Project Summary:

• Duration: (06/04 – 01/05)

• Funding Source: European Union

Transparency & Accountability is an important subject that Palestinians want to understand better. With the lack of public sector disclosure being the norm in Palestinian society, increasing the knowledge and practical understanding of this practice is important to develop Palestinian democracy.

This project aims to open a public debate and increase the Palestinian knowledge base and understanding of the concepts of public sector transparency and accountability to help Palestinians know their rights to ask how and where their public funds are being spent and on what. The project targets civil society activists and the general public from 16-34 equally.

Project activities include thirty six workshops and a comprehensive report. The project theme is protecting human rights by supporting democratization, good governance & the rule of law. It focuses on “promoting dialogue on good governance at the formal, informal levels and local councils as well as combating corruption.”[1]

During this project CFI successfully will conduct 36 workshops throughout the West Bank districts. These districts include:

1. Jerusalem

2. Ramallah

3. Hebron

4. Toubas

5. Qalqiliah

6. Nablus

7. Bethlehem / Beit Jala

8. Jenin

9. Salfeet

Among the participants will be an expert speaker, decision makers (PNA and PLC representatives), community leaders, local political leaders, professionals, civil society institutions’ representatives and ordinary citizens. The ordinary citizen’s category included university students, home makers, women from age 17 and up and youth men aged from 17 to 35.

There will be an evaluation to illustrate the improved participants’ knowledge about the annual budget and the ingredients of a transparent and accountable budget execution process. From the workshops’ recommendations we can conclude that Palestinians are seriously concerned about the PNA’s reform process and its effects on the national budget. In addition, the different participants of each workshop expressed the importance of reallocating funds among the budget items, from the security spending apparatus and salaries to social programs and projects; such as education, health etc.