ABU DHABI, 21 Dec, 05 (WAM) - The OPEC Fund for InternationalDevelopment has approved a grant of US$100,000 in support ofthe Capacity Building Program of Arab non-governmental organizations(NGOs), undertaken by the Arab Network for NGOs.
The Arab Network for NGOs, established in 1997, was funded bythree major donor agencies, including the Arab Gulf Program forUnited Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND), the OPEC Fundfor International Development and the United Nations PopulationFund (UNFPA). The Network is based on a cumulative experienceof work that lasted over eight years with Arab NGOs in the fieldsof training, action-oriented research, data bases, meetings,workshops and communication, according to a press release.
The Network has initiated a project that aims to assist in enhancingthe capabilities of the Arab NGOs, who are members of the ArabNetwork for NGOs with a view to making them more dynamic andcapable of making a greater and more evident contribution tothe development of the social and economic structure of theircountries. As a result, network for NGOs will be strengthened,enabling it to plan, design and deliver demand-driven, qualitytraining programmes and distance learning, for the benefit ofits member organisations.
The project activities include: carrying out an initial detailedassessment of the requirements for technology, equipment, facilitiesand resources, development of teaching and learning materialsthrough adapting international standard techniques, and, a seriesof 'training of trainers' courses on the Community Based Trainingapproach for self-employment and income generation. This willbe conducted for selected staff of 10 NGOs and other institutionsparticipating in the implementation and analysis of TrainingNeeds Surveys and identification of local economic opportunities.
The immediate beneficiaries are 300 people including, staffof the central core group in the Arab Network for NGOs, relatedtrainers and technical support staff, the staff of 10 selectedNGOs to provide community-based training programmes and the concernedlocal government and community officials.
Civil Society Organizations in the Arab world have a very importantrole to play in the development of the countries they represent. As a non-governmental sector they would, when effectively managed,become important agents of social change and provide a platformfor the active participation of people in economic and socialdevelopment. The effectiveness of Arab Civil Society Organizationsis rather limited, mainly due to the severe shortage of skillsin a number of areas, the release added.
