Rawa’s participatory model, which began as a pilot in 2018, supports creative initiatives that emerge from the heart of our Palestinian society and carry forth an emancipatory vision. Rawa provides initiatives with support based on trust, partnership, and flexibility. This support stems from the initiatives’ needs, is rooted in societal capabilities and resources, and prioritizes agency and independence.
Rawa is a space for participatory, democratic, and independent decision-making. Our initiative is led by community committees involved in popular action in historic Palestine. We seek to be part of a movement that confronts the prevailing power dynamics and hegemony between international donors and our Palestinian community. In its experimental model, Rawa devotes great attention to the process of learning, documenting, and being open to transformation and growth.
Read more in our reports and resources.
What is Rawa?
Why?
To bring hope to initiatives and community-based resourcing in Palestine.
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For an environment that promotes independence of decision-making and mutual trust.
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To bring hope to initiatives and community-based resourcing in Palestine. ~ For an environment that promotes independence of decision-making and mutual trust. ~
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Since the 1990s, large amounts of international funds have flowed into Palestine. With them, a hegemonic relationship was established that distorted civil and social work in Palestine. We witness today in Palestine the dominance of international funding, which imposes dependency on us. The social movement in Palestine faces restrictions and conditions on multiple levels: from vision, discourse, and objectives to management methods and work culture. Over time this situation created an atmosphere of frustration and loss of confidence in community work in Palestine.
Rawa is an attempt to bring hope to the Palestinian community work and community-based resourcing in Palestine, by contributing to building an environment that promotes independence of decision, freedom of action, and mutual trust.
Rawa works on many interrelated levels, supporting the environment for Palestinian community work through support, advocacy, and learning, as well as providing financial grants to creative Palestinian community initiatives. During grant cycles, we do not receive grant applications. Rather, we depend on community committees based in different areas: Gaza, ‘48, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. Committee members learn about creative initiatives operating in their regions, nominate them to receive grants, and then all the area committees meet together to present and discuss all the nominated initiatives and vote on them.
This process is organized by the staff of Rawa, and supervised by Rawa’s advisory body. After selecting the initiatives, Rawa's team works to support the selected initiatives in all available ways and within the available capabilities, and also cooperates with them to document and benefit from their experience and draw lessons from the overall encounter.
Read more updates about our work.
How?
Working Together
Rawa consists of several interconnected circles that collaborate with each other: community clusters, team, and an advisory board composed of specialized experts and representatives from the clusters. We operate under the auspices of the Middle East Children's Alliance.
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Rabab Tamish
Advisory Board
A lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Bethlehem, working for years as a consultant in the field of community work based on emancipating thought. She seeks to raise awareness about the vital role of education (in all its forms) in the process of liberation from all forms of oppression. -
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Fadya Salfiti
Advisory Board Chair
Her wide-ranging experience across development, youth engagement, and as a program specialist on education, health, and the Palestinian private sector has enabled Fadya to contribute to a wide range of cross-sectorial needs. -
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Jamal Juma'a
West Bank Cluster
Co-founder of many civil society organizations, including Palestinian Agriculture Relief Committee, Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network, and Popular Campaign against the Wall. He contributed to founding the grassroots National Committee for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) in 2005. -
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Samah Saleh
Representative of the West Bank Cluster on the Advisory Board
Assistant Professor at An-Najah National University. Her PhD in Sociology from Goldsmiths, London focused on Palestinian women’s incarceration experiences in Israeli colonial prisons. She is a longtime community and social worker and board member of the Palestine Monetary Authority. -
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Jamileh Sahlieh
Jerusalem Cluster representative
on the Advisory Board
Jamileh is a seasoned supporter of Palestinian civil society. She managed programs and strategies for the NGO Development Center and worked with Catholic Relief Services for more than 17 years. She is a volunteer organizer for support services for the poor and elderly in Jerusalem. -
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Ali Abd El-Bari
Gaza Cluster representative
on the Advisory Board
Social activist, volunteering within various groups and campaigns. Ali has worked with local and international organizations in Palestine in sectors like social and economic development and advocacy and campaigning. -
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Ahmad Sourani
Gaza Cluster
A policy and institutional development advisor at OXFAM in Gaza, he previously managed programs at the International Committee of the Red Cross. He has been part of several regional and international initiatives and is a founding member of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty. -
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Yara Dowani
Team
Yara Dowani is a farmer, activist, and researcher. Co-founder of Om Sleiman farm and part of many movements working on agroecology and food sovereignty. Her interest lies in cooperatives and initiatives forming as a way to build community resilience.
