The Palestinian Youth Union (PYU) was established in 1992 as a non-governmental, non-profit youth organisation, and was registered with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in 2002 under registration number RA-2229-CU.
PYU’s work focuses on developing, strengthening and supporting the role of Palestinian young women and men by enabling them to take part in decision-making, lead change, and strengthen their own resilience and that of their families, and by supporting individual and collective initiatives and youth cooperatives through programmes and activities that improve young people’s living conditions.
PYU has implemented many programmes in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip: preserving national identity and Palestinian cultural heritage, economic empowerment in agriculture, industry and services, and raising young people’s awareness of their daily issues and challenges through media programmes. It has also organised advocacy campaigns to influence policies, volunteering campaigns that promote voluntary work as a social value, and studies, research and social surveys on young people’s needs from their own perspective. During the Corona pandemic, PYU volunteers played their role in the emergency response.
To strengthen its ties with less fortunate communities, PYU established youth and women’s centres in villages across the governorates. PYU closed its headquarters in the Gaza Strip following the 2007 events, but continued to cooperate and network with grassroots institutions there, in line with its mission of partnership with local organisations. PYU also networks and cooperates with civil, governmental and international institutions at the local and regional levels.
We aspire to the active participation of Palestinian young women and men, empowering them to become leaders of change in every area of life, towards building an influential youth social movement that strengthens democracy, justice and sustainable development, and consolidates the values of citizenship and belonging.
The Palestinian Youth Union works to empower Palestinian young women and men by providing a supportive environment, institutional frameworks and tools that enable them to achieve their aspirations and strengthen their resilience, in line with the values of Palestinian society and democracy. The Union also develops young people's capacities, strengthens their participation in public life and decision-making, and influences relevant policies and programmes, contributing to a fairer and more sustainable society and preparing future generations to take an active part in development and change.
To enhance the interaction of Palestinian youth, their influence, their active participation and their leadership role in their society in various aspects.
To strengthen the role of Palestinian youth and empower them to lead, participate and contribute to tackling poverty, unemployment, vulnerability and other challenges in various sectors, enhancing their resilience and facilitating their access to resources and information.
To increase opportunities for cooperation, networking, building partnerships and institutionalising the relationship with relevant parties, raising performance efficiency and enhancing work with youth.
To develop the individual and institutional capacities of the Palestinian Youth Union to contribute to achieving PYU's vision.
The Palestinian Youth Union takes pride in a vision and mission grounded in the human and national values affirmed by the Palestinian Declaration of Independence: equality, justice, human dignity, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These values are a core reference for all of the Union's programmes, activities and initiatives.
We promote a culture of volunteering and encourage staff and young people to dedicate part of their time to serving the community and youth issues, believing that volunteering is a core value of community development.
We direct our programmes toward the most marginalised groups, including rural communities, poor neighbourhoods, persons with disabilities and less-advantaged areas, so that services and opportunities reach them.
We are committed to transparency by publishing technical, administrative and financial reports, strengthening accountability, and making information about the Union's work available while protecting privacy.
We believe young people are best placed to identify their needs and defend their rights, so we involve them in every stage of planning, implementation and evaluation.
We are committed to the Palestinian national principles and guided by the Declaration of Independence. We work to strengthen national unity, reject normalisation and illegitimate funding, and support development free from division.
We believe cooperative work is a pillar of sustainable development, and we work to embed a culture of cooperation among young people, institutions and cooperatives to achieve greater social and economic impact.
We continuously develop our institutional performance and review how well our work aligns with our vision, mission, goals and values, ensuring quality and sustainability.