About Al Mubadara

In Ramallah, West Bank, on June 17, 2002, a group of Palestinian leaders announced the launching of the Palestinian National Initiative (Al-Mubadara) at a press conference led by Dr. Haidar Abdul Shafi, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi and Mr. Ibrahim Dakkak. The Initiative's main objectives are the implementation of Palestinian national rights and the creation of a durable, just peace.

The Initiative believes these objectives can best be achieved through the establishment of a national emergency leadership, the implementation of democratic elections at all levels of the political system, and the reform of political, administrative, and other institutional structures in Palestine to meet the needs of the Palestinian people.

Summary of Al Mubadara's Objectives

We believe it is imperative that the Palestinians’ resilience and determination be activated and channeled to achieve the collective goals of ending the Israeli occupation of the West bank and Gaza and dismantling all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. Only through the establishment of a sovereign, independent, viable, and democratic Palestinian state on all of the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, can a just peace be achieved.

The Initiative calls for the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions requiring the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the West Bank and Gaza and safeguarding the internationally-recognized right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland. At this most critical time, we call upon all concerned parties to prevent the Israeli government from continuing to build its illegal Separation Barrier. It is destructive to any peace process for Israel to use this network of walls and fences to consolidate its discriminatory policies of cantonization, annex Palestinian land, and establish an apartheid system in the West Bank and Gaza.

The absence of true internal reform and a unified strategy in the leadership of Palestine has been a weakness that Israel has exploited in order to undermine the Palestinian cause and divide the Palestinians internally. It is necessary to address this situation through genuine reform and through the creation of internal political structures that can best serve the cause of freedom, independence, and socioeconomic development. Reforms at the most basic levels must be implemented in order to regain the confidence of the Palestinian people here and in the diaspora.

This Initiative is a response to popular demands from men and women calling for increased participation by Palestinian citizens in the process of nation building. We wish to give them the opportunity to participate in the just struggle for the realization of an independent, viable, democratic and prosperous state which guarantees security, justice, equality before the law, and a dignified existence for its citizens.

The Initiative believes in the strength of Palestine's human resources. Our challenge is to create the appropriate conditions that will allow for the full and constructive utilization of this collective energy in the creation of our national structures. Internal reform and the development of state structures should be carried out with the active participation of the Palestinian people, and not merely as a response to external pressures.

The Palestinian people have sacrificed a great deal in their struggle to achieve freedom, justice and lasting peace. These collective efforts must be translated into concrete achievements and outcomes.

This Initiative is intended to be part of a dynamic process rather than a predetermined recipe for action. It aims to be a catalyst for mobilizing the intellectual, cultural, social and political energies of our people. We remain open to the enrichment of this Initiative by the citizens of Palestine so that it might become the means for the development of a wide-scale national democratic movement.

Immediate Objectives of the Initiative

• Creation of a national emergency leadership with a unified strategy and full democratic participation in decision-making.

• Working for free democratic elections for all institutions and political posts in the Palestinian Territories including the Presidency, the Palestinian Legislative Council (Parliament), and local councils.

• An international presence to ensure free elections.

• Restructuring of government institutions with clear mandates, bylaws, and responsibilities in order to guarantee transparency, accountability, and lack of corruption.

• Implementing the Basic Law and all other laws passed by the PLC.

• Working towards the separation of powers with independent judicial and legislative structures.

• Reform of the court system.

• Serving the needs of the poor and underprivileged by developing poverty alleviation programs through employment and social welfare initiatives.

• Enhancing the role of local councils and allocating adequate budgets to facilitate the execution of their mandates.

• Consolidating and enhancing the role of civil society institutions and guaranteeing their independence.

• Centralizing the national budget, instituting a transparent system of expenditures, and guaranteeing oversight by the legislature.

• Eliminating factors that can lead to corruption, the misuse of funds, and the abuse of power and authority.

• Restructuring security forces to eliminate the duplication of structures and to ensure their abstention from interference in economic, administrative and political decisions. The security services will be subject to the rule of law and the decisions of the independent judiciary, and their main task will be the protection of the security of Palestinians.

• Developing and improving basic services in health, education, and social welfare.

• Promoting a sustainable and high-quality system of higher education to meet the developmental needs of Palestinian society.

• Continuing the struggle for the release of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

• Activating and engaging diaspora Palestinians in the nation-building effort.

• Developing and expanding the international movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people.