Role of Partners
Next to the Scientific Committee, a second body has been established in order to manage relations with local partners and build a fruitful dialogue with development operators: the MICAD Consulting Board.
The Consulting Board is called at least once a year to discuss the agenda prepared by the Scientific Committee, as well as other matters suggested by its members.
Finally, MICAD is supported by the UNESCO sponsored PEACE Program – Palestinian European and American Cooperation in Education – a worldwide network of universities dedicated to develop higher education programs with the Palestinian academic community
List of Partners
- Palestinian Authority / Ministry of Planning – Department of Aid Management
The Ministry of Planning officially opened in 2003. Its mission statement reads: “The Ministry of Planning endeavors to the attainment of development emanating from the collective human spirit and ideals in all areas of life, in order to
achieve progress, prosperity, and the well being of the Palestinian people […]”. The Department of Aid Management is responsible for the relations with the community of international donors.
www.mop.gov.ps
- United Nations Development Programme – PAPP
UNDP/PAPP is the United Nations Programme of Assistance for the Palestinian People, and it has been working for Palestinian development since August 1980. The agency is engaged in a number of projects covering the following areas: democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, energy, environment protection, gender opportunities, information and communication technology. www.papp.undp.org
- World Health Organization – Palestine
The World Health Organization is the UN agency dedicated to the psycho-physical well being of the individual. WHO is one of the main promoters of the Palestinian Health Inforum program, whose mission includes responding to emergency crisis in the health sector, enabling the international community to meet urgent health needs, and supporting decision-making capacities in the health sector by improving information availability. www.who.int/en / www.healthinforum.org
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
UNRWA is a relief and human development agency providing education, healthcare, social services and emergency aid to over four million Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East, with over 25,000 staff working to benefit their communities as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. UNRWA began operations in May 1950. The General Assembly has recently extended UNRWA’s mandate until 30 June 2008. www.un.org/unrwa
- UNESCO
Based in Ramallah, UNESCO operates for promoting education, sciences, culture, communication and information in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. UNESCO plays a major role in protecting and enhancing the Palestinian cultural heritage. The agency also supports different research activities, such as the ones carried out at the bio-technology laboratory of the Science faculty at Bethlehem University. www.unesco.org
- Italian Cooperation – Jerusalem
The Italian Cooperation Office, based in East Jerusalem, is responsible for the implementation of projects financed by the General Direction of Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Local Technical Unit cooperates with Palestinian institutions, UN agencies and the European Community Office, besides providing support to the activities of Italian NGOs in the West Bank and Gaza. www.itcoop-jer.org
- Palestinian NGO Network
The Palestinian NGO Network, established in 1993, seeks to support, consolidate and strengthen the Palestinian civil society on the basis of the principles of democracy, social justice and sustainable development. It is a Palestinian NGO umbrella organization comprising over 90 members, working in different fields of development. PNGO envisages the establishment of an independent and democratic Palestinian state based on the rule of law, social justice and the respect for human rights. www.pngo.net/pngo.htm
- Palestinian Hydrology Group
The Palestinian Hydrology Group’s mission is to protect and develop the water resources of Palestine. PHG strives, through community participation, to achieve justice in the service, allocation, and protection of the water resources of Palestine. PHG also promotes research on water issues, and it seeks international partnerships to contribute to the sustainability and just allocation of water resources at local, regional and global levels. www.phg.org
- Union of Agricultural Workers Committees
UAWC was established in 1986 to protect the Palestinian land from being expropriated, and to improve the performance of Palestinian farmers. Today UAWC aims to help Palestinian farmers to market their produce, and to promote employment in agriculture. UAWC is committed to facilitate sustainable agricultural development through a democratic participatory approach which encompasses the following: grass-roots needs assessment; inclusive methods of implementation; cooperation with other organizations seeking to strengthen the civil society. uawc.net
- Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
UPMRC is a grassroots, community-based Palestinian health organization. UPMRC was founded in 1979 by a group of Palestinian health professionals seeking to improve the decayed and inadequate health infrastructure. The NGO aims at promoting the overall physical, mental, and social well being of all Palestinians, regardless of racial, political, social, economic or religious status. UPMRC health programs focus on the needs of the most vulnerable members of Palestinian society: women, children, and the poor in rural villages, refugee camps, and urban centers. www.upmrc.org
- CARE International – West Bank and Gaza
CARE has been an active participant in relief and development projects carried out in the West Bank and Gaza since 1948. CARE has evolved from a direct service provider into a capacity building organization that supports local government authorities and NGOs. Since 1994 CARE has worked in partnership with many local organizations for the development of several sectors, including reproductive and public health, women’s empowerment, democratic participation, leadership training, civil society capacity building, food security, and medical assistance. www.carewbg.org
- Applied Research Institute Jerusalem
Founded in 1990, ARIJ is a NGO which fosters sustainable development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and which promotes Palestinian self-reliance by defending the rights of the people over the natural resources of their land. The Institute works to increase the local stock of scientific and technical knowledge, to produce thematic maps, and to introduce efficient methods of resource utilization. ARIJ plays an active role in the local community as an advocate for greater cooperation between institutions and NGOs. www.arij.org
- Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Industry counts over 2,000 member enterprises in the Bethlehem governatorate. The Chamber provides the private sector with several kinds of services: official certifications, permissions to enter Israel, participations to commercial fairs, information on customs and tariffs. The Chamber is engaged in developing a strategic plan for improving the competitiveness of the local economic system. www.bethlehem-chamber.org
Become a Partner
MICAD is promoted by Bethlehem University thanks to the support of several partners, starting from the Italian Conference of the Catholic Church CEI, the Italian Ngo VIS (Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo) and a network of six institutions and organizations led by the University of Pavia, Italy. This network, later described in
detail, has been established through the TEMPUS program of the European Union.
MICAD is also supported by a wide network of partners operating in Palestine, including international organizations, agencies of the United Nations, international NGOs and Palestinian NGOs. Partners participate in the successful making of the program by contributing to teaching specific modules; organizing workshops and seminars; providing internship proposals; supporting applications from young officers.
The academic management of the program is the responsibility of the MICAD Scientific Committee, which includes six members: three from Bethlehem University, and three from the University of Pavia and VIS. Supported by local MICAD staff, the Committee deals with admission procedures, academic contents, lecturers’ appointment, students’
policy, thesis ap proval and internships.
The Scientific Committee comprises the following members:
- Br. Neil Kieffe – Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bethlehem University
- Dr. Fadi Kattan – Dean of the School of Business at Bethlehem University
- Dr. Usama Shahwan – Associate Professor of Management at Bethlehem University
- Prof. Gianni Vaggi – Full Professor of Development Economics at the University of Pavia
- Prof. Marco Missaglia – Associate Professor of Political Economics at the University of Pavia
- Mr. Antonio Raimondi – Former President of VIS