The Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies began yesterday, Wednesday, the implementation of a specialized training program aimed at strengthening the capacities of local civil society organizations in Jerash Governorate. The program involves the participation of 20 civil society organizations from across the governorate, working in diverse social and developmental fields.
The program, inaugurated by Jerash Governor Dr. Malik Khreisat, is being carried out in cooperation with the Governorate of Jerash and the Directorate of Social Development.
The training program seeks to enhance the capacities of local civil society organizations in Jerash including associations and non-profit companies enabling them to play a more effective role in addressing the economic, social, and developmental challenges facing the governorate.
During the opening ceremony, Ahmad Awad, Director of the Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies, emphasized that since its establishment, the Center has worked to empower civil society organizations, develop public policies, and conduct research and studies linked to national priorities. He explained that implementing this training program in cooperation with Jerash Governorate reflects the Center’s commitment to supporting local initiatives that promote partnership among various stakeholders.
Awad noted that the training program, which will run until the end of this year, consists of four main components delivered over six training days. These include field activities and consultative sessions between civil society organizations and relevant official and community institutions. The program covers topics such as organizational planning for associations, participatory research, communication and outreach, and advocacy. He added that the first session was organized under the theme “Planning for Associations’ Work".
For his part, Governor Dr. Malik Khreisat highlighted the importance of civil society organizations in promoting sustainable local development. He stressed that these organizations are capable of analyzing community challenges, developing practical proposals, and contributing to solutions that strengthen the resilience and empowerment of local communities.
Khreisat further affirmed that Jerash is open to providing all possible forms of support to civil society organizations, in recognition of their ability to contribute to the advancement of the governorate and serve its residents. He explained that the program aims to enhance the institutional and technical capacities of civil society organizations in Jerash, enabling them to play a greater role in designing and implementing local development projects that respond to community needs and complement the efforts of the initiative “Jerash is Different with the Efforts of Its People.”
Deputy Governor Dr. Zaid Al-Habahbeh stated that this step comes within the framework of the “Jerash is Different with the Efforts of Its People” initiative, a community-driven effort that seeks to engage citizens and local bodies in setting development priorities, mobilize youth and women’s energies, and support projects that improve services, infrastructure, and foster a spirit of social responsibility.
The main objectives of the training program are to enable civil society organizations in Jerash to:
•Develop their organizational planning capacities.
•Improve their communication tools.
•Conduct participatory field research.
•Build effective advocacy campaigns that reflect the priorities of local residents.
•Produce evidence-based knowledge through participatory research reports that highlight Jerash’s economic, social, and developmental challenges and document community needs.
These outputs are expected to help propose realistic, actionable solutions and contribute to their implementation. The program also seeks to strengthen dialogue among stakeholders by holding consultative sessions that bring together civil society, government, municipal, and parliamentary actors to discuss research findings and present practical recommendations that support sustainable development in the governorate.
The program’s main activities include:
•Capacity-building workshops for civil society organizations in Jerash.
•Community initiatives on diverse topics reflecting local priorities.
•A concluding dialogue session bringing together participating civil society organizations with relevant official institutions, community actors, and the private sector to discuss proposed initiatives and explore ways to support and implement them on the ground.