Background
The Yasser Arafat Foundation is a public and non-profit organization, with legal personality and independent financial status. Presidential Decree No. 5 of 2007 established it. Three other presidential decrees were issued concerning the Foundation in the years 2008, 2015 and 2021.
The Foundation aims to preserve the legacy of the late president and to perpetuate his memory among the Palestinian people and the Arab and friendly peoples, and to carry out charitable, humanitarian, social, and academic activities to serve the Palestinian people. The Foundation receives government support.
Mission
The Foundation’s mission is to preserve, benefit from, and pass on to future generations the memory and heritage of the late leader and president, Yasser Arafat, as well as to continue his legacy of benevolence. The Foundation supports the advancement of the Palestinians to achieve the national project and build a democratic Palestinian society.
Vision
To preserve the memory of late President Yasser Arafat, as a leader of the Palestinian people and symbol of the Palestinian cause, is to commemorate the historic struggle and narrative of the Palestinian people and to promote their national and democratic values. The preservation of Arafat’s heritage contributes to the historical record and documentation of this phase of the contemporary Palestinian struggle in its political, social, economic, humanitarian, local, regional and international dimensions.
Humanitarian work and support for the Palestinian people, wherever they may be, is an important issue and represents the continuation of Arafat’s compassion and commitment to solidarity.
Goals
The Foundation is dedicated to the achievement of the following goals:
1. To preserve all aspects of material and moral memory and heritage of the late President
Yasser Arafat; to collect, organize, and present his written, oral and visual archives
utilizing state-of-the-art technology and methodology, for the enrichment and edification of the Palestinian people and the general public.
2. To contribute to the annual commemoration of the passing of the late leader and president.
3. To maintain, organize, and manage the temporary mausoleum of the late president, in a manner befitting a national and historic shrine.
4. To manage the Yasser Arafat Museum (established by the Foundation and inaugurated on
the 9th of November 2016).
5. To undertake charitable, humanitarian, academic, social, and cultural programs and activities to serve the Palestinian people wherever they may be, particularly women and the youth, through specific and approved programs.
6. To recognize and support vital work that benefits the Palestinian people through the bestowal of the Yasser Arafat Achievement Award and to encourage and promote excellence in all fields, including scientific.
7. To contribute to strengthening unity among the Palestinian people wherever they may be through the preservation of the late president’s heritage and commemoration and continuation of his legacy through the Foundation’s programs in general.
8. To support, through these activities, the Palestinian national project and promotion of the national and democratic values to which the late president devoted his life.
Strategy
The strategy of the Yasser Arafat Foundation is based on:
1. Commitment to its mission, vision and goals through undertaking practical and
effective activities and programs.
2. Institutionalizing methods of operation and utilizing modern management techniques to promote its work, programs, and projects, and reinforce its independence to enable the effective performance of its Board of Trustees and Board of Directors.
3. Recruiting administrative and specialized professionals to administer the Foundation’s programs and projects and supporting staff training and development to efficiently and effectively perform the work of the Foundation.
4. Implementing strategic planning procedures to guide the Foundation’s work and projects.
5. Promoting the principles of transparency, professionalism, financial oversight and accountability.
6. Utilizing modern techniques in the Foundation’s work, particularly in the archiving and preservation of artifacts, museum exhibits and website.
7. Prevailing upon available resources and facilities to acquire, display, and depict the material and moral heritage of the late president.
8. Benefiting from the expertise and capabilities of the Foundation’s trustees and honorary members to enhance and support its work, role, and financial resources.
9. Ensuring the Foundation’s financial sustainability, from both the public and private sectors, via generating support for the Arafat Endowment Fund,in order to realistically and effectively plan and implement its programs and guarantee the successful achievement of its goals.
10. Cooperating and coordinating with relevant Palestinian governmental bodies and the private sector to effectively execute the Foundation’s programs and achieve its goals.
11. Developing partnerships within the public and private sectors, including Palestinian civil society and institutions, to promote collective and financial support and continuity of its projects and programs.
12. Nurturing relationships with Arab, regional and international institutions and bodies in the context of the Foundation leadership and active participation in regional and international forums that contribute to the commemoration of the heritage and legacy of the late president, and to mobilize support for its mandate and projects.
