Within the framework of the “Municipal Know-How Programme for Host Communities in the Middle East” and “Qudra Programme”, a two-day study tour, as well as a subsequent two-day project workshop jointly organized by UCLG-MEWA, GIZ-Qudra, and Connective Cities, on 12-15 February 2019, in Berlin, Germany.
The event interfaces with a dialogue event organized in Istanbul on 8-10 November 2018. In the course of this event, Turkish and German municipal practitioners exchanged technical knowledge and developed project ideas. Selected Turkish municipalities invited to Germany to present their project ideas and to continue to work on the specification and possible implementation of relevant projects. together with German local representatives.
The workshop started with a two-day study tour. Delegation firstly visited “Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs” where the refugees register themselves as an asylum seeker. Participants received information on the asylum process in Germany. In the second day, participants received a presentation at “Neighbourhood Centre Schöneberg” where they had been informed about the services provided for women, children and elderly refugees. A brief presentation was also made about the language course offered by the Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule / VHS).
The second part of the workshop started with an introduction and review of the previous events. Following a peer-to-peer discussion between each Turkish municipality and its counterpart from Germany, reviews were made on the details of the methodology for the joint implementation of the project, draft proposal and an action plan in order to have a clear road map for the next steps.
The main aim of the workshop was to develop concrete project ideas, which can be the first step for partnership-based projects. Based on this methodology, eight concrete project ideas were developed, presented and discussed at the end of the workshop. The development of these project ideas benefited greatly from the expertise of the municipal experts. This enhanced the critical reflection and the conceptualization of project ideas.
GIZ-Qudra will complete the follow-up process after preparing the final proposal of the project ideas. These project ideas between German and Turkish municipalities will have the possibility to be further supported by joint municipal projects and funds for the implementation through the financial instruments of the Middle East Initiative. Continue to follow UCLG-MEWA Newsletter for more details.