About the Awards About the Donor Winners
“The excelling work of Jerusalemite civil society organizations is always a source of pride and encouragement; Jerusalemite civic actors play a vital rile in preserving the City’s distinct cultural character. We launched this award and named it after my late father, a proud Jerusalemite himself, in an effort to encourage and support Jerusalem’s invaluable civic actors.”
Munir Kaloti
The holy city of Jerusalem is at the center of the Palestinian struggle. It encapsulates Palestine’s culture and history; or in other words, Palestine’s indigenous identity. It is for this reason that it is continuously targeted by the occupation. Its economy, culture, and architecture are simultaneously targeted through mobility restrictions, confiscation, and destruction.
The Kaloti Award is dedicated to empowering excelling NGOs that are based out of Jerusalem, and especially those that focus on strengthening Jerusalem’s social fabric and rich cultural identity. The award is made possible by the generous contribution of Mr. Munir Al Kaloti.
Mr. Ragheb Kaloti was born in Jerusalem in 1910; he was orphaned at the age of 6, and started memorizing the Holy Quran at the age of 8. As soon as he reached his teenage years, Mr. Kaloti was faced with the responsibility of providing for his two brothers. He immediately started engaging in trade activities, moving between Syria, Iraq, and Turkey.
He grew into one of Jerusalem’s first and most successful self-made businessmen. He was a member of Jerusalem’s Chamber of Commerce and was the first businessman to develop a multi-story building in Jerusalem, shortly after the Nakba, in 1952. He was a member of the delegation that visited the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser to congratulate him upon successfully leading Egypt’s July 23 Revolution. Mr. Kaloti also made various significant contributions to the restoration and rehabilitation of Al-Aqsa Mosque. He moved to Amman in the late 1960s, where he passed away in 1984.
2014
PV empowers youth to collectively act towards Palestine’s socioeconomic development.