Palestine 2017 report

• Developing competencies of workers in the fields of culture and arts.

• Raising administrative, financial and institutional functionality readiness of current artistic facilities and cultural centers.

1. Activating of Palestinian participations in Arab and foreign festivals and forums.
2. Improving the level of cultural exchanges with Arab and foreign countries.
3. Facilitating access for Palestinian artists to participate in cultural activities abroad.

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• Participate in activities of cultural capitals of Arab and Islamic countries.
• Support of culture institutions and cultural events in occupied Jerusalem.
• Promote cultural endurance in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
• Implement cultural projects and programs about occupied Jerusalem including conferences, seminars, exhibitions, films, research and books.

Russian Center for Science and Culture in Bethlehem - the first scientific, cultural representation of the Russian Federation in the State of Palestine was opened in June 2012. It's located in the center of city of Bethlehem on a piece of land donated by the State of Palestine. The center includes halls for exhibitions, others for teaching Russian language, a language lab and a library contains more than three thousand books. It also contains a music room as well as a cinema hall. 

The center aims to promote Russian culture and science, and contributes to Palestinian students' selection process to study in Russia.

1.    To contribute to the execution and implementation of the vision and policies of MOC for the cultural sector.
2.    To institutionalize Palestinian Cultural Fund (PCF) to meet the requirement of the PCF Law and to be more accountable, effective and efficient towards the Palestinian cultural institutions and artists
3.    To build a monitoring system to help MOC to oversee the cultural scene through the development of a unified reporting systems and a national database.

An old building was renovated by MOC in 2014 at Birzeit to be used as a museum and cultural community center. It was qualified to host cultural events, artistic residency and activities of cultural exchange. It also contributes to community development and cultural revitalization efforts in Birzeit. 

Support from of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science was received.

• Provide trainings to develop modern designs for crafts and products of traditional industries in order to preserve the crafts and create job opportunities in order to achieve sustainable development.
• Encourage research and training in cooperation and contracting with competent experts and institutions in order to provide training, research, and bills serving the sector.
• Encourage cooperation between the government and the private sector so as to institutionalize and integrate an advanced cultural sector.
• Provide special training program for women linking pioneers and novices, particularly in the field of crafts such as embroidery and food processing.
• Provide training on business management, marketing, small business management, self-esteem, financial, legal, taxation and training on how to open and run a project.

Culture and Arts program at the AM Qattan Foundation Introduced partial scholarships in the fields of performing arts, to help covering the costs of studying or training in a specialized institute, or the competent institution, for Palestinian students, or from the occupied Syrian Golan, studying at a performing arts field (music, theater, dance, circus, etc.) The scholarship covers, or contributes to cover costs related to the period of study or training.

• Promote Palestinian writers' productions.
• Bring productions of the foreign publishing houses into the State of Palestine.
• Provide space for intercultural dialogue and exchange through visits and seminars conducted by cultural delegations from the participating countries.
• Familiarize the Palestinian culture by organizing on site visits.
• Encourage school students and universities to read through the visits organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and universities.
• Encourage artists by establishing various art exhibitions in the fair.
• Buy and distribute books to public libraries.
• Invite Palestinian intellectuals from Gaza Strip to participate in the fair.

1.    To contribute to the execution and implementation of the vision and policies of MOC for the cultural sector.
2.    To institutionalize Palestinian Cultural Fund (PCF) to meet the requirement of the PCF Law and to be more accountable, effective and efficient towards the Palestinian cultural institutions and artists
3.    To build a monitoring system to help MOC to oversee the cultural scene through the development of a unified reporting systems and a national database.

The Palestinian people in occupied Jerusalem lives in isolation facing serious threats to their identity. This is due to the illegal practices and policies of the Israeli Occupation and its Aparthied Wall. This led to a gap between Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem and Palestinians in other cities, leaving an overwhelming psychological impact on the different segments of the community. Moreover, the harsh circumstances facing the Jerusalemite Palestinians are due to the prohibition of a Palestinian body which is responsible for fulfilling various needs of Palestinian Jerusalemites.

• REFORM aims to mobilize the civil society towards lobbying for a more comprehensive and participatory governance system.
• It also seeks to contribute in overcoming the identity crisis which Jerusalemite Palestinians suffer due to the policies and practices of the Israeli occupation and the revival of their Palestinian identity.
• REFORM intends to form a cultural and social network between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank (mainly Ramallah, Jericho and Bethlehem) in acknowledgement of the similarities in identities and living standards in these areas.
• Promoting social participation of women and youth in Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank.
• REFORM strives to promote social participation of the youth and women through challenging the profound culture that prevents them from taking initiative to change their reality.

REFORM’s Social Transformation programme aims at increasing social cohesion and solidarity, focusing on bridging the gap between polarized groups. To this end, REFORM seeks to promote national harmony through the establishment of safe acting platforms which encourage broad-based participation grounded on the principle of intellectual pluralism: “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it!” Voltaire.

REFORM teaches participants how to apply practical research methodologies in order to address conflict/crisis situations within the Palestinian society, focusing on finding common ground between the conflicting parties.

The past few years have witnessed dramatic developmental changes in the Palestinian community on the political, socio-cultural and economical levels. However, these changes have been centered in the main cities. While Refugee camps, villages and other marginalized areas continue to be affected by many social, cultural, economic and political challenges. Therefore, "Bridges" project was launched as a supporting developmental process on both the social and cultural levels.

"Bridges" aims at creating a bottom up social change process by establishing relationships between and within young generations. Also, empowering grassroots organizations and marginalized groups in order to enhance their participation in the regulatory processes and to engage in structural and cultural reform.