villages and finally Young Female Initiators in Kufr Laqef.

The partnership grants "Partners", on the other hand, has supported 20 youth institutions across the Palestinian districts to implement various projects. Partner institutions include: Burj Al-Laqlaq Society, Future Builders Forum, and Abu Dis Youth Club in Jerusalem and suburbs; Cultural Center for Child Development, Tulkarem; Baladna Cultural Center, Qibya Child Center, Women Work Society and Jifna Club in Ramallah, Al-Bireh and the surrounding villages; Child Happiness Center and Ihsan Charitable Society in Hebron; Bobariya Charitable Civic Society and Dalal Association for Culture and Arts in Bethlehem; Abna' Al-Balad, Nablus; Youth Creativity Society, Qalqilya; Arrabeh Youth Center and Jenin Municipal Youth center in Jenin; Thalassemia Patients Friends Society, Toubas; in addition to Arab Youth Society "Baladna", which will implement a joint program for building a special website for communication by Palestinian youth with Sharek and organizations benefiting from the partnership grants.

Abu Hilal noted that this stage did not include Gaza Strip. However, the outcomes of partnership grants and "Be the Change" project in Gaza will be announced shortly.