Palestinian peace maker Rawan Zaitoun

Rawan was born in East Jerusalem, and was honored in 2009 for being the co-founder of the Interns for Peace program with Adva Kafri. Currently, Rawan is Building Bridges’ Middle East Program Director. Rawan has a diverse and long journey with Building Bridges, starting as a participant in 2000 and taking on different roles as a home group leader, summer intensive staff, program coordinator, and summer intensive director. Rawan decided to be a social worker as a result of her experience in Building Bridges, in 2009 she earned her MSW and worked as a community organizer with Palestinian women in the old city of Jerusalem focusing on empowerment and advocacy. Since then, Rawan has worked with diverse Palestinian groups using a feminist lens to address issues of injustice, conflict, and marginalization, and how it relates to identity.