Translated by Sabrin Qadah 

Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction "PECDAR" signed two agreements with a total value of 150 thousand dollars for the implementation of two cultural projects that target young people in the city of Jerusalem for the benefit of al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art in the old city, and the youth forum for the heritage of Jerusalem in Silwan, with funding from Al-Aqsa Fund through the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah.

The agreement is considered one of 15 separate agreements for projects and programs targeting Jerusalem, funded by the Islamic Development Bank totaling $ 6 million, to support a variety of sectors, including education, restoration of buildings, and empowerment of women, youth and sports, as well as cultural and social sector.

The head of "PECDAR" D. Mohammed Shtayyeh said that supporting the steadfastness of our people in Jerusalem and supporting the youth sector in particular contributes to the advancement of the city economically, socially and culturally. He also pointed out that these agreements come as part of a strategy to enhance the steadfastness of the citizens to confront the challenges imposed by the occupation.

the "Arts and Culture are Tools of Resistance and Change" program of al-Ma’mal Foundation targets the young residents of the Old City, especially artists and art students. The program seeks to empower young people to find alternatives for self-expression, and acquire knowledge and experience to communicate with one another via the modern and contemporary media tools that open the way for dialogue and finding innovative solutions, which in return, contribute to the process of evolution and facing the occupation.

Jumana Abdo, the director of the Foundation, says that the program is interested in the category of young people and aims to involve them actively in the community through giving them the space to express themselves, by films, images or ideas that reflect their reality and their dreams, noting that the program includes an exhibition of creative productions for these young people, in addition to monthly activities.

Al-Ma’mal foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and spreading the industry of Art. It was founded in 1998, and works to develop cultural life in Palestine by inviting artists to Jerusalem to develop, produce and exhibit their work, as well as by organizing art workshops for young people.

the second program however, entitled "Youth and Change" of the youth forum for the heritage of Jerusalem, targets youth and families in the context of Jerusalem, seeks to contribute to the cultural change in society towards   values of democracy, and tries to address discrimination based on gender, as well as raising public awareness in Jerusalem about the importance of learning and self-construction issues.

Musa Abbasi, project coordinator, says that the program will feature 50 young men and women between 15 and 20 years, in addition to their families to discuss how to integrate the youth in cultural activities, and enhance their role inside society. He explained that the program will include five cultural evenings to attract people of the city and drew their attention to these issues, besides a large number of activities and lectures that will address life skills like communication, leadership and volunteer work.