Complete List of Projects Since 1991:
middle east
Misgav Ladach Hospital, Jerusalem, 1991-1999
The Misgach Ladach General Hospital in Jerusalem is a hospital where both Israeli and Palestinian women deliver their babies. While Israeli patients are covered by the Israeli Health service the Palestinian patients are not and often cannot afford the treatment. The KKF has made annual payments to the hospital to cover those costs.
Omariya School, East Jerusalem, 1991-1993
On the request of the Jerusalem Foundation, the KKF financed the total renovation and modernisation of the Omariya Elementary School in East Jerusalem’s Muslim Quarter between 1991 and 1993. The dilapidated school building, which itself dates back to Roman times, urgently needed structural and educational improvements due to the high number of Palestinian refugees coming into the area from Kuwait in the early nineties.
It now serves 760 pupils from Kindergarten to Year six, and also has one class for children with special educational needs.
Fellowship for Palestinian Physicians at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, 1992-now
This highly successful program was established in 1987 by Karl Kahane with the purpose of providing fellowships for Palestinian physicians wishing to specialise in various medical fields (Radiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Hematology, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, ENT, Paediatrics, Neonatology, Gynaecology, Anaesthesiology, Ophthalmology, Internal Medicine, Urology).
Up to now, more than 30 doctors have successfully participated in the program, bringing back much needed medical care to the Palestinian people. Apart from the medical benefits, the program has also been successful in bringing Israeli doctors and patients and Palestinian doctors into personal contact and closer understanding.
Interpreting Program at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, 2007-now
The program aims to improve pediatric health care delivery by removing language barriers using medical translators at the Department of Pediatrics in the Medical Center on Mount Scopus.
Marrow Donor Registry from the Arab Population at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, 2008-now
The program recruits donors from different Arab communities to the Hadassah Unrelated Marrow Donor Registry in order to facilitate identification of related marrow/stem cell donors for patients of Arab origin in need of marrow/stem cell transplantation.
Genetic and Metabolic Disease Center, Palestine, 2010
The overall objective of this project is the establishment of a Genetic and Metabolic Disease Center in Palestine in collaboration with the Al-Quds University, Abu Dis, Jerusalem.
The Sapir Center for Jewish Education and Culture Studies, Jerusalem, 1995
The KKF has contributed to the Sapir Center’s program against intolerance and sectarianism. The Sapir Center is committed to further the historical Jewish values of tolerance, understanding and respect for human dignity.
Yaron Marx, Tel Aviv, 1997
Against our practise, the KKF has in this one case made a contribution to an individual. One of the young participants of the New Generation – Crossing Borders project, lost both his legs in a tragic accident during a New Generation summer camp.
National Palestinian Blood Transfusion Service, 1999, 2003-2008
This is the KKF’s by far biggest project. We support the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in their aim to establish a centralised national blood transfusion service for the Palestinian Autonomy (PA).
Currently, blood services in the PA are provided by several small blood centres, which are not able to work to the latest technical and safety standards. They produce small amounts of fresh blood without adequate facilities for testing, typing or other means of modern blood treatment. Blood donation relies on the old fashioned system of family donation, which is known to produce a much higher incidence of contaminated blood than more modern systems.
With regard to the worldwide AIDS crisis, the World Health Organisation has acknowledged the need for modern blood transfusion services as paramount. The implementation of the NPBB will presumably take two years.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2000-2001
The Palestinian universities have a severe shortage of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics teachers. Moreover, as they do not deliver MSc degrees in these disciplines, this creates a self-perpetuating situation: there are no teachers for these disciplines and no possibilities to train new teachers.
The project aimed to change this situation by allowing a number of Palestinian students to study these disciplines at the Hebrew University. Between 2000 and 2002 the KKF helped to pay for the students’ University fees and Hebrew training.
Education Sponsorship Program for Women and Girls (PWWSD), 2001-2003
The Palestinian Working Women Society for Development (PWWSD) aims to help underprivileged Palestinian women by supporting their education, helping them to earn money using their traditional skills, fighting early marriages and generally enhancing women’s status in Palestinian society.
Since 2001 the KKF has supported the Education Sponsorship Programme for Palestinian Girls. Due to curfews and rising poverty, many girls in the Palestinian Autonomy have problems continuing their school or University education. With the grant from the KKF the PWWSD is helping about 120 girls and young women to pay their study fees and transportation costs.
The Centre for Jewish Arab Education in Israel, 2001, 2003
Hand in Hand, Israel, 2005-2007
The Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel is working to establish and promote integrated Jewish-Arab schools across the country. These schools provide the framework for Jewish and Arab children to study together side by side in the same classroom and build an important new model of "peace education"and partnership between children, teachers, parents, the wider community and ultimately encourage change on a national level.
This change is defined as altering attitude in the Israeli education system whereby all of its citizens can enjoy educational and social equality in the public school system.
The center runs three schools in Jerusalem, the Wadi area and Galilea. The foundation funded this year community meetings and meetings of Jewish and Arab families. The KKF has supplied in the past each school with 10 Pentium III computers and supported the development of a Junior High School.
Rabbis for Human Rights, Olive Tree Campaign, Israel, 2007-now
One of the areas of work of the organization is to guarantee access of Palestinian farmers in the Occupied Territories to their agricultural land throughout the year in coordination with Israeli security forces. It also brings Isaeli and international volunteers to ensure the olive harvest as well as replanting thousands of trees destroyed by vandalism.
europe
Bird Protection Engadin, 1991
The KKF made a one-off payment to the Society for the Protection of Birds, Engadin, for the creation of habitats in La Punt, Switzerland.
Hospital Oberengadin, Samedan, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2010
The hospital Oberengadin in Samedan is the biggest Swiss hospital on the south side of the Alps. It provides basic medical care for the people of the Oberengadin region, and surgical, gynaecological and neonatal care for the population beyond. The KKF has made several grants to this important regional hospital for the purchase of medical equipment, most recently the Ultrasound System SONOS 2500 in the year 2000.
Stiftung Rehabilitation nach Organtransplantation, Lienz, Austria, 1992
In 1992, the foundation Rehabilitation after Organ Transplant converted an old farmhouse in Lienz, Austria into a rehabilitation centre for children and young people after organ transplants. The KKF supported the refurbishment.
Kinderbetreuung Engadin (KIBE), 1992, 1995 - 2003
KIBE was set up in 1991 in Samedan, Switzerland to provide low cost, high quality childcare for single parents or families in which both parents have to work.
The organisation co-ordinates a network of childminders and runs a crêche for 60 children from 2 months up to 5 years. Due to their big success and huge demand, KIBE had to expand substantially over the last year. The KKF has supported KIBE since 1995.
Mittelschule und Tourismusfachschule Samedan, Switzerland, 1993
In 1993, the KKF supported the refurbishment of the Samedan Polytechnic for Tourism.
Verein Openair Lengnau, Switzerland, 1994
The KKF has made a one-off contribution to this Rock Festival (Rock gegen Hass) which is committed to fight racism and promote tolerance in Switzerland.
New Generations – Crossing Borders, 1994-2000
In 1994 the Middle East Youth Peace Forum together with the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue started the project New Generations – Crossing Borders. A group of young Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians and Austrians met regularly over a period of four years in order to establish personal relations, overcome stereotypes, gain skills in conflict resolution and acquire leadership qualities.
The experiences of the participants were documented in the German/English publication Crossing Borders by Margit Schmidt et al, published by Picus Verlag, Vienna, 1999.
Stiftung Communio et Progressio, 1995
The Foundation Communio et Progressio was established in 1991 by the Austrian Cardinal Dr Franz König in order to provide a forum for representatives of science, business, religion and media to discuss and further the worldwide challenges to justice, environment and peace. The KKF has contributed to this Foundation in 1995 in honour of Dr König’s 90th birthday.
Cliniclowns, Vienna, 1995-2002
CliniClowns were founded in Austria in 1991 and have been supported by the KKF since 1995. Their purpose is to provide psychological support for hospitalised children and old people.
Currently, 50 clowns are working in 15 Austrian hospitals. The clowns are recruited among social workers, nursery school teachers, primary school teachers and actors, and are given four months training before visiting patients twice a week.
Much more than entertainers, they listen to the sick and become their confidants. Several studies have confirmed the psychological and therapeutic benefits of this program.
Neue Welt Fonds, Vienna, 1995-1998, 2000
The Neue Welt Fonds is running a program for the integration of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union into Austrian society. They maintain a Kindergarten and school for immigrants’ children. The KKF has supported the Neue Welt Fonds between 1995 and 2000, mainly for the purpose of renovating the school building.
Musikhochschule Oberengadin, 1995
In 1995 the KKF has purchased a Bechstein Grand Piano for the Musikhochschule Oberengadin, Switzerland
Israelitische Gemeinde, Basel, 1996
In 1996 the KKF contributed towards the restoration and expansion of the buildings of the Jewish Community Centre.
Neue Mädchenkantorei, Basel, Switzerland, 1996, 2000, 2005-now
The KKF has contributed twice towards the running costs of this long established girls’ choir and music school.
International Montessori Preschool, Vienna, 1999
The KKF made a one-off payment towards the nursery to organise an art exhibition representing the different stages of child development.
Bäuerinnen und Haushaltungsschule, Schiers, Switzerland, 1999
The KKF made a one-off payment towards the cost of the restoration and refurbishment of this school which provides important education facilities for young women from the Graubünden region.
Education for Life, 1999
Education for Life is committed to helping people live their lives in a responsible, caring and respectful way. It offers educational programs that strengthen mutual understanding, non-violent communication and personal development. As well as the acquisition of life skills, the program focuses on the development of caring connections within and between Israeli and Palestinian civil societies. EfL is based in Holland with offices in Israel and Ramallah.
Bruno Kreisky Forum, book project, 1999
After the longstanding project New Generation-Crossing Borders had ended, the BKF decided to publish its results and the experiences of all participants in a documentary volume. A contribution was made by the KKF towards the publishing costs.
Fonds for Bosnia and Herzegowina, 2000
The KKF made a one off payment to the Fonds which works towards the reconciliation and integration of the different ethnic groups in the area, and to alleviate the suffering of war victims.
Jehuda Halevi Community Centre, Vienna, 2000-2003
The Jehuda Halevi Community Centre in Vienna offers music, theatre and dance classes to children and young people of various ethnic, religious, social and cultural backgrounds. The classes culminate in several concerts and theatre performances each summer.
Sponsorship is available for children from poorer families. The Community Centre sees its purpose as much in the conservation of Jewish culture as in the peaceful and natural co-existence of different sectors of Austrian society. The KKF has supported Jehuda Halevi since 2001.
DisOrientation International Conference on Women's Movements
& Civil Society in the Arab World, 2003
In April 2003, the House of World Cultures in Berlin hosted a Conference in co-operation with the Bruno Kreisky Forum and the Karl Kahane Foundation on Women’s Movements in the Arab World.
Nineteen mainly Arab female scientists, writers, publishers, journalists, politicians and activists came together to discuss development, strategies, obstacles and future of women’s movements in their region.
KKF Lecture Series, Talking for Peace, The Middle East now and tomorrow, 2003-now
In cooperation with Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue in Vienna, Karl Kahane Foundation presents a quarterly lecture series mostly about bridge-building in the Middle-East. Lecturers from the past: Amira Hass, Amos Oz, Sophie Freud, Rabbi Michael Schwartz, Moshe Zuckermann etc.
Peacecamp/Imagine Peace, Austria/Israel, 2004-now
Peacecamp/Imagine Peace 2007 took place from July 2nd-12th, 2007, in Reibers, Waldviertel, Lower Austria. Imagine peace is a project that follows Peacecamps 2004, 2005 and 2006. Youths from Israel (Arabs and Jews), Austria, Hungary came together to discuss facts of their personal , cultural and religious identity and to practice non-violent conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills.
Peacecamp 2007 brought together 3 groups of youth (16-17 years old) - Israeli, Palestinian and Austrian, who met in a quiet resort Austria, in the midst of forests and mountains, and shared information about their respective personal, cultural, religious, national identities and the narrative of each group's history.
Bharatha Sakhi Trust, India, 2006
The trust runs an Ashram for children in the southern province of Tamil Nadu. With the KKF funds the groundfloor of a dayclinic was constructed.
Pro Infirmis, Chur, Switzerland, 2005-2007
The idea of creating an integrated theater project with mental handicapped and people without handicap was born in 2003. It's a way to initiate both groups to learn from each other. The target of the project is to wipe out the border between "handicapped" and "normal".
Since 2005 KKF has been supporting on an ongoing basis a yearly theatre production.
Bibliothek Samedan/Bever, Switzerland, 2006
The library in the region of Graubünden moved to a new location. The KKF funded parts of the the new furnishing and equipment.
ViaKult Office/Kid's Festival 2005, Bosnia Herzegovina
ViaKult Office's main project, the KIDS-FESTIVAL, which has 25-30,000 participants, is a 7-day youth event in Sarajevo, which combines an international film week for young people with a multitude of side-activities, entertainment and education. Using the attraction of the seventh art - FILM - to reunite former enemies of war, especially their children. Providing a neutral platform of exchange, new themes to discuss: not related to the war or to ones origins, religion etc.
The Karl Kahane Foundation supported the participation of a multicultural group of young Israeli filmmakers "... so that justice is not only done, but can also be seen!". The secondary aim is to export the concept of the Kid's Festival to Israel, to find a local partner and adapt the project according to the local needs and possibilities.
Visoparents, Dübendorf, Switzerland, 2005-2007, 2010
Visoparents, an association organised by parents of blind, visually impaired and multiple handicapped children was founded in 2003. Visoparents offers different kinds of activities for these handicapped children.
Since 2004 KKF is supporting a programme within Visoparents providing regular supervised playgroups for visually impaired children in order to relieve their parents, as well as occasional weekends.
debra-austria, eb-house austria, Salzburg, 2006-now
debra-austria is striving to provide treatment and research for epidermolysis bullosa (eb), a debilitating skin ailment, in a center affiliated with the Salzburg University Hospital.
Eb-house is the leading therapy and teaching centre on an European level.
WUK-School, Dyslexia-Programme, Vienna, Austria, 2006-now
As the Austrian schooling system does little to enable dyslexics to pursue an academic career, KKF supports an experimental four-year specialized dyslexia training programme in a small alternative school in Vienna, hoping that the positive outcome will be shared with and applied by the Vienna School Board.
Jewish Museum, Hohenems, Austria, 2006
The Museum was originally opened in 1991. Much has changed since then. It now presents Jewish history from all perspectives in an intimate way.
The interest in Jewish history and culture in the region has grown - the museum became a focus of the cultural landscape around lake constance, with an international audience.
Together with architects Steinmayr & Mascher (Feldkirch and Vienna), designer Roland Stecher (Götzis) and curator Hannes Sulzenbacher (Vienna) the Museum developed a complete new permament show, which was reopened on May 1st 2007.
The Karl Kahane Foundation funded the development of one part of the permanent exhibition, which shows the significance of transnational relations, of migration and networks as a resource for a European future.
Fondation Hommes de Parole, Switzerland, 2007, 2009
Hommes de Parole is Swiss foundation based in Geneva, created in 2001, by Alain Michel, after 15 years of humanitarian action in 25 countries. The foundation is independent, belongs to no religious, political, philosophical, ideological or economic movement on structure. The foundation considers spirituality as the very essence of life.
The Objectives are: To renew the dialogue between Men and to act on the causes of conflicts and on the principal problems of our times, relative to the concerns for the future of the planet and peace in the world.
Hommes de Parole organizes actions, events, meetings, develops the news and information, which each human being needs so as to react if he so wishes, on the future of humanity.
Paintings Gallery, Academy of the Fine Arts, Viennea, 2008
In the building of the Academy of fine Arts in Vienna a prestigious gallery is set up, the so called "Gemäldegalerie", which is currently undergoing renovation. The KKF participated in the renovation costs. The reopening will take plache in 2010.
Medical University of Vienna, 2008-2009
Magica Cleme, Italien, 2009
LETPack, Basel, 2009-now
LetPack hat die Förderung, Entwicklung und Begleitung psychisch beeinträchtigter Menschen als zentrale Aufgabe.
Psychosocial Center ESRA, Vienna, 2009-now
The center was founded in 1994 in the framework of the Jewish Community in Vienna as a counselling institution for Jewish migrants from the former UDSSR as well as for survivors of the Holocaust (incl. Sinti and Roma).
Hemayat, Vienna, 2009-now
Hemayat was founded in 1995 and serves as a counselling center for victims of torture and war survivors.
Niederösterreichischer Landeskindergarten, Wulzeshofen, 2009-2010
The KKF funded the construction and furnishing of an additional recreation room.
Knabenkantorei, Basel, 2009-now
Maimonides Center, Vienn 2009-2010
other
Salk Institute, San Diego, USA, 1991
The KKF has made a contribution to the Salk Institute of San Diego to support their AIDS research.
Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Centre, Baltimore, USA, 1997
The KKF has contributed to a “vision aid lending program” run by this Baltimore eye clinic. The purpose of this program is to allow patients with low remaining eyesight to borrow vision aids for practise and experimentation at home. Only this lending program allows patients to find their perfect vision aid before having to purchase it.
Vision Foundation, India, 2001-now
This is one rare example of a project outside Central Europe or the Middle East. Many poor people in rural India suffer from preventable blindness due to cataracts. The Vision Foundation sends mobile screening units twice a month to remote villages in order to identify patients who need surgery. They organise transport for the patients to the base hospital, perform the simple operation, and can send the people home the day after.
The Vision Foundation perform 750 such operations per year at a total cost of US$ 12,000. The KKF has supported the Vision Foundation between 2001 and 2007, the organisation has received no other funds.
We have chosen to support this project because it fits into our focus on health care, and manages to bring medical help straight to the neediest. It also provides exemplary value for money, considering that a donation of US$ 12,000 per year can save 750 people from certain blindness.
Licht für die Welt, Ethiopia, 2007
Licht für die Welt is part of the Christoffel Organization for Development Cooperation. Our contribution is for the establishment of the Eye Hospital in Gondar, Ethiopia, where 500 trachoma and glaucoma surgeries as well as 500 refraction surgeries will be performed, thereby saving the vision of thousands of people in this area.
Association Al Kawtar, Marrakech, Morocco, 2006-now
Al Kawtar is a non-profit day care centre and embroidery workshop
for disabled women. It was founded in 2006 by the Karl Kahane Foundation and hosts 17 women with various physical disabilities. The Centre is open 7 days a week and offers a safe environment to work, hot meals, personal assistance as well as reading and writing instruction.
Their skills based on traditional Moroccan embroidery techniques are adapted to contemporary needs and designs and there are always two „beginners“ who are being taught a craft by the other members.
Remuneration takes place in the form of a modest monthly fixed income, plus the work done in the form of an hourly wage. Prices are calculated strictly according to the principles of „Fair Trade“, i.e. material + work + 25% for all expenses (rent, utilities, food, salary of a housekeeper).
Bharatha Sakhti, Tamil Nadu, India, 2006-2007
The Bharatha Sakthi trust is a humanitarian trust to carry out social projects in Tamil Nadu, South India. The KKF supports the building of a small hospital to provide free medical care to destitute children and villagers. The Hospital will be right next to a hostel for children, where most of the beneficiaries are presently living.
Comitato Arghosha Faraway Schools, Afghanistan, 2008-now
A group of Italian friends decided in 2006 to form a small committee with the mission to build schools in remote and disadvantaged areas of the world. They called it Comitato Arghosha Faraway Schools, after the first school the built in Afghanistan in 2005. Meanwhile five schools have been built.
Hadassah Medical Organization, Art-Joy-Love, Ethiopia, 2007-now
The ART-Joy-Love project is a multidisciplinary approach for orphans with HIV/AIDS. The pediatric program set in motion by the Hadassah Aids Center in Jerusalem in 2005 assists treating HIV/AIDS orphans with antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other needed medical care, and dispenses Joy and Love that are so needed, by volunteers in the Mother Teresa orphanage in Asco, Addis Ababa.
S.ANK Verein, Namibia, 2009
Centre for Development Research, Fostering Women Voices through Videos in Bangladesh, 2010-2012
Women have been neglected in agricultural development in the past. Participatory video (PV) helps women farmers to raise their voices for agricultural development in Bangladesh. The proposed project will foster voices of 600 rural women through developing local capacities for "women-to-women" PV development and dissemination in Bangladesh.
IAMANEH, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2010
The project aims to help women and children traumatized by the war events through therapy.
Hostel for Tribal Children, Devla, Rajasthan, 2009-2010
City of Port Colborne, Canada, 2010
The KKF funds a playground equipment renewal.
Austria for Kenya Kids Support, Amadeus Children's Home and School, Ukunda, Kenya, 2010
Verein Mali Projekt, 2010
World Vision, Sierra Leone, 2010
Johns Hopkins Research and Rehabilitation Center, Baltimore, 2010