Cultural Club

The Cultural Club at Ibda’a Institution in Dheisheh Refugee Camp – Bethlehem is considered one of the most important cultural and literary frameworks within the institution. It serves as an active platform that brings together local writers, novelists, and intellectuals from Dheisheh Camp and the Bethlehem governorate, with the aim of strengthening cultural and intellectual activity, supporting literary production, and preserving the Palestinian national memory through literature, documentation, and creative expression. The establishment of the Cultural Club reflects Ibda’a Institution’s vision of integrating cultural and social work, considering culture a fundamental tool for building awareness and reinforcing identity and belonging.

The club works to nurture young literary talents and provide a supportive environment for writing and creativity through organizing literary workshops, regular intellectual meetings, and discussion sessions on literary, national, and social issues. It also contributes to developing participants’ creative writing skills in areas such as short stories, novels, essays, and poetry, while encouraging the literary documentation of the Palestinian experience in refugee camps, reflecting the social, humanitarian, and cultural reality.

Among the most notable achievements of the Cultural Club is the organization of specialized literary and cultural competitions, most importantly the “Depopulated Palestinian Villages” competitions, which have continued for several years. These competitions aim to revive the Palestinian historical memory and connect younger generations with the heritage of the villages and cities from which their people were displaced. They have contributed to producing distinguished literary texts and highlighting new creative talents among young writers, while also enhancing cultural and historical awareness.

The club also includes a group of local writers and intellectuals who continuously contribute to enriching the cultural scene within the institution, whether through literary production or supervising cultural activities and events. In addition, the club works to strengthen cultural partnerships with other literary institutions and initiatives to expand its cultural impact, exchange expertise, and further develop literary work at the local level.

The Cultural Club also plays a significant role in building a cumulative cultural and literary archive that reflects the Palestinian experience in the camp. It seeks to document oral stories and narratives and transform them into written texts that preserve collective memory and prevent its loss over time. Furthermore, the club provides a free space for intellectual dialogue and literary critique, contributing to the development of participants’ critical thinking skills and refining their literary and intellectual perspectives in a deeper and more professional way.

In addition, the club organizes cultural evenings and open literary gatherings for the public, where local writers and cultural figures are invited to strengthen the connection between creators and the community and foster cultural interaction within the camp. These events help promote a culture of reading and writing and encourage young people to engage in literary work as a means of self-expression and identity affirmation.

Overall, the Cultural Club at Ibda’a Institution is considered one of the core pillars of the institution’s cultural project. It contributes to building a culturally and intellectually aware generation capable of expressing its issues and identity through literature, while reinforcing culture as an essential form of existence and a means of preserving Palestinian identity in the refugee camp and the wider community.

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