The extent to which individuals engage in social and policy-related initiatives
Palestine: Engaging with Local Communities and Better Meeting their Needs
In Palestine, implementing the CSI has led to a better consideration of local community needs and marginalised people. The Bisan Centre for Research and Development (BCRD) implemented the CSI in 2003-2006 and, as Eileen Kuttab, Acting Director General of BCRD, explains (October 2009):
“The CSI has exposed the internal problematics of relations of NGOs with [the] local community, so I think that this gap is being more monitored and more emphasis is put on finding creative policies to reach marginalised groups through opening programmes that permit equal opportunities and equal access to all groups and sectors of community.”
Clearly, civil society organisations are changing their practices based on such findings. In short, some of the most successful recommendations that were implemented in Palestine are “[engaging] more with people” and “[conducting] projects that are more relevant to community practices.” By listening more to community needs, civil society organisations can do better work in Palestine.
Find out more about all CSI findings in Palestine here.
