Regional Workshop on Community Approaches

Abstract

The UNDP/GEF-supported Dryland Agrobiodiversity Project and the IFAD-supported Integrated Research on Durum Economics Network (IRDEN) project jointly organized a training workshop on 'Community Participatory Approaches' at ICARDA-Amman on 25-29 July 2004. More than 20 participants from the agrobiodiversity project components of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Authority and Syria; the Turkish and Syrian components of the IRDEN project; and the Jordanian teams of Badia benchmark and ÂVallerani water harvesting projects, attended the workshop. Dr Abdul Nabi Fardous, Director General of NCARTT, opened the workshop and acknowledged ICARDA's efforts to introduce new approaches for encouraging community participation. Dr Ahmed Amri, Regional Coordinator of ICARDAÂs West Asia Regional Program and Coordinator of the Dryland Agrobiodiversity Project, welcomed the participants on behalf of ICARDA. The workshop was led by Dr Kamel Shideed, ICARDAÂs Natural Resource Economist, who described all the elements necessary for successful community participatory approaches with the help of Dr Ahmed Mazid, ICARDA Agricultural Economist, and Dr Ahmed Amri.