Past Work
Israel
Fighting Trafficking of Women in Northern Israel
AFSC supported Isha L’Isha, a Haifa feminist organization, in fighting the trafficking of women in Northern Israel. Since the 1990s, approximately 3,000 women each year have been brought to Israel from the Former Soviet Union to work in the sex slave market. AFSC supported Isha L’Isha in assisting and supporting the victims of the crime, in bringing about the victims’ human rights as guaranteed by the State of Israel, and in lobbying for the reinforcement of an effective public policy that will punish the perpetrators of such crime.
The Right to a Home and a Homeland, Global Campaign to Rebuild Palestinian Homes, Jerusalem
The AFSC supported the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions in its campaign to rebuild damaged Palestinian homes in the Jerusalem area.
Young Public Speakers Young Public Speakers brought together youth from different backgrounds in the West Bank, with the aim of training the youth on public speech in preparation for becoming youth leaders. In July 2002, for instance, the QPYP sponsored the participation of a young man and woman from the West Bank to participate in the International Youth Forum held in Geneva.
West Bank
PalFriends 'Lets Play Let's Laugh'
This project was initiated by a local youth group Pal Vision. ‘Lets Play Let’s Laugh’ aims to help youngsters cope with the aftermath of the first invasion through art, playing and gaming.
International Youth Forum
In July of 2002, AFSC sponsored the participation of a young Palestinian man and a young woman in the International Youth Forum held in Geneva. The forum was an opportunity to get the Palestinian young voice heard internationally, for networking among other civil society youth groups in the world, and as a stepping-stone for further youth involvement in their communities upon their return.
Youth for Truth, Young Palestinian Diplomats
Youth for Truth, Young Palestinian Diplomats is a project initiated by the two Palestinian youth who participated in the International Youth Forum in Geneva in 2002. This project focuses on recruiting 40 young Palestinian spokespersons (in both the West Bank and Gaza) to receive training in order to convey their messages through dialogues and debates in local, national and international encounters.
Fathet Khair “A fresh beginning that can bring a good omen"
Fathet Khair was a project to train and engage 20 youth from the Bethlehem area to express themselves through painting and drawing on 20 murals in the Aida and Dheisha refugee camps.
Gaza
Architectural Conservation and Community Renewal Project
The Architectural Conservation and Community Renewal Project was an ambitious community renewal and restoration effort launched by the QPYP. The Project targets Al Daraj, one of the oldest and most impoverished quarters in Gaza, in a multi-sectoral effort to survey and restore buildings of significant historic importance, including a Mamluk-era bathhouse. The restoration effort was led by groups of young architects, engineers, artisans, and community workers. The Architectural Conservation and Community Renewal Project seeks not only to transform the quarter from its present neglected state, but also to become a model for historical preservation and future community restoration elsewhere in Palestine.
Heritage Education Summer Program
The Heritage Education Summer Program targets school girls, aged 15-18 years, living in the Al Daraj Quarter of Gaza City. The Program aimed to strengthen their heritage education and provide an extra curricular activity that is lacking for girls.
Assistive Technology Center for the Blind
The QPYP worked closely with the Islamic University of Gaza to develop programs for special needs students. The Assistive Technology Center for the Blind, for instance, was established by the QPYP at the Islamic University of Gaza, in order to strengthen the use of IT among visually impaired university students, and to provide an accessible and suitable environment to facilitate greater independence and learning.
Web CT Project
The Web CT Project encouraged virtual learning environments as a mechanism to access greater and more diverse information and resources. The project was launched at a local university in Gaza; however, it experiences difficulties in the face of closure and restrictions placed upon movement in Gaza.
Green Schools Project
The QPYP collaborated with the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee Park to develop the Green Schools Project. The Project promoted garden-based education in schools in Gaza as a means of encouraging more active learning in the outdoor classroom. The Green Schools Project also seeks to integrate environmental education in schools.
Turkey
In Turkey, AFSC initially focused on relief efforts following the August 1999 earthquake by providing emergency material assistance, installing shower units and providing fresh water. In addition, AFSC helped to fund 7 women's centers in various tent cities throughout the earthquake region to provide a space where women could meet to talk about common interests, receive counseling, and obtain health and feminine supplies.
After the earthquake, AFSC concentrated its efforts on disaster preparation work in Turkey to improve information sharing and coordinate earthquake preparation plans thus promoting a new spirit of openness and cooperation between grassroots, government, and civil society. An epidemiological study was also conducted confirming the value of disaster mitigation. AFSC funded the production of public service programs on television. AFSC also created a database of national and international nongovernmental organizations involved in the relief and reconstruction efforts.
AFSC actively engaged youth leadership training in disaster preparedness by providing on-the-job training for youth leaders in non-structural hazard mitigation and basic disaster awareness knowledge. The project also aimed to reactivate the role of neighborhood associations and encouraged community mobilization on public issues. The 1st cycle of the project ended in 2001 and it is anticipated that the 2nd phase of the project will proceed with mitigation in their communities, establish a working partnership with municipalities, and raise awareness and capacity building of neighborhood associations to work on other public action issues.
Other Projects
Youth Empowerment
In November 2002, Turkish youth in Istanbul began the Public Achievement Project -- Turkey Initiative in participation with Palestinian youth. This Project aimed to train coordinators and youth together in how to work for and with each other to benefit the common good.
AFSC also provided opportunities for Turkish youth to participate in international networks including the Rio Summit and the Habitat Conference in Mexico City.
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