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Updated October 27 2004

The Mandela Institute for Prisoners
Hotel O'deh Street,
Ramouni Towers First Floor, Room 1
Ramallah
P.O.B. 3802
Ramallah
Fax: 02-2955756
Tel: 02-2956468
E-mail: mandela@mandela-palestine.org
Web: http://www.mandela-palestine.org

Executive Director: Adv. Ahmad Sayyad
Public Relations Coordinator: Khaled Batrawi
Contact: Najat Hirbawi

Political Prisoners in many countries of the world are a partially neglected marginal sector of the larger population that committed human right organizations speak of but few average citizens have any real connection with. However, in occupied Palestine political prisoners are a central part of society since virtually no Palestinian family remains untouched by the imprisonment of one or more of its members or members of its circle of intimate friends.

Studies have found that at any given time over five percent of the entire male population of the Occupied Palestinian Territories between the ages of fifteen and fifty-five is in detention. More than half of the population has been in prison on various security-related charges at one time or another. These statistics are on the rise and not on the decline. As such the number of prisoners as individuals, their families and indeed the community as a whole remain deeply affected by the prison experiences even years after release.

Mandela Institute, formed in January 1990, is a Palestinian human rights organization focusing its efforts on the plight of political prisoners. It is a non-profit, non-partisan organization seeking to minister to the prisoners and their families in a holistic manner, looking at the range of medical, physical, psychological, social, spiritual and educational needs.

Mandela Institute was founded by Palestinians from the legal and medical profession as well as the clergy. These founding members have extensive experience with human rights issues involved and established Mandela Institute making it the one local organization focused strictly on political prisoners. As a result of their backgrounds their goals are broad and far-reaching.

These aims include improvements in the practical daily living conditions of detainees such as the problems of overcrowding, availability of proper nutrition, lack of exercise time, access to proper medical treatment, access to books and other reading materials, and visits by family members, legal counsel and members of the clergy. They also include more comprehensive efforts at preparing detailed records of conditions in each prison and detention center and pressuring the authorities to improve conditions of some inadequate facilities, bringing them in line with internationally-recognized standards.

It is, thus, the goal of Mandela Institute to respond in a comprehensive manner to the needs of this sector of the Palestinian population, which is in effect the need of the whole community. The Institute offers material, legal, psychological, nutritional, medical, educational and spiritual assistance to prisoners and ex-prisoners and their families, and actively advocates their cause before the public and the international community. It not only initiates programs, but works in close cooperation with other local and international organizations to establish such programs for the meeting of theses extensive needs.

On a practical level, the Institute is concerned with the direct improvement of the conditions of detention, and the protection of legal and human rights of the detainees, as well as working towards their successful re-incorporation into the community upon release.

Mandela Institute is currently involved in the communication of information about political prisoners and their needs through effective media campaigns and educational programs. In general, the Institute's concern is to create a better public understanding of the interests, concerns and problems of the political detainees and those recently released. There are also long-term goals to establish and operate clinics, centers and dispensaries to provide prisoners and their families with health services and vocational training nd economic opportunities for released prisoners.

Mandela Institute is the first human rights organization of its kind, targeting its efforts at the Palestinian political prisoners. With thousands currently in detention and thousands already released making their way back into society, Mandela has the potential of touching the lives of a great percentage of the Palestinian population. Mandela Institute, like its namesake, is caring, committed and effective, it too deserves world-wide support.