7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media

7amleh (pronounced Hamleh) is a professional Palestinian social media center, dedicated to improving the skills and capacities of Palestinian civil society in this field. 7amleh provides training to individuals and community-based groups on the skills and methodologies of social media activism, as well as focusing on creating and supporting grassroots media campaigns which aim to raise social awareness and political consciousness of disenfranchised and marginalised groups.

The Need

The establishment of 7amleh was driven by the necessity to raise the profile and capacity of online Palestinian advocacy, both in terms of raising awareness of Palestinian issues to an international audience, but also among Palestinians themselves. Social media offers the perfect channel through which to conduct grassroots advocacy campaigns, due to both the established and growing popularity of social media around the world, particularly with young people, and the ease and speed with which information can be shared, reaching people who may not otherwise have been engaged with the subject.

Goals

Provide Palestinians with a professional center for new and social media
Offer social media trainings for groups working towards positive social change
Create and run innovative media campaigns to raise the political awareness both among Palestinians and the international community.

Activities

Advocacy: aimed at an international audience in order to to raise the profile of Palestinians and their issues in an attempt to address the lack of knowledge, news and information of Palestinians from both sides of the Green Line and the diaspora. Our advocacy seeks to challenge preconceptions and stereotypes, providing insights into the political issues and cultural lives which comprise the Palestinian reality.

Campaigns: targeting Palestinians, especially those inside Israel, is an important part of the center’s work. These campaigns focus on social as well as political problems facing the Palestinian community inside Israel, including issues such as violence, sectarianism and identity issues.

Training sessions: providing Palestinian civil society with professional, specialised staff in the field of alternative and social media. Training sessions aim to impart the latest skills and strategies for online advocacy, creating campaign materials and short film production. Training sessions are available to all Arab civil society groups working for positive change.

Website

http://www.7amleh.org/