Al-Wa'ad Association
The Al Waad Association is a non-profit charitable organization with the overarching goal of maximizing access of the disadvantaged Palestinian population in East Jerusalem to existing social benefits in the areas of education, welfare, health, and housing; and to enforce and expand social rights and benefits.
Originally formed in 2001 as Silwan’s citizens’ action committee, Al Waad Association has been organizing the residents of the community and cooperating with various organizations active in and outside of Silwan on a voluntary basis, thereby creating community networks that have enabled the committee to act and achieve a number of successes even without regular funding. Our achievements include persuading the municipality to pave the main road into the Ein Lose neighborhood and the establishment of the only medical center in Silwan.
In the past 6 years of continuous work as an action group the association has been working vis-à-vis the municipality, as well as the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Work and Welfare to enforce the availability of civil rights to the residents of the underprivileged communities in East Jerusalem and has achieved modest successes. Above all, it has achieved the trust and support of the community and gathered the experience needed for the foundation of an official operating association with two inseparable core tasks:
1. The establishment of organized civil representation.
2. The creation of an umbrella organization for the realization and implementation of citizens’ initiatives.