Protection Amid Chaos: The Creation of Property Rights in Palestinian Refugee Camps

RESEARCH METHODS

A complete list of interviews that identify occupation, affiliation, and the location and date of the interview is provided below. In accordance with IRB regulations, personal names are omitted to protect the identities of the informants.

INTERVIEWS IN JORDAN

2004

I-1J: Director, Department of Refugee Affairs, PLO, Amman, June 27, 2004.

I-2J: Chief Field Officer, UNRWA, Relief and Social Services, Amman, June 30, 2004.

I-3J: Chief Information Officer, UNRWA, Amman, June 30, 2004.

2005

I-4J: Business owner, Iron production, Baqa’a camp, May 17, 2005.

I-5J: Business owner, Iron production, Baqa’a camp, May 17, 2005.

I-6J: Business owner, Iron and aluminum production, Baqa’a camp, May 17, 2005.

I-7J: Business owner, Carpentry and furniture retail, Baqa’a camp, May 18, 2005.

I-8J: Business owner, Carpentry, Baqa’a camp, May 18, 2005.

I-9J: Business owner, Carpentry, Baqa’a camp, May 18, 2005.

I-10J: Business owner, Cinderblocks, Baqa’a camp, May 18, 2005.

I-11J: Business owner, Cinderblocks, Baqa’a camp, May 18, 2005.

I-12J: Business owner, Glass, Baqa’a camp, May 19, 2005.

I-13J: Business owner, Glass, Baqa’a camp, May 19, 2005.

I-14J: Business owner, Glass, Baqa’a camp, May 19, 2005.

I-15J: Business owner, Carpentry, Zarqa camp, May 20, 2005.

I-16J: Business owner, Iron, Zarqa camp, May 20, 2005.

I-17J: Business owner, Iron, Zarqa camp, May 20, 2005.

I-18J: Business owner, Carpentry, Zarqa camp, May 20, 2005.

I-19J: Business owner, Iron, Zarqa camp, May 20, 2005.

I-20J: Business owner, Carpentry, Zarqa camp, May 21, 2005.

I-21J: Business owner, Iron, Zarqa camp, May 25, 2005.

I-22J: Business owner, Iron, Zarqa camp, May 25, 2005.

I-23J: Business owner, Glass, Zarqa camp, May 25, 2005.

I-24J: Business owner, Glass, Zarqa camp, May 26, 2005.

I-25J: Business owner, Cinderblocks, Zarqa camp, May 26, 2005.

I-26J: Business owner, Glass, Zarqa camp, May 26, 2005.

I-27J: Business owner, Cinderblocks, Zarqa camp, May 26, 2005.

I-30J: Business owner, Cinderblocks, Zarqa camp, May 27, 2005.

I-31J: Business owner, Carpentry, Wihdat camp, June 1, 2005.

I-32J: Business owner, Aluminum and glass, Wihdat camp, June 1, 2005.

I-33J: Business owner, Iron, Wihdat camp, June 1, 2005.

I-34J: Business owner, Glass and carpentry, Wihdat camp, June 1, 2005.

I-35J: Business owner, Iron, Wihdat camp, June 2, 2005.

I-36J: Business owner, Carpentry, Wihdat camp, June 2, 2005.

I-37J: Business owner, Carpentry, Wihdat camp, June 2, 2005.

I-38J: Business owner, Iron, Wihdat camp, June 2, 2005.

I-39J: Business owner, Glass, Wihdat camp, June 2, 2005.

I-40J: Business owner, Iron, Wihdat camp, June 3, 2005.

I-41J: Business owner, Iron, Wihdat camp, June 3, 2005.

I-42J: Business owner, Glass, Wihdat camp, June 3, 2005.

I-43J: Business owner, Cinderblock and tile, Wihdat camp, June 3, 2005.

I-44J: Business owner, Cinderblock and tile, Wihdat camp, June 3, 2005.

I-45J: Business owner, Carpentry, Irbid camp, June 7, 2005.

I-46J: Business owner, Carpentry, Irbid camp, June 7, 2005.

I-47J: Business owner, Carpentry, Irbid camp, June 7, 2005.

I-48J: Business owner, Carpentry, Irbid camp, June 7, 2005.

I-49J: Business owner, Iron, Irbid camp, June 7, 2005.

I-50J: Business owner, Iron, Irbid camp, June 8, 2005.

I-51J: Business owner, Iron, Irbid camp, June 8, 2005.

I-52J: Business owner, Cinderblock, Irbid camp, June 8, 2005.

I-53J: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock, Irbid camp, June 8, 2005.

I-54J: Business owner, Tile, Irbid camp, June 8, 2005.

I-55J: Business owner, Glass, Irbid camp, June 9, 2005.

I-56J: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock, Irbid camp, June 9, 2005.

I-57J: Business owner, Glass and aluminum framing, Irbid camp, June 9, 2005.

I-58J: Business owner, Iron, Marka camp, June 15, 2005.

I-59J: Business owner, Carpentry, Marka camp, June 15, 2005.

I-60J: Business owner, Iron, Marka camp, June 15, 2005.

I-61J: Business owner, Iron, Marka camp, June 15, 2005.

I-62J: Business owner, Glass, Marka camp, June 15, 2005.

I-63J: Business owner, Carpentry, Marka camp, June 16, 2005.

I-64J: Business owner, Glass, Marka camp, June 16, 2005.

I-65J: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock, Marka camp, June 16, 2005.

I-66J: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock, Marka camp, June 16, 2005.

I-67J: Business owner, Carpentry and wood distribution, Marka camp, June 16, 2005.

I-68J: Business owner, Iron, Baqa’a camp, March 29, 2007.

I-69J: Business owner, Iron, Baqa’a camp, March 29, 2007.

I-70J: Business owner, Carpentry and iron, Baqa’a camp, March 29, 2007.

I-71J: Business owner, Iron, Baqa’a camp, March 29, 2007.

I-72J: Sheikh, Baqa’a camp, March 29, 2007.

I-73J: Business owner, Tile and iron, Baqa’a camp, March 30, 2007.

I-74J: Business owner, Aluminum, Baqa’a camp, March 30, 2007.

I-75J: Business owner, Carpentry, Baqa’a camp, March 30, 2007.

I-76J: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock, Baqa’a camp, March 30, 2007.

I-77J: Business owner, Carpentry, Baqa’a camp, March 31, 2007.

I-78J: Business owner, Carpentry, Baqa’a camp, March 31, 2007.

I-79J: Former Minister of Electricity, Phone interview in Amman, April 4, 2007.

I-80J: Business owner, Iron and steel production, Wihdat camp, April 5, 2007.

I-81J: Business owner, Carpentry, Wihdat camp, April 5, 2007.

I-82J: Business owner, Iron and steel works, Wihdat camp, April 5, 2007.

I-83J: Business owner, Aluminum, Wihdat camp, April 5, 2007.

I-84J: Business owner, Construction material trader, Wihdat camp, April 6, 2007.

I-85J: Business owner, Glass manufacturing and design, Wihdat camp, April 6, 2007.

I-86J: Business owner, Carpentry, Wihdat camp, April 6, 2007.

I-87J: Business owner, Iron, Wihdat camp, April 7, 2007.

I-88J: Business owner, Building supplies, Wihdat camp, April 7, 2007.

I-89J: Business owner, Iron, Jerash camp, April 11, 2007.

I-90J: Business owner, Iron, Jerash camp, April 11, 2007.

I-91J: Business owner, Carpentry, Jerash camp, April 11, 2007.

I-92J: Business owner, Cinderblock and tile, Jerash camp, April 12, 2007.

I-93J: Business owner, Iron and steel, Jerash camp, April 12, 2007.

I-94J: Business owner, Metal works, Jerash camp, April 12, 2007.

I-95J: Business owner, Aluminum, Jerash camp, April 12, 2007.

I-96J: Business owner, Carpentry with specialization in framing structures, Jerash camp, April 13, 2007.

I-97J: Business owner, Iron and steel, Jerash camp, April 13, 2007.

INTERVIEWS IN LEBANON

I-1L: Business owner, Tile and concrete block factory, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 4, 2004.

I-2L: Head Officer, Financial Assistance to Businesses, UNRWA, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 5, 2004.

I-3L: Camp Leader, UNRWA, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 5, 2004.

I-4L: Lawyer, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 8, 2004.

I-5L: Area Officer, Baqa’a Northern Lebanon region, UNRWA, Tripoli, July 8, 2004.

I-6L: Business owner, Ice cream cones, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 10, 2004.

I-7L: Business owner, Chocolate factory, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 10, 2004.

I-8L: Business owner, Ice cream production and retail, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 10, 2004.

I-9L: Business owner, Ice cream production and retail, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 11, 2004.

I-10L: Business owner, Aluminum, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 11, 2004.

I-11L: Business owner, Iron, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-12L: Business owner, Chocolate factory, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-13L: Business owner, Tile factory, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-14L: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock production, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-15L: Business owner, Carpentry and furniture retail, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-16L: Business owner, Ice cream production, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-17L: Business owner, Chocolate factory, Bedawi camp, July 12, 2004.

I-18L: Business owner, Carpentry and furniture retail, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 13, 2004.

I-19L: Business owner, Steel production, Nahr al-Bared camp, July 13, 2004.

I-20L: Field Leader, National Association for Vocation training school, Beirut, July 15, 2004.

I-21L: Chief Public Information Officer, UNRWA, Beirut, July 15, 2004.

I-22L: Business owner, Carpentry, al-Buss camp, July 17, 2004.

I-23L: Leader/Head, Popular Camp Committee, al-Buss camp, July 17, 2004.

I-24L: Head, Najda Vocational Center, al-Buss camp, July 17, 2004.

I-25L: Camp Leader, UNRWA, al-Buss camp, July 17, 2004.

I-26L: Popular Camp Committee Leader, Rashidieh camp, July 18, 2004.

I-27L: Business owner, Iron, al-Buss camp, July 19, 2004.

I-28L: Business owner, Iron, Rashidieh camp, July 19, 2004.

I-29L: Area Officer, Tyre region, UNRWA, Tyre, July 19, 2004.

I-30L: Leader, Najda Micro-Credit office, Rashidieh camp, July 19, 2004.

I-31L: Business owner, Ice cream production, Rashidieh camp, July 19, 2004.

I-32L: Business owner, Ice cream production, al-Buss camp, July 20, 2004.

I-33L: Popular Camp Committee, meeting with entire committee, Nahr al-Bared camp, February 26, 2007.

I-34L: Committee Member, Water and electricity expert, Nahr al-Bared camp, February 26, 2007.

I-35L: Business owner, Carpentry, Nahr al-Bared camp, February 26, 2007.

I-36L: Business owner, Steel, Nahr al-Bared camp, February 26, 2007.

I-37L: Business owner, Aluminum, Nahr al-Bared camp, February 26, 2007.

I-38L: Business owner, Cinderblock and tile, Bedawi camp, February 27, 2007.

I-39L: Business owner, Cement and cinderblock, Bedawi camp, February 27, 2007.

I-40L: Business owner, Carpentry, Bedawi camp, February 27, 2007.

I-41L: Business owner, Carpentry, Bedawi camp, February 27, 2007.

I-42L: Business owner, Aluminum, Bedawi camp, February 28, 2007.

I-43L: Business owner, Aluminum, Bedawi camp, February 28, 2007.

I-44L: Business owner, Glass, Bedawi camp, February 28, 2007.

I-45L: Business owner, Tile, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 2, 2007.

I-46L: Business owner, Iron, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 2, 2007.

I-47L: Meeting with a family, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 3, 2007.

I-48L: Fatah party member and party accountant, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 4, 2007.

I-49L: Business owner, Aluminum, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 7, 2007.

I-50L: Business owner, Plaster and wall décor, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 7, 2007.

I-51L: Business owner, Tile and cinderblock, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 7, 2007.

I-52L: Business owner, Tile, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 7, 2007.

I-53L: Camp Electrician, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 12, 2007.

I-54L: Lawyer, Nahr al-Bared camp, March 12, 2007.

I-55L: Popular Camp Committee, meeting with entire committee, Bedawi camp, March 17, 2007.

I-56L: Retired Fatah official, Nahr al-Bared camp, May 16, 2012.

I-57L: Female Nahr al-Bared resident and UNRWA data collector, May 16, 2012.

I-58L: Camp Committee collective interview, five members present out of twenty-three, Beddawi camp, May 16, 2012.

I-59L: UNRWA Information Officer, Beddawi camp, May 16, 2012.

I-60L: Business owner, Iron and steel, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-61L: Business owner, Carpentry, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-62L: Business owner, Steel, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-63L: Construction worker in Nahr al-Bared rebuild, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-64L: Business owner, Carpentry and painting, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-65L: Business owner, Carpentry, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-66L: Business owner, Gas installation and electrician, Beddawi camp, May 17, 2012.

I-67L: Business owner, Tile and marble, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-68L: Nahr al-Bared relocated family, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-69L: Nahr al-Bared former business owner, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-70L: Nahr al-Bared relocated family, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-71L: Medical doctor that worked in Nahr al-Bared, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-72L: Sheikh, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-73L: Nahr al-Bared family, Beddawi camp, May, 18, 2012.

I-74L: Nahr al-Bared family, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-75L: Nahr al-Bared woman, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-76L: Nahr al-Bared woman, Beddawi camp, May 18, 2012.

I-77L: Nahr al-Bared woman, Beddawi camp, May, 18, 2012.

I-78L: Nahr al-Bared family, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 19, 2012.

I-79L: Nahr al-Bared sheikh, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 19, 2012.

I-80L: Nahr al-Bared Camp Committee, sixteen out of thirty-four members present, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 19, 2012.

I-81L: Business owner, Carpentry, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 19, 2012.

I-82L: Business owner, Electricity, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 19, 2012.

I-83L: Business owner, Bathroom construction and tile, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 19, 2012.

I-84L: Business owner, Iron and steel, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 20, 2012.

I-85L: Business owner, Iron, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 20, 2012.

I-86L: Business owner, Recycling construction materials, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 20, 2012.

I-87L: Business owner, Construction material—sand, tile, cement, steel, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 20, 2012.

I-88L: Business owner, Bottled water production, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 20, 2012.

I-89L: UNRWA Reconstruction Engineer, new Nahr al-Bared camp, May 21, 2012.

I-90L: UNRWA Northern Lebanon field office, new Nahr al-Bared reconstruction officer, May 23, 2012.

I-91L: Nahr al-Bared historian, Tripoli, May 24, 2012.

I-92L: UNRWA Lebanon field office, Chief Information Officer, Beirut, May 29, 2012.

I-93L: Engineering firm, Nahr al-Bared reconstruction liaison to Lebanon government, Beirut, May 29, 2012.

I-94L: Palestinian Embassy representative, Chief Diplomat to the Nahr al-Bared reconstruction project in the Palestinian-Lebanese Dialogue Committee, May 31, 2012.

I-95L: Head of Beddawi camp, July 6, 2004.

I-96L: Former Nahr al-Bared resident, May 31, 2012.

INTERVIEWS IN SYRIA

I-1S: Business owner, Aluminum, Homs camp, March 8, 2007.

I-2S: Business owner, Iron, Homs camp, March 8, 2007.

I-3S: Business owner, Carpentry, Homs camp, March 9, 2007.

I-4S: Business owner, Glass production and design, Homs camp, March 9, 2007.

I-5S: Business owner, Tile and cement production, Homs camp, March 9, 2007.

I-6S: Business owner, Carpentry, Homs camp, March 9, 2007.

VERBAL SCRIPT FOR OBTAINING INFORMED ORAL CONSENT

(Consent Documentation Waived)

“Hello, my name is Professor (Dr.) Nadya Hajj. I am a professor at Wellesley College in the Department of Political Science, and I am in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon (Jordan) undertaking research that will be used in my research manuscript.

I am studying the formation of property rights and ownership of resources in business sectors in the refugee camps.

The information you share with me will be of great value in helping me complete this research project, the results of which could significantly enhance our understanding of property rights and development.

This interview will take about thirty minutes to one hour of your time.

There is no risk of a breach of confidentiality. I will not link your name to anything you say, either in the transcript of this survey or interview or in the text of my manuscript or any other publications. There are no other expected risks of participation.

Participation is voluntary. If you decide not to participate, there will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You can, of course, decline to be interviewed, as well as to stop participating at any time, without any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

If you have any additional questions concerning this research or your participation in it, please feel free to contact me or our college research office at any time.”

(The respondent will be given an information card, when applicable, containing name, institutional affiliation, and contact information.)

“Do you have any questions about this research? Do you agree to participate?

If so, let’s begin…”

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS APPROVED BY IRB (2004 AND 2005)

Standardized Questionnaires for Business Owners, UNRWA officials, Camp Committee and Political Officials, Electricity and Water Officials

QUESTIONS TO ASK BUSINESS/INDUSTRY OWNERS IN PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMPS:

MARKET SHOCKS AND SECTOR INFORMATION

1. What type of business or industry are you in and what kind of products do you make here?

2. How many years have you been in business?

3. Could you tell me a brief history of how your business/industry started and how you got to where you are today? In this history, the following subjects are of interest:

A. What made you think starting a business was a good idea?

B. Why did you choose to open the type of business you did?

C. Who else helped you get started?

D. Who or what has helped you maintain your business?

4. How many other firms are there that do similar or related work?

5. How much do you earn a month or a year with this business?

6. How many employees do you have? How many are full-time or part-time?

7. Where do you get your raw materials or inputs from? How much do they cost a year?

8. How do raw economic materials enter and how do finished products or services enter or exit refugee camps?

9. To what markets do you normally sell your products? Why do you sell products to these specific markets and not others?

MEASUREMENT OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. Do you have written documents or contracts that establish the ownership and protection of your goods?

2. Does everyone benefit from the rules of ownership or protection of property, or do only a few people benefit from such rules?

3. If some benefit from rules and others do not, why is that the case?

4. How do you monitor your property? Are there guards, police forces, or recognized people that watch over your property so that people do not try to take it away?

5. If someone breaks rules regarding your ownership of property, like stealing or taking away your property without your permission, how is that person dealt with?

6. Can you sell or lease your property resource or asset (machinery or time for electricity usage)?

ORIGINS OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. How did rules about the use and protection of property develop? Could you provide me with a timeline or history of how rules developed?

2. Who initiated the establishment of the protection of property rights? Who might have opposed them? Did some sort of formal or informal judicial institution exist prior to the actual establishment of the protection of property rights? Did UNRWA have anything to do with all this?

3. When did property rights develop? Were huge economic markets available before the rules developed, or did rules develop prior to the realization of a large market of demand?

A. At the start of your business, did everyone just agree and recognize your business and investment and you never had a problem protecting your property/business?

B. Was there conscious decision-making about rules, or did rules largely develop without deliberation and discussion?

C. Did you rely on family networks and relations to ensure that your investment was protected? In other words, does your family or do your friends play a role in ensuring that your investments are protected?

D. Did rules that were similar to those from your home country develop to protect your property/business/industry so you simply followed historical tradition?

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS APPROVED BY IRB (2007)

Business Owner:	Date: Camp:
Background:

BACKGROUND ON BUSINESS

1. What kind of business do you have?

B. Cinderblock or tile

D. Iron/Steel/Metal works

E. Other. Please Specify.

2. How many full-time/part-time employees do you have working here?

3. Where do you get your raw materials?

Material Source

1. When did you open your business?

2. Did you see market opportunity for your business at that particular time?

B. No. Please Explain.

MEASUREMENT OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. Do you own the land that your business is on?

I. Do you rent this shop space?

I. Did you sign a lease or contract for renting the store?

II. Who do you rent the property from?

b. Friend or neighbor

c. Business acquaintance

d. Other. Please Explain.

2. Do you have written documents or contracts that establish the ownership of your property?

I. Where did you register your property and where are the documents kept?

a. With government officials

b. With camp officials

d. With religious officials

e. Other. Please explain.

II. Were lawyers or witnesses present during the signing of contracts?

i. Do you have oral agreements?

i. Are oral agreements secure? Explain.

3. Did you have to apply for a government license to open the business?

I. What steps did you have to go through to establish business ownership?

I. Did you have to go through any procedures with UNRWA or the popular camp committee to establish business ownership? What were those procedures?

II. Did you just have an oral agreement that established ownership? What assured you that this type of agreement was safe/that the person would not cheat you?

4. If you were to sell your business, what steps would you have to go through?

5. What would you do if you wanted to pass your business/inheritance on to a family member?

6. Do you ever visit an Islamic official or use Islamic law (Shariah) to transfer property?

7. Are there guards or police forces that watch over your property so people do not take it away?

I. Who provides the police/guard function?

c. Hired security forces

e. Other. Please specify.

I. Do you have other ways of protecting your property?

i. What other ways?

a. Community trust (the belief that your neighbors are trustworthy and would not steal from you)

b. Other. Please specify.

8. If a person stole or damaged your property, would you go to court?

I. Are the courts effective in your opinion? Please explain.

I. How would you deal with someone that stole from you?

a. Family members would threaten the criminal’s family

b. Would use religious officials

c. Would go to camp officials (popular camp committee)

d. Other. Please explain.

From the way you answered the questions I have just asked, it seems that you have a set of rules that establish the ownership of your business. I want to understand a little bit more about how your rules were formed, so I am going to ask you a series of questions that might help me understand.

GOVERNMENTAL INFLUENCE

1. Did the government create the procedures and rules for how you buy, own, or sell your business?

I. How did you learn about the particular steps you had to follow to buy, own, or sell your business?

a. Government agency

c. Camp officials

d. Other. Please specify.

II. Is the government mainly helpful or a hindrance in your ability to own property?

a. Helpful. In what way?

b. Hindrance. In what way?

I. Where did the rules come from?

a. Islamic Shariah. Please explain.

b. On your own. Please explain.

c. Other. Please explain and specify.

1. When you were figuring out how to make property rules, did you look to the government for help?

I. Were they helpful in teaching you about how to form rules?

I. Did you look to other refugee camps for help?

2. Did you want to create rules that made it easier to do business over long distances?

3. Today, do you mostly do business with people that you know (friends or family) or do you do business with strangers?

A. People you know (friends/family). Why?

B. Strangers. Why?

4. Do you think the rules you have to follow primarily work to enhance the success and efficiency of your business?

A. Yes. Why and how? For example, does having these rules make you feel like your business is more successful than if there were no rules?

B. No. Why and how?

1. Did some members of the camp have more say in how property rules were formed in the camp?

I. Did your age or family name make a difference in terms of having more say in how rules were formed?

a. Yes. Please explain.

b. No. Please explain.

2. What is your citizenship status?

A. Full citizen

B. Citizen of Palestine

C. Palestinian from Gaza

D. Other. Please specify.

3. Does your citizenship status impact your ability to own property?

I. In what ways does it impact your ability to own property?

a. Access to government assistance (loans)

b. Police protection.

c. Access to courts

d. Other. Please specify.

4. Are the rules you have to follow to own property the same or different than the rules of those who are not Palestinians?

B. Different. Why?

5. Do business owners with full citizenship have it better in the camps than people without full citizenship in terms of controlling the ownership of their business?

A. Yes. Please explain.

B. No. Please explain.

6. Did you get a loan to start your business?

I. Where did you get the loan from?

d. Political organization (political party)

e. Business association

f. Family member

g. Other. Please specify.

II. Does your family name make you have more or less power in accessing money for loans, determining rules, or gaining market success?

a. More power. Why?

b. Less power. Why?

1. In Palestine, before your family came to the refugee camps, did you live in the city or in the countryside?

2. What did your family do in Palestine? Were you merchants or farmers?

3. Did you own land in Palestine?

4. Did your family rent land in Palestine?

5. Did you own a business in Palestine?

6. From your family experiences in Palestine, were you familiar with writing contracts or documents for the ownership of land?

A. Yes. Explain.

B. No. Explain.

UNRWA QUESTIONS (2004, 2005, 2007)

1. What is the legal status of most refugees in this camp? For example, are they citizens or do they benefit from partial citizenship?

2. What is the relationship like between refugees and the host country government? For example, is it cooperative or conflictual?

3. Does UNRWA or the Palestinian refugees own the land on which the refugee camp is constructed?

I. Could you tell me more about how UNRWA/Palestinians acquired this land?

I. How are the Palestinians allowed to stay on this land?

II. Do Palestinians have the right to use the land inside the camps?

4. Are Palestinian refugees legally permitted to own property inside the refugee camps?

I. Who regulates the transfer of property within the camps?

I. Why are they not allowed to own property?

5. Does UNRWA have rules that regulate the transfer of property within the camps?

I. How do Palestinians establish the ownership of property if the government or UNRWA are not involved? For example, do they use community norms or do they use their common religious faith to establish and enforce ownership?

6. I have noticed that there are many businesses in the camps. Are these businesses licensed and registered somewhere?

I. Who regulates the licenses and where are the registers kept?

I. How do Palestinians themselves regulate these businesses (community norms, etc.)?

7. Do you think the current status of property rights ownership in the camp is optimal or do you think certain things could be better? Please explain.

VERSION 1, FEBRUARY 2012

QUESTIONS TO ASK BUSINESS/INDUSTRY OWNERS IN PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMPS:

1. What type of business or industry are you in and what kind of products do you make here?

2. How many years have you been in business?

3. Could you tell me a brief history of how your business/industry started and how you got to where you are today? In this history, the following subject areas are of interest:

A. What made you think starting a business was a good idea?

B. Why did you choose to open the type of business you did?

C. Who else helped you get started?

D. Who or what has helped you maintain your business?

4. How many other firms are there that do similar or related work?

5. How much do you earn a month or a year with this business?

6. How many employees do you have? How many are full-time or part-time?

7. Where do you get your raw materials or inputs from? How much do they cost a year?

8. Since Nahr al-Bared was destroyed in 2007, what has happened to your business?

9. Did UNRWA offer compensation for the loss of your business?

10. Do you have plans to rebuild your business? Why or why not?

MEASUREMENT OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. Do you have written documents or contracts that establish the ownership and protection of your business/home?

2. Does everyone benefit from the rules of ownership or protection of property, or do only a few people benefit from such rules?

3. If some benefit from rules and others do not, why is that the case?

4. How do you monitor your property? Are there guards, police forces, or recognized people that watch over your property so that people do not try to take it away?

5. If someone breaks rules regarding your ownership of property, like stealing or taking away your property without your permission, how is that person dealt with?

6. Can you sell or lease your property resource or asset (machinery or time for electricity usage)?

ORIGINS OF PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. How did rules about the use and protection of property develop? Could you provide me with a timeline or history of how rules developed?

2. Who initiated the establishment of the protection of property rights? Who might have opposed them? Did some sort of formal or informal judicial institution exist prior to the actual establishment of the protection of property rights? Did UNRWA have anything to do with all this?

3. When did property rights develop? Were huge economic markets available before the rules developed, or did rules develop prior to the realization of a large market of demand?

A. At the start of your business, did everyone just agree and recognize your business and investment and you never had a problem protecting your property/business?

B. Was there conscious decision making about rules, or did they largely develop without deliberation and discussion?

C. Did you rely on family networks and relations to ensure that your investment was protected? In other words, does your family or do your friends play a role in ensuring that your investments are protected?

D. Did rules that were similar to rules from your home country develop to protect your property/business/industry so you simply followed historical tradition?

UNRWA NAHR AL-BARED REBUILD INFORMATION: 2007 AND NAHR AL-BARED RECONSTRUCTION

1. Could you please explain to me the condition of Nahr al-Bared shortly after the 2007 conflict? For example, was the entire camp destroyed or was there a portion left intact? Was the plumbing and electrical infrastructure intact?

2. After the 2007 conflict, how did UNRWA deal with residents of Nahr al-Bared that lost their homes?

3. After the 2007 conflict, how did UNRWA deal with residents of Nahr al-Bared that lost their businesses?

4. How was compensation determined?

5. Who determined levels of compensation?

6. Did UNRWA deal with any political groups/business people/camp elders in the camps when negotiating the compensation?

7. How were Nahr al-Bared refugees resettled after the 2007 conflict?

8. How did Beddawi change as a result of the influx of Nahr al-Bared refugees?

9. Has there been a change in the number of businesses in Nahr al-Bared?

10. Who was involved in the decision to rebuild Nahr al-Bared?

11. Who is involved in rebuilding Nahr al-Bared?

12. What is the timeline for rebuilding Nahr al-Bared?

13. How will the new Nahr al-Bared differ from the old Nahr al-Bared?

A. In appearance:

B. In regulations for businesses and development:

C. In residents (number and profile):

STATUS OF THE “NEW” NAHR AL-BARED

1. Does UNRWA own the land on which Nahr al-Bared is constructed today?

I. Could you tell me more about how UNRWA/Palestinians acquired this land?

I. How are the Palestinians allowed to stay on this land?

II. Do Palestinians have the right to use the land inside the camps (usufructuary rights)?

2. Are Palestinian refugees legally permitted to own property inside the new Nahr al-Bared?

I. Who regulates the transfer of property within the camps?

I. Why are they not allowed to own property?

3. Does UNRWA have rules that regulate the transfer of property within the new Nahr al-Bared camp?

I. How do Palestinians establish ownership of property if the government or UNRWA are not involved? For example, do they use community norms or their common religious faith to establish and enforce ownership?