Our Origins and Philosophy
Tamer Institute is a Palestinian cultural, non-governmental organization, financially and administratively independent, dedicated to promoting culture and knowledge within Palestinian society, particularly among children and youth. Tamer Institute for Community Education was established amidst a difficult political and social climate, where Palestinian identity was, and remains, subject to systematic attempts at dismantling, marginalization, and destruction. Its founding in 1989 came as a response to an urgent community need that required the innovation of learning tools to empower individuals, especially children and youth, to express themselves, protect their identity and narrative, and engage in rebuilding their society on just cultural and rights-based foundations in light of a colonial reality that imposes structural constraints on education and knowledge, and the means of accessing them.
Since its inception, Tamer Institute has been dedicated to enhancing the presence of children and youth in Palestinian society by employing storytelling and expressive arts, including drawing, writing, literature, and oral history, among other intellectual and artistic tools, constantly striving to provide free and safe spaces that serve as a cradle for their growth and development. Tamer regards culture as a vital strategic tool for steadfastness against colonial hegemony and adopts learning as a path toward emancipation, by linking thought with practice as two pillars in building a free, learning, and active society capable of uplifting itself, starting from the younger generation.
Tamer’s work thrives in places where books abound. It does not view books as static vessels of knowledge, but rather as gateways to creativity, imagination, critical thinking, and dialogue. These "Third Spaces", such as libraries, community centers, and youth hubs, transcend walls and ceilings to become worlds of thought and expression, where children and youth can explore their ideas, talents, history, and individual and collective identities within free and safe environments. For 36 years, Tamer Institute has exerted its efforts to create innovative and sustainable spaces for learning and expression for children and youth, as well as for the groups close to them and working with them, such as parents, teachers, librarians, caregivers, and artists. These spaces, in turn, contribute to supporting literary and intellectual production regarding children's culture in Palestine and strengthen the social and national fabric.
Tamer Institute has presented an integrated, qualitative experience in working with children and youth, based on a holistic approach that includes individuals, diverse societal groups and organizations active in this field. Over the years, the Institute's experience has proven how children's literature can be an effective tool for achieving social change and promoting the values of justice and belonging. Tamer Institute produces high-quality books for children and youth and works in collaboration with Palestinian, Arab, and international writers, artists, designers, and musicians to provide rich and diverse content that meets children's interests and expresses their issues. The Institute also manages a vast network of local partners reaching up to 500 entities, in addition to the Institute’s youth teams who lead reading, writing, and expressive arts activities in their communities.
Tamer relies on a diverse and independent funding model that integrates individual donations and local, Arab, and international cultural partnerships, alongside the development of self-generated income sources, such as marketing its children's book publications. This diversity in funding sources enhances its decision-making independence and ensures its sustainability. Furthermore, the acquisition of “Tamer’s House" in 2020 as a permanent headquarters marked a qualitative step in consolidating its institutional stability and enabling the expansion of its programs with a long-term horizon. Through its publications and programs, Tamer Institute organizes book discussion sessions, meetings with authors and illustrators, community learning tracks, youth initiatives, and other activities that promote human values. The Institute also pays special attention to the mental health and well-being of children and youth in light of the continuous challenges faced by Palestinian society.
Tamer continues its pioneering role as a model case in the fields of community education, arts, culture, and literature, despite the increasing pressures of occupation policies that hinder cultural and educational work. It provides children and youth in Palestine with various tools to express themselves through non-traditional means and stimulates them to dream, think critically, and expand their horizons toward a more free and humane future.
Our Vision
Toward a free and safe Palestinian learning society.
Our Mission
To encourage a culture of learning among children, youth, and those who work with them, and to support freedom of expression in all its forms.
Our Goals
The Institute possesses a clear strategic plan, stemming from its educational, social, and humanitarian values, primarily aimed at empowering children and youth for sustainable cultural and community action, reflecting their energies, national identity, and openness to issues of justice, freedom, and human rights.
- Promoting literary and cultural production for children and youth by publishing original and translated works that open new horizons for thought and imagination.
- Instilling reading, writing, and free expression as a daily life culture in Palestinian society through national campaigns and community initiatives.
- Contributing to building supportive learning environments, including libraries, cultural spaces, and safe areas for children and youth, encompassing established policies and infrastructure suitable for children's growth.
- Supporting and building the institutional capacities of the Institute's staff and partners.
Our Approach
The working model of Tamer Institute in the West Bank and Gaza Strip relies on the integration of two main paths: the production of literary and intellectual knowledge on one hand, and providing access to knowledge in all its manifestations through live community interventions on the other. Within this framework, the Institute’s work is centered on developing inclusive and stimulating educational spaces that place the Palestinian child at the heart of the cultural process, by empowering them through expression and knowledge production and strengthening their culture and identity. These spaces embrace the experiences and questions of children and youth, pushing toward building a reciprocal relationship between them and knowledge—away from indoctrination—through long-term programs and specialized resources, including a resource center that feeds Palestinian libraries and contributes to the development of children's literature locally and globally.
Tamer Institute adopts a participatory, integrated, and comprehensive approach that stimulates independent thinking, expression, and imagination. The Institute works to enhance knowledge by providing children, youth, and caregivers with educational tools and materials, critical thinking methods, and building their intellectual and literary capacities, in addition to providing extracurricular activities that raise awareness and support children as actors and change-makers in their communities. Creating safe and free spaces in schools and the community is also a vital and fundamental element of the Institute's work, involving parents, youth, local communities, official bodies, and children. Furthermore, Tamer supports literary and research production regarding children's culture, in addition to the well-being and mental health of children and youth in Palestine.
Tamer follows the concept of "Learning through Proximity" (Al-Mujawara): that is, learning with people, not aboutthem; we accumulate experience through encounters and interactions, and we build tools that are transferable within the community. Our tools are not merely technical; they mirror our humanitarian approach:
- The Story and Narrative: as a language of meaning and a bridge between individual experience and the collective narrative.
- Oral History: as a right to own memory and to call things by their true names.
- Expressive Arts: (drawing, theater, writing, music, visual/digital content creation) as a path for venting, reflection, and conveying one's voice.
- Interactive Reading: as a collective act: we read to understand ourselves and grow together.
Tamer carves its path in developing a "free and safe Palestinian learning society," challenging the various risks the Palestinian people are exposed to across different geographical areas—including genocide, displacement, daily incursions, and detentions—as a result of the Israeli occupation. In the development process, Tamer relies on planting the seeds of this society in the hearts of children and youth in every possible way, using a three-pronged approach based on the principle of participation in knowledge production. These three pillars unite in activities aimed at: drawing closer to ourselves and forming a deeper understanding of the self; our relationship with our surroundings and the concept of humanity as a whole; and then expressing this self and its complex relationships through diverse literary and artistic means. Tamer also aims through its activities to preserve oral history through storytelling and offers specialized tracks in tangible and intangible cultural heritage, focusing on the Arabic language to equip children and youth with what they need to build their individual and community identities.
Tamer Institute seeks to provide a safe environment for children and youth by offering opportunities for self-expression through art—such as reading, creative writing, drawing, drama, and filmmaking. Art paves the way for them to interact safely with their surroundings and acquire advanced critical thinking tools. It also encourages them to understand the intellectual barriers and societal challenges before them; thus, they become capable of examining conventional identity hypotheses and raising questions. These questions form unique lenses for children and youth to discover their surroundings, choose their path, and shape a unique identity that suits them and strengthens their sense of belonging.
The necessity of preserving oral history is manifested in rooting individual and community identity for children and youth through the stories of grandparents and members of the Palestinian people affected by the reality imposed upon them by the occupation. The Institute works to preserve these stories in its various literary productions, such as stories, novels, podcasts, and others, to transfer these experiences between individuals and immortalize the various circumstances to strengthen the bonds between individuals across generations and throughout various parts of Palestine.
The Institute focuses on the role of the Arabic language in communication and expression for children to create their unique identities through writing, reading, and various self-expression activities. The Arabic language is, by nature, a means of communication between members of the local (Palestinian) and global community (various countries on planet Earth). At the same time, the Institute embraces global cultures by translating books and hosting various international and regional experts in the field of children's literature, such as writers and illustrators, to share experiences with local partners.
Our Values
- Participation with the child.
- The right to expression in all its forms.
- Justice.
- Respect for the child's space and intelligence in analysis and understanding.
- Emancipatory and liberatory action.
The Meaning of “Tamer”
The Institute’s name is derived from the date fruit (Tamr), which in Arab culture is considered a symbol of spiritual nourishment, as it feeds understanding, encourages participation within the community, and supports spiritual growth. As for "Al-Tamer," it is the person who transfers pollen from the male palm tree to the female to produce the fruit. This work reflects the Institute's role in society, where it transfers knowledge and expertise from one person to another to build capacities and skills at the community level. By disseminating knowledge, Tamer helps the community grow and learn from within itself.
Tamer Institute focuses on the voices of children and youth as catalysts for change in Palestinian society, while promoting concepts of identity, equality, human rights, acceptance, critical thinking, and more. Through its programs—the Community Learning Program, the Literary and Intellectual Production Program, and the Resource Center—Tamer works side by side with its youth teams and diverse societal groups to provide literature and activities for children, youth, and the groups that work with them.
The Institute’s Emblem
The Institute chose the Wild Poppy (Hanoun) as its emblem—the flower that grows by piercing through hardened soil and thriving amidst mountain rocks. This reflects the desire, hope, and capacity for change within our Palestinian society despite all the constraints, obstacles, and patterns of thought that hinder progress. For the Institute, this hope is embodied in the youth and children who resemble the Hanoun flower as they defy all barriers. Thirty years after the Institute’s founding, the rock has transitioned into a curved shape instead of a square, signaling the impact the Institute has made on our Palestinian society.