The Mossawa Center, Haifa. Thursday the 26th of December 2013, on Thursday, December 19, 2013, visiting the Lakiya village in the Negev which is participating in an EU funded initiative to support women and youth, EU Ambassador-designate to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen spoke about the capacity of civil society organizations to make changes for the better.
Ambassador-designate Faaborg-Andersen met with Jafar Farah, director of the Mossawa Center and the Mayor of Lakiya and heard from them about the project activity in support of women and youth in the Negev. In his speech Faaborg-Andersen said, "Civil society organizations have a vital role in making structural changes in societies, as they are best placed to know population's needs in terms of development."
 
Change, he said,  was being promoted by the EU as evidenced by the cooperative project with Sidreh and Lakiya Women's association, Filastiniyat from Ramallah and the Heinrich Boll Foundation. This three year project focused on the development of products and services to be brought to market by some of the most disadvantaged citizens, Arab women and youth from Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
 
Over 19 economic projects led by women and youth from the Negev and the oPt were presented to Faaborg- Andersen. The project was coordinated by the Mossawa Center with the support of the European Union and in cooperation with Sidreh, Lakiya Women's association, Filastiniyat from Ramallah and the Heinrich Boll Foundation. It enabled women and youth from marginalized areas such as the Negev and the oPt to take part in economic capacity building.
 
For more information on the economic initiatives, please contact: 
The Mossawa Center: 04-8555-901
Email: [email protected]