Decentralising development decisions and management to local communities generates wide-ranging social, economic and environmental benefits. The urgent need of the Palestinian people for socio-economic relief and opportunities necessitates that the Palestinian Authority leverage as many resources as possible, including social capital, for local development projects determined by denizens of Palestinian villages and neighbourhoods, through consensus. Effective partnerships that transfer facilitation skills for participatory planning to university students, teachers, local government and non-government personnel and others would restructure the Palestinian economy, making it more selfreliant and create political benefits for national unity and regional peace.
