The Institute of Law at Birzeit University was established in 1993 in order to contribute to the evolution of legal structures and the rule of law in Palestine. The emergence of governmental structures and the exercise of legislative activity have created the need for a venue in which academics and professionals can focus on the challenges facing legal institutions in Palestine and contribute to building them. The partnership between the IOL and KAS is one that has extended for over twenty years. In addition to institutional support, our work with the IOL has focused on a two track approach: developing legal resources to support the work of the judiciary and legal experts, and conducting discussion forums for the exchange of knowledge amongst experts. The fruits of this partnership include research on the amended basic law and legislation enacted by the PA, publications on the harmonization of the parallel legal systems in Palestine (West Bank and Gaza), regular forum discussions known as “Legal Encounters” and in-depth training curricula for the justice and local governance sector.

BuildPalestine aims to empower grassroots problem-solving, where each person is able to take action and tackle problems faced in their local community. BuildPalestine takes a bottom-up approach to development, where those closest to the problem are empowered to find an innovative, impactful solution for their community. The current focus of the cooperation between BuildPalestine and KAS is to promote social entrepreneurship in Palestine and to strengthen the necessary infrastructure to allow the sector to grow.

7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media is a non-profit organization focused on protecting the human rights of Palestinians in the online space. Their theory of change is based on three main pillars; building the capacity of Palestinians to advocate for their rights, supporting the development of effective public campaigns, and conducting research and advocacy to document digital rights violations and advocate for upholding human rights and the rule of law. One of the few organizations focused on the digital rights of Palestinians, 7amleh’s team of digital rights experts, researchers, advocates, trainers, and activists work across Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank and Israel in cooperation with local and international partners to protect digital human rights. Capacity Building – Training & Workshops: Working with civil society organizations, grassroots initiatives media professionals, grassroots and activists to strengthen skills in new media, online campaigns, and improving their digital presence. Research & Advocacy – National & International: Participation in forums, production of publications, and joining coalitions for the protection of digital rights as human rights, including the right to Internet access, digital safety, freedom of expression and association. Campaigns – Public Awareness Raising: Coordinating and managing advocacy and awareness campaigns, utilizing digital resources, on various issues related to Palestinian rights. 7amleh is supported by its expert staff, dedicated board of directors, committed volunteers and a range of local and international donors.

DIYAR is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented organization in Bethlehem, serving the whole Palestinian community. It aims to empower the society in order to become visionaries. DIYAR and KAS joined forces in 2017 to conduct research on today’s Christian presence in Palestine. After a study on Christian and Muslim migration trends in the Palestinian society, the current cooperation focuses on the Christian perspective on East-Jerusalem as a future capital of a Palestinian state.

Dooz is a local news and media platform covering political, social, cultural, economic and municipal issues for the Nablus region in the northern West Bank. With highly engaged student journalists and an active base of volunteer contributors, Dooz has become a household name for responsive, credible and impartial Arabic-language local journalism in Palestine. With more than 400.000 likes on their Facebook page alone and hundreds of thousands of monthly page views, Dooz has become an important instrument of social accountability in Palestine. Adhering to strict journalistic standards, Dooz points out problems in municipal service delivery and once a debate has emerged, they organize public hearings to bring policy makers and citizens together to discuss the issue.The Foundation supports the expansion of Dooz’ operations to other cities in the West Bank by providing journalistic trainings to media students at Palestinian universities.

Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG) is the first startup accelerator in the Gaza Strip. Founded in 2011, its mission is to develop Gaza into an internationally competitive tech hub and cultivate entrepreneurs who can create incomes, jobs, and realize their own potential. Gaza Sky Geeks has developed their own incubation curriculum and works with individual startup founders to grow their businesses and facilitate venture investments into Gazan startups. Today, GSG is the leading co-working space, startup accelerator, and technology education hub in Gaza. Gaza Sky Geeks brings together experts from different backgrounds under one roof to share ideas, learn, and innovate. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung supports GSG’s visiting mentor program, which pairs up local entrepreneurs from the Gaza Strip with international startup experts. In addition, KAS also engages with GSG and the German startup scene in Germany to facilitate internship placements and offer work experience for Palestinian entrepreneurs in Germany.

The Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies (IALIIS) at Birzeit University was established in 1998. It seeks to enhance students’ skills in politics and diplomacy in order to enable them to pursue their careers within the Palestinian Authority or in the private sector. Together with its emphasis on establishing local, Arab and international ties, the IALIIS aims at establishing a dynamic and democratic Palestinian State. In cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, IALIIS conducts graduate courses that inform students at Birzeit University as well as the Palestinian general public about the work of European institutions.

The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) is an independent non-profit research institution. PSR was founded in 2000 with the goal of advancing research and knowledge on issues of immediate concern to Palestinians in three areas: domestic politics and government, strategic analysis and foreign policy, public opinion polls and survey research on current Palestinian political and social tendencies. These polls are conducted in support of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation and cover a wide range of current political and social issues, such as living conditions, prospects of the peace process or domestic affairs. The PSR is widely acknowledged for the methodological rigour that it puts forth in its work: In order to ensure the quality of its poll results, PSR conducts qualitative interviews in direct contact with respondents as well as elaborate quantitative analyses. Anonymity and non-gender-specifity are ensured during every step of survey research.

The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) aims to share the story of Palestine with the world and to invest in developing Palestinian public diplomacy capabilities at home. They deem it important for the world to see the human side of Palestine and its people as they struggle for freedom and basic rights. They aim to make these personal stories told and to help Palestinians to share their stories with the world. PIPD is an independent, non-governmental organization based in Palestine and is led by a board of prominent Palestinians from the private sector, academia, and civil society.

Palestinian Vision (PalVision, or “Ru’ya”) is a NGO that was founded by young Palestinians in 1998. Its foundation emerged from the demand and will of the Palestinian youth to contribute to the development of a strong and resilient society. The youth should be encouraged and supported to make a positive change in their communities. Today, PalVision build up a strong and extensive network. The Goal of PalVision is to integrate the youth in the sustainable development of the society, preserve and promote Palestinian identity and traditions and improve the access to education and employment possibilities. KAS is cooperating with PalVision since 2017. Besides supporting the organization institutionally, the main focus of the cooperation lays in hosting and carrying out public debates. Core of this debate is the „Sijal“-program. In its frame, Palestinian youngsters organize debates to raise awareness for the radicalization in Jerusalem and bring together relevant actors.

The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development was established to create an inclusive society that enables all members to participate in its development processes and ensures the protection of individual and collective rights. In this regard, REFORM particularly strives to strengthen the role of the youth and women and to empower other marginalized groups. Its goal is to integrate those groups in an inclusive governing system that is responsible to the needs of all members of the society. The cooperation with KAS started in 2018 and consists of programs focusing on public debates to raise awareness for the matter as well as institutional and ideological support by bringing in the knowledge and network of KAS. The core project “Rooftop Debate – the Drivers of Political Change” is a series of public debates that strive to enhance the inclusion of the youth (youth and students associations) and women in the socio-political sphere to create a fairer society.

The Palestinian Academy for Integrity (NAZAHA) is a non-governmental organization that aims to raise awareness for corruption risks and wants to present tools to resist, recognize and detect corruption. Since 2017, NAZAHA has been a partner of KAS. In order to achieve this goal NAZAHA works on shaping and advancing a new generation of anti-corruption specialists at the academic and supervisory forefronts. Besides it aims at raising awareness for corruption and transparency in the whole community. In the frame of these goals, NAZAHA offers specialized trainings and lectures and serves as a platform for the exchange of experience and ideas dealing regarding the enhancing of integrity and the fight against corruption. Furthermore, the Academy aims to introduce a novel anti-corruption approach through specialized education programs, research and studies.

Abu Tor Economic Research Collaborative Public Benefit Company is a non-for-profit entity that was initiated for research on economic cooperation in the Middle East region. It centers on advancement of feasible solutions and programs in the Palestinian and Palestinian- Israeli context, but its research activity extends to wider regional economic cooperation as well.