Letter Accompanying Interview Film Nov 2015

Dear Friends of Dalia Association,

 

    This past month has been difficult in Palestine with nearly 70 Palestinians killed in October alone.  Many of them have been children. Our community needs support and as Palestine’s only community foundation, we play a unique role.    

   After decades of occupation and dependence on external aid, it isn’t easy to remind ourselves that we have resources of value and that we have the ability to control these resources and direct our own development agenda. Yet we firmly believe that is true, and we have eight years of experience working in Palestinian villages to prove it.

  It is time now for Dalia to grow and expand our impact, and we’re very pleased to have a new executive director with the experience, energy and commitment to take Dalia to the next level.

  Aisha Mansour is from El-Bireh and spent many years living in the US. Most recently, she worked for the World Health Organization building the capacity of Jerusalem’s hospitals. She also co-founded several self-sustaining community initiatives. Please take a few minutes to watch an interview with Aisha to learn about her approach.

 

   Ms. Mansour is supported by new and enthusiastic Board of Directors, a committed staff, and the entire Dalia community.  We are undergoing a strategic planning process that will provide us an opportunity to reflect and evaluate our programs and previous interventions and plan for the next few years.  

  This period is extremely difficult for all of us. The news is terrible and scary. Every day brings more news of another Palestinian killed and more road blocks and checkpoints blocking entrances to Palestinian cities and neighborhoods.  It is critical to continue our work and support the development of local structures and mechanisms that will serve our community in Palestine.  Your continued support is crucial to enable an empowered civil society.  If you have ideas or questions, please send us an email.  You can email Aisha directly at [email protected].

 

With thanks,