We learned early-on that to build in war-torn communities one must partner locally with non-governmental organizations that hold the trust of the local community and maintain the highest standards of fiscal and personal integrity. Here is a list of our partnerships by region and the projects we have developed and are developing with each of them:
Gaza (in partnership with the Gaza Mental Health Programme since 2004)
- A home for the Nasrallah family, whom the late Rachel Corrie sought to protect (completed in 2007, photo album)
- The Rachel Corrie Sports Initiative
- Gaza Soccer Start Here! — Helping a Rafah, Gaza neighborhood begin to recover from trauma, bringing their neighborhood together through sport, and using that spirit of teamwork to repair damaged homes and infrastructure, with the help of peace groups in Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus — and the support of people around the world. This grassroots initiative is described in the Gaza Soccer YouTube video we made to spread the word.
- Community Center at the Unity Club Soccer Field (installed portable office unit, completed, photo album)
- Please donate for Beams of Light at the Unity Club Soccer Field (Won 1st place in its first GlobalGiving competition!
- Gaza Soccer Start Here! — Helping a Rafah, Gaza neighborhood begin to recover from trauma, bringing their neighborhood together through sport, and using that spirit of teamwork to repair damaged homes and infrastructure, with the help of peace groups in Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus — and the support of people around the world. This grassroots initiative is described in the Gaza Soccer YouTube video we made to spread the word.
- Doors, Walls, Windows for Gaza. Addresses the 20,000 damaged homes in Gaza by starting with a small rebuilding project in Ybnah camp, run by the Rachel Corrie Sports Initiative group. Launch a grassroots and diplomatic initiative to get building materials into Gaza by demonstrating economic benefit to the disadvantaged Israeli neighborhood of Sderot. Proposal submitted to the Sparkplug Foundation – APPROVED!
- More Than Chocolates for Gaza (2010) and its sister campaign, OPEN a Passage to Palestine
West Bank (in partnership with Combatants for Peace since 2007 and with the Rural Women’s Association of Al Aqaba since 2003.)
- Abir’s Garden: a Safe Place to Grow. The Abir’s Garden Project is more than building playgrounds. It is about justice prevailing over revenge, genuine partners for peace, and a precedent-setting case to make soldiers stop shooting at children. At its heart, these Combatants for Peace are working together to build beautiful places where children can be children, where they can go to be safe, to step out of the Occupation into a world of play and creativity, and begin to heal.
- Anata Girls’ School (completed, photo album)
- Next Abir’s Garden playground ready to start at the Kindergarten in As Samoa Village near Hebron
- Please donate for the next Abir’s Garden Project!
- What Happened to Abir Campaign
- Leahy Ammendment Research
- Researching and petitioning to invoke the Leahy Amendment on behalf of Abir Aramin.
Al Aqaba is a small Palestinian village in the West Bank’s Jordan River Valley in Area C. Here are our projects in Al Aqaba, in partnership with the Rural Women’s Association:
- Al Aqaba Kindergarten and its Village. The Kindergarten in Al Aqaba was completed in 2004. The expansion of the Al Haq Kindergarten will continue to attract the interest and investment needed to make Al Aqaba a center for education, reconciliation, and fair trade industry in Area C of the Jordan River Valley and the coordinated worldwide advocacy needed to achieve a precedent-setting guarantee to assure this village its right to issue building permits.
- First Palestinian Birthing Center and Ambulance in the Jordan River Valley – to be installed in Al Aqaba Please donate for The First Birthing Center in the Jordan River Valley (won most donors in GlobalGiving UK competition)
- 3rd Floor of the Kindergarten for the Rural Women’s Cooperative (construction completed in 2008, doors & windows installed 2009)
- Ibn Rush’d Library (completed in 2007, photo album)
- I Care About Peace, I Care About Al Aqaba Campaign
Israel
- Our Doors, Walls, Windows for Gaza can bring economic benefit to the disadvantaged Israeli neighborhood of Sderot and political clout to an Israeli peace group because the building materials for Gaza will be purchased in SderotWe’ve received a grant from the Sparkplug Foundation to work with Other Voice-Sderot to purchase and send building materials for NGO projects in Gaza. Strengthening the voice of this peace group as we promote economic development for blighted S’derot, and press to open the blockade to get these building materials to Gaza.
