Background
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed a growth in the number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) functioning in different fields. The latter includes local and regional as well as international organizations. The issues tackled within these establishments differs according to the needs of each country’s civil society, and are almost comprehensive; meaning it covers fields of human right and development. However the resources within these NGOs are limited hence hindering their effectiveness and increasing the stress on their modest human resources.On the other hand, many people in the region, especially youth, have been inactive for a long period and have lost the sense of engagement, due to a lot of problems, including identity and belonging issues, People should be given the opportunity and the medium through which they can participate in their communities and help in their development.
Today we live in a world where communication is easier as a result of the new technologies such as internet and mobile phones. From the above mentioned needs and these new tools project Na7nou net was born.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed a growth in the number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) functioning in different fields. The latter includes local and regional as well as international organizations. The issues tackled within these establishments differs according to the needs of each country’s civil society, and are almost comprehensive; meaning it covers fields of human right and development. However the resources within these NGOs are limited hence hindering their effectiveness and increasing the stress on their modest human resources.On the other hand, many people in the region, especially youth, have been inactive for a long period and have lost the sense of engagement, due to a lot of problems, including identity and belonging issues, People should be given the opportunity and the medium through which they can participate in their communities and help in their development.
Today we live in a world where communication is easier as a result of the new technologies such as internet and mobile phones. From the above mentioned needs and these new tools project Na7nou net was born.
-The idea and conceptNa7nou net is a website that will be formed to link between those who are looking for a volunteering experience and the NGOs that are in need of human resources especially passionate people.A database for both volunteers and organizations will be developed, where each user will develop their own profile. In addition, a number of services will be available as well such as:
· Feedback forum: Where volunteers can discuss their experiences and rate the NGO they interned / volunteered in, as well as open a space for our users to speak their minds about various civil society and development issues.· Links to other organizations: The website will include links to other organization regionally and internationally, working in different fields of civil society and development, as well as linking Na7nou net to important websites in the region.
· Advertise internships, trainings, and activities: The website will also serve as a platform to circulate on internships or trainings announcements, important conferences, or interesting courses in areas of human rights, civil society and development, also the internships will be available for different countries in the MENA region, a link to donors who can assist fund those internships will be provided.
-Aim and purpose
· create a link between volunteers and local, regional and international NGOs
· provide a space where people can access the needed information easily
· generate a dialogue between people from the MENA region
· Feedback forum: Where volunteers can discuss their experiences and rate the NGO they interned / volunteered in, as well as open a space for our users to speak their minds about various civil society and development issues.· Links to other organizations: The website will include links to other organization regionally and internationally, working in different fields of civil society and development, as well as linking Na7nou net to important websites in the region.
· Advertise internships, trainings, and activities: The website will also serve as a platform to circulate on internships or trainings announcements, important conferences, or interesting courses in areas of human rights, civil society and development, also the internships will be available for different countries in the MENA region, a link to donors who can assist fund those internships will be provided.
-Aim and purpose
· create a link between volunteers and local, regional and international NGOs
· provide a space where people can access the needed information easily
· generate a dialogue between people from the MENA region
Budget below
-What kind of resources are needed to maintain?To ensure the implementation and the continuity of the project, we need to work on the following resources:
· Human resources: a web designer and people to monitor the work, as well as contacts within the main organizations and with the volunteers
· Financial resources: to start with the project and to ensure the continuity (according to budget)
· The MENA region has its own needs and characteristics that we should know about so that we can ensure the success of Na7nou net; for this reason we will administer needs assessment surveys before starting the project.· The website will be in classic Arabic which is used in the region. In further stages the website will be translated into English and French.
· We will work in partnership with other well known websites hence ensuring the visibility of Na7nou net
· The first phase of the project will be a pilot, in four countries, which will be evaluated after a year in order to administer changes to make sure that the website is reaching the set objectives and to start the expansion.
· A full marketing campaign will take place before launching the website
“The main aim of YLVP is to lay a foundation for dialogue, mutual understanding and knowledge-sharing among young opinion-makers from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine and Sweden. YLVP strives to strengthen participants in their prospects to drive processes for social change in their respective contexts”
Na7nou net fits into the objective set by the YLVP 2009. The website will provide a platform for people from the MENA region to coordinate. In addition, volunteers as well as organizations will be empowered by the experience they will live and will be able to benefit from each others resources.Social media platforms and techniques will be used to link between people i.e. Facebook, twitter etc…
-In what way will the solution support social change?
The higher level of engagement of people in the NGO work will empower both parties. Members will have more knowledge about what is going on in the civil society, their volunteering and engagement will help in making the change.
More people and specifically youth will be engaged in the human rights, development and civil society work, which is a big step towards social change.
Networking is the basis in Na7nou net, links between the following groups will be provided through this website:
1. Youth from different places in the MENA region
2. Volunteers and organizations in their countries and the region
3. Different bodies working on the same causes
4. Organizations that provide trainings, internships an
d activities related to youth and their target population
-The target group/s
1. Volunteers looking for a professional experience2. Local NGO and then international organization.
-Risk analysis
