$50 million fund for Jerusalem from the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development
Earmarked to support the resilience of the city of Jerusalem and its people, the new $50 million grant from the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development will be managed by Taawon. The grant will support the capacity building of civil society organizations in Jerusalem, construction of houses for the marginalized, educational development, health care, rehabilitation of historic buildings, and economic empowerment for the youth.
Jerusalem is priority for Taawon. One of our major programs is the Old City of Jerusalem Revitalization Program (OCJRP) which we established in 1994 to support Jerusalem’s much-neglected Old City. The cultural heritage in Palestine, like all aspects of Palestinian existence, has been and still is under the threat of erasure by the occupation. This is exacerbated in the Old City of Jerusalem, where the existence of Palestinians and their deep rooted cultural practices and manifestations are threated daily (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in danger- 1982) . We believe that we have a responsibility to counter that.
OCJRP aims to protect the historic architectural heritage and historic fabric of Palestinian cities, contribute to the social and economic advancement of our communities and the protection of their environment through the protection and betterment of the built cultural heritag, build the capacity of professionals and workers in the field of conservation, provide reliable data for researchers on the cultural heritage of Palestinian Cities and encourage community participation in the revitalization process.