Middle East Partnership Initiative Grants

United States Announces Three New Middle East Partnership Initiative Grants to Support Reform in the West Bank and Gaza

The United States announces three awards of Middle East Partnership Initiative grants to strengthen democratic institutions and processes in the West Bank and Gaza. Totaling more than $2 million, these grants will support transparent governance, independent media, women’s entrepreneurship, and the creation of small and medium sized enterprises.

A grant to Search for Common Ground will enable a network of ten independent Palestinian television stations to broadcast live sessions of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Such broadcasts will foster public interest and greater transparency within the Palestinian legislature. The Middle East Partnership Initiative is already supporting Palestinian independent media through a previous grant to Search for Common Ground to help produce a bi-weekly television news magazine.

A separate grant to CHF International will support work with the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs and several well regarded Palestinian NGOs to facilitate women’s entrepreneurship through policy reform, advocacy, capacity building, business training, and networking activities. The project will enable Palestinian women entrepreneurs to overcome barriers to starting small businesses.

A grant to NorthStar Development Partners will provide training and mentoring for entrepreneurs and small business owners through a program to improve their critical business skills. NorthStar is partnering with PalTrade and Birzeit University to provide tailored training and mentoring to these entrepreneurs, and to assist them in marketing their businesses opportunities to the Palestinian Diaspora. NorthStar will also support an alumni network of Palestinian businesspersons.

MEPI is a Presidential initiative that supports economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East and expanded opportunity for all people of the region, especially women and youth. More information can be found at: MEPI.state.gov.

2005/656 Released on June 28, 2005, Media Note, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC June 28, 2005 more at Middle East Partnership Initiative or West Bank and Gaza