The Palestinian narrative needs preservation and documentation through institutions and platforms specialized in a professional and contemporary manner, and at the same time, these institutions need support for their capacities to carry this out effectively. For this reason, the Foundation contributed to supporting the establishment of the Palestinian Museum, one of the most prominent projects of Taawon.
The idea of establishing the Palestinian Museum dates back to the late 1990s, before its implementation actually began with the laying of the foundation stone in 2013, transforming it from an initiative to preserve memory into an institution that seeks to advance and celebrate Palestinian culture through a series of creative and innovative projects that allow its audience to reflect on the present and imagine a better future. Within the context of its institutional development, the year 2021 constituted a milestone in the museum’s journey, as it became administratively independent from the Taawon after obtaining registration from the Palestinian Ministry of Interior as an independent, non-governmental Palestinian association, which strengthened its role as a national cultural institution with an independent vision and a sustainable path.
The museum is located on a large area adjacent to Birzeit University, and its design combines a modern architectural character with elements inspired by the traditional Palestinian landscape, such as “sanasil,” which gives the building a visual identity connected to the land and interacting with its natural surroundings.
The museum today works to connect Palestinians inside the homeland and in places of the diaspora through its digital archives, its electronic platforms, and the network of partnerships and branches that extend around the world, which enable the delivery of exhibitions and educational programs that reach a large segment of the Palestinian people who are unable to access the museum’s headquarters. In this way, the museum contributes to consolidating contemporary Palestinian knowledge and making it available to current and future generations.
