Palestinian Vision

Palestinian Vision (PalVision, or “Ru’ya”) was created by a group of young Palestinians in 1998. It arose as a response to an urgent need for Palestinian youth to have an outlet through which to express themselves and their desire to build a strong and healthy Palestinian society. The aim was to provide opportunities for young Palestinian leaders to become agents of positive, constructive change within their communities; to give them the space, tools, and training they need for their voices to be heard and taken into account. PalVision quickly filled a social vacuum, expanding to a grassroots membership of over 600. Through this broad network and an all-volunteer staff, PalVision operates training workshops and community service programs that build leadership skills, strengthen self-esteem, identity, and community spirit, and provide positive channels for self-expression. Throughout this, there is a particular focus on empowering young women, and facilitating dialogue and exchange with international youth. PalVision is emphatically independent from political parties and positions – conceiving, instead, of a democratic future in which Palestinian youth serve as community leaders, working to improve and advance their society. The organization was registered in the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in 2000, under the number OR/153/cu. PalVision is one of the few organizations of its kind that continues to be based in Jerusalem. It does so, despite the considerable political and bureaucratic challenges posed by such a decision, in order to best provide services for young people, in particular young people from East Jerusalem. It also extends its services to youth across Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps.