Contact Information
- Where – Palestine (The Middle East)
- Website – www.tawasul.ps
- Contact Person – Dr. Fathi Darwish
- Email – darwish.fathi@gmail.com
- Address – Al-Raed Building, Hospital Street, Al-Masyoun, Ramallah, Palestine
Areas of Expertise
Tawasul has expertise in a range of areas, including:
Main Aims and Objectives
The aim of Tawasul is to promote a culture of peace, enhance democratic values and act as a catalyst for non-violent communication between all levels of the Palestinian society. Tawasul also aims to strengthen Palestinian grassroots movements and help them fulfil their social and political aspirations.
Tawasul especially encourages women and youth to participate in decision-making processes in society and works to inspire and bring hope to civil society activists in general so that they can contribute to the promotion and advancement of democratic and secular movements in Palestine.
Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation
Tawasul focuses its work on conflict resolution and transformation in order to achieve its main goal of promoting a culture of peace, enhance democratic values and act as a catalyst for non-violent communication between all levels of the Palestinian society.
Moreover, through its scope of work, Tawasul applies and upholds the principles of conflict transformation by:
- Enhancing the capacity of members of the Palestinian society, especially women and youth in conflict resolution and civic, political, social, economic, and environmental rights and responsibilities;
- Contributing to strengthening civic peace, national unity, national identity, citizenship, peaceful dialogue and tolerance among the different political and social segments of the Palestinian society, and;
- Promoting concepts of good governance, rule of law and transparency in public and private decision-making processes among Palestinians.
Where and with Whom
Tawasul Organization focuses it work in all West Bank areas.
Its partners are divided between NGOs and Governmental organizations such as the Center for Applied Research and Education, the Center for Democracy and Community Development, the Holy Land Trust Center, Leaders, the Madrid Coalition, Marsad, the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions, the Palestinian Council for Development, Dialogue and Democracy, WAAD, the Palestinian Hydrology Group, the Palestinian Peace Coalition, the Panorama Center
PARC, the Peace NGO Forum, the School for Peace, Shams, Youth Mediator and the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation
Creating Change Agents: Palestinian and Israeli Professionals in Dialogue and Action
Tawasul, together with the School for Peace and USAID, is working to empower key stakeholders in both Palestine and Israel to become change agents. The three-year project works together with 40 women journalists, 40 environmentalists and 40 up-and-coming politicians to provide them with tools to achieve institutional change in their professional sectors and beyond.Our overall goal with this project is to reach out to and impact high level figures of the Palestinian and Israeli societies in order to prepare both societies for sustainable peace and reconciliation, ending the occupation and reaching the two-state solution.
Throughout the program, Palestinian and Israeli participants address causes and conditions, gain awareness of their individual roles in the conflict and recognize that they can play a positive role creating change. The program makes both short-term and long-term changes in individuals who directly participate in the program, as well as influence the wider community through these stakeholders. As participants develop skills that will benefit them in wider aspects of their professional and social lives, the Creating Change Agents project will transform people’s attitudes and behaviors through new intergroup relationships and create support for the ending of the Israeli occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state within secure and recognized borders.
The Creating Change Agents project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content of this website is the responsibility of Tawasul and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Achieving Peace through Strengthening Democratic Values
With the support of the Canadian International Development Agency, Tawasul is organizing a series of training courses in conflict resolution, leadership, communication skills, lobbying and advocacy in six universities around the West Bank. The intention of the project is to train capable, promising individuals who will then be able to pass on their conflict resolution skills to fellow students and colleagues through demonstrations in real-life situations.
The project targets 3rd and 4th year university students at the Arab-American University in Jenin, Al-Najjah University in Nablus, Birzeit University in Ramallah, Al-Quds University in Abu Dis, Palestinian National College in Bethlehem and Palestinian Polytechnic University in Al-Khalil. Twenty students are chosen from each university to participate in the program; ten males and ten females. The training will provide the trainees with life skills that focus on conflict resolution and management to improve the quality of their lives as well as to strengthen democratic morals in the Palestinian society.
The training that the students go through will help them to better manage their lives and how to face conflict in a constructive way. It will also enable students to gain more confidence in participating in political discussions because they will become aware of the routes available to them in order to affect policy.
Parliamentary Assistants Training
The Parliamentary Assistants Training Program is a project being implemented by The Palestinian Council for Development, Dialogue and Democracy – WAAD and Tawasul in joint partnership with a member organization in the Palestinian Israeli Peace NGO Forum: the organization Young Israeli Forum for Cooperation (YIFC). It is funded by the Tuscany Region in Italy.
The purpose of the Parliamentary Assistants Training Program is to strengthen democracy in Palestine. This is being achieved by training Palestinian Parliamentary Assistants and building their capacity and proficiency so that they can help Members of Parliament take an active role in the development of the Palestinian Legislative Council and turn it into a strong, independent, democratic and effective deliberative body.
The training the participants will build and develop strong, independent, proactive, skilled, and proficient Parliamentary Assistants. It will also enhance their knowledge and experience by giving them practical experiences and opportunities to go on study tours.
The project will produce a handbook that will function as a reference guide for future assistants regarding parliamentary issues. The project is being carried out in the framework of the Trilateral Alliance for Peace to support the dialogue and approach activities among Tuscan, Israeli and Palestinian local authorities.
A’tona Forsa (Youth Access to Media)
Youth Access to Media is a media training project for youth in the West Bank funded by USAID through EDC/Ruwwad in coordination with the three Youth Development and Resource Centers (YDRCs) in the West Bank. Ten young media graduates have been given the opportunity to do an advanced internship with Al-Quds Educational TV in Ramallah.
They are currently producing a series of debate shows called A’tona Forsa, that is broadcasted nationally on Al-Quds Educational TV, Al-Salam TV, Al-Fajr Al-Jedeed TV, Nablus TV, Farah TV, Bethlehem TV, Al-Amal TV, Qalqiliya TV, on the satellite channel MIX TV, as well as online on www.imm.ps/AQTV.php
The trainees are members of the YDRCs Beit Al-Tifl Club in Al-Khalil (Hebron), Jabal Al-Nar Club in Nablus and Al-Bireh Youth Foundation in Al-Bireh.
The aim of the Youth Access to Media project is to strengthen youth participation in comprehensive media – classic and new media – as well as in the public sphere, by producing and broadcasting a series of youth-led TV programs nationwide. Each program will discuss current issues of interest for youth and include a panel of decision-makers and an audience of youth. Each episode will be accompanied by activities here on www.tawasul.ps. Be sure to check back regularly to take part in our polls, comment on our TV shows and ask questions to the panel members.
The Youth Access to Media project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Tawasul and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Some of Tawasul’s other main activities include:
- A Palestinian-Israeli joint project which trained 45 women journalist, 45 environmental experts and 45 Young palestinian leaders. The project duration is three years (from 2011 to 2013).
- Training program for police officers in Ramallah district;
- Training program, funded by the USIP, which trained 80 students in 6 universities in the West Bank;
- Training program, funded by CIDA, which trained 160 students in 6 universities in the West Bank;
- Training program, funded by Ruwwad-USAID, which trained 200 youth (female and male) from 30 Youth clubs in the West Bank.
