The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) organized a webinar titled “Community Partnerships” via Zoom, with the participation of representatives from 26 LGUs who are members of the Public Relations Platform and the training program for developing community participation plans in LGUs. The webinar was held as part of APLA’s ongoing efforts to promote local governance concepts and expand citizen engagement in local planning and development processes.
The webinar addressed several key themes focused on strengthening community participation as a fundamental tool for improving municipal work, while also highlighting practical experiences of LGUs in building effective partnerships with their communities. Discussions further explored the main challenges and gaps in this field.
Ms. Michelle Lieberman, County Manager of Alachua County in the United States, delivered a presentation on the importance of strengthening local governance through community participation, emphasizing citizen engagement as a key pillar for creating more effective, resilient, and inclusive municipalities. She also presented mechanisms for involving local communities in municipal planning and addressing related challenges.
Mr. Mohammad Masalmeh, Director of Beit Awwa Municipality, also presented the Palestinian experience in building partnerships between LGUs and their communities. He highlighted practical tools and models of effective cooperation, as well as lessons learned from Beit Awwa Municipality’s experience in applying community participation concepts on the ground, contributing to bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical implementation.
At the conclusion of the webinar, participants issued several recommendations, most notably the importance of enhancing youth participation and engaging all segments of society in local planning and decision-making processes, raising community awareness of sustainable development concepts, and integrating economic development and community empowerment principles into the institutional frameworks of local authorities as sustainable strategic commitments.
The webinar was organized in partnership with International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and supported by the Local Governance Reform Program (LGRP-III), implemented by GIZ.