A pause over the «Waqfet Izz» fund

By Omar Shaban

The “Waqfet Ezz” fund was established by presidential decree on 2 April 2020, with the aim of gathering donations and support from the private sector and Palestinian society to help confront the state of emergency and recession caused by the coronavirus. The fund is overseen by a board of directors of 30 Palestinian figures, all from the Palestinian private sector. No doubt forming the fund was a necessary decision in these circumstances we are all passing through, and a step that strengthens the state of solidarity among the sons of the Palestinian people.

Mr Talal Nasereddin, chairman of the “Waqfet Ezz” fund, declared that the donated funds had reached more than nine million dollars as of last Wednesday, 15 April. The volume of donations two weeks after founding is low compared with the tasks entrusted to the fund and the available potential that could easily be tapped. Likewise, the composition of the “Waqfet Ezz” fund's board of directors raises several questions. Here are some observations and proposals aimed at improving performance and maximising results:-

• Since it is not a fund of the private sector alone, why was its membership confined to the private sector, without representatives of other sectors of Palestinian society — clerics, Muslim and Christian, academics, civil society, the media, and workers? Diversifying the fund's management composition would doubtless guarantee reach to varied sectors and affirm partnership and interaction among and with everyone. The ideal situation, in my view, is a board of 15 persons only, the private sector represented by only five members and the rest distributed across other social sectors and geographic areas.
• Confining the fund's membership to the West Bank areas deprives societal and geographic sectors of contributing to this fund. Why were figures not included from all the areas of Palestinian presence, especially the diaspora? We all know there are dozens, indeed hundreds, of well-doing wealthy Palestinians across the world's regions (the Gulf, Europe, and the Americas) who would not hesitate to contribute to this national effort.
• It is important to define tasks for some of the fund's members beyond the post of chairman — for example: media spokesperson, treasurer, officer for contact with the diaspora, and so on. Distributing tasks strengthens the efficiency of the work and affirms transparency in receiving and managing the fund's moneys, which will help maximise trust and increase donations.
• Some — individuals, institutions, and companies — may incline to donate to society directly, without passing through the fund, to secure media attention and gain credibility in society. Such an inclination in some will reduce donations to the fund; the fund's management must therefore find a formula reconciling donation to the fund with giving its donors visibility.
• The fund should clarify that it does not target individuals' contributions only, but institutions' too — and affirm that donations are not confined to Palestinian donors: it encourages and targets contributions from Arab and international associations and institutions as well.
• It would be useful for the fund to have a presence on social media displaying its activities and programmes, with an explanation of how to contact it and how to send donations — which need not be monetary only.
• It is very important that the fund issue, periodically, financial and administrative reports setting out in detail the sources of donations and the outlets of disbursement.