Al-Maqdese for Society Development (MSD) is a civic non-profit and non-governmental organization that was established in Jerusalem on February 19th, 2007, by academics, doctors, teachers, and social activists. MSD came as a reaction to Israel’s routine violations of Palestinians’ human, social, economic, and political rights in Jerusalem.

MSD works to protect and defend Palestinians’ rights, ensure respect for the rule of law, and promote the principles of democracy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We aim to defend Palestinians’ rights in the Jerusalem district both locally and abroad. Additionally, Al-Maqdese works to disclose, document, and publish Israeli violations against Palestinians’ rights, and demands that the Israeli authorities stop these violations and respect Palestinians’ individual and collective rights according to the provisions and rules of international humanitarian law.

Vision: That Palestinians in East Jerusalem enjoy all their political, social, and economic rights.

Mission: To maintain the existence of the Palestinian population in Jerusalem by: raising awareness and ensuring protection of their rights; monitoring, documenting, and publicizing the Israeli violations against their rights; and providing advocacy and lobbying tools to protect their rights.

The strategic goals are:

1. To defend and protect Palestinians’ human rights in Jerusalem

2. To raise awareness among Palestinians in Jerusalem of their rights and international humanitarian law

3. To continue improving the organization’s abilities to achieve its mission and vision