Lajee Center (‘lajee’ means ‘refugee’ in Arabic), was established in Aida Camp in April 2000 by a group of 11 young people from the Camp who wanted to serve the community. It is an independent, Palestinian, non-governmental organization, registered with the Ministry of NGO Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority in 2001. The main aim of the Center is to provide refugee youth with cultural, educational, social and developmental opportunities. Its programs are designed in response to the particular needs of the children and the skills and abilities of its members.

Lajee Center (‘lajee’ means ‘refugee’ in Arabic), was established in Aida Refugee Camp in April 2000 by a group of 11 young people from the Camp who wanted to serve the community. Lajee is a community-based grassroots creative cultural centre that works with new generations of Palestinians as they continue their ongoing struggle for justice and rights for Palestine and all Palestinians.

The centre began as a dream for its creators who worked intensively and with true Palestinian ‘sumoud’ (steadfastness) in order to make that dream become a reality. By April 2001, Lajee had rented its first premises, a former garage measuring 70 square metres that was to be Lajee’s base until 2009. In the same month Lajee was registered with the Ministry of NGO Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority.

The main aim of the centre is to provide refugee youth with cultural, educational, social and developmental opportunities. Its programs are designed in response to the particular needs of the community and the skills and abilities of its members, whilst always remaining in full support and defense of all Palestinian rights.

Lajee has built links with several local and international organisations which assist the center in conducting its activities. Local organisations include a network of active centres in Palestinian refugee camps that was established through Lajee’s ‘OUR VOICE’ project who are working collectively and creatively towards joint goals of freedom and justice, BADIL Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, the Refugee Service Affairs Committee, and several other Palestinian organisations and NGO’s. Internationally, Lajee has the working support of many organisations including the Mennonite Central Committee, HOPING Foundation, The Pontificial Mission, the Belgian Technical Cooperation, and Broederlijk Delen amongst many others.

Over and above Lajee’s relationships with organisations, the centre’s work and development would not have been possible without the incredible support we have received from many friends around the world. Individual people have, since the Lajee dream was born, stood by the centre through support of our work and goals in terms of solidarity, project development, and in several cases through financial backing. All these people to date, and all future friends, support our belief in grassroots people-to-people tangible and internationalist solidarity..