About Humans Empowering Local People Inc. (H.E.L.P., Inc.)
H.E.L.P., Inc. is a US non-profit corporation that will operate in Israel/Palestine exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code.
H.E.L.P., Inc. is currently an official registered NGO in two countries, in the state of Wisconsin in the United States of America under the EIN: 84-2232433, and is the parent NGO to a branch under the name of HELP Jerusalem which is registered in Jerusalem, Israel/Palestine.
How it All Started
It all started after Oday attended The Drew Institute on Religion Culture, and Conflict Transformation program in the summer of 2018. During the program, an intense dialog between the Israeli/Jewish team and the Palestinian team revealed not only their differences, but commonalities as well. With many positives and negatives, and likes and dislikes between the two groups, a harmonious, dedicated, and friendly relationship emerged between Hagit and Oday. Although Hagit and Oday were from the same region, their backgrounds were divergent. Oday is a Palestinian Muslim and Hagit an Israeli Jew, but they had a shared interest, to invest in their homeland. That interest was to bring innovative solutions at the grassroots level to the people of the area.
Hagit and Oday, focused on creating a better future by leaving their differences behind them and explored solutions for the people living in the region. Between 2018 and 2019, Oday traveled three times to Palestine and Israel for one month each time and studied how to promote peace in a way that had not been implemented before. They met with residents, researched the needs of the region, and prioritized projects for implementation.
From their Israeli and Palestinian points of view, they unified their perspectives regarding the way they looked at the region religiously, historically, and politically, and as a result, Oday founded H.E.L.P., Inc. and also created HELP Jerusalem in Jerusalem, of which Hagit agreed to assist in co-founding of HELP Jerusalem, however she is not an active member.
Drew University’s Center on Religion, Culture and Conflict (CRCC) established the Institute on Religion and Conflict Transformation program in 2013 to bring together young, emerging Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders from conflict hot-spots around the world for training in the theory and practice of religious conflict transformation and peacemaking. By engaging directly with people of other faiths, and through a series of seminars, workshops and other activities led by scholars, activists, government officials and senior religious leaders, this unique program gives up-and-coming lay and clerical leaders an opportunity to live and engage with each other as they study for three weeks on Drew’s campus.
Mission & Vision
H.E.L.P., Inc. will strive to commit itself in utilizing all of its resources to peacebuilding and peacekeeping between groups in conflict in the Holy Land. H.E.L.P., Inc. will help and empower the local people by protecting their human rights, deliver humanitarian aid, and promote sustainable development by establishing everlasting resources for the disadvantaged people who suffer from the long unsolved conflict.
We are seeking for the adoption of the idea of sustainable development and improving the welfare of the people of the region and especially children. We will operate in different fields of basic necessities (healthcare, education, infrastructure/municipal projects such as water, sanitation, and roads).
Our projects will help significantly in reducing the religious and political conflict between people who live in Israel/Palestine. Our projects will decrease the insecurity and the fear people live on a daily basis.
Creating safe, caring, mixed-tolerant, and fun environment/facilities through building hospitals, schools, infrastructure projects, and playgrounds for children in territories that are accessible for both Palestinians and the Israelis is one of our goals.
Above all, we do what we do first and foremost to please our Lord in spreading good to help people live with dignity and prosperity, and to preserve the beauty and integrity of one of the most sacred and blessed places on earth to many different religions and nations.
Programs and Projects
Israel-Palestine is known for its polarizing and intense atmosphere, due to the political unrest between its inhabitants. The conflict is deep and complicated and even leaders of advanced countries have not been able to find a solution for many decades. We are not claiming to resolve the issue in its entirety, but we confidently believe that with our innovative approach and determination we will be able to bring a major transformation to the area and to the peoples’ mentality. Our focus is on everyday people; we are working at the grassroots level to create a difference in people’s attitude through education and economic nurturing for the purpose of promoting peace and understanding. The value of this work is creating the acceptance and co-existence of the two nations that have been fighting for a long time and this will directly influence the neighboring countries and the surrounding region. Our projects will help significantly in reducing the religious and political conflict between people who live in Holy Land. It will decrease the insecurity and the fear people live with on a daily basis. Jews, Christians, Muslims, and people in general all deserve to live together and to be happy.
We are proposing to bring a fundamental change to the region through projects that have not been implemented nor have been brought up in discussion. These proposed projects will bring people together from both societies on all different levels. Working on one area and ignoring other areas is NOT part of our vision. We studied carefully the most needed projects/improvements to the region, and we believe that working simultaneously and collectively is what is going to create effective change and a powerful impact.
We have a broad network of supporters and we believe the right time for implementation is now. All of these projects are under the business umbrella. When the economy is nurtured and improved, that will bring prosperity to people, and the focus is immediately going to shift from depression to happiness. Peace in the region will most likely and mainly be achieved through education, tolerance and economical support.
What we are proposing and what we are taking on is a huge and very challenging matter, but we believe with the right, courageous, open minded leaders, and YOUR support we will be able to much better achieve our goals. It is the time to harvest all of what we have been preparing for and put this positive energy into projects that would help further this momentum and never stop.
Priority Projects
1. Create and institute a support structure that provides additional help for kids that tend to be bullied.
Bring the philosophy to the kids that there are people who are different.
Provide education to teachers on improving their communication with students and to teach them how to provide emotional support and the needed knowledge of accepting diversity to deliver to the students.
2. Building a state-of-the-art children’s hospital to treat Palestinian and Israeli children and employ people of the region without discrimination.
3. Creating a hybrid GAP program for Palestinian and Israeli youth to create early leadership with common goals.
GAP, in short, is a leadership program for students after finishing high school. Currently, this is a program only used by Israelis for their students. However, we believe a program like this for the Palestinian youth can help in shaping the youths’ perspective and prepare them to think strategically and independently.
4. Constructing bicycle and running paths for ALL people to use.
5. Create a Conflict Resolution program to model the one that is offered by Drew’s Center on Religion led by professor Golden.
The center is an interdisciplinary center focused on global peacebuilding and interfaith leadership. Many of the peace building projects stem from programs like this. This is one of the must have programs in Palestine-Israel. This will promote greater understanding between the three different main religions in the region as well.
The overarching goal is to establish a center, the Holy Land Exchange, in the vicinity of Jerusalem modeled on the work of the Drew Institute. This center will focus on training leaders throughout the region – Jewish, Muslim, Christian – in the ways of inter-religious dialogue, peacebuilding and activism. Ultimately, the goal of this center is to create a space for ongoing interfaith activities and exchange in towns and villages throughout the region. Focusing on training young, emerging religious leaders, we will raise the next generation to mobilize from word to deeds, and from dialogue to action with the ultimate goal of sustainable peace.
Core Values:
DISCRIMINATION IS PROHIBITED.
Respect and Care for All human beings.
Equality, Justice, Honesty and Transparency.
Team:
We are a group of international professional individuals from different backgrounds and different countries whose passionate mission is to help disadvantaged people in the Holy Land by training young, emerging leaders in building peace across religious and cultural divides. Our goal is to build bridges and cooperation between Arabs and Israelis on economic, educational, social, and religious tolerance levels to achieve the ultimate goal of stopping the violence and the blood shedding.
We believe at this time that foreign support to the region has many different meanings and has tremendous potential for positive impact.
Meet the Team
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Oday A
Oday was born and raised in Hebron, Palestine and is the founder and president of H.E.L.P., Inc. and the founder of HELP Jerusalem. Since 2001 he attended and participated in interfaith events in multiple states in the US, between congregations to promote collaboration and understanding between different faiths. Oday participated in the Drew Institute on Religion and Conflict Transformation program in New Jersey. He is also a frequent attendee of the Israeli-Palestinian International Economic Forum in Jerusalem.
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Alison O
Alison holds a bachelor’s degree in fine and is a board member of H.E.L.P., Inc. She grew up going to a Lutheran church and also worked in childcare Sundays at a non-denominational church however when she got to the university she sought more answers to religion. Alison converted to Islam in 2009. Alison has extensive knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict and she spent two summers in the region exploring the country.
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Bryan B
Bryan was raised in the Catholic faith but did not fully come into the faith until later in life. He is now a member of an Evangelical Free church in Madison, WI. He has found a renewed interest in developing his faith. Being a part of H.E.L.P., Inc. has aided Bryan in expanding his knowledge of the origins of his faith and other faiths originating from Abraham. Bryan is the secretary of H.E.L.P., Inc.
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Abdikarim M
Abdikarim joined the board of H.E.L.P., Inc. from inception. He has a master’s in Biomedical Engineering with emphasis on Medical Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a student he was active in student social issues, during his time there he taught and mentored underrepresented and underprivileged students on campus. While working as a Medical Physicist in Milwaukee, WI he participated in mission trips to help orphanages in Kenya. He currently resides in Milwaukee, WI with his wife and two children.
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Jonathan G
Jonathan (PHD, University of Pennsylvania) joined H.E.L.P to serve in an advisory role. He is the director of Drew’s Center on Religion, Culture and Conflict, an interdisciplinary center focused on global peacebuilding and interfaith leadership. Learn more about Jonathan here.