How we function

1.  We work together and help to organize local residents to solve collective problems particularly those leading to social and economic inequality.
2.  We also mobilize community volunteers and train them in order to help the residents set their own priorities and advocate for the issues that are most important to them.
3.  We empower residents to access their rights and entitlements and to negotiate the complex bureaucratic procedures that control the flow of these rights.
4.  We raise awareness of legal rights encouraging residents themselves to drive the processes and decisions that affect their lives as individuals and communities. Through this work JCAN has been successful in aiding residents to secure national insurance family reunification and the halting of identity card revocation.
5.  We work on developing the advocacy and rights protection skills of individuals groups and institution through our Resource development and volunteer work unit. Hundreds of volunteers have been trained to conduct outreach; lead rights based activities and develop campaigns.
6. We influence decision maker’s policies and service delivery to bring them in line with international conventions on human rights. Our successes include bureaucratic procedure changes for dealing with the files of East Jerusalem residents with the National Insurance Institute system.

Our Volunteers

JCAN understands the importance of including young people as volunteers and advocates for access of rights and entitlements in East Jerusalem .JCAN believes that working with volunteers is a cost effective way to change attitudes and behavior towards building a network of volunteers who learn to identify and condemn violations and negative practices in their own communities.  

Volunteers walk through our store fronts  and are selected from the communities .They come to us from Universities (particularly law and social work students) .Through the training and support they receive from JCAN they  are able to have a significant impact in their communities and beyond . 

Volunteers hold awareness-raising sessions to introduce JCANs legal and social counseling services to people in the communities the centers work in through door to door knocking and or the more formal workshops and training sessions.

 JCAN enabled new volunteers to train with and learn from the experiences of long-standing volunteers of JCAN. These, and other veteran volunteers, continue to promote JCAN’s services and vision in their communities, conducting door to door outreach activities, JCAN’s volunteer coordinator has held a number of meetings with the volunteers, our volunteers carried out reach and door knocking in Al-Tour, Sur Baher and Kufr Aqab.