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ISRAELI and PALESTINIAN ORGANISATIONS

Human rights, equality
Political prisoners
Community development, dialogue etc
Environment
Health
Unrecognised villages

Political prisoners

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Palestinian Prisoner Society
Contains information prepared by PPS lawyers, press releases and links to information about international law in relation to prisoners, and to Amnesty International and other reports on the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli goals.

Mandela Institute for Human Rights
Mandela Institute, formed in January 1990, is a Palestinian human rights organization focusing its efforts on the plight of political prisoners... Political Prisoners in many countries of the world are a partially neglected marginal sector of the larger population that committed human right organizations speak of but few average citizens have any real connection with. However, in occupied Palestine political prisoners are a central part of society since virtually no Palestinian family remains untouched by the imprisonment of one or more of its members or members of its circle of intimate friends... Studies have found that at any given time over five percent of the entire male population of the Occupied Palestinian Territories between the ages of fifteen and fifty-five is in detention.

Women's Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP)
WOFPP was established in May 1988 with the objective of helping female political prisoners who struggle against the occupation. In the early years of WOFPP's activity, it dealt primarily with the torture and mistreatment of the prisoners

Community development, dialogue etc

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Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ)
Founded in 1990, the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem (ARIJ) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable development in the occupied Palestinian territories and the self-reliance of the Palestinian people through greater control over their natural resources.

Artschool Palestine
...a structure and a place for the exchange and development of contemporary Palestinian art. Foremost, ArtSchool Palestine is a website connecting artists to each other in order to stimulate critical debate, grow networks, showcase work to an international audience and disseminate information about opportunities. It is a forum that will project contemporary art activity happening in Palestine and its Diaspora to an international audience.

The Bisan Center
The goal of the Bisan Center is to develop and strengthen Palestinian grassroots organizations and social movements as means of promoting sustainable and democratic development in Palestine. Since its founding in 1989, the Bisan Center for Research and Development has become the leading community development organization working in the West Bank and Gaza.  Through its mission to achieve sustainable community development in Palestine, the Bisan Center has successfully initiated 22 community centers throughout the West Bank and Gaza, provided thousands of Palestinians with training and professional counseling, and produced scores of studies and research reports about Palestinian community development.

Bustan
BUSTAN, in Arabic and Hebrew, is a fruit-yielding grove of trees. Bustan is a grassroots partnership addressing the plight of indigenous and marginalized people in Israel/Palestine. Bustan works with villagers who have been denied access to public resources, and raises awareness of systemic discrimination. Bustan promotes social and environmental justice - helping people help themselves... Bustan is pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, anti-War, anti-Occupation.

Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development
The Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development (CJAED) is an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes regional economic development through cooperative projects among people in the Middle East. CJAED also aims to close the gaps between the Jewish and Arab sectors in Israel, thus building the foundation for sustainable economic development and peace. CJAED aims to provide Israeli Arabs with the necessary skills and advantages to capitalize on opportunities for development.

Friendship Village
Friendship Village is an international center to education for multicultural society, peace & democracy. A building facility in the Galilean Arab town of Shefa Amer (Shefaram) is still in stage of planning. Since 1998 the Organization run Israeli - Palestinian and Israeli Jewish-Arab educational projects.

Interfaith Encounter Association
Interfaith dialogue was established in Israel in the late 1950's by a small group of visionaries, including Martin Buber and othersS? [But] ... In the light of th[is] a group of concerned longtime interfaith activists has recently formed the Interfaith Encounter Association...

Ittijah: Union of the Arab Community Based Organizations
Ittijah is the network for Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Israel. Established in 1995, Ittijah was founded in response to a clear and widely felt need for increased cooperating and exchange between Palestinian Arab organizations, both large and small. These organizations play a central and critical role within Palestinian society. They provide support structures and offer services which are not otherwise available due to discriminatory practices and policies of the State. Ittijah strives to strengthen and empower the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel by promoting the development of Palestinian civil society and advocating for political, economic and social change. Based in Haifa, Ittijah's mission is to coordinate the activities and strategies of member organizations while fostering the development of members' institutional and organizational capabilities. Ittijah's constituency is its member organizations - in 2002 there were 56 such affiliated organizations.

Mosaic Communities
Mosaic Communities will establish integrated communities open to all residents of Israel. The process of developing these communities will enable Mosaic to challenge the housing status quo in Israel, which legally discriminates against Arabs and other minorities.

Mosaic will:

• lease and purchase lands and real estate,
• facilitate land use planning, development and construction services,
• coordinate the sales or lease of homes, and
• provide supporting services to established communities.

Movement of Democratic Women in Israel (Tandi) (MDWI)
The Movement of Democratic Women in Israel (Tandi) was formed when two separate groups, one Jewish and one Arab, both working within the Israel Communist Party, joined in 1951. Tandi is now affiliated with the Democratic Front for Equality and Peace.

Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development. NISPED />
NISPED is an independent educational institution conducting international, mid-eastern and local programs of training, project development and consultancy. NISPED's concern is with fundamental processes of social change and the centrality of civil society

Neve Shalom ~ Wahat al-Salam
Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (pronounced nevey shalom/wahat as-salaam) is a cooperative village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. Situated equidistant from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam was founded in 1972 on 100 acres of land leased from the adjacent Latrun Monastery. In 1977 the first family came to reside here. Now, in the year 2001, 40 families are settled in the village, and another 10 families are in the process of building their homes.
Email: British Friends of Neve Shalom ~ Wahat al-Salam

Nisan Young Women Leaders [Nazareth]
Nisan Young Women Leaders is the only non-profit organization in Israel, which is exclusively dedicated to the advancement of young Jewish and Arab women in Israel. Nisan's innovative programs develop the leadership potential of Jewish and Arab Israeli youth.

Open Housein Ramle, Israel
Open Houseis a home in Ramle, Israel, that was owned by a Palestinian family before 1948. It is now occupied by Dalia and Yehezkel Landau. This exceptional couple has devoted it (1) to provide educational and social opportunities to Arab children and their families, and (2) to be a center where Jews and Palestinians can meet one another, have joint activities, and forge friendships.

The Parents' Circle - The Families Forum
The Families Forum is the operational apparatus of the Parents' Circle organization. Members of the Forum include hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families who have lost, as a result of the Israeli-Arab conflict, a first degree family member and accepted the principles and objectives of the Forum.

The Families Forum acts to prevent further bereavement which is threatening the Israeli society and the peoples in the region as a result of the absence of peace.

The Forum Mmebers believe in putting an end to occupation; termination of hostility and in achieving a political settlement agreed upon by all sides by means of reconciliation and communication between the two peoples and through mutual consideration and respect of each others' national and legitimate aspirations.

The Forum Mmebers act to influence, through various means, the public and policy makers to prefer the way of peace to that of war; to adopt moves towards mutual reconciliation; to deepen education to democracy and to internalize the awareness against the use of bereavement to deepen hostility between peoples.

Rainbow Communities: Multi-National Housing Co-ops in Israel (MHCI) Multinational Housing Cooperatives in Israel (MHCI) will establish integrated Arab-Jewish communities open to all residents of Israel, thus challenging housing policies that institutionalize legal segregation. MHCI will lease and purchase land, facilitate planning, development, and construction of homes. It will also sell or lease the homes, and provide supporting services to communities when they are established. This process will help to de-segregate housing and enhance Israel's democracy. See also RainbowCoops-owner@yahoogroups.com

Sindyanna of Galilee
Sindyanna works among the Arab population in the region of Galilee and seeks to help producers from the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
It is a women-led organization and strives for social change. The company combines commercial activity with community work, thus, enhancing Arab women's empowerment while developing the olive sector.
We stress such values as land preservation, environmental concerns, and commerce on the principle of Fair Trade.
In Sindyanna you find a unique cooperation between Arabs and Jews, striving to strengthen the economy of the Palestinian population both in Israel and in the occupied territories.

Social Development Committee of Haifa
The Social Development Committee of Haifa's goal is to create equality between Jews and Arab of Israel. SDC does this by providing services for the Arab community of Haifa, by educating and empowering community members, and by running co-existence projects...

Windows
“Windows” is a joint organization of Jews and Palestinians from both sides of the Green Line. It was established in 1991 with the aim to promote acquaintance, understanding and conciliation between people from both nations, through educational and cultural programs, media and art. We believe that in order to reach a just and lasting peace, and to advance the process of conciliation in our region, it is important to understand and internalize democratic values and human rights, and to deepen mutual knowledge of the other. In this way we can learn to cope together with the present reality that we, Palestinians and Jews, share.

Environment

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Friends of the Earth Middle East
Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), is a unique umbrella organization representing leading Middle East environmental non-governmental organizations.Our primary objective is the promotion of cooperative efforts to protect our shared environmental heritage.In so doing, we hope to help achieve both sustainable regional development and the creation of necessary conditions for lasting peace in our region.

Green Action (Peula Yeruka)
The Activism Festival is a platform for creating a wide social-change community in Israel, strengthening the links between organizations and activists and forming a joint agenda. About 1000 participants from 30 organizations came to the event that took place in 2002; and about 2000 activists and members of organizations are expected in 2003 (5-7th June). About 50 organizations will offer over 100 workshops, panels, lectures, movies and will display their activities.

Israeli Union for Environmental Defense
Founded in 1990, IUED pioneered the effective use of legal advocacy as a means of safeguarding Israel's environment. Through the courts, IUED leverages real change in the way industries, developers and official agencies relate to the country's most pressing environmental problems. With legal standing under a number of environmental laws to take civil and criminal action on the public's behalf, IUED pursues a vigorous agenda of strategically focused projects in four key areas: air pollution prevention, drinking water safety, solid waste management, and accessible open spaces... Our vision includes the weaving of environmental issues into the broader fabric of Israeli civil society. Through courtroom advocacy, planning committee interventions, and legislative/regulatory reform efforts, IUED plays a key role in advancing civic values that are essential to Israel's development as a modern democratic society.

Palestinian Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations Network
PENGON is a coordinating body between the different Palestinian NGOs working in the field of environment. It aims to serve Palestinian environmental issues by coordinating endeavors between the member organizations, strengthening and building the efficiency within each organization, and enhancing relations within the Network as well as with other organizations domestically and abroad, such as local government agencies and international environmental organizations.

Health

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Bizchut
The Israeli human rights centre for people with disabilities. A nonprofit organization working to advance the rights of people with physical and mental disabilities as well as the mentally ill and to achieve their full integration in Israeli society.

Gaza Community Mental Health Program
The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) is a Palestinian, non-governmental, non-profit institution specializing in mental health concerns. It is one of the leading mental health organizations in Palestine.

Health, Development, Information and Policy Institute
The Health, Development, Information and Policy Institute (HDIP) is an independent non-profit Palestinian organization. HDIP is devoted to policy research and planning regarding the Palestinian health care system in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-Israel) was established in 1988 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the right to health care in Israel and in territories under Israel's effective control. Our operating premise is that the maintenance of human rights as they pertain to health is a necessary condition for social justice, as well as a legal obligation in accordance with international human rights law. The right to health and medical care transcends political, national, religious, gender, socio-economic or any other considerations. Our activities include direct intervention and the provision of medical aid, advocacy, legal action, public outreach, community education and campaigning.

Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
UPMRC is a grassroots, community-based Palestinian health organization. UPMRC was founded in 1979 by a group of Palestinian doctors and health professionals seeking to supplement the decayed and inadequate health infrastructure caused by years of Israeli military occupation. It is non-profit, voluntary, and one of the largest health NGOs in Palestine. UPMRC's national health programs emphasize prevention, education, community participation, and the empowerment of people.

Unrecognised villages

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Association of Forty
The Association of Forty is a grassroots non-governmental organization in Israel. It has committed itself to the promotion of social justice in the Arab sector in Israel, and to gaining recognition for the unrecognized villages in this sector.

Negev Coexistence Forum
The Forum is a framework for Jewish Arab cooperation, joined struggle for equal civil rights, recognition of unrecognized Beduin villages, education for tolerance and mutual understanding.

Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages in the Negev, 2001
The Regional Council of the Bedouin Palestinian Unrecognized Villages in the Negev was established in 1997 as a community movement ( grass roots representation) for Palestinian Bedouin equality in the Negev.

page last updated 22 February, 2008