Community Development Unit

The Community Development Unit was established in 1999, for the purpose of forging stronger links between research and practical, effective community work. The purpose behind this approach was to enhance the commitment to human development in Palestine.

This unit specializes in development projects in local communities. A core philosophy of the Unit is to include the largest possible number of community members and incorporate them into local development projects. The Unit has a special focus on marginalized groups within the Palestinian society, both in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including women, individuals with disabilities, the poor, young people and children.

This Unit also works through various initiatives to bring communities and policy-makers closer together by providing forums that strengthen the linkages between policy-making and the opinions and demands of the public. This Unit provides resources to stimulate debate on development policy issues in villages and towns across the occupied Palestinian territories while also influencing the policy decision-making process at the highest level.