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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

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Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy

Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND) is a NGO situated in the Palestinian Occupied Territories in the town of Beit Hanina. It envisions a democratic civil society in the region with reduced violence, increased civic participation, empowered marginal groups, rights awareness among Palestinians and the better use of human resources through the development of individual potential.

MEND was founded to combat violence in both Israeli and Palestinian societies, and uses methods of nonviolent resistance to bring about change. This involves coordination with local communities and other NGOs that support the same philosophy. It also involves working with children to teach them creative ways of voicing their grievances nonviolently. MEND works to achieve these goals mainly through training, education, awareness building, conferences, public outreach and the use of modern technology. Its work is rooted in the values of nonviolence, mutual respect and equal rights and dignity for all, and the importance of developing each individual's potential.

• Topics: Peacebuilding, Human Rights
• Area:  Middle East
• Founded: 1998

• MEND has criticized donors for withholding aid from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian National Authority (PNA), while demanding that the PNA continue to pay full salaries and provide social protection for unemployed workers and their families.  The organization warned that it could lead to despair and even violence. MEND calls on donors to end their “economic blockade” of the Palestinians and pressure Israel to pay tax revenues on the earnings of Palestinians working in Israel.

• MEND's director has advocated for the need of more support from friends and allies of Palestinian women in the international women's movement if they are to rediscover their commitment to nonviolent action.

• MEND runs workshops on nonviolent resistance that attempt to give people the courage, confidence and tools to confront occupation. Parallel to this, MEND advocates easing the fears of Israelis that they will be the target for violence.

• MEND has produced a popular biweekly radio program ('Home is our Home’), which promotes nonviolence and is heard by an estimated 60 percent of young people in the West Bank and Gaza. Like the program's target audience, the characters are young Palestinians dealing with everyday issues of love and family. Each plot incorporates themes of nonviolence in resolving problems.

• MEND has worked in schools and summer camps to help stem the problem of violence in such places by training staff and working with the most difficult classes. Two such programs were 'Choose Your Future,' which trained teachers and students in a variety of fields and 'Youth Living With Conflict,' which trained young people in nonviolence, film making and the internet, among other things. For a more detailed description of their work with one summer camp, visit MEND's projects page.

• MEND has distributed the "controversial Shara Simsim (Sesame Street) educational materials (that amongst other things promoted mutual respect between Palestinian and Israeli children) all over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." (Source: MEND)

• The organization has produced several films, including 'Empowering Women via Nonviolence Traning and Participatory Video'

• Press Releases

See MEND's website for their latest news.

April 15, 2006
An Appeal for Support of Nonviolence in Palestine

• Reports

Visit MEND's website for a collection of articles they have written.

• Photographs

Visit MEND's website to view their photo gallery.

• Advocacy Project News Bulletins: AP has published bulletins about MEND through the news service, AdvocacyNet.

• Blogs

In 2004, AP sent Bushra Mukbil of Georgetown University to help MEND organize a network of nonviolence centers in the Palestinian territories. Read Bushra’s blog.

In 2003, AP sent Caitlin Williams of Georgetown University to intern with MEND. Read Caitlin’s blog

March 7, 2006
Women Can Do Anything
Jerusalem Post Online Edition

January 7, 2004
What Will Ahmad Do? Peaceful Soap Opera Gripped Palestinians
The Christian Science Monitor

April 23, 2003
Peaceful Activists Caught in Fight
The Christian Science Monitor



Perceptions: "MEND has changed the local attitude to nonviolence from one of skepticism or dismissal (when MEND was first established in 1998) to one of interest and appreciation - so that now even the Palestinian President talks about nonviolence." (Source: About Us)



Contact:
P.O. Box 66558
Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem
Israel
Tel: (00972) (2) 6567310
Fax: (00972) (2) 6567311
Email MEND

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