Grassroots Jerusalem

“Image and Identity”
“Image and Identity” is a participatory multimedia project that teaches Palestinian youth how to creatively articulate local culture, history, identity and space using photography, writing and mapping skills.
Youth work closely with Grassroots Jerusalem’s staff and Palestinian artists to create live maps of their communities and photographs that are exhibited locally, nationally and internationally at institutions of higher education.
Community Assessment
To support the grassroots initiatives, activist and leaders in Jerusalem, Grassroots Jerusalem is conducting a community driven assessment to amplify the voice of community members, identify issues of shared concern in Jerusalem and provide the information to community members so that they can connect, coordinate and advocate effectively.
Our assessment is a flexible tool that is created by the community and based on a participatory community model — making it community based and owned, the results unique for each community. We not only build the capacity of community members to build a community assessment, but to effectively use the information to make their issues priorities for local and international decision makers.
Mapping
Through a series of mapping workshops, Grassroots Jerusalem is working with Palestinian community members to learn how to use GPS & open source technology to collect, analyze and use geospatial data for advocacy. Using Open Street Map, open source mapping technology, community members are creating the map of Jerusalem bottom-up instead of top-down. Adding historic landmarks and street names to the map, Palestinians are ensuring that their longstanding history in Jerusalem isn’t erased and that they have the skills to ensure that the Palestinian story of Jerusalem isn’t only the past, but the future.
But mapping isn’t just about recording history, it’s also about coordinating. To meet the urgent needs of Jerusalemites, Grassroots Jerusalem has created the Al-Quds Network, a social network for local urban and human rights activists and organizations, with incident reporting technology that enables community members to report and document human rights violations in real time. Using Frontline SMS, an open source software that turns enables users to send and receive group text messages, and USHAHIDI, community members are able to collectively document and create a picture of urban and human rights violations in Jerusalem.
Markaz Al Kul
Markaz Al-Kul is a space that provides activists with the tools and resources they need to organize, create and resist. A workspace and meeting point for anyone active in the Jerusalemite Palestinian community
Markaz Al Kul Legal Clinic
The Markaz Al Kul Legal Clinique is especially designed to meet the needs of East Jerusalem residents. Our unique legal unit brings together a network of lawyers that are familiar with the complex legal system in Jerusalem and are familiar with civil and human rights cases.
Grassroots Al Quds Network
The Grassroots Al-Quds Network is a online platform that enables urban and human rights activists and organizations in Jerusalem to connect, share knowledge and coordinate on issues of immediate and long term concern. The platform is open source, enabling activists and community based organizations to contribute and create a shared picture of the activities, initiatives and needs of Jerusalemites.