Ramallah – The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), with the generous support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and in partnership with COSPE, organized a networking workshop at the Grand Park Hotel in Ramallah, closing the “Children Friendly Mobile Units” and reflecting on the project as model of resistance, resilience, and self-empowerment through protection mechanisms in marginalized communities. The workshop also announced a psychosocial counseling manual prepared by PWWSD with the supervision and contribution of Dr. Mustafa Qossqossi, to address intervention models in detail through psychological support and education groups, as intervention is a key element in the overall conceptualization of the “Children Friendly Mobile Units” project.
Participants included PWWSD Director General Ms. Amal Khreisheh, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Jerusalem Office Director Mr. Vincenzo Racalbuto, Head of Family and Child Affairs at the Ministry of Social Development Mr. Breigheth Breigheth, Ms. Rana Izmeqna Legal Advisor to the Governor, Project Director and COSPE representative Mr. Valerio Baldissera, Clinical Psychologist and Family Psychotherapist Dr. Mustafa Qossqossi, the Education Counseling department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Palestinian National Security Forces, Palestinian Police, Tamer Institute for Community Education, Filastiniyat organization, and Association of Women Committees for Social Work, among other CSOs.
The “Children Friendly Mobile Units” provided opportunities for children and young adults (under 18) to access psychosocial services in 15 villages under occupation and subject to settlement activity in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarim, and Nablus. The Mobile Units consisting of counselors, social workers, and helpline specialists, helped minors overcome social trauma and pressures as well as military violations, through psychosocial counseling and consultation services, free helpline counseling, support groups, and awareness sessions. The project focused on coordination and networking among psychosocial health and support organizations and official, governmental and nongovernmental bodies
PWWSD Director General, Ms. Amal Khreisheh welcomed the attendees and affirmed that the project contributed to fostering a healthy environment, helping children face military practices and settler violence and their impact on the kids’ psychosocial health and security. This has contributed to strengthening the resilience of areas affected by Israeli practices near the apartheid wall. The project also helped create a safe space for children to express themselves through various interactive activities
Italian Agency for Development Cooperation/ Jerusalem Office Director, Mr. Vincenzo Racalbuto expressed the role of this project in confronting violence and fostering a safe environment free of all forms of violence. He emphasized the need to work continuously and to engage the local community, public, and private sectors in a dialogue towards joint goals. Mr. Racalbuto noted that an initiative of this kind is an important indicator of the difficult situation in Palestine.
Project Director, Mr. Valerio Baldissara affirmed the importance of communication between public and private sectors, and thanked the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation for its support. He highlighted the significance of the counseling manual presented at the workshop, noting that this practical and useful guide will constitute a capacity-building base for psychologists and social workers. He added that the project targeted minors and children as they are the future of Palestine, and that the role of psychologists in maintaining psycho-social health contributes to children’s psycho-social well-being.
Head of Family and Child Affairs at the Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Breigheth Breigheth mentioned that the Mobile Units were a great way to reach the target groups in marginalized areas. He emphasized that the Ministry of Social Development’s first priority are children and women, and its work focuses on how to deal with abused cases in the first place and help them manage their crisis, rather than being able to provide real security when the first source of violence is the constant occupation. Ms. Rana Izmeqna, Legal Advisor to the Governor expressed her satisfaction with the project’s achievements reaching 15 villages. However, she hoped that this project would continue to contribute to children’s capacity building and protection, to create a generation able to confront settlement violence and establish a Palestinian state in the long run.