Established in 1998, MEND has been pioneering awareness about the power of nonviolence within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also within the broader regional context.
MEND is one of the few organizations with headquarters still in East Jerusalem. However, while we have a small core staff there, MEND is also a network as much as an organization, and we also work with groups of activists (Menders) from all walks of life throughout the West Bank, who are committed to the principles and practice of active nonviolence and democracy.
CORE VALUES AND AIMS
It is our conviction that nonviolence is the only way to create positive change in a way that can bring lasting peace to the region. We believe that the day will come when Palestinians too will live in peace and prosperity and with true participatory democracy, and Palestine will no longer be a place of fear, anger, and sadness.
MEND has not only brought the concept of active nonviolence into the discourse here, but has contributed significantly to its becoming mainstream. MEND began at a time and in an atmosphere when there was little interest and even less belief in nonviolence.
OUR MISSION
MEND aims to cultivate, to promote, and to protect values, principles and practices of human rights, reciprocal dignity, nonviolence and democracy, by pursuing the following strategies: education, influencing policies and decisions, community empowering, knowledge dissemination and documentation.
PROGRAMMES
MEND has four programmes reflecting key needs in Palestinian society
1. Nonviolence
2. Democracy
3. Human Security
4. Human Rights
WHO WE ARE
We have a local board which meets twice a year (Dr Taisir Abdallah, Dr Jantien Dajani, Ambassador Hind Khoury, Adel Ruished, Walid Salem, Dana Tabari and Lucy Nusseibeh (founder, executive chair).
Our current staff consists of: Fadya Salaheddin, Coordinator; Hodoub Alan, Finance; Yazan Sahar IT; with nonviolence experts and trainers: Nidal Allan (Jerusalem), Saber Rabi (Jerusalem), Yacoub Rujoub (Izariiyya) Nour Shehadeh (Tul Karem).
Both Tul Karem and Izariyya have active local offices on behalf of MEND.