SVF accomplished focus groups' activities organized in collaboration with civil society organizations in the middle area, which come within the program "Increasing the process of monitoring, transparency and accountability on muncipilaty services". The meetings were participated by both Mr. / Mohammed al-Najar - Maghazi mayor, and Mr. / Adib Abu Ghazal, public relations officer in the municipality of Maghazi. The meetings gathered more than 210 people from families, alumni, and representatives of institutions and people interested in issues of municipal work. During these meetings, Mr. /al-Najar praised the SVF role on raising such issues affecting the reality of citizens in an attempt to increaqse the level of awareness and community participation that serve the citizens and the municipality together, to overcome all obstacles to reach a civilized society.
On his part, Mr. al.Najar tackled many problems facing the municipality when dealing with citizens during the implementation of projects, especially in light of the circumstances of the siege, which reflected negatively on the quality of delivered services of the municipality. Furthermore, he indicated the impact of poverty on the municipality progress, which led to a significant reduction in the payment of invoices. In spite that, he assisted that the municipality all the time seeks to improve its services although the difficult situation the palestinians live. Moreover, Mr. al.Najar referred to many future projects the minciplaty intended to implement such open agricultural roads, paving streets and improve electricity in the camp, in addition to the establising to central market, and the home gardens project.
Al.Najar also discussed in the meetings many practices and wrong behaviors practiced by some citizens to the facilities and property of the municipality and called the citizens to avoid these practices in order to preserve these properties.
The most important recommendations raised by the participants in the meetings were the need to work on empowerment of Palestinian women in municipality projects and in the process of decision-making, the need for media coverage by the municipality for municipal achievements and projects, adapting new mechanisms empower the municipality to improve revenue collecting system, in addition to dealing with the complaints of citizens positively.
