Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network (PENGON)

The Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network was founded in May 2000, six months after the commencement of the Second Intifada by widespread demand within the Palestinian NGO sector to create a Network that would encourage networking, cooperation, environmental and NGO strategizing, lobbying and advocacy within Palestine and worldwide to defend the dangerous state of the Palestinian environment, and building contacts with international environmental organizations that would cooperate in highlighting the environmental and human rights issue in the Occupied Territories. PENGON's objectives also include promoting the exchange of experience and expertise on a local, national, and international level. The Network is seen today as the most active and wide reaching environmental organization in the West Bank and Gaza in dealing with local coordination, grassroots mobilization, and international advocacy and is the only environmental network for the Occupied Territories.

PENGON is a non-governmental, non-profit organization.

PENGON, as a network, has at its basis its member organizations, which currently number 21. The PENGON member organizations vary in size and objective but all deal in some way with the following environmental issues: agriculture, water, health and sanitation, sustainable development, cultural heritage, human rights, pollution, wildlife, research and development, land degradation and confiscation, preservation, and community participation.

They include grassroots local organizations that focus on social mobilization and awareness, as well as NGOs that are more technical and service oriented, as well as NGOs that focus their attention on information collection and dissemination.

PENGON's members represent the majority of the West Bank and Gaza environmental NGOs, and its members include well-established, large NGOs and local organizations answering to specific community needs and demands.

Though PENGON's office is based in East Jerusalem, West Bank, the membership base is widespread and reaches all the districts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. PENGON's close ties with its members makes all the localities highly accessible to PENGON in its work.

PENGON's current work on social mobilization, networking between grassroots local organizations and NGOs, information collection and dissemination, and monitoring and evaluation has meant that its work currently spans all the West Bank and Gaza districts.

In addition, PENGON's current campaign efforts have brought about the establishment of 3 campaign emergency centers in three of the northern districts of the West Bank . These centers are headed by PENGON.