Beyond Humanitarian Hand-outs: Sowing the Seeds of Food Security in Syria
Beyond Humanitarian Hand-outs: Sowing the Seeds of Food Security in Syria By Dr Anas Al Kaddour, Food Security and Livelihoods Manager, Global Communities  |  This article originally appeared in Thomson Reuters Foundation News. Is it possible in the Syria conflict to move away from immediate humanitarian assistance and into longer-term food security? Is it possible…
Read MoreGlobal Communities 2016 Annual Report is available!
Global Communities 2016 Annual Report is available! This year’s annual report contains: Global Communities’ unique approach to a region in crisis – read about our resilience and community-based response to the Syrian refugee crisis impacting the whole Middle Eastern region, in Syria and with refugee and host communities in the surrounding countries, as well as the humanitarian…
Read MoreLocal Government and Infrastructure Program Final Report
Global Communities’ Local Governance and Infrastructure (LGI) program improved the quality of life for Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Gaza. In addition to impactful infrastructure, LGI enhanced local service delivery, promoted good governance, engaged citizens in community decision making, increased local capacity for building and management, created new opportunities for employment and local economic…
Read MoreEncouraging Female Youth Participation in Jordan
Encouraging Female Youth Participation in Jordan Encouraging Female Youth Participation in Jordan by Global Communities on Exposure
Read MoreYouth, Purpose and Prosperity: Security in the Middle East
Youth, Purpose and Prosperity: Security in the Middle East This is Sa’ed Murad. He is a Jordanian who, not long ago, was one of the young people who make up the 29% youth unemployment statistic in that country. Today, however, he is a successful app developer. He is one of 73 youth who, through the…
Read MoreStability and Security in the Syrian Crisis
Stability and Security in the Syrian Crisis By David Humphries, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Global Communities  |  This story originally appeared on Medium. This picture shows two countries: Jordan and Syria. On one side there is peace, on the other side, war. The people of the Governorate of Mafraq, Jordan, live alongside the…
Read MoreBuilding an Inclusive Financial Sector in Iraq
Building an Inclusive Financial Sector in Iraq By Iftin Fatah, Investment Officer, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Â | Â This article originally appeared on the Center for Financial Inclusion Blog. Adaweya struggled to support her family after her husband became disabled. With financing for Vitas Iraq, she was able to expand her sewing business, increase her…
Read MoreDevelopment, not Dependency: Investment as a Path to Self-Sufficiency and Stability in the Middle East
Development, not Dependency: Investment as a Path to Self-Sufficiency and Stability in the Middle East By David A. Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities | This article originally appeared on The Huffington Post. Maleeka Mohammed, winner of businesswoman of the year from Bank Al Etihad In my previous two blogs, I have focused on the importance of measuring…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture – Farming, Aquaculture, and Modern Greenhouses
Global Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture – Farming, Aquaculture, and Modern Greenhouses Clustering for Economic Development and Revitalization of Industry Sectors Through CEDARSplus, which builds on predecessor program CEDARS to expand rural economic opportunities with various entities from the private, government, academic, and non-profit sectors, Global Communities has worked closely with the Moawad Rene Foundation since…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture
Global Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture Lebanon Apple Production Agriculture is Lebanon’s third most important sector, employing about 15% of the active population. Global Communities has been instrumental in supporting and expanding agricultural businesses in Lebanon by working closely with the USDA-funded Lebanon Apple Production Improvement Program (LAPI), which introduced a mechanism for quality control and…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Women
Global Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Women Women living in many parts of the Middle East experience extremely high unemployment rates; some leave the work force to start families and then struggle to re-enter the job market, while some are completely new to paid employment. Instability in the region has prompted even more…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Youth
Global Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Youth MENA YES: Youth Employment and Education in Lebanon The unemployment rate in Lebanon increased from of 11 to 20 percent during the course of 2014, according to the World Bank. The Lebanese Ministry of Labor put this figure at closer to 25 percent, with youth unemployment…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Working with Refugees
Global Communities in Lebanon: Our Work with Refugees Global Communities has worked closely with UNHCR to provide for refugees as well as the communities that host them. The Lebanese public health, education and infrastructure systems continue to struggle in providing services to locals and newcomers alike. Hundreds of thousands of individuals go without health care,…
Read MoreGlobal Communities: Committed to Assisting Refugees
Global Communities: Committed to Assisting Refugees Global Communities’ mission is to create long-lasting, positive and community-led change that improves the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people across the globe. Today, there are few people more vulnerable than the people affected by the Syrian conflict, the displaced within Syria, the refugees across the region and beyond,…
Read MoreBeyond the Basics: Holistic Humanitarian Assistance for Syrians
Beyond the Basics: Holistic Humanitarian Assistance for Syrians By Margo Berends  |  This article originally appeared in American Diplomacy. The Syrian conflict continues to tear apart communities, families, lives and livelihoods. Millions have been displaced by the violence, either within Syria or across its borders, and the refugee crisis reverberates across the Middle East, Europe and…
Read MoreYemen Factsheet
Yemen Factsheet Global Communities has been working in Yemen since 2004 implementing humanitarian and development programs across a broad range of sectors and has continued to provide on-the-ground assistance throughout the current conflict. Programs have included providing emergency aid to communities affected by conflict; empowering young people through job skills development; improving the educational system by…
Read MoreMarket Labor and Youth Capacity Assessment in Lebanon
Market Labor and Youth Capacity Assessment in Lebanon Worldwide, young people are three times more likely than their parents to be out of work. There are two related issues: high levels of youth unemployment and a shortage of people with critical job skills. Lebanon is experiencing these same issues, in its own particular economic context.…
Read MoreWhen One Door Closes, Another Opens: Syrian Entrepreneurs Creating New Economic Opportunities in Jordan
When One Door Closes, Another Opens: Syrian Entrepreneurs Creating New Economic Opportunities in Jordan The Alwis Brothers Co. was established in Syria in 1935 as a small family business that produced glucose. By 1994, their factory had become the largest producer of glucose and starch in the region, and the owners expanded with new factories…
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