Mr. Ziad Abbas (Ziad Abbas Shamroukh) is considered one of the figures whose name has been associated with the history of Palestinian cultural and community work, and one of the co-founders of the IBDA’A CENTER for the Development of Children’s Capacities and International Cultural Exchange in Dheisheh Camp in 1994, where, alongside Mr. Khaled Al-Saifi, he contributed to laying the first foundations of a cultural and community project aimed at creating a safe space for children and youth to express themselves and develop their capacities.
Ziad Abbas grew up in Dheisheh Camp, and from his early years became involved in community and cultural work, believing in the importance of empowering the camp’s residents to possess the tools to express their identity and experience. Before founding the Ebda’ Association, he worked in media and journalism, contributing to conveying the issues of the Palestinian and refugee community to local and international media, combining media work with community work.
During his time at the IBDA’A CENTER , Ziad Abbas played an essential role in building the Association’s administrative structure and developing its programs, serving as the Association’s Co-Director from its founding in 1994 until 2008. During this period, he contributed to establishing the Ebda’ model as a community institution relying on culture, the arts, sport, and education as means of developing children and youth and strengthening their presence within the community.
Among his most notable contributions was his support for the development of cultural and artistic projects that later became distinguishing features of the IBDA’A CENTER, including work with children and youth in the fields of folk dance (dabke), the arts, media, and community activities. He also contributed to building bridges of cultural communication between Dheisheh Camp and the outside world, through cultural exchange programs and artistic tours that presented the experience of Palestinian children before an international audience.
Alongside his role in founding IBDA’A, Ziad Abbas gained extensive experience in international human rights and community work, continuing his career in the United States, where he worked in defending the rights of children and marginalized communities, and served as Executive Director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA), an organization that works to support children and communities in the Middle East.
Ziad Abbas also holds academic expertise in the field of social justice and intercultural relations, having earned a Master’s degree in Social Justice and Intercultural Relations from the School for International Training Graduate Institute — an academic background reflected in his work building community programs and promoting cultural dialogue.
Ziad Abbas represents one of the founding voices in the IBDA’A CENTER story, combining cultural and media work with community organizing, and contributing to transforming a simple idea within Dheisheh Camp into an institution with both local and international presence. His legacy remains tied to a core idea that accompanied his career: that culture, the arts, and the empowerment of children and youth can be tools for building society, strengthening identity, and enabling change.
