Al-Mughayir | Public Spaces as Arenas of Life in the Face of Land Seizure

To the northeast of Ramallah, on the edge of the Jordan Valley, the village of Al-Mughayir faces a daily struggle with settlement expansion and closures. This small village of about 4,000 residents once owned 43,000 dunums of agricultural and grazing land. Today, only 980 dunums remain accessible, after most of the land was swallowed up by military closures and confiscations. In a place where life depends on farming and livestock, the very foundations have been shaken: herds sold off due to the soaring price of fodder, lands made inaccessible, and even children’s playgrounds and schools subject to repeated attacks.

Amid this restricted reality, the project to rehabilitate Al-Mughayir’s public spaces and facilities emerged as a bold attempt to bring life back. On an area of 4,600 square meters, a multifunctional public space was designed: shaded gathering areas, safe playgrounds for children, seating places that respect women’s privacy, and facilities ensuring full inclusion of persons with disabilities. The aim was not to build a decorative park, but to create a real breathing space to counter the social isolation imposed by land confiscations and barriers.

Because resilience is inseparable from livelihood, the project carried tangible economic dimensions. It created 33 job opportunities, increased the village council’s budget by 9%, and allocated a special space for women to turn their homemade food and baked goods into a sustainable source of income. Persons with disabilities were also given a role in managing the facilities.

Yet the project’s essence lies in its approach: it was not imposed from the outside but chosen by the community itself. A local committee of women and youth set the priorities, and residents implemented the project themselves through 70 days of voluntary work. This is where the deeper meaning of the initiative emerges: it is not merely infrastructure, but a space born from the community and for the community.

Today, Al-Mughayir offers its visitors a different picture: a village encircled from all sides, yet one that managed to carve out for itself a safe haven within the siege. The park is not only playgrounds and benches—it is a space of human resilience, proving that communities can protect their people and create places for life despite restrictions. It is a modest attempt, but one that carries a clear message: that development, even in the most fragile environments, can be a daily act of resistance that restores people’s natural right to live in dignity.

This project is part of the Sub-Grant Program, which is implemented by the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) in Area C. The initiatives under this program are not merely about infrastructure improvement, but serve as practical tools to keep communities rooted in their land, expand spaces of life in the face of closure and confiscation, and turn development into a daily act of resilience that safeguards rights, memory, and existence.

funded by: the European Union and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)