The Galilee Foundation is proud to be supporting Baladna Association for Arab Youth and its important work supporting young Palestinian Citizens of Israel in key areas including Nazareth and the Naqab.
Its Naqab Youth Centre, located in a previously unused old house the heart of the old city of Beer al-Sabi’, had an official opening ceremony on 22nd April. About 150 young men and women between the ages of 15 and 30 attended, with those present reporting feeling excitement about a safe community hub for them to use. Baladna were encouraged by the turnout and the immediate sign-ups for volunteering.
The new centre has been completely renovated and furnished. A library has also been added, offering a dedicated space for reading, study, and quiet reflection. The transformation of the space into a functioning, welcoming cultural hub marks an important step in the project’s progress, and it is the young people themselves who will take on responsibility for running the space, with a strong sense of shared ownership among those involved.
More generally, Baladna continues to expand its activities and boost its reputation locally and abroad. It supports a diverse range of young beneficiaries through its school workshops, volunteering sessions, public debates and events, community iftars, cultural heritage days, hikes and hiking guides, as well as, of course, its youth centres. Its youth groups continue to attract new members, with strong interest and engagement in civic activities. Baladna also runs a Mobile National Bazaar that travels between towns. This serves as a way to bring young people closer to the places and people that shape their history and daily reality – by travelling between villages and towns in the Naqab, the bus creates opportunities for young people to listen to residents’ stories, see photos and hear oral histories directly in the places where they happened (the journey itself becoming a space for learning and connection), and helping young people build a stronger sense of belonging and understanding of their communities. This ethos underpins all of Baladna’s fantastic work.
