Featured Palestinian Programs & Organizations


ON THIS PAGE:

Kairos Palestine
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center

Diyar Consortium
Joint Advocacy Initiative
Shepherd Society
Tent of Nations
Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center

GO TO PAGE TWO: Lists of Palestinian Organizations & Programs

Includes: Academic and Research Centers, Democracy, Peace and Community Development Centers, Environment and Water, Human Rights and Law (includes 2 Israeli organizations), Palestinian Organizations within Israel, Christian Forums, Centers and Programs

SEE ALSO: Israeli Organizations on the Useful Links page.

Kairos Palestine

Kairos Palestine is a Christian Palestinian movement, born out of the Kairos Palestine Document, which advocates for ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just solution to the conflict. The Kairos Palestine Document is the word of Christian Palestinians to the world about what is happening in Palestine.

See the Kairos Palestine Document in English and over 20 other languages here:
http://kairospalestine.ps/index.php/about-us/kairos-palestine-document

“Our word is a cry of hope, with love, prayer and faith in God. We address it first of all to ourselves and then to all the churches and Christians in the world, asking them to stand against injustice and apartheid, urging them to work for a just peace.”

We proclaim our word based on our Christian faith and our sense of Palestinian belonging – a word of faith, hope and love.

We declare that the military occupation of Palestinian land constitutes a sin against God and humanity. Any theology that legitimizes the occupation and justifies crimes perpetrated against the Palestinian people lies far from Christian teachings.

We urge the international community to stand with the Palestinian people in their struggle against oppression, displacement, and apartheid.

We demand that all people, political leaders and decision-makers put pressure on Israel and take legal measures in order to oblige its government to end its oppression and disregard for international law.

We hold a clear position that non-violent resistance to this injustice is a right and duty for all Palestinians, including Christians.

We support Palestinian civil society organizations, international NGOs and religious institutions that call on individuals, companies and states to engage in boycotts, divestment and sanctions against the Israeli occupation.

“Everything that happens in our land, everyone who lives there, all the pains and hopes, all the injustice and all the efforts to stop this injustice, are part and parcel of the prayer of the Palestinian Church and the service of all her institutions.”

Learn more at Palestine Portal’s page for Kairos & Liberation Theology.

ADVOCACY

Kairos Palestine advocates not only for Palestinian Christians but for the cause of all Palestinians. The overall aim of Kairos Palestine’s advocacy work is to convey the messages of the Kairos Palestine document locally, regionally and internationally.

 Awareness raising about the (Christian) Palestinian cause: Kairos Palestine offers solid statements, explanations, case studies and sources, not only on the website and via social media, but also in the form of printed publications, available at our office.

Alerts and appeals: Kairos Palestine tries to motivate people all over the world in order to mobilize their church-related networks in forming joint positions, statements and actions that show active solidarity with Palestine and/or to lobby their governments to adopt more positive positions on Palestine.

The main, bi-annual publications are the Christmas Alert and the Easter Alert, where Kairos Palestine cooperates closely with different esteemed Palestinian human rights organisations. Together, they raise awareness about the impacts of the Israeli occupation on the Palestinians in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and call for actions. With these publications, churches around the world should be encouraged to remember the Christmas and Easter season by mentally coming and seeing the hurdles to peace as well as to encourage them to take concrete actions.

Meeting with and talking to Pilgrimage-groups and delegations: Representatives of Kairos Palestine frequently meet with pilgrimage groups and delegations from all over the world. The aim is not only to introduce them to the Kairos Palestine document, but also to raise their understanding for the situation of Palestinians and in particular, Christians under Israeli occupation. Furthermore Kairos Palestine promotes responsible and transformative pilgrimages to Palestine. The aim is not only that pilgrims and delegations to the Holy Land are familiar with the guidelines of “Come and See” and the Code of Ethics, but also follow and promote them.

Advocacy and speaking tours worldwide: Since the launch of the document, co-authors, staff members and supporters of the Kairos Palestine document have traveled all over the world to give lectures and conduct workshops at conferences, meetings and assemblies about the Kairos Palestine document and the movement if has developed into.

Advocating for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) within churches, parishes, congregations: Kairos Palestine supports the global campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions; because we believe it is a just, nonviolent and peace-seeking tool. By advocating for BDS, Christians worldwide should be mobilized to engage in, at least one or more of BDS activities and objectives, and to investigate the investment funds of their churches in order to put nonviolent pressure on companies and governments through adopting advocacy campaigns for BDS. (Annex: PDF-File of Church-related Economic measures)

See also at their website, programs for Empowering Women and Youth Leadership.

See many Kairos Palestine publications:
http://kairospalestine.ps/index.php/resources/publication
Christmas and Easter publications:
http://kairospalestine.ps/index.php/resources/christmas-alerts
Kairos Palestine statements:
http://kairospalestine.ps/index.php/resources/statements

See the global Kairos Palestine network:
http://kairospalestine.ps/index.php/about-us/global-kairos

Website: www.kairospalestine.ps
Contact: [email protected]

» BACK TO TOP «

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center

Mission: To strive towards theological liberation through instilling the Christian faith in the daily lives of those who suffer under occupation, violence, injustice, and discrimination.

Vision: Local Christians inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ stand for the oppressed, work for justice, engage in peace-building

Sabeel is an international peace movement initiated by Palestinian Christians who seek a just peace as defined by international law and existing United Nations resolutions.

  • Sabeel promotes theological, moral and legal principles for peace as outlined in the Kairos Palestine document.
  • Sabeel is a grassroots movement striving to develop a spirituality based on justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation, and reconciliation.
  • Sabeel also works to promote a more accurate awareness of the heritage and witness of Palestinian Christians.

Where did Sabeel come from? The movement grew out of a struggle to interpret scripture in light of the Palestinian experience under occupation. As local Christians studied together, they forged a Palestinian version of liberation theology, which upholds the Gospel call for freedom from political, social, and economic oppression.

The Rev. Naim Stifan Ateek, an Anglican pastor and indigenous Palestinian, worked with other Christian and Jewish theologians, clergy, and lay people to create an organization supporting this movement. In 1993 they agreed to call it Sabeel, drawing on an Arabic word, which means “the way” but can also signify a “spring” or “channel” of living water.

Sabeel has two offices, in East Jerusalem and in Nazareth. It strives for a spirituality based on justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation, and reconciliation, and it promotes a more accurate awareness of Palestinian Christians.

Sabeel’s international conferences held in Jerusalem bring together church leaders and activists from around the world to learn from leading theologians, political analysts and justice advocates and to organize international advocacy for a just peace in the Holy Land.

Sabeel Witness Trips provide the opportunity to meet and reflect with Palestinian Christians and Muslims as well as with Jewish Israelis and internationals who partner with Sabeel in non-violent resistance against the violation of international and humanitarian law,  and experience the realities of the Palestinian community living under Israeli Occupation: the Wall, settlements, checkpoints, confiscated land and demolished homes, refugee camps, and environmental degradation.

There are Friends of Sabeel chapters that support the work of Sabeel in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Sabeel’s weekly Wave of Prayer is used by Christians around the world to pray in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land: http://sabeel.org/category/wave-of-prayers/

Two Books by the founder of Sabeel:

Justice and Only Justice, by Naim Ateek
Writing as a Palestinian Christian who has lived most of his life in Israel-Palestine, Naim Ateek examines the prospects and problems facing the Palestinian Christian community. Justice and Only Justice offers a theology for Palestinian Christians, caught up in the seemingly intractable conflicts in the most volatile area of Middle East. Exploring the biblical and theological issues as well as the historical ones facing the Christians community, and all the victims of war and oppression, Ateek seeks to promote reconciliation for, as he writes “What is at stake today in the political conflict over the West Bank and Gaza is nothing less than the way we understand God.”

A Palestinian Cry for Reconciliation, by Naim Ateek
This sequel to Justice and Only Justice is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on events since the Intifada of 1987, including the violence that has come from Israel’s aggression and from the use of suicide bombers by Palestinians. The second part of the book draws on scripture, raising up biblical figures such as Samson, Jonah, Daniel, and Jesus as it examines issues of ownership of the land. In the final section, Ateek presents a strategy to achieve peace and justice nonviolently that will promote justice for the Palestinians and security for both Israel and Palestine.

Film commissioned by Sabeel:
The Stones Cry Out: Voices of the Palestinian Christians

A film by Yasmine Perni
Learn more and purchase the DVD
Watch the film’s trailer on Youtube

Website: http://sabeel.org
See also these pages: Palestinian Christians and Kairos and Liberation Theology
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA): http://www.fosna.org
Contact Sabeel about visiting
: http://sabeel.org/2016/02/29/visit-sabeel/

» BACK TO TOP «

Diyar Consortium

Diyar is the plural of Dar, which means “home” or “homeland” in Arabic. Diyar is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented organization serving the whole Palestinian community, with emphasis on children, youth, women and the elderly through unique programs that are contextual and holistic in nature. Founded in 1995 as the International Center of Bethlehem, Diyar Consortium serves several thousands of members and reaches to more than 60,000 people annually.

Our Vision: That We Might Have Life & Have It Abundantly
Diyar’s vision is related to influencing people’s transition from a stance of reactivity to one of pro-activity,
from being victims to becoming visionaries, from waiting to creating, and from surviving to thriving.
Our Mission
To build a country; stone by stone
To empower a community; person by person
To create institutions that give life in abundance

Programs

The Civic Engagement Program seeks to empower the Palestinian youth as Palestine’s future leaders and to transform them from spectators to actors by identifying, motivating and developing their potential through a unique and holistic approach that employs culture as the tool of training.

The Diyar Academy for Children and Youth seeks to develop the potential and capacities of Palestinian children and youth, enhance their self worth and provide room and space for creativity through performing and visual arts as well as sports, since these fields are deemed critical tools for expression, development and empowerment.

Diyar Publisher is committed to the documentation of the Palestinian oral history, and publishing the works of Palestinian and international scholars on issues related to local art, social history, religion, Palestinian Christians, women, archaeology and civil society. Diyar Publisher has published 25 richly didactic, inspirational and thought provoking books in various languages including English, Arabic and German.

Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.diyar.ps

» BACK TO TOP «

Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI)

A joint program of East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine, JAI works for peace with justice in Palestine, based on humanitarian and Christian values, by mobilizing the world movements of YMCA and YWCA, churches, church-based organizations, UN agencies, and other relevant organizations to influence decision-makers and prompt actions that contribute to ending the Israeli occupation and all its violations of International Law.
On an international level, the JAI seeks to raise awareness, by providing accurate information and updates, then involves people in prompting practical actions & activities through their running or strong involvement in campaigns and initiatives. On the local level, the JAI trains youth in advocacy mechanisms, and is involved in coalitions, networks and popular activates with other local organizations to unify the Palestinian message.

Olive Tree Campaign – Keep Hope Alive

Launched in 2002, the JAI Olive Tree Campaign distributes olive saplings among farmers, sponsored by individuals, YMCAs, YWCAs, churches, church related organizations, human rights organizations, as well as solidarity and advocacy groups around the world, as an act of solidarity and support to help ‘Keep Hope Alive’.  The farmers supported are these who suffer from the various Israeli policies that put their land and property under the threat of confiscation. The sponsored olive trees are planted in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip areas: where olive trees have been uprooted and destroyed by the Israelis, where fields are threatened to be confiscated by the Israeli military, or where parts of the Israeli apartheid wall and settlements are constructed on Palestinian land.

The JAI widely shares those farmers’ stories and reports on the Israeli attacks on Palestinian lands, farmers, and olive trees. Partners, sponsors and JAI friends are informed about the Israeli violations related to the olive trees and ask them to act accordingly. Hence, the Campaign is an educational, lobbying, and advocacy tool which targets policies that continue to support this ongoing land confiscation. The Campaign is also a development tool which helps to stabilize the Palestinian farmers’ economic situation by allowing them to continue to stay on their land and provide a livelihood.
Olive Tree Campaign: http://www.jai-pal.org/en/campaigns/olive-tree-campaign/relevant-materials
(see the menu on the left for all pages of this campaign)

Working with Youth

The JAI is a program of the East Jerusalem YOUNG Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and YOUNG Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Palestine. Therefore, youths should always be involved as key stakeholders in the JAI and its two mother organizations. We target international and Palestinian youth communities, since we believe that young communities in any society are the most effective agents of change. We encourage youth to be active members in advocacy efforts which work to achieve peace with justice and create a better reality for all.
The JAI works to empower youth in society by building their capacity for greater participation to work towards a democratic, free and peaceful civil society with equal opportunities for both genders. Empowerment also focuses on equipping them with effective advocacy tools so that they can communicate the Palestinian cause to the international community, as well as understanding other global causes – working towards Global Citizenship. JAI believes that youth must play a central role in global gatherings and share their fears, grief, dreams and ambitions and influence decision makers to act for a better future.

Youth Democratic Citizenship

Training in the fields of civics, leadership Lobbying and advocacy is a must and it definitely gives the tools needed for better influence and greater impact. It is educating the Palestinian youth in order to serve their national aspiration of independence and freedom.

Youth Just Peace

This program works for the information, education and mobilization of Palestinian youth and works with them for launching different campaigns and initiatives, using different tools, and executing different activities to raise awareness and become advocates for Just Peace.

Palestinian Youth Ecumenical Movement (PYEM)

PYEM  is a voluntary gathering of Palestinian Christian youth, working under the umbrella of the YMCA-YWCA Joint Advocacy Initiative, and does not substitute or compete with any of the Christian youth organizations/groups working in Palestine.
 The gathering works primarily on fulfilling the Christian vision and activating the Palestinian Christian community’ national role in the Palestinian society and cause, towards achieving peace with justice and building a democratic pluralistic society, dominated by the principles of social justice and the respect human rights and dignity.

Student Exchange Programs

Student exchange programs were established with a number of schools and students’ groups. Through such exchanges, the JAI works with Palestinian schools and students, trains and empowers them to communicate about Palestine from a teenagers’ perspective, travel to international schools and receive those schools’ student global classes in Palestine.

Young Peace Performers (YPP)

A FK funded exchange program initiated by YGlobal (YMCA/YWCA Norway) partnering with various YMCAs and YWCAs, including the Joint Advocacy Initiative. Each year 20 youth between 18 and 25 from 7 countries come together for 8 months and travel to various countries, to advocate for justice and peace through shows and workshops.

Journey for Justice Journey for Justice brings together youth leaders from all over the world to experience life under occupation with Palestinian youth. For nine days, they travel around occupied Palestine to witness the effects of the Israeli occupation and accompany Palestinian youth in their daily lives.

Website: http://www.jai-pal.org/en/
Olive Tree Campaign: http://www.jai-pal.org/en/campaigns/olive-tree-campaign/relevant-materials
(see the menu on the left for all pages of this campaign)

» BACK TO TOP «

Shepherd Society, Bethlehem Bible College

Since 1996 the Shepherd Society has been assisting struggling Palestinians in the West Bank with meeting basic needs such as food, utilities, employment and medical care. In 2007 our outreach extended to Gaza. The name “Shepherd Society” is a reference to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who told his disciple Peter to care for his sheep.

The Shepherd Society generates financial support from local and international communities to assist struggling Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with basic survival needs. Our aim is to sustain survival and improve quality of life for Palestinians who have become economically devastated from living under the yolk of political turmoil. We serve thousands of Palestinians each year through our outreach and support programs which include food relief, medical assistance, employment, educational support, utility bill support and other projects.

What We Stand For
Discussion about the Middle East can often turn into a back-and forth blame game about who is responsible for this mess. Our aim at the Shepherd Society is not to demonize or vilify any person, country, nationality or religious sect. We are here to support those who, simply by virtue of living here in the West Bank and Gaza, are being detrimentally impacted by the political, social and economic situation. In following Christ’s example, we focus on peace, love, compassion and finding ways to heal the wounds and minimize the sting of this conflict.

SHEPHERD SOCIETY PROGRAMS:
Family Sponsorship; Food Coupon Program/Medical Aid/Tuition Assistance/Utilities Assistance; Job Creation; Solar Panel Project; Small Business Program; Syrian Refugee Outreach; Seasonal Food Parcels and Christmas Banquet / Toys for Tots; Support for the Lighthouse School in Gaza; Revolving Loans; Craft and Produce Marketing Program

Website: http://www.shepherd-society.org/
Contact – form on contact page at website:
http://www.shepherd-society.org/

» BACK TO TOP «

Tent of Nations

At Tent of Nations, our mission is to build bridges between people, and between people and the land. We bring different cultures together to develop understanding and promote respect for each other and our shared environment.

To realize this mission, we run educational projects at Daher’s Vineyard, our organic farm, located in the hills southwest of Bethlehem, Palestine. Our farm is a center where people from many different countries come together to learn, to share, and to build bridges of understanding and hope.

Message that greets visitors at the entrance to Tent of Nations, the Nassar Family farm.

What we do
We offer work camps and volunteer opportunities; we run Children’s Summer Camps and a Women’s Empowerment Project, and we welcome groups and visitors of all shapes and sizes.
• We run a series of workcamps throughout the year which give us valuable support for the running of the farm and are a key part of our aim to help individuals feel more connected to the land and our environment.
• We run empowerment programs for women and children in the local area. By building confidence and capacity in those whose lives are a daily struggle due to the situation facing Palestinians today, we can help create a better future for tomorrow. Find out about our Women’s Project and Children’s Summer Camps.
• We welcome international volunteers on long and short term bases, giving individuals from around the world a unique opportunity to broaden their own personal development, while also giving us invaluable support in developing our projects and keeping our farm going and growing. Find out about becoming a volunteer.
We welcome all types of guests and groups to our farm and are proud to be able to provide a space for visitors to the West Bank to come to learn about our story, to witness active and peaceful resistance on the ground, and find out more about the greater situation in Palestine. Visit Tent of Nations and check out the facilities that we offer. Please note that we are not an NGO. We are a small family-owned farm that welcomes individuals and groups to visit, volunteer, and hear our story. We are not affiliated with any other organization, and we are privately funded through Friends of Tent of Nations.

Daher stands in front of a memorial for his grandfather Bishara Daher Nassar.

Daher’s Vineyard
The organic farm on which the Tent of Nations project runs is known as ‘Daher’s Vineyard’. This land, which stretches 100 acres, is owned by the Nassar family and is situated 9km southwest of Bethlehem. The family has been fighting a legal battle to keep hold of the land since it was classified as ‘Israeli State Land’ and thus threatened with confiscation in 1991. The struggle is ongoing. However, with a commitment to peaceful resistance and through the solidarity of those who have visited the land, much has been achieved. Tent of Nations continues to work to protect and develop the farm as a place where people can meet, learn, work together, and inspire one another.

Our Goals
At Tent of Nations, we seek to embody a positive approach to conflict and occupation. Faced with great injustice, we know that we should not hate, despair, or flee. We can refuse to be enemies and channel our pain and frustration into positive actions which will build a better future. We aim to help the oppressed and marginalized realize that they are powerful. We all have a role in creating the future we want to see. At Tent of Nations, we seek to work with others in the local area to lay the foundations for a future Palestine, in the belief that justice and peace will grow from the bottom up. We work to reconnect people with the land. Through mixing our hands with the soil, we learn to value and understand the significance of our environment.

Daoud Nassar and his family often visit the United States to speak with church groups and others about Tent of Nations, the every-growing settlements that surround the Nassar family farm, and their continual struggles to remain in their homeland.

Vision for the Land
We are working towards becoming completely self-sustainable in regards to food, water, and electricity, and we hope in the long-term to be able to support other local projects with proceeds from our farm. Our vision is to develop a vocational training and education centre on the farm which will provide a space for children and young people to learn about alternative energy, organic farming, and community building. We hope, ultimately, to be able to prepare the young people of Palestine for a positive contribution to their future and culture by bringing values of tolerance and understanding into their life experiences, and to facilitate a respect for the environment by increasing awareness of our reliance on the land. In moving onwards with the development of this vision, we look forward to continuing to welcome many more volunteers and visitors to Tent of Nations, and teaching hope and faith in action to an international community.

Tent of Nations welcomes you to come to see the land, hear its story, take part in its activities, and share far and wide your experience with us.

Website: http://www.tentofnations.org/

» BACK TO TOP «

Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center

As a grassroots organization established in Bethlehem in 1994, Wi’am aims to improve the quality of relationships and to promote peace, justice, a culture of acceptance, and reconciliation in the community. Wi’am strives alongside other forces in the community to build a society based on active participation, citizenship, democratic norms and values, and separation of the four powers (executive, legislative, judicial, and media).

Our mission is to create a culture of acceptance of others as they are, through engaging in conflict transformation and empowering civil society while attending to critical needs for the social, political, psychological, and economic well-being of the community and its members. Our vision is to bolster a vibrant diversity-in-unity community that cherishes justice and peacebuilding values, enjoys healthy relationships within an empowered civil society system, improves inter-communal relationships, and fosters transformative means of reconciliation.

Our Values:
•    Improving inter-communal relationships and promoting peaceful means of transformation, reconciliation and peacebuilding
•    Fostering dialogue, and recognizing it as the essence of human relationships
•    Building a culture of peace based on the celebration of differences
•    Acting upon restorative justice
•    Seeking gender mainstreaming and equality as a means to empower women and girls’ participation in public and political life as equal to men and boys’
•    Respecting the personal and emotional needs in conflict through offering constructive counseling to cultivate hope
•    Respecting pluralism and freedom
•    Enhancing the spirit of volunteerism
•    Enhancing youth civic participation and leadership skills through engaging them in advocacy campaigns, speaking tours, and social initiatives
•    Calling for gender equality and the implementation of international treaties on the rights of women (UN 1325, CEDAW, Abolition of Domestic Violence)

What We Do
Children’s Programs: Creative Arts and Education, Recreational Activities, Environmental and Health Awareness, Summer Camp Excursions and Field Trips, Christmas Smiles Program

Educational and Cultural Tours
: We offer half-day, one-day, and extended (2-12 day) tours in the area. These include:
Lectures on such topics as religious communities and leaders of the Holy Land, interfaith dialogue, the current political situation, the construction of illegal Jewish settlements, the Wall, and Palestinian refugees;
Shared meals and overnight stays with families;
Meetings with the people of the land in order to understand the socioeconomic and political situation;
Visits to Palestinian organizations to become acquainted with the conflict and appreciate aspirations for a just future;
Visits to Palestinian refugee camps;
Hikes to Mount Tabor, the Beatitudes and the Church of the Transfiguration;
Visits to communities in the South and the North, including the Negev and the Golan Heights;
Trips to monasteries, mosques, and synagogues and meetings with people of faith to gain spiritual, social and political insights.

Job Creation
Since its inception, Wi’am has been working to create jobs for marginalized women, men, and youth in the community in order to contribute to improved living standards. Working in cooperation with multiple job creation programs, including CRS, World Vision, and UNDP, our program has provided over 350 unemployed individuals with short-term daily wages, while at the same time providing a space for skilled and unskilled workers to contribute to their community. These projects are short-term, while being complemented by a longer-term intervention focusing on providing marginalized and impoverished families with steady income that proves to be sustainable and effective at the level of household economic empowerment.

Non-Violent Resistance
Our physical presence next to the Wall is a continuous non-violent resistance. By having a community center with a garden, playground, and place for people to gather, we are more than anything showing our persistent resilience and commitment to peace and justice. Wi’am networks with other individuals and groups in the West Bank in order to build civil society and promulgate a culture of nonviolence. Much of our non-violent resistance is focused on Palestinian youth, because they have the potential to create great positive change in our society. Wi’am organizes trainings and capacity-building workshops for students on conflict transformation at universities and schools throughout the West Bank.

Sulha
Although conflict is a universal reality, the nature of disputes and the methods of resolving conflict differ from one socio-cultural context to another. For instance, in the Western tradition, conflict is commonly perceived to occur between two or more individuals, while in the Middle Eastern tradition, conflict exceeds the individual to reach the collective or the wider family. Wi’am takes a synergistic approach to conflict transformation in Palestine, integrating traditional Arabic Sulha wisdom with Western mediation techniques.

Trauma Coping
Children are an important focus of Wi’am’s activities, as occupation places psychological, social and physical burdens on them. Physical danger, political turbulence, and exposure to violent and graphic images increase the risk of trauma, anxiety, depression and stress-related symptoms. We focus on “trauma coping” more than “trauma healing” since the trauma is chronic and multi-layered. That is why our work focuses on ‘trauma coping’ rather than finite ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.’ Supported by worldwide research, our work indicates that early intervention and application of what we call “first aid” can protect children from developing more serious psychological problems and unbalanced behaviors as a result of trauma.

Women’s Program
The roles of women as community leaders, peacebuilders and activists can no longer be denied in Palestine. Wi’am recognizes the urgent need to engage women in community issues and empower their leadership roles at both the domestic and societal levels. Our Women’s Group works for gender equality and the abolition of all forms of oppression through empowering and mobilizing women to participate in social, cultural, and political spheres. As they identify and embrace their own strengths, women also strengthen their families and their communities.

Youth Program
The Wi’am Youth Program continues to grow and reach out to young people (ages 18-30) in Palestine, as well as in international arenas. Whether it be through international youth exchanges, social activism, non-violence training, or voluntary service, it is clear that young people are hungry for opportunities to learn and are eager to creatively give back to their communities. Through weekly meetings and workshops, Wi’am provides opportunities to discuss and learn about topics such as Non-Violence, Democracy, Human Rights, Dialogues of Cultures and Religions, Gender Issues, Civil Society Empowerment, Advocacy, International Perspectives, Regional and Global Issues, Justice, Reconciliation, and Intercommunity Relationships. The youth often conduct these meetings themselves, and Wi’am encourages them to initiate and conduct trainings within civil society. Though Wi’am provides them with a wealth of information, they are also learning to appreciate their own strengths.

Website: http://www.alaslah.org

» BACK TO TOP «

GO TO PAGE 2 : Lists of Palestinian Programs & Organizations
Includes
: Academic and Research Centers, Democracy, Peace and Community Development Centers, Environment and Water, Human Rights and Law (includes 2 Israeli organizations), Palestinian Organizations within Israel, Christian Forums, Centers and Programs

See also: Israeli Organizations on the Useful Links page.


If you have suggestions for groups and programs to be listed on this page, please contact us: [email protected]