“Building Bridges” workshop plants seeds of collaboration between nearly 50 NGOs across Ireland and Palestine
Under the banner of the Sumud Network, Sawaed19 hosted a landmark hybrid workshop titled “Building Bridges: Strengthening Irish-Palestinian NGO Partnerships” on December 12, 2024, connecting nearly 50 non-profit organizations from Ireland and Palestine in a day of vision-sharing, strategy, and solidarity.The workshop, held in-person in Galway, Ireland and virtually across Palestine, was organized in partnership with the Galway City Community Network (GCCN) and Galway Volunteer Centre (GVC). This powerful exchange aimed to explore collaborative opportunities between NGOs in both regions, grounded in mutual needs, shared values, and a vision for joint action.
The event opened with a welcome by Brian Doherty, Development Coordinator at GCCN, who introduced GCCN’s role in promoting community development in Ireland. Hiba Awaysa then introduced the mission and framework of Sawaed19, highlighting how the Sumud Network was created to connect Palestinian and Irish civil society actors through meaningful and lasting partnerships.
🎙️ As part of grounding the dialogue in real-world stories, two powerful presentations were delivered by:
- Suha Khufash, Founder & Director of Art to Heart, who shared her artistic, healing-based approach to Palestinian community empowerment
- Noor Nuseibeh, Director of Dalia Association, who shared the organization’s innovative work in community-led philanthropy in Palestine
Following the presentations, participants were divided into small working groups to discuss:
- What needs they have in their communities
- What resources or knowledge they can share
- What initiatives they can begin working on collaboratively
The conversations were inspiring, practical, and full of potential. From arts-based youth programs to sustainable development ideas, dozens of synergies emerged.
This workshop is part of the Sumud Network’s broader mission to bridge people, organizations, and ideas across distance and difference. It reaffirms that solidarity is strongest when it’s built through relationships, trust, and shared action.
🔗 Learn more about the Sumud Network and how it harnesses global solidarity to empower Palestinian civil society:
🌐 www.sawaed19.net/en/Sumudnetwork
