About

Our story

Makan is an independent, non-partisan organisation dedicated to intersectional learning. We provide transformative education aimed at strengthening the movement for Palestinian liberation, contextualising Palestine within the broader framework of social justice and global liberation movements. Our programmes draw inspiration from historic and ongoing struggles, including the global anti-apartheid movement, the civil rights movement, the movement for Black lives, and the struggles of other Indigenous peoples.

Set up and led by members of the Palestinian diaspora, Makan works to strengthen the ability of advocates to talk about Palestine in a simple, fact-based manner that centres Palestinian knowledge production.

We teach towards transformation through interactive workshops and accessible online resources that are designed to generate constructive and courageous conversations. In a world where Palestinians are relentlessly dehumanised and struggles for liberation are demonised, it is essential to hold on to an understanding of education as a pursuit that is not ‘objective’ or ‘neutral’, but a practice that involves ethics and civic courage.

We oppose all forms of racism and discrimination and our programmes work towards a world where freedom, justice, and dignity, are not ideals but lived experiences for all.

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Our impact

Since our inception, we have worked with a wide range of high impact groups, including human rights organisations, trade unions, grassroots activists, academics, cultural workers, and journalists, building the capacities of thousands of advocates through our workshops and specially tailored sessions.

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of our workshop participants say they would recommend our workshops to their colleagues or friends
Our online resources have reached

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people

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individuals trained through our intensive workshop series

In recent years, Makan has worked with many social justice movements, trade unions, as well as students and faculty at a raft of universities - including Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick, Goldsmith’s, LSE, UCL and King’s in the UK and Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, Stanford and Harvard in the US - where people have been mobilising so effectively in recent months. And today many more new campaigners, social justice groups, cultural workers, and university students are asking for our support.

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Our team

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Co-Founder, Board Member

Tareq baconi

(He/Him)

Tareq is the author of Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance. He is the former Senior Analyst for Israel/Palestine and Economics of Conflict at the International Crisis Group. He holds a PhD in International Relations from King’s College London. Tareq’s writing has appeared in the New York Review Daily, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, and The Guardian. He is the book review editor for the Journal of Palestine Studies and the president of the board of Al-Shabaka.

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Co-Founder, Board Member

Tamara Ben-Halim

(She/Her)

Tamara is Co-Director and Co-Founder of Makan. She is British Palestinian-Libyan and has worked in Arab civil society for over a decade. Tamara co-founded Cycling4Gaza in 2009 and led various communication and outreach projects while working with venture philanthropy organisation Alfanar. She holds a first-class MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics, an MA in Modern European Languages from the University of Edinburgh, and is a policy member of Al-Shabaka.

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Chair

Marina Galanti

(She/Her)

Marina co-founded and was a Trustee of Rush, a UK foundation dedicated to bringing new thinking into HIV policy. After graduating from the London School of Economics, Marina worked as a journalist for outlets including Newsweek, the Guardian and Sky News, before moving into Communications, where she worked for brands such as Benetton and The Body Shop. She also spearheaded international CSR initiatives related to HIV, human rights, and the environment, and worked with Bono (U2) on the development of the Red Brand and the launch of the American Express RED card.

 
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Treasurer

Muwaffak Bibi

(He/Him)

Muwaffak is a career international banker based in Geneva. His core banking experience was developed at Citibank over 35 years, across three continents with diversified senior roles in banking and finance. After Citibank Muwaffak joined Credit Suisse where he oversaw the ultra-high net worth operations in the Middle East, followed by First Abu Dhabi Bank. He currently sits on several boards, including Taawon/Welfare Association, the Palestinian Museum, and the Swiss AUB Alumni Chapter. He holds an MBA from McGill University in Montreal and a BA from the American University of Beirut.

 
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Board Member

Daniel Machover

(He/Him)

Daniel Machover is a leading British human rights lawyer. He has represented clients in some of the most high profile civil cases in the UK including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Azelle Rodney Inquiry and cases exposing violence of prison officers at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. Daniel is a partner at London law firm Hickman and Rose, a co-founder of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights, and a member of the board of INQUEST as well as the Advisory Board of Forensic Architecture.

 
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Board Member

Dr. Mezna Qato

(She/Her)

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Director

Dr. Aimee Shalan

(She/Her)

Aimee Shalan is Makan’s Director. She is also a Trustee of Friends of Birzeit University (Fobzu), a policy member of the Palestinian policy network, Al Shabaka, and Chair of the British-Palestinian Committee. Her previous roles have included: Chief Executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), Director of Friends of Birzeit University (Fobzu) and Co-founder and Director of Pressure Cooker Arts, a not-for-profit arts and advocacy organisation. She has been a regular contributor to the Guardian and other media outlets. Aimee holds a doctorate in the Politics of Palestinian Literature.

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Testimonials

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The session was truly enriching and specifically in learning about the setting the terms of the conversation in debating, anticipating counter arguments and how to respond back.

Workshop Participant

Communications & Advanced Debating Workshop, Nov. 2023
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I thoroughly enjoyed the disability justice workshop. The information provided and activities conducted gave us a holistic understanding of the intersectionality between disability and colonialism. Looking forward to attending more Makan workshops.

Workshop Participant

'Disability Justice in Palestine' workshop in partnership with Diversity & Ability, Jun. 2023
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I just started to follow and learn about the situation in Gaza, and these are very helpful pieces. Please keep up the good work!

Instagram Follower

Testimonials

The session today was expertly presented and highly informative -- very much appreciated the expertise and the personal stories shared to help illustrate the realities facing Palestinians. Appreciate the space that was shared and held to facilitate learning for funders and activists.

Workshop Participant

Funding Palestinian Freedom workshop

Makan helped sharpen my abilities to advocate for Palestinian liberation and gave me a safe, constructive space to practice these skills and deepen my knowledge. They provided excellent facilitation, and as a result, I feel ready to educate and organise others to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

Workshop Participant

Workshop for Paltrek

The session was truly enriching and specifically in learning about setting the terms of the conversation in debating, anticipating counter arguments, and how to respond back.

Workshop Participant

Communications and Advanced Debating workshop

I thoroughly enjoyed the disability justice workshop. The information provided and activities conducted gave us a holistic understanding of the intersectionality between disability and colonialism. Looking forward to attending more Makan workshops.

Workshop Participant

Workshop conducted in partnership with Diversity and Ability

I just started to follow and learn about the situation in Gaza, and these are very helpful pieces. Please keep up the good work!

Instagram Follower

Our partners

We are proud to work together with a range of organisations within the Palestinian ecosystem and with other intersectional groups globally. These partnerships strengthen our collective impact and expand our reach, enabling us to work more effectively towards our shared goals.

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White Kite Collective
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