DSPR MECC Inside Look - September 2022
The last week has begun in a special way in Jerusalem. A festive procession of priests, monks, nuns and people young and old filled the streets of Jerusalem's Old City, joyfully singing and dancing and waving basil branches as they brought the icon of Mary from her tomb at Gethsemane to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Christian quarter of the Old City was lovingly decorated with lots of greenery. His Eminence the Archbishop Dorotheos of Avela - from the Greek Orthodox Church - carried the icon of Mary in front of his chest all the way from Gethsemane to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
It is beautiful to see important cultural rituals and traditions being carried out in a dwindling Palestinian Christianity, allowing the rising generations to integrate them into their lives and preserve their Christian identity. Apart from the religious significance, these special celebrations far away from the hardships of everyday life are also important to find new energy for life again. Mary, who grew up in simple circumstances, knew flight and rejection, as well as prejudice and hostility.
Mary one of the greatest role models for us Christians inspires us. And so one of our core concerns is to empower Palestinian women in the Middle East. This is about promoting women's rights, representation and resources. Men and women experience existing power structures differently because of their different roles in society. There is a proven link between gender equity and prosperity and peace. Improving opportunities for women benefits society as a whole. "If half the population does not have the opportunity for equal participation, no society can reach its full potential," said Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister 2022 in a speech.
Jordan has repeatedly taken in refugees from Palestine over the past 70 years. Nevertheless, differences between the groups play a role in Jordan. Around half of the Jordanian population has Palestinian roots. Near the city of Jerash is the so-called Gaza Camp. 50 per cent of the inhabitants are Palestinians, 50 per cent Syrians. It is the poorest camp, with the highest unemployment and birth rate. DSPR has started a new project in Gaza Camp in Jordan, funded by Act for Peace - Australia: The Forsa Project. It aims to ensure the livelihood of participants by improving their self-reliance and living conditions.
As part of this project, fifty Palestinian and Syrian refugee households in Gaza living in extreme poverty were identified. Therefore, DSPR has conducted comprehensive market and socioeconomic assessments in the Gaza camp to understand the context of the refugee demographic, barriers to accessing opportunities, and map services and stakeholders in the Jerash Governorate.
Programme participants are placed in jobs and receive transitional cash transfers to cover basic needs, savings support and technical and entrepreneurial training to secure their livelihoods. This is done by providing financial literacy and promoting a culture of saving through savings groups to build economic resilience to shocks. Each participating household will receive a monthly cash stipend for the project's first 6-9 months to help them meet their basic needs. Access to education for the children is provided, and coaches routinely visit each participating household to tailor the various interventions to the household's individual needs. In addition, a particular concern of the programme is social inclusion in the form of inclusion in markets and training centres, psychosocial support and social protection.
The project has a target population of 243 participants. By August 2022, three households had been placed in jobs, and another nine families were able to start new jobs after receiving mentorship and career counselling through fortnightly home visits. The programme does not simply aim to get people into employment but takes a holistic approach. Relevant life skills are taught, including finance. Financial training has already had a significant impact on participants' lifestyles.
As part of the “Season of Creation” 2022 activities, our mother organization the Middle East Council of Churches and its Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, in partnership with “Danmission” organization, invite to participate this year in a series of celebrations that will be held in various countries of the region. You can find below the full program. This year’s theme is “Listen to the Voice of Creation” and its slogan is “The Burning Bush”. Let us pray together to God the Creator, and listen for the voice of each creature declaring His glory!
The Central Office is the hub of DSPR's finances and right in the middle sits our Finance Manager Georg E. Stephan. He overviews DSPR's income and expenditure and manages the finances. He does this in close coordination with collaborations. Last Friday, he coordinated this with his colleagues from DSPR in Nazareth. Together with Damaris, the communications officer, they went to Nazareth.
After a short briefing by Hussam Elias, the Executive Secretary of DSPR Nazareth, and an excellent Arabic coffee from Georgette Haddad, the reasonable soul and assistant of the office in Nazareth, George looked at the current financial situation of the area with the financial officer of DSPR Galilee and the auditor and went through item by item. An NGO in the 21st century is confronted with high expectations. DSPR also faces significant budgetary challenges, given the crises. We, therefore, want to ensure that we meet these expectations and challenges in the best possible way. Financial accountability and transparency has always been in the heart of our work and core value.
The day progresses, and the small office in Nazareth fills more and more with life. Programme coordinator Hibba Abu Khatar consults with Hussam Elias on adjusting the programme in the coming months before welcoming field workers Charlie Jarus and Malak Elias and having a lively discussion about future projects in Leadership Development/Interfaith & Dialogue activities. A good day filled with good conversations, ideas and forward-looking visions end. In the afternoon, Georg and Damaris struggle through the horrendous Friday traffic back to Jerusalem. But it is worth it to us; direct contact is one of the unique characteristics of DSPR in the entire region. We like our work and the direct exchange with our colleagues.
A vital forum in which DSPR is represented and networked is the Act Alliance Palestine Forum. It is a matter close to our hearts not to act alone but to network with other Christian Palestinian NGOs. In this way, for example, statements made jointly and published by the forum will have more weight. The forum is held in the rooms of the Central Office on the Mount of Olives on the grounds of the Augusta Victoria Hospital, which is also part of the forum. The Act Palestine Forum has developed an action plan for 2022-2023. The main focus is on strengthening the identity and visibility of the platform, good networking and fundraising, capacity building and joint advocacy. More information about the venue can also be found here:
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