The home of the Mossawa Center has become a social, cultural, and political hub for the Palestinian community in Haifa and beyond.
A historic building wedged between Haifa's German Colony and Wadi Nisnas, the Carmel Community Center is home to the Mossawa Center and the Committee for Educational Guidance for Arab Students (CEGAS). Originally used as the British Consulate during the Ottoman era and later as the headquarters of the Iraqi Petroleum Company, the building has been transformed into a political, social, and cultural hub for the Palestinian Arab community in Israel. Recognizing its potential as a vital resource for Palestinian Arab civil society, the Mossawa Center spearheaded an ambitious renovation project to restore and modernize the space while preserving its historical character.
The Carmel Center now serves as a safe space for Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel to freely express themselves, develop advocacy initiatives, and build community solidarity. It is the birthplace of numerous NGO and grassroots initiatives, benefiting from the daily support and resources provided by the Mossawa Center team. It has also become a central venue for political mobilization, cultural preservation, and social engagement, making it a key meeting point for Palestinian Arab activists, students, and leaders working both nationally and internationally.
One of the Carmel Center’s most significant cultural events is the March of Culture, an annual festival that celebrates Palestinian literature, music, theater, and visual arts. Established in 2011 by Palestinian writer Salman Natour, the festival continues to thrive at the Carmel Center despite increasing state restrictions on Palestinian cultural expression. Events include film screenings, poetry readings, theater performances, and art exhibitions, providing a vital platform for Palestinian Arab artists to showcase their work and share their narratives.
The Salman Natour Public Library, also housed in the Carmel Center, serves as a crucial resource for students, researchers, and community members, containing a diverse collection of books in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. In 2020, the Mossawa Center donated over 1,500 books, including Mossawa Center publications, to 30 Palestinian Arab libraries throughout Israel, reinforcing the Carmel Center’s commitment to education and cultural preservation.
The Carmel Center plays a crucial role in empowering Palestinian Arab youth, serving as the venue for the Mossawa Center’s Youth Summer Workshops. Each year, these workshops bring together over 150 young Palestinian Arab participants, providing them with legal training, leadership development, and advocacy skills. These sessions include educational excursions to historic Palestinian sites, civic engagement seminars, and practical training in human rights activism, equipping youth with the tools to become future community leaders.
Beyond the summer programs, the center regularly hosts monthly youth workshops and civic engagement initiatives, fostering discussions on minority rights, legal literacy, and political representation. Through these initiatives, the Carmel Center has become a key incubator for youth activism and Palestinian Arab civic participation.
The Carmel Center has become a beacon for Palestinian Arab art and cultural preservation, providing gallery space for exhibitions, performance areas for musicians and poets, and creative workshops for aspiring artists. The Mossawa Center collaborates with cultural institutions and independent artists to organize public art installations, storytelling sessions, and documentary screenings, ensuring that Palestinian Arab history and identity remain visible in the public sphere.
Through its dynamic mix of youth engagement, cultural programming, political discourse, and community organizing, the Carmel Center continues to be an indispensable resource for the Palestinian Arab community. As a hub for empowerment and social change, the center remains committed to preserving Palestinian Arab identity, amplifying voices of resistance, and fostering a space where civil society can thrive.
Beyond its cultural and youth programming, the Carmel Center is a vital political and social space, regularly hosting conferences, policy briefings, and community organizing meetings. It serves as a headquarters for legal aid services, municipal advocacy, and social justice initiatives, ensuring that Palestinian Arab citizens have the tools to fight discrimination and demand equitable government policies.
The center frequently hosts political roundtables and panel discussions, bringing together activists, elected officials, and community leaders to address pressing issues such as budgetary discrimination, housing policies, and human rights violations. Through these gatherings, the Carmel Center fosters strategic collaborations between civil society organizations and policymakers, strengthening Palestinian Arab representation in national and local governance.