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In 2019, we launched a community initiative in Aida refugee camp to respond to the urgent need of its young people, who were being subjected to violent oppression at the hands of the military occupation. We aimed to provide youth, and young women in particular, with access to education; to offer psychological support and to empower them to participate in decision-making and take on effective roles within the wider network of refugee camps. At the same time, we sought to create a safe space for young women to express themselves and become agents of change. The initiative evolved steadily and in 2021, we began working with youth and women’s groups inside the camp and implementing a number of cultural activities. It became a youth-led project, setting out to break down social barriers and limitations, forming a community in which both sexes aspired together to realise their dreams. Today, we at Al-Manar Organization for Culture and Creativity are working on several programs that support women and youth, with the aim of providing opportunities for community participation. Al-Manar Society For Culture & Creativity

Leading with Vision and Purpose

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How it works

Our Vision and Our mission

Contributing to the establishment of a democratic Palestinian society based on justice, equality, and human rights, ensuring the inclusive and active participation of all groups.

Al-Manar Society is an independent Palestinian organization that seeks to empower youth, women and children and enhance their participation in the public life of society, through a range of community activities and interventions that meet the needs of target groups and contribute to the protection of their rights.

when the ideas come from some people
cofounder of al-manar society:
Manar may need to revise the figures in the last paragraph I am Manar Qaraqe, a 23-year-old Palestinian woman from Aida Camp. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Literature with a minor in Journalism and Media and a master’s degree in International Development Cooperation. Since my childhood, I have had an interest in community work and women’s capacity to bring about societal change. I began my work at Aida camp after acting on stage and, while in my second year of university, I launched a cultural community initiative there. This involved a variety of events and projects including giving lectures which highlighted the needs of refugee youth. It served as a vital outlet for the girls and boys of the camp. The initiative later developed as I worked with youth groups within the camp on a range of cultural events and community projects, eventually evolving into a cultural community organization. I became the first young woman in the camp in the first youth group to work within this framework. Together with the youth we have succeeded in breaking down the barriers that prevent mixed-gender collaboration. We have collectively succeeded in building an organization where members of both genders work and think together to change their lives and reality and achieve their dreams as young refugees. Though we are all under 25 years old, through the Al-Manar Society for Culture and Creativity and the youth activities that it has implemented, we have been able to bring about profound personal change in our young men and women, transforming their vision of life. Through our activities, we have become more in love with life, and through our participation in these activities, especially those of a literary and creative nature, we have been able to express ourselves. I have, over the years worked with school and university students in 12 schools and 3 universities; supported 300 women in developing their skills and participating in decision-making and established a number of local and international partnerships. Furthermore, with the support of my colleagues, I have gathered more than 100 volunteers in one year and developed the initiative into a community-cultural institution. We have sought to demonstrate that women are capable of bringing about change and affirm our belief in the transformative potential of youth work, and we have proven that, even inside the camps, we can live and achieve our dreams as young refugees.