In the 1990s the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) established a partnership with the Welfare Association, a group of prominent Palestinian businessmen and other professionals, to launch "Playgrounds for Peace." This project was driven by the conviction that the ability to play--the right to play--is crucial to the health and development of all children, and only healthy children who grow up knowing more than anger, hatred, violence and fear, are children who can make peace that will be truly just and lasting.

Playgrounds were built in Gaza, Nablus and Ramallah combining the best of US design and child development expertise with Palestinian tradition and input from municipal leaders, parents, teachers and youth.

Since then, MECA has provided funds for the first and only playground in Dheisheh Refugee Camp in the West Bank. We also provided funds to Playgrounds for Palestine to build playgrounds in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria.