Al-Istiqlal University

Al-Istiqlal University was founded in 1998. It is the first governmental Palestinian university that deals with security, military and police education serving as a vital branch for providing the Palestinian security institutions with qualified officers through seven bachelor programs—the number of majors is increasing. The university aims to qualify young people joining the university (males and females) through eight specialized vocational diplomas in military, security and police sciences.

The university’s vision focuses on security sciences to meet the country's need for academic and professional security staff.

Mission:

* Offering high-qualitative education and training in majors related to security sciences, based on a comprehensive vision for qualitative developing of human resources in the educational, mental, applied, and valuable spiritual security fields.

* Preparing highly qualified security staff academically and professionally as well as future leaders armed with the values of affiliation, commitment, discipline, and civilized and national values that serve the community and ensure a real partnership with the Palestinian society, its institutions and individuals.

* Developing the Palestinian community in general and the security institutions in particular within the framework of full, comprehensive, national and sustainable development at different levels.

 

 

 

The Centre for Architectural Conservation, Riwaq

Since 1991, RIWAQ has recognized the challenging complexities of preserving Palestinian collective memory through projects that document and restore architectural heritage sites across the West Bank and Gaza. Harnessing the energy and skills of students, architects, archaeologists, and historians, RIWAQ embarked on the Registry of Historic Buildings, a thirteen year project (1994-2007) resulting in the publication of three volumes that include detailed histories, maps, and photos of approximately 420 villages in sixteen districts across the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza.

Riwaq is distinguished by its focus on rural areas in Palestine. Founded in 1991, Riwaq's experience in the restoration of rural Palestine shows that there is an urgent need for community and cultural centres for marginalized groups. Since 2001 "Job Creation through Restoration Projects" approved that the restoration work led to a sustainable increase in awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, and led to a higher standard of living of large segment of the population.

Because of the huge demand for these services, as well as the scarcity of human and financial resources, Riwaq has been implementing "The 50-Village Rehabilitation Project" that comes as a culmination of Riwaq's long period of work and experimentation in rehabilitating and safeguarding heritage in Palestine as a tool for socio-economic and political development.

Riwaq's projects are not only about job creation, or about the restoration of stones and historic structure, it is also is about raising awareness about the importance of cultural heritage as a pillar for Palestinian identity and collective memory. It is also about creating a space suitable and safe for life and work, and it is about the production and dissemination of knowledge.

Throughout its life span, Riwaq has turned the field of heritage to a medium of thinking urgent and emergent socio-economic-cultural-political concerns. In this paradigm, the heritage becomes the field not only for knowledge production but also filed for change.