Projects
CAPI’s activities are focused on legal assistance and counsel, urban planning, lobbying, advocacy and raising awareness about the house demolition policy of the Israeli government. CAPI connects the issues of urban planning and house demolitions to Human Rights. Our activities are classified into five categories:
The first area of work is legal assistance to Palestinian victims of demolition orders, among its activities are: A – Counselling for families who requested construction licenses that were denied. B-providing legal assistance at all levels of the judiciary – local, regional, appeals and The High Court – for families who receive demolition orders. C- Providing representation at Planning Committees when it is possible for the families to obtain the appropriate licences for their homes or it is necessary to intervene (and sometimes even fight) for retroactive license and to negotiate favourable terms for the family.
The second area of work is Urban Planning. Through the improvement of urban planning, CAPI aims is to provide the Palestinians with construction licenses (new or retroactive) to avoid and/or cancel demolition orders. Thus ensuring that the Israeli settlers cannot occupy Palestinian land for their own benefit.
The third area of work is organizing academic courses related with: urban planning and legal assistance (house demolition, legislation, procedures, jurisprudence analysis and monitoring of cases of house demolition) and its relation with the Human Rights and also Conflict Resolution. CAPI has also taken part in initiatives of other organizations, such as the demonstrations of Sheih Jarah, and has organized dozens of tours in Jerusalem for diplomats, journalists, academics and international activists.
The fourth area of work is house reconstruction; CAPI makes a big effort, to help the Palestinians to rebuild homes in East Jerusalem for victims of a demolition order by the state of Israel.
The fifth area of work is assistance to draft objectors. We operate a network called Mesarvot which consists of many activists and past objectors. The network brings together individuals, groups, and youth deciding to refuse military service. Mesarvot provides these youth with information about refusal, assistance in verbalizing their declaration of refusal, training on how to work with the media, legal support, and the connection to other relevant organizations.
Our academic activities are related with the legal assistance and counsel, urban planning and house reconstruction. The target population for these activities are the Palestinian families, mainly in the area of East Jerusalem who are victims of demolition orders and/or families who requested construction license and been denied or stayed.
Our academic activities, awareness and advocacy mainly target the Israeli population and those professionals and/or students in Israel but also reach out to Palestinians, and internationals who want to improve and expand their knowledge about urban planning and Human Rights. In addition our lobbying and advocacy is intended to target: diplomats, journalists, academics and international activists.