The Nablus Association for Social and Community Development (Naseej) is a non-profit organization which was established in 2008 with the vision of contributing to the progress of the society through educating and peace-building amongst all sectors. The founders of Naseej met in jail during the first Intifada and began to dream of a sovereign Palestinian state there. However, feeling that their me
ans of resistance were inadequate, they started to envision a new state built through non-violent means. After serving their terms in prison and returning to Askar Camp, they established the Local Rehabilitation Committee for the disabled (LRC) in 1992 to care for those who were injured during the first Intifada. They started from zero without any resources or experience and until 1994 they didn’t have any donors or help from other NGOs. After the first 2 years of operating, they received sponsorship from the Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden (Palestinagrupperna i Sverige), and this organization continues to support various projects in Askar. The first contribution helped to build a small library and a computer lab in the camp to get the children and youth out of the fragile situation that the previous generations experienced. After the second Intifada in 2000, the international community started to view Palestine as a nation, which led to more support from the international NGOs and therefore allowed us to establish the Social Development Center (SDC) and to build an actual center for the LRC. Our work expanded to include treatment for the disabled, educational and economic programs for women, and cultural and educational activities for the children and youth. In 2007, the Nablus Association for Social and Community Development was established in order to build links and partnerships with other associations in Palestine and the international community. Now the Nablus Association is called Naseej, which is the legal entity of the Local Rehabilitation Committee (LRC), the Social Development Center (SDC), An-Nasariya Cultural Center, and Naseej Center (formally Darna Center in downtown Nablus). Naseej comes from the Arabic word “weaving,” which is our main goal within the society, that is, to link and integrate various levels and organizations in order to build a stable, inclusive, and peaceful environment. In order to achieve our goals, we have five main fields of work, which are education, rehabilitation, agriculture, art and culture, and solidarity tourism. Our Association is a voluntary organization which relies on the help of young volunteers from Palestine and from the international community. Through voluntary work we want to spread the idea of equality and collaboration among different segments of the society. Team work is embedded in the culture of the institution and in all Association’s staff and volunteers. Everyone works as a team to achieve the Association’s mission and objectives. We have been granted permission to work by the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports and Youth, and the Ministry of Tourism since April 21, 2008. Our organization number is NA-7201-SD and we have 55 members.
