International Palestinian Youth League-IPYL

IPYL Mission and Vision: The International Palestinian Youth League (IPYL) is an independent non-governmental, non partisan, non religious secular organisation based in Hebron. IPYL was founded in May 1997 by a cross-section of Palestinian youth activists. IPYL’s mission is to empower youth aged 15-35 against social, economical, and political challenges in Palestinian society, which the Israeli occupation has aggravated. As a result of this, Palestinian youth have been denied educational opportunities, sites for cultural activities, and community development resources. IPYL woks on creating core of young community leaders who will act as active citizens taking their responsibilities towards the community development and needs. IPYL aims to counteract these problems through non-formal educational programs, intercultural training, and youth leadership activities. Since its inception, IPYL has implemented over 700 activities, including international voluntary exchanges, cross-cultural study trips, and leadership seminars. By undertaking these activities, IPYL has developed strong alliances with a wide network of individuals and organisations. These include grassroots volunteers in the Hebron area, Palestinian community organisations in Palestine, and International youth networks. IPYL’s focus is on international cooperation, because of the firm belief that youth problems can be better addressed through cross-cultural dialogue. Through international activities, Palestinian youth can network with young people elsewhere and find constructive solutions to their problems. IPYL also aims to mobilise the necessary tools for youth to engage in self-help and learning, rather than trying to solve problems for them. IPYL’s Objectives • Empowering Palestinian youth through programs that stress liberal values, intercultural learning, active citizenship and community development. • Facilitating Palestinian education (informal and non-formal) through international learning opportunities, local and international voluntarism, and leadership and language training. IPYL’s Projects and Activities • Work Camps: IPYL has implemented over 61 work camps in various Palestinian localities, which have done important community development work. Comprised of both international and Palestinian participants, these work camps emphasise intercultural learning and basic work activities, with the aim of youth empowerment. • Youth Leadership Training: IPYL has participated in and hosted numerous leadership seminars and training courses. These have focused on issues such as human rights and democratic development, as well as youth management and communication strategies. • Media, Human Rights, active citizenship and Democracy: IPYL pays special focus on the democratic process and procedures as well as the freedom of expression and media inside the Palestinian society as a first step towards man liberation and freedom. IPYL developed variety of actions in this direction through its media center that has been in action since Feb 2004. • Capacity building: rehabilitation and restoration of youth centers and clubs, management and financial skills, strategic planning, outreach plans, constructions, networking and fundraising. • Social and psychological Counselling services for individuals: to assist the youth to overcome stress and burdens resulting from the daily pressures of family and occupation and unemployment. • National and International Seminars: IPYL has participated in numerous seminars whereby Palestinian and European youth network, build leadership skills and engage in dialogue. Previous meetings have focused on gender equality, cultural diversity, and conflict resolution. • Youth Exchange Programs: IPYL participates in international exchange programs that enhance intercultural learning. IPYL has coordinated European Voluntary Service programs in Palestine, sent local youth to European work camps and long-term volunteering postings, and facilitated study tours for international organisations. • Cultural Activities: IPYL has been actively involved in promoting Palestinian and Arab culture to youth. It has collaborated on the preservation of Hebron’s Old City, and promotes literature, music and dance to local youth in its work camps and study tours. • Strategic Alliances: IPYL frequently networks with national and international organisations in an effort to cooperate on youth initiatives to bring new methods and tools and mechanisms to develop its performance and hence the services provide to the youth sector which is very demanding and eternally increasing. Current linkages exist with the Youth Development Department in Palestine and Baladna in Israel. IPYL has also collaborated with international peace and youth networks, including Youth Action for Peace, Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service, Mediterranean Youth Forum, Alliance, Intercultural Cultural Youth Exchange, Service Civil International and INFOYOUTH, MAN, Anna Lihnd Foundation, Islamic Conference Youth Forum, Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente, • Schools across borders project: twinning between Palestinian schools from refugee camps and other schools in the world- since 2001 IPYL established relations with schools in Dublin, Belfast, Villanova (Catalonia) and Exeter (UK). • Medhebron media project: the only community Media center in the southern part of Palestine that aims at encouraging the NGOS to employ the media in their daily work in order to reach wider target groups and to multiply the impact of their work in Palestine. The center develops the media skills to the Palestinian youth by providing them with free training in the different fields of media; audio, video, photography and multi media. The participants usually develop documentaries that tackles community issues and needs and later broadcast them in the different local TV and radio stations. IPYL departments and sections: • General Director and management: Mr. Adli Daana/ Director General at: • Project development and fundraising: Mr. Mazen Jabari/ Projects Manager at: • Information and correspondences: • Workcamps, long term voluntary service and youth exchanges: Mr. Abdallah Maraqa • Training department; Media, human rights and democracy –Mr. Omar Juba/ trainings coordinator at: . For correspondences: International Palestinian Youth League Jaffa Street- Isra’ Bldg. – 5th floor P. O. Box 618 Hebron, Palestine Tel/Fax: +972- E-mail: / Website: www.ipyl.org