In order to strengthen the networking and exchange of experiences and best practices among GEF/SGP grantees and other relevant stakeholders the IMM is proposing to conduct a Knowledge Fair. The aim is to subsequently achieve an increase in their impact and influence on civil society as well as on a policy level. The implementation of the action will take place over six months and includes a variety of awareness- raising and outreach activities. In the first month a website will be created as a first step to connect NGOS working in the field of environment, resources and information on environmental problems and relevant useful contacts, as well as an event calendar. In the months before the knowledge fair, the Al Quds TV (?AQTV?) staff will produce ten documentary reports on selected projects, as well as four in-depth investigative reports raising public awareness on the most pressing environmental issues. The outreach will be further extended by the publication of a brochure informing the public at large and NGOs about key actors and their contact details in the format of Who-is-Who brochure. The websites of the participating NGOs as well as different types of media (print, radio, online) will be utilized to advertise the Knowledge Fair.
The Knowledge Fair itself will stretch over two days and it is expected that it will benefit from the intensive communication work done beforehand in terms of participation and impact. All participating NGOs will have the opportunity to present themselves and their work to other NGOs, donor community and decision- makers and a wider public through information stands. Lectures and discussion rounds will be conducted where an interested audience can gain a deeper understanding on environmental issues. The national and international lecturers can give advice and share their expertise with local NGOs. The lectures will be filmed and made accessible to an online audience after the Knowledge Fair. The lounge will be offering visitors and participants to get together in a more informal atmosphere to network, discuss and exchange ideas and information. Private sector companies and cooperatives will present organic food products as well as ecological innovative products on the ?Fair-in-the-fair?, providing them with a chance to expand their customer base. For representatives and staff of NGOs working in the field of environment protection capacity-building workshops will be conducted, that aim at enhancing the organizations capacities on different essential topics, i.e. proposal-writing, monitoring and evaluation, marketing towards donors, awareness-raising techniques, knowledge-management and ?sharing and methods of advocacy and lobbying.
After the Knowledge Fair articles in the most read daily newspapers Al-Ayyam and Al-Quds Newspaper will be released. The event will also be covered on AQTV and the Hona AlQuds Community Media Network, operated by the IMM. The final report will sum up the project implementation, participants, results and lessons- learned.