Ref: 46/2020
Date: 26 November 2020
On Thursday, 26 November 2020, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) held an online panel discussion on: “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and state of emergency on civil society organizations (CSO)’s work in the Gaza Strip,” via Zoom. The panel discussion was attended by 18 CSO representatives from the Gaza Strip.
The panel discussion was part of a series of online meetings held by PCHR, as the Centre adapts its work to the new reality imposed by the pandemic. The purpose of these discussions is to open a channel for communication among CSOs, and allow for a meaningful exchange of experiences and lessons learned; and to enhance joint understanding and cooperation to confront policies and practices that contradict with human rights, especially those that undermine civil society’s role in promoting rights and freedoms.
Hamdi Shaqqura, PCHR’s Deputy Director for Program Affairs, opened the discussion as he praised Palestinian CSOs’ resilience and persistence in carrying out their work during the Covid-19 pandemic and the state of emergency. Shaqqura elaborated on Gaza’s situation adding that it had been on crisis mode long before anyone else, due to 14 years of Israeli closure, 3 devastating military offensives, and the political division. Despite all of the above, he stressed, Gaza has an astonishing ability to adapt and confront these crises and challenges. Shaqqura also clarified that this meeting is meant for exchange of experiences among CSOs in the combat of Covid-19 in and benefit from everyone’s experiences.
Raji Sourani, PCHR’s Director, spoke about the challenging times we face, adding that “We have big questions that need answers; yet, no one can answer these questions or offer solutions to the problems created by the coronavirus pandemic.” Sourani considered that the Gaza Strip benefited from the delayed arrival of coronavirus to the Gaza Strip for more than 6 months, whereas other countries around the world were occupied managing the crisis and their internal affairs to combat this new pandemic. Sourani added: “We took lessons from what happened to Italy as it was left alone to face its destiny;” “despite that this pandemic significantly affected CSOs in terms of funding, we are gathered here to think together and share experiences on how to face it.” Sourani added that the Palestinian civil society and people have been through many crises, “Recently, the Palestinian people have been through many political adversities, including the closure, and the accelerated inclination among Arab States’ to normalize ties with Israel, the international and regional silence in the face of the crimes committed by the occupation… Yet, this should urge us to communicate and share experiences to set an example on a national level.”
Tayseer Muheisen, Director of the Gaza branch of the Agricultural Relief Society, said that CSOs are in need for such discussions more than ever to understand the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the whole world, including economic, social, and political conditions. Muheisen mentioned that the Palestinian civil society has experience in dealing with emergencies from previous experiences, and we have previous experiences that we can learn from, especially in terms of healthcare. On the other hand, Muheisen highlighted that the local authorities abused this pandemic to undermine freedoms, including the right to the freedoms of speech and peaceful assembly.
According to Amjad Al-Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGO Network, many challenges were imposed on us such as funding agendas, but they must incentivize us to work harder on a national agenda that carries bigger impact for our local communities. Al-Shawa spoke about the ongoing governmental restrictions on CSOs’ work even during the pandemic. He stressed the need to use this pandemic to our advantage in terms of enhancing our relations and outreach to vulnerable social groups.
Amal Siam, Director of the Women’s Affairs Center, praised civil society’s direct response to the needs of their communities in light of Covid-19 and condemned authorities’ ongoing restrictions on CSO’s work despite their important role, which reflects disrespect to these efforts. Ms. Siam added that “the number of people seeking CSO’s services has notably increased during the pandemic, which constitutes a problem especially that there is no reserve fund available for use in response to emergency situations.”
For her part, Nadia Abu Nahla, Director of the Women’s Affairs Center – Gaza, spoke of the historic role of the Palestinian civil society organization in the many crises that have passed; warning that the most dangerous aspect of this pandemic is the government’s marginalization of CSOs, particularly in terms of drafting national policies, all the while knowing of their prominent role in Palestinian society. Abu Nahla added that authorities abused the pandemic to silence the freedom of speech and activists under the pretext of social distancing and priorities, “there is monitoring and prosecution, and continued violations despite the efforts of human rights organizations, including a rise in the use of death sentences.” Abu Nahla demanded a “platform for CSOs to engage and communicate needs, a permanent platform that is not limited to times of crisis.”
Omar Shaban, Director of Pal-Think for Strategic Studies, commended the meeting for it gathered the most prominent figures of the Palestinian civil society in Gaza, and stressed that civil society must impose itself on the political decision makers, in light of the efforts to marginalize it by political parties and the government. He added that enhanced coordination among CSOs is necessary to set an example in terms of collaboration between CSOs. Shaban referred to the government and private sector’s shortcomings in responding to the pandemic, particularly in terms of funding, saying that the private sector ought to be more involved in supporting local communities and in demonstrating its contributions, which can be achieved by a high-level coordination among CSOs. Shaban suggested founding a fund for CSOs to support the groups most affected by the pandemic.
Andaleeb Odwan, Director of Community Media Center, reiterated the need for a platform for contemplation and guidance on this crisis, under the measures the government has used against CSOs, especially non-profit companies. Odwan suggested allowing non-profit companies to join PNGO. She also praised the digitalization efforts exerted by CSOs during the pandemic, which has served to improve communication and cut costs, as these funds can be used for capacity building of human resources.
Ihsan Awad – Bunian Association, spoke about her organization’s struggle with funding even before the pandemic, which has impacted its staff and beneficiaries. However, the pandemic worsened the crisis as the organization is unable to respond effectively to the needs of its targeted groups. She elaborated that Bunian is still in operation, despite the stifling crisis that undermine its capacities. Awad suggested a syndicate for CSO workers that would defend their rights. Hussam Al-Shaikh Yousef, National Association for Rehabilitation, considered CSOs the conscience of Palestine, and that the current conditions impacted their work, which obliges CSOs to evaluate their work in order to properly develop, “There is undoubtedly a funding crisis that has created a multitude of challenges for CSOs, paired with the government’s measures that do not acknowledge us as service providers.” He also stressed that coordination mechanisms among CSOs must be enhanced to address the big issues that affect our work and services to the community.
Mohammed al-Bakri, Director of the Union for Agricultural Work Committees, emphasized that the coronavirus crisis aggravated other crises that face the Palestinian society, adding that all other countries had mainly health and food crises during Covid-19. “Our resources as civil society are limited; therefore, we must manage food security wisely. A sustainable development plan is imperative as dependency on humanitarian aid will not offer strategic solutions. All efforts must be focused on improving health services and food security.”
In conclusion, the following recommendations were agreed upon:
