Background
As economic conditions in Jordan and the broader region continue to decline, the focus of civil society has increasingly shifted towards the livelihoods sector, especially in supporting vulnerable communities such as Syrian refugees and their host communities. Localization efforts have gained prominence, emphasizing the empowerment of local actors and the adaptation of aid and development strategies to meet the unique needs of communities in Jordan.
Despite the ongoing challenges, there is a growing momentum towards dialogue and collaboration between Jordan’s government and civil society, fostering synergies to address the country’s complex issues. The Jordan National NGOs Forum (JONAF) has been playing a crucial role in the last few years in supporting governmental efforts in accessing vulnerable communities and leveraging civil society’s local knowledge and awareness of their needs.
Established in 2016 by local CSOs, CBOs, NGOs, and other entities, JONAF currently includes 50 member organizations across the Kingdom.
The Focus of Future Forward
Implemented by Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and funded by the European Regional Development and Protection Program for Jordan and Lebanon (RDPP III), a joint European initiative supported by Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the European Union, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, the initiative focuses on:
Localize and Promote Sustainable Livelihood Solutions: Foster innovative ideas and collective community efforts to address the challenges faced by Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, emphasizing the importance of incorporating local voices to design sustainable livelihood solutions rooted in the country-specific social and economic dynamics. Promote strategic, evidence-based interventions that enhance resilience through the empowerment of individuals and civil society organizations. Strengthen local civil society capacity in advocacy, knowledge exchange, and service delivery by further empowering the Jordan National NGOs Forum (JONAF) to advocate for long-term, viable interventions. Promote market linkages for local products and highlight Jordan’s cultural and ecological richness.
Civil Society Engagement: Enhance livelihood programming through coordinated efforts among civil society organizations by strengthening the Jordan National NGOs Forum (JONAF) capacity to play a more active role in improving the response to community needs, in building synergies between INGOs, national NGOs, and donors, and to advocate for the operationalization of the localization agenda.
Institutionalize Collective Efforts: Enhance JONAF’s governance structure and institutional capacities to strengthen its legitimacy to lead the implementation of the localization agenda for aid delivery. Improve dialogue with local and international stakeholders, increase efficiency, and enhance accountability to ensure that aid and development efforts are better tailored to the needs of local communities.
Celebrate and promote localization: fostering a deep understanding of the concept, encouraging open dialogue, and supporting initiatives that drive progress whilst honoring leadership and recognizing the efforts of changemakers who are making a difference in their communities. This commitment to localization is celebrated through the Localization Award, which highlights and rewards those who are leading the way in transformative change.
Future Forward ´s Theory of Change
IF local civil society organizations are capacitated to respond to the needs of their local target communities,
IF synergies between INGOs, NNGOs, and donors are built to strengthen joint advocacy towards heightened level of dialogue, efficiency, and accountability,
THEN Syrian refugees and host communities’ resilience is amplified with improved access to livelihood opportunities through increased localized ecosystems.
Future Forward seeks to:
Advance JONAF´s expertise and, in turn, of local civil society, on service delivery, advocacy, and information sharing to support the quality and breadth of its work and its advocacy in the medium and long term.
Develop and implement an advocacy strategy to strengthen linkages between JONAF and local and national authorities and national and international stakeholders. The strategy will guide advocacy for a favorable environment for adopting viable, locally prioritized sustainable solutions for the livelihoods of marginalized communities in Jordan. Additionally, it will guide JONAF’s advocacy efforts on localization, addressing both broad issues related to the operational space of CSOs in Jordan and specific issues relevant to the livelihoods of Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities.
Generate new evidence-based knowledge on the livelihood sector in Jordan, focusing on the opportunities and challenges for its localization. The action research analyzes the Jordanian livelihood sector from policy, macro, and micro perspectives, paying particular attention to the role and efforts of JONAF and national NGOs in this field. The production of new knowledge on livelihoods will inform the pertinent public policies, through targeted advocacy initiatives, benefitting ultimately Jordanian markets.
Promote and advocate for Economic Empowerment Initiatives: Facilitate market access for products created using traditional methods and sustainable materials, preserving heritage and strengthening the community´s pride. Ensure these products are economically viable and marketable both locally and internationally. Additionally, it promotes urban farming and community-managed gardens to enhance food security and provide a sustainable source of income for locals.
