Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Nasser Alkidwa and Director General Dr. Ahmad Soboh received a delegation from Nelson Mandela Foundation at Yasser Arafat Foundation headquarters, Tuesday, 27 August 2019.

Dr. Alkidwa welcomed Mandela Foundation Director of Archive Mrs. Razia Saleh and Research and Director of Dialogue Mr. Khalil Goga.  He emphasized the importance of their visit in strengthening the relations between the two foundations, particularly following the prospects for cooperation that were discussed during the visit of the Yasser Arafat Foundation delegation to South Africa in November of last year.

The Delegation then visited Yasser Arafat Museum and toured the exhibits, which depict the Palestinian narrative, including the life and legacy of Yasser Arafat.  Museum Director Mr. Mohammad Halayka escorted the delegation on their tour and described the process of preserving Yasser Arafat’s personal belongings and items.

The following day, the delegation met with the staff of the Foundation’s Archive Department and were shown videos of various meetings between Yasser Arafat and Nelson Mandela.  The archivists described their roles and the nature of their work to the Delegation as the two foundations share similar goals in the preservation of the history of two important leaders.

The Delegation also met with Ramallah Municipality Public Relations Director Ms. Maha Shihadeh and Head of International and Local Relations Ms. Rana Stephan/Habayeb who led the group on a tour of the Old City of Ramallah and Mandela Square in Al-Terah.

On the last day of their visit, the delegation toured several sites in Bethlehem, including the Church of the Nativity.