PECDAR:
Six years of Economic Development in Palestine

Following the signing of the Declaration of Principles on September 13, 1993 in Washington DC by the PLO and Israel, the Palestinian Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR) was created. The Council's main mission was to allocate and channel funds contributed by the donor countries and international organizations to rebuild the Palestinian economy.

In its early days, PECDAR was assigned a comprehensive responsibility: managing the reconstruction of infrastructure, formulating economic policies and strategies, in addition to coordinating foreign financial and technical assistance, the promotion of private sector activities, etc… Currently, PECDAR continues to act as a link between the donor community and the different public institutions by promoting projects pertaining to the development and growth of the various sectors.

One of PECDAR's pioneering projects conducted in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is the Palestinian Tourism Sector Planning and Development Project, supervised by the Technical Assistance and Training Department at PECDAR. This project has since its inception organized research and produced tourism promotion publications of excellent quality, in an attempt to enhance the Palestinian tourism sector and market. In the following pages we will feature these publications and activities.

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Palestine: The Holy Land
Guide Book and Video

PECDAR and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities 2000
The Palestinian National Authority
130 pages full color with pictures and Glossary of Terms
10 Minute Video
For orders:
Available at major bookstores or
The Technical Assistance and Training Department, PECDAR
Tel: (02) 2362366, 2362370

A stunning reproduction in full color of Palestine: its culture, history, and current attractions, "Palestine the Holy Land" is an extremely informative book containing various maps of Palestine, information on the main cities, historic sites, and tourist attractions. Starting with a greeting from the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, the guide continues to describe Palestine as "a land rich in history with a tradition of hospitality... Important to three major religions around the world, Palestine has been a meeting point for diverse cultures since prehistoric times." The first Papal visit to Palestine in 1964 is briefly described in words and black and white photographs already on page 9, followed by 4 maps: in the Footsteps of the Lord Jesus, Geographic Palestine, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. The tour begins with Jerusalem, which "towers over all other cities" with its spirituality. The book continues to assert that "for the faithful, a visit to Jerusalem is a powerful affirmation of faith." Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Ramalllah and El Bireh, Nablus, Sabastya, Qalqilya, Tulkarem, Jenin, Jericho, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, Gaza, Rafah, and Khan Younis, are presented in the following pages with astounding pictures and a map of each city helping the visitor get acquainted with the rich texture of Palestinian urban and rural population centers. These cities are also extremely relevant historically as they contain many sites of historic significance.

Palestinian culture is presented in the guide through poetry, music, proverbs, handicrafts, books, and cuisine. A full page is dedicated to the Arabic alphabet. The various handicrafts for which Palestine is famous are also described in detail with close- up images. Suggested readings on a variety of topics of interest to the tourist are also de-scribed and illustrated. The book also contains useful phone numbers and tips for tourists and visitors. An indispensable book for any visitor who wants to get an immediate feel for the country, its people, history, and culture.

Accompanying this publication is a 15 minute video produced by the Cinema Production Center –Ramallah providing a visual panorama of the main cities described in the book. This video gives a real-life idea of the most beautiful areas of the Holy Land. This project is supervised by the Technical Assistance and Training Department in PECDAR for the benefit of The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, with funding provided by the Technical Assistance Trust Fund, a multi-donor grant administered jointly by PECDAR and the World Bank.