Newsletter September 2013

 

Unemployment Conference

PUSWP Bethlehem took part in hosting and attending a conference on umeployment. This was part of a national unemployment week and saw hundreds of students and professionals congrgate at the Intercontinental hotel, Bethlehem in order to discuss this important issue. The focus was mainly on graduate unemployment which is particularly high and problematic- around 50% of graduates will not enter the labour force in the few years after they graduate. Moreover the total number of unemployed is set to reach 130,00 in the next 2 years. The speakers chose not to focus just on the issue- but also set out actions which could be taken to address it. The role of the private sector was raised as it is felt that there is spare capacity here and therefore if the private sector expands its hiring of graduates then potentially many jobs avaliable. Related to this was the importance of tailoring courses to the workplace in order that students are equipped with the specialised skills required by employers. 

Unemployment is a global problem with even the most advanced economies seeing large numbers of the workforce unable to gain stable employment. However, in Palestine given the pressures on the conomy as a result of the occupation, the problem is even more pressing. However the week proved very successful with organisations commiting to creating jobs that should see over 1000 new jobs created.

 

 

Preventing Child Labour Conference

PUSWP Bethlehem took part in the "Protect my Childhood by Law and Social Responsibility- Stop Child Labour" conference.

The goal of the conference was to address ways to protect children from economic exploitation and strategies to fight this phenomenon.

It was hosted by Husan Village's Local Counsel in Bethlehem, in collaboration with Defence Children International- DCI and funded by World Vision, Save the Children, and International Labor Organization. Participants included the Ministry of Education, UNRWA, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Social Affairs and ALquds Education TV Station.

The conference focused on the role of associations in reducing child labour and the issues and strategies involved as well as highlighting the legal framework that protects working children and other related legal issues.

Attendees comprised a mix of Governmental and Nongovernmental associations including: Head of Bethlehem Ministry of education Office- Mr. Sami Mroweh, Head of Hebron Ministry of Education Office Mrs. Nisreen Amro, Head of Husan Local Counsel- Mr. Hasan Hamamreh, Manager of Bethlehem office of Ministry of Labor, - Mr. Amin Mtoor. Also, there was important participation by Mr. Ryad Arar – Head of Protection and Social activation Unit in DCI, Mrs. Rana Qumseyyeh- Head of World vision – Bethlehem, Mr, Husan Sa’di Family Protection Unit Manager at the Police in Bethlehem, Mr. Raed Amireh – Social Services Officer at the UN-Bethlehem, in addition to representatives from Schools, associations, women centers and youth clubs.
The outcomes of this conference were drafted in addition to directions to be transferred in the National Conference that will be held in Ramallah at the end of this month.

 

 

Meeting with the Norwegian Social Workers' Union

PUSWP was very happy to welcome Ivar from FO Rogaland and Ron Suma from FO Norway this month. The focus of the meeting was on both unions' experiences of the exchange programme followed by talking about plans for 2014. Presentations were given on the respective union members' experience of the exchange. The findings were wholly positive with all members feeling like they had benefited in terms from learning about how social work is delivered in the other country. Members were enthusiastic about how they were able to then use this knowledge in their own work and share it with other social workers. Recommendations regarding the exchange programme were discussed and it is to be continued in 2014. A memorandum of understanding was prepared which will be taken to November's meeting in Bethlehem that both the Norwegian and Bethlehem chair person will be attending. A key aim here is creating a building that can be used for training, workshops and general skills building for our members.

 

 

 

German exchange students visit

This month, as part of Bethlehem University's long running exchange with the University of Cologne, Hiba Sa'sady, Ayman Odeh and Hunaida Sa'id of PUSWP hosted 35 German students for the day to tell them about the workings of our union. A presentation was delivered, highlighting the work that we do and also some of the difficult realities that are faced due to the nature of the situation in Palestine. Hiba Sa'ady, who had previously been a participant, said that she had found her time in Cologne a hugely beneficial experience and we hope that the day was of similar value to our very welcome visitors.

 

Summer Camp

 

PUSWP Bethlehem was the proud sponsor of a memorable seven day camp for 30 children aged10-16 from the Dheisheh refugee camp. This focused on creating a close connection between members of the camp and an awareness of community and issues that may face the community. Trips to both beautiful cultural sites such as the Nativity church in Bethlehem and the Al-Batt Garden's bird sanctuary were combined with a trip to the police station to raise awareness of and engage discussion about the problem of drugs. Along with many games and fun, group activities this proved to be a hugely successful and rewarding week- both for us and the children involved. 

 

Workshops

During the summer, PUSWP Bethlehem organized several workshops and training in collaboration with Mental Health programme/ UNRWA. These were part of the professional Development programme in partnership with other local organizations, aiming to increase the skills of social work students and graduates in order to prepare them for the workplace. Topics such as compiling needs assessments and strategies, intervention techniques, individual counseling, documentation and report writing were all covered.