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How to Establish a Network? "March 2006"

If a group of organizations decided to coordinate together for a mutual aim, they must apply to the following:
• Confidence in achieving their mutual aims
• Mutual respect
• Sharing responsibilities and commitment for all the activities done in the framework of partnership and coordination.
• Equality, as partnerships are possible between big and small groups, but for such partnerships to continue they must be accompanied by rehabilitation, adaptation and enabling of participants in order for them to an equal amount of experience and knowledge in the coordination process especially in the decision making process.
Aims of Coordination and Networking:
• Finding partnership and solidarity opportunities between different organizations, as networks unite the resources and capabilities of the different network members, and strengthen relations and bonds between them, which will help in achieving the mutual aims.
• Making and broader range to reach a bigger number of the target groups, as the voices of several organizations are more effective the the voice of only one organization.
• Provide the public with safety and credibility, as the network adds more force and power to what the different organizations do.
• Increase the chances of developing the capacities of associations.
• Networks help in avoiding incompatibility and contradiction of interests, as through networks we can make fruitful relations which will increase the strength of their members and their ability to achieve goals.
• Networking and coordination help in discovering new and promising leaderships.
The Steps of Establishing a Network:
Step one: Choosing Members:
Search and recognize the institutions and individuals who can work on achieving the same aim that you seek to achieve, and work on joining them to the network. You must also consider joining people who can influence decision takers.
. Step Two: Meeting the Chosen Members:
You must build strong relations with the chosen members based on mutual trust and faith.
Step Three: Convincing the Network members about the Importance of the Aim it adopts:
This is the stage of discussions, debates and agreements about the network's message and general principles of the defined cause for coordinated work, in addition to defining long-term and short-term goals and the most suitable ways to achieve them.
Step Four: Distribution of Roles and Responsibilities:
The capacities and capabilities of each members must be studied, putting in mind their weakness and strength points. According to this evaluation, roles and responsibilities are distributed. The financial issues and the size of each member's contribution must be agreed on.
Step Five: Making the Network's Structure and Working System:
The network's leaderships must be elected and the decision making process must be agreed on.
Step Six: How to Invest the Network in Serving the Mutual Aims:
The network's members and participants must be asked to do certain jobs in order to achieve the network's main goal. The network's continuing existence depends on usefulness and efficiency, as it is considered an optional framework that can be joined by NGOs o achieve connection, communication, mobilizing energies and building capacities.
There are interrelated factor and elements the represent efficiency, such as:
• Clear view of the network's role and aims that it seeks to achieve, and defining the priorities and different roles of each of its' members.
• Accurate planning of the network's activities and have caution from competition among its' members.
• Building efficient partnerships between the network and the different bodies, as through these relations the network can strengthen and support the civil society.
• Provide mechanisms to compete against the different organizations.
• Provide distinct technical performance in the framework of supporting voluntary work and building the capacities of volunteers.
Joint work and coordination increase the chances of success and achieving our goals in improving and developing our society where human rights are guarantee for all citizens.