MONITORING AND EVALUATING SEEDS OF PEACE'S

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001721 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM/ANE AND NEA/RA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL KPAL KWBG IS JO SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATING SEEDS OF PEACE'S COEXISTENCE CENTER IN JERUSALEM REF: A) PRM MONITORING GUIDANCE 12/04/03 B) 03 AMMAN 1477 ¶1. REGIONAL REFCOORD ASSISTANT MONITORED PRM-FUNDED ACTIVITIES AT SEEDS OF PEACE'S COEXISTENCE CENTER IN DECEMBER 2003 AND THROUGH FOLLOW-UP PHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH 2004. CABLE IS KEYED TO MONITORING GUIDANCE PROVIDED REF A. ¶A. REFCOORD ASSISTANT MET WITH SEEDS OF PEACE'S COEXISTENCE CENTER SENIOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR JEN MARLOWE, ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR DR. REUVEN BARNEIS AND CENTER SUPERVISOR SAMI AL- JUNDI DECEMBER 3, 2003 TO MONITOR PRM-FUNDED COEXISTENCE ACTIVITIES. REFCOORD ASSISTANT ALSO CONDUCTED FOLLOW-UP MONITORING BY PHONE AND E-MAIL BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH ¶2004. ¶B. DUE TO CONTINUING POLITICAL TENSIONS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA, SEEDS OF PEACE (SOP) HAS BEEN UNABLE TO IMPLEMENT SEVERAL KEY GRANT OBJECTIVES, INCLUDING COMMUNITY SERVICES PROJECTS IN THE CAMPS, VIDEO MESSAGING ACTIVITIES AND SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS. SOP IS ATTEMPTING TO FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS BY TRAINING PALESTINIAN YOUTH TO IMPLEMENT UNOFFICIAL SOP ACTIVITIES IN REFUGEE CAMPS AND SCHOOLS. SOP ALSO RECRUITED TEN PALESTINIAN TEACHERS (WHO SERVED AS ESCORTS AT THE SUMMER CAMP) TO INTRODUCE SOP ACTIVITIES IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND PRODUCE THE TEACHING MANUAL FOR THE ARABIC EDITION OF "THE OLIVE BRANCH" MAGAZINE. ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, SOP IN JULY 2003 HELD ITS FIRST JERUSALEM GATHERING OF ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN MORE THAN THREE YEARS. WHILE GOI OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO ISSUE PERMITS FOR PALESTINIAN YOUTH TO TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM FOR SOP ACTIVITIES, MANY PALESTINIANS FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE TRAVELING TO JERUSALEM OR ISRAELI CITIES AND PREFER INSTEAD TO MEET SOP STAFF IN PALESTINIAN CITIES. SEEDS IS THEREFORE HAVING A HARD TIME MEETING THE LETTER OF THE PRM GRANT AGREEMENT BUT IS FULFILLING THE SPIRIT OF PROMOTING A CULTURE OF TOLERANCE AND COEXISTENCE AMONG PALESTINIAN REFUGEE YOUTH. ¶C. UNDER THE PRM GRANT, TWELVE PALESTINIAN YOUTH FROM WEST BANK REFUGEE CAMPS PARTICIPATED IN THE THREE-WEEK SOP SUMMER CAMP IN MAINE, WHICH WAS HELD IN JULY AND AUGUST 2003. THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN SOP COEXISTENCE ACTIVITIES IN THE CENTER IN JERUSALEM THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR. A SUMMARY OF COEXISTENCE ACTIVITIES FOLLOWS: ¶1. COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES: IN AUGUST 2003, TEN PALESTINIANS, MORE THAN HALF REFUGEES, SPENT TWO DAYS WITH 68 REFUGEE CHILDREN AGED 8-14 IN EIN EL-SULTAN REFUGEE CAMP IN JERICHO. SEEDS TOURED THE CAMP ON THE FIRST DAY AND LEARNED ABOUT REFUGEE LIFE. ON THE SECOND DAY, SEEDS CONDUCTED WORKSHOPS IN DRAMA, ART AND GAMES FOR THE REFUGEE KIDS, IN WHICH THEY SHARED SOP IDEAS AND THE VALUES OF MUTUAL RESPECT, TOLERANCE AND NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION. SEEDS ALSO ORGANIZED TWO ADDITIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS IN GAZA AND NABLUS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES IN CAMPS THERE BUT DUE TO POLITICAL TENSIONS, HAS NOT YET SCHEDULED COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES IN ANY OTHER REFUGEE CAMPS. BECAUSE SOP STAFF BELIEVE OFFICIAL SEEDS OF PEACE ACTIVITIES WILL NOT BE WELCOME IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS, SOP STAFF ARE INSTEAD HOLDING ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS IN PALESTINIAN CITIES AND TRAINING SEEDS THEMSELVES TO LEAD COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES IN THE CAMPS. FOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE IDEAS ARE IN THE EARLY PLANNING STAGES AND WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AS PROJECTS IN THE CAMPS TO FULFILL THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT. ¶2. MEDIA TRAINING COURSE IN BEIT BERL: ON OCTOBER 3, 2003, TWO HUNDRED ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN SEEDS MET IN BEIT BERL TO REGISTER FOR A ONE-YEAR MEDIA TRAINING PROGRAM. SEVEN PALESTINIANS REFUGEE YOUTH ARE NOW PARTICIPATING IN THE COURSE THAT WILL TRAIN THEM TO WRITE, PREPARE COMMENTARIES AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO CRITICALLY INTERPRET AND ANALYZE TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPERS. AN ISRAELI AND A PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST WORKED WITH THEM ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PRINT JOURNALISM, AND SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES TO SOP'S "OLIVE BRANCH" MAGAZINE. SEEDS ARE NOW LEARNING (FROM OLDER SEEDS WHO STUDIED MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL) MORE ABOUT TV AND FILM MEDIA, HOW TO PRODUCE AND ANALYZE IT AND HOW TO EDIT THEIR OWN PRODUCTIONS. PALESTINIAN COURSE GRADUATES WILL WORK ON THE ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW PROJECT. ¶3. ORAL HISTORY PROJECT: A REFUGEE YOUTH (WHO RECEIVES A SALARY AS PART OF THE PROJECT) WAS SELECTED TO LEAD THE ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW PROJECT. THE ORAL INTERVIEWS ARE UNDERWAY AND TWO VIDEOS CASSETTES ARE UNDER PREPARATION. SOP HAS NO CLEAR PLANS HOW TO USE THEM IN THE PALESTINIAN SCHOOLS. ¶4. OLIVE BRANCH MAGAZINE: AN EDITOR FOR THE ARABIC VERSION OF "THE OLIVE BRANCH" WAS SELECTED AND TRANSLATION OF THE CURRENT ENGLISH-ONLY EDITION OF "OLIVE BRANCH" MAGAZINE INTO ARABIC IS UNDERWAY. THE MAGAZINE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO YOUTH IN SCHOOLS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA IN COORDINATION WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF UNRWA AND A UNDP PROGRAM ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT. SOP IS NOW PRODUCING AN ARABIC STUDY-GUIDE FOR THE MAGAZINE AND PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE IT WITH "THE OLIVE BRANCH" AND ALSO PLACE IT ON THE SOP WEBSITE AS A RESOURCE. SOP PLANS TO TRAIN TEN INTERESTED PALESTINIAN TEACHERS (WHO SERVED PREVIOUSLY AS SOP CAMP ESCORTS) TO USE "THE OLIVE BRANCH" AS AN EDUCATIONAL CLASSROOM TOOL FOR TOLERANCE AND RESPECT OF OTHERS IN THEIR SCHOOLS. ¶D. WHILE THE POLITICAL AND THE SECURITY SITUATION ON THE GROUND HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE OUR LAST REPORT (REF B),SOP MANAGED TO RESTORE JOINT MEETINGS BETWEEN ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN SEEDS, ONE OF THE PROJECT'S PRIMARY GOALS. IT HELD ITS FIRST JOINT MEETING IN THREE YEARS AT THE COEXISTENCE CENTER IN JULY 2003. MARLOWE ATTRIBUTED SOP'S SUCCESS IN RESTORING THESE MEETINGS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF SOP PRESIDENT AARON MILLER, WHO, ACCORDING TO MARLOWE, CONVINCED ISRAELI OFFICIALS TO ALLOW PALESTINIANS SEEDS TO TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM FOR COEXISTENCE ACTIVITIES. EXTENSIVE COORDINATION WITH ISRAELI MILITARY AUTHORITIES IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE PALESTINIAN SEEDS CAN TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM AND CITIES IN ISRAEL. SOP ALSO COORDINATES WITH THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AND PALESTINIAN NGOS TO ARRANGE PROGRAMMING IN REFUGEE CAMPS. DIFFICULTIES IN SECURING COORDINATION FROM ISRAELI MILITARY FORCES AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES IN THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES CAMPS OFTEN DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOP ACTIVITIES. SOP IS NOT SURE IF IT CAN WORK IN THE CAMPS UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND IS INVESTIGATING OTHER WAYS TO REACH PALESTINIAN REFUGEE YOUTH, INCLUDING WORKING WITH REFUGEE YOUTH THAT LIVE OUTSIDE CAMPS AND TRAINING YOUTH TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS THEMSELVES. ¶E. IN ITS COEXISTENCE ACTIVITIES, SOP ENSURES THAT 50% PERCENT OF THE PALESTINIAN TARGET GROUP IS REFUGEES. LIKE ALL SEEDS, THE REFUGEE YOUTH ARE SELECTED BASED ON THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS, ACADEMIC STRENGTH, AND SOCIAL AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. DUE TO RESTRICTIONS ON PALESTINIANS' MOVEMENT, SOP STAFF VISIT PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN THEIR HOMETOWNS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA FOR PREPARATORY AND NATIONAL MEETINGS BEFORE ARRANGING JOINT MEETINGS WITH THE ISRAELI SEEDS IN JERUSALEM AND ISRAELI CITIES. ¶F. SOP DOES NOT USE SPHERE STANDARDS, BUT IS WILLING TO USE THEM IF REQUESTED BY PRM. ¶G. SOP HAS A CODE OF CONDUCT AND ADVISES PROJECT STAFF OF THEIR OBLIGATION TO REPORT ANY SUSPECTED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE OF BENEFICIARIES BY FACILITATORS AND ESCORTS. ¶H. THE CONTINUOUS VIOLENCE, CURFEWS AND CLOSURES IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA MAKE TIMELY IMPLEMENTATION OF SOP ACTIVITIES DIFFICULT. AN ACTIVITY PLANNED TO TAKE PLACE WITH A PALESTINIAN DIALOGUE GROUP IN BETHLEHEM'S DEHEISHEH CAMP, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS MOVED TO EIN EL-SULTAN CAMP IN JERICHO DUE TO SECURITY CONCERNS. MARLOWE REPORTED THAT STAFF SAFETY HAS BECOME A CONCERN. PALESTINIAN MILITANTS WHO OVERHEARD A MEETING WITH PALESTINIAN SEEDS IN NABLUS, FOR EXAMPLE, THREATENED ONE AMERICAN STAFF MEMBER. IN RESPONSE TO THESE SECURITY CONCERNS, SOP NOW PLANS TO GIVE ITS PALESTINIAN SEEDS FIRST AID TRAINING IN COOPERATION WITH THE PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY. AS THE SEEDS THEMSELVES ARE GETTING OLDER AND GAINING MORE EXPERIENCE, SOP PLANS FOR THEM TO TAKE OVER LEADERSHIP OF THE PROJECTS FROM ITS AMERICAN STAFF. SOP BELIEVES THIS EMPOWERMENT PLAN NOT ONLY ADDRESSES THE SAFETY ISSUE BUT ALSO FUFILLS SOP'S MISSION OF TRAINING YOUTH TO LEAD THE FUTURE PEACE MOVEMENT. ¶I. MUCH OF THE PROJECT'S FOCUS IS ON BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF THE YOUNG PALESTINIAN SEEDS, ENABLING THEM TO TAKE OVER THE COEXISTENCE PROGRAMMING THEMSELVES. FOUR PALESTINIAN SOP GRADUATES HAVE BEEN RECRUITED TO LEAD GROUPS OF YOUNGER SEEDS. SOP IS WORKING ON THIS GOAL AS A LONG-TERM STRATEGY. ¶J. THE COEXISTENCE CENTER STAFF SEEMS TO BE FULLY AND GAINFULLY EMPLOYED. TWO ADDITIONAL AMERICAN STAFF MEMBERS WERE RECRUITED. HOWEVER, FOR LONG-TERM CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES, SOP NEED TO HIRE MORE LOCAL SOP GRADUATES. ¶K. THE COEXISTENCE CENTER'S OFFICE IS SPACIOUS AND WELL EQUIPPED. EQUIPMENT APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER AND USED ON A REGULAR BASIS. NONE OF THE EQUIPMENT WAS PURCHASED WITH USG FUNDS. ¶L. N/A. ¶M. SOP COEXISTENCE PROGRAMS STRIVE TO ACHIEVE AN IMPORTANT PRM AND NEA POLICY GOAL OF PROMOTING A CULTURE OF PEACE AND COEXISTENCE AMONG PALESTINIAN REFUGEE YOUTH. HOWEVER, CURRENT POLITICAL AND SECURITY DIFFICULTIES IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA HAVE PREVENTED SOP FROM IMPLEMENTING SEVERAL KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE PRM GRANT AGREEMENT. NEARLY NINE MONTHS INTO THE GRANT, SOP HAS VISITED JUST ONE OF FIVE TARGET REFUGEE CAMPS, HAS NOT YET FINALIZED THE VIDEO MESSAGING PROJECT, HAS YET TO CONDUCT A SINGLE SCHOOL PRESENTATION AND HAS ONLY BEGUN INTERVIEWING YOUTH FOR THE VIDE PROJECT. WITH ONLY THREE MONTHS REMAINING IN THE GRANT, WE ARE NOT CONFIDENT THAT SOP WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES. GIVEN VERY LIMITED FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR NGO ACTIVITIES, WE RECOMMEND THAT ANY FUTURE GRANTS TO SOP BE SCALED BACK TO INCLUDE ONLY ACHIEVABLE GOALS, SUCH AS SENDING REFUGEE YOUTH TO THE SOP SUMMER CAMP. ¶2. ConGen Jerusalem cleared this message. HALE