The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities APLA, in cooperation with Felcos Umbria, concluded a series of workshops on the role of Local Government Units LGUs in social and economic development. These workshops were held over three days via Zoom technology, which the experiences of Italian and Palestinian municipalities were presented with the aim of exchanging experiences through interactive training, in the presence of the APLA Executive Director, Eng. Abdallah Anati and the project coordinator from the Italian side, Alessandro Mancini and in the presence of a group of mayors from both sides.
APLA’s executive director Eng. Anati explained that the Palestinian and Italian LGUs are working in similar areas in order to achieve social and economic development. He added that the exchange of experiences in these common areas would provide the participants with development opportunities. Explaining that the workshops were about the roles of LGUs in supporting the honey production sector and ways to promote it, supporting the olive oil production sector, the role of APLA in providing support, and supporting local products as a means of development, protection and revitalization of the land.
During the first workshop, Barakat Al-Omari, Mayor of Faqoua Village Council, gave a presentation on the council’s role in supporting and developing the beekeeping sector, its continuity and the quality of honey, while Ms. Lucia Madoli explained the nature of the “Bee-friendly Municipalities” initiative launched by FELCOS Umbria in order to achieve social and economic development. Mr. Umporto Bonetti shared the experience of the Italian municipality of Bevania in supporting the honey production sector. Mr. Vincenzo Panettiere, from the Association of Producers and Breeders of Bee and Honey in the Umbria Region concluded the workshop, with intervention about the challenges and opportunities for cooperation between bee producers and local authorities.
The Mayor of Beit Jala, Nicolas Khamis, presented the activities and initiatives launched by the municipality to develop olive oil production and promote the city of Beit Jala and its associations with the production sector. His participation came during the second workshop held under the name "Olive Oil Supply Chain: Enthusiasm, Traditions and Partnership". On the Italian side, Bernardino Sperandpo, member of the Trevi Municipal Council, and Marietta Forte, Mayor of Trevi, shared the experience of the two municipalities and development strategies based on oil production, in addition to the participation of Paolo Morbidoni, head of an olive oil production association, on good practices for regional development.
APLA concluded these series with a workshop on "Local Products for the Development and Protection of Lands", where the Mayor of Arrabeh Municipality Ahmad Ardah, Mayor of Ya'bad Amjad Atatreh and Deputy Mayor of Battir Akram Badr participated from the Palestinian side. The Italian side included Mr. Nicola Alemanno and Giuseppina Perla from the Municipality of Norcia, and David Tononi, the chaplain of the Church of Norcia who gave a presentation on land resilience and good community practices.
