The Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution organises a meeting in Idhna

Hebron: the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution, Hebron branch, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Women's Forum Charitable Association in the town of Idhna, organised a public meeting within the project for developing the delivery of civil services in line with the principles of transparency and effectiveness, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, within the programme for strengthening the capacities of the Palestinian Authority, and applied at the Ministry of Interior in Hebron through the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution. The meeting was attended by many local and civil organisations in the town, the police, the town's reconciliation figures, school principals and a number of the town's teachers. The meeting began with a welcoming address in which the Hebron coordinator, Mr. Saad Shalalda, welcomed the speakers from the Ministry of Interior, represented by its director general Dr. Kayed Jaradat and a number of the ministry's department heads, and those attending from the forum. This project comes within the Centre's activities and projects for 2010, namely the project for developing the delivery of civil services in line with the principles of transparency and effectiveness. The Women's Forum welcomed the Centre and the speakers from the Ministry of Interior, and the distinguished attendance by the town's residents, the local and civil organisations present and the security personnel. Dr. Kayed Jaradat then took up the discussion by presenting detailed explanatory material before those present about the interior departments, the Israeli measures, the development and building taking place at the ministry, the ministry's general objectives, and the ministry's units, with a brief account of each unit and the nature of its work. Afterwards the interventions and questions of those present were put to the Ministry of Interior, along with the main obstacles and problems citizens face, and answers were given to these interventions and questions from citizens. The recommendations of those present at this meeting were then taken, the most important of them being: a programme to guide and inform citizens about the working mechanisms and about requesting transactions within the ministry; the reunification of displaced citizens; reducing the fees on stamps and for those who have lost their identity cards; returning the town of Idhna to a single administrative reference instead of its administration being split between the centre, the north and the south; and the ministry trying to reduce the time taken to issue the transactions submitted by citizens, such as passports. Finally, the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution thanked those present and the Ministry of Interior for its cooperation with the Centre, and also the Women's Forum and the local organisations and the municipality in the town of Idhna for accepting the invitation and for the distinguished attendance.