This document provides personal and professional information about Issa Yousef Samandar. It includes his contact information, education history, work experience, skills and references. Over his career, he has worked for NGOs advocating for land and housing rights in Palestine, including as the Director General of the Palestinian National Committee for Register of Damage. He has extensive experience managing projects, conducting advocacy campaigns, and building relationships with local and international organizations.

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name: Issa Yousef Samandar
Residency: Bir Zeit, West Bank, Palestine
Email: issasamandar@hotmail.com
Telephone: (h) +972- (02)- 2811628 or (w) (0)2-2955127 ,
mobile: 0599-463686 or 0597910218
Nationality: Palestinian
Place and date of birth: Bir-Zeit, 17/6/1955
Status: Married with 4 children(all are over 18 yrs) .christian
Wife: Nina Lutfi Samandar, works at UNWA Jerusalem,.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- B.A. Economics, Bir Zeit University, 1984
- Courses and studies attended after university:
1- NGOs Strategic planning.
2- Trainer for trainees on International Humanitarian Law.
3- Housing and Land Rights programs with Habitat International Coalition
4- Computer, accounting and Hebrew Courses
5- Trainer for trainers on elections.
6- Strategic studies
7- PCM(project cycle management)
8- Political system of USA & Canada.
9- Israeli Society.
10- Trainer on Media handling and capabilities.
11- Trainer in labour rights and working conditions
12- Trainer for trainees on Advocacy (USAID)
13- Several Human rights sessions and seminars, including Good governance, women and
children.
14- “Palestinian Leadership in Development, Managing Political and Economic
Transition” A Harvard University executive training program in leadership and
management of political and economic reform.
WORK EXPERIENCE
December 2006 – till now
Director general of Palestinian National Committee for Register of Damage(incurred by the
construction of the wall), (government org.)
Handles all issues concerning the implementation of ICJ and UNGA decision on the wall,
including administrative, field work, communication and meetings with UN bodies,
international delegations international visitors of parliamentarians, churches, press, media,
and diplomatic officers. Preparation of official position in legal and formal writing of letters,
while maintaining and follow-up of international procedures. Public communication and
campaigning with concerned ministries, NGOs, and various international and local experts.
Work with local councils, reviewing their budgets, research on their situation concerning
losses incurred by the construction of the wall. Reviewing laws on mandates of local
councils.

2. June 2012 – September 2012:
Needs assessment and TOR evaluation team member, a team organized by EU consulate
for development to study and evaluate all projects of land development ( land and water
resources in connection to food security)implemented by local Palestinian NGOs,
sponsored by NRO, EU, Spanish coop, Italian Coop.
April 2006 – 31st
December 2009
Project manager of NAR (networking, Advocacy) project , MA’AN Development
Centre(NGO), Ramallah Palestine; targeting grassroots and community CBOs and governmental
bodies. That aims to develop capacities of activists, networking, funding, and defending land and
housing rights. Writing reports and coordinating with UN, and international organizations, Red
Cross, Amnesty, HIC ,other International organizations and representatives),advocacy and media
campaigns.
April.2004- Dec. 2006
Project manager, “Right to my Land” MA’AN Development Center, Ramallah.
A project directed for villages’ grassroots committees, threatened by the WALL and land
confiscation, Bedouins and housing rights. Contributed to the designing, writing and planning of
the project, in addition to the overall management of the project. A large attendance (130)
Conference was held for representatives of various regions, for two days. Working with local
councils on rehabilitation of land and implementing projects.
May 2000 – June 2003
Director of PALDIS (Palestinian Land Development Information System)(NGO)
A joint sharing project among several NGOs, aiming to supply first hand information on high
level professional standards, to local NGOs and local committees and activists , concerning
settlements, planning , land survey; in order to develop activities from reaction to proactive and
encouraging initiatives. Establishing database of each village, and registering all events and
violations of human rights. Publishing maps, some detailed on villages concerning violations.
Networking for local popular, community committees.
March 1995 – Feb.2004
Coordinator and director of LDC (Land Defence Committee)(volunteer)(grassroots
org.)a housing rights organization
LDCs being a grassroots gathering, the main tasks were of organizational, mobilization, and
campaigning aspects. Cooperation with NGOs. and village councils toward improving methods
of better administrating and community outreach.
September 1994 – June 2002
Owner of private company Gate ( general agency for international trade services)
Import and export.
1989-1994
Purchasing manager
CLUB (beverage) Co and STAR (detergents) CO
1979 – 1988
Ritz Hotel Jerusalem Assistant manager ,
As the same time being the coordinator of Labour union in Jerusalem, tasks included
women work rights and child abuse cases. Follow up of implementation of regional
labour laws, labour rights.
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3. LANGUAGES
Languages Mother tongue Ability to speak Ability to write Ability to read Able to understand
Level Level Level
Arabic X
Hebrew Good Moderate Very good Very good
English Fluent Very good Fluent fluent
Italian and Spanish Weak good good
French fair fair good
PERSONAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCES
Through many years of work in NGOs and involvement with local Palestinian communities,
International organizations, including international NGOs, since 1994- I had acquired experience and
knowledge in:
1. Good personal and work relations with various Local and International organizations,
International NGOs., Governmental bodies, parliament members, churches, and individuals,
UN personalities.
2. During my career life I was keen and interested in promoting my professional knowledge in
certain fields, and to get more than the basics, such as law and international treaties, protocols
for diplomats, negotiations' methods, organizing meetings media campaigning, and advocacy
campaigns strategies.
3. Throughout my career life I had been in constant follow up with new developments on
political social and changes in Palestine, and Israel and different states in the region in direct
contact with personalities there.
4. Editor of publications concerning the wall, human rights, land and housing rights, media
handling, case studies, position papers and Pamphlets. On specific examples of villages.
5. Have been engaged actively with grassroots in most village,. Good relationship with village
councils and municipalities and local CBOs. Thus knowing in- depth facts on ground with live
cases and not- merely analysis.
6. Being part of major events of political and economic analysis seminars.
7. Ability to develop ideas and programs emerging from deliberation with representatives of
International, Local organizations and depending on their needs assessment, gaining some
experience from other countries, that I visited.
8. Have acquired by study , practice, and work experience appropriate skills, through many years
of work in higher position of responsibility: PMC( project cycle management) as: needs
assessment, planning, administrative, recruiting, people centred development and citizen
driven activities, development based on Human rights, follow-up project implementation
process, budgeting, , evaluation outputs and impact assessment, monitoring. And ability to
connect general trend and movement of society with projects’ aims.
9. Elected HIC Board (Habitat International Coalition) representing MENA region till end of
2010.
10. Have been engaged actively in many Palestinian-Israel peace coalition activities.
11. Trainer on Land and Housing rights for local NGOs, Activists. ( publishing booklets, in
Arabic)
12. Visiting trips andor conferences on human rights issues to: Nigeria, Kenya, India, Egypt,
Brazil, Austria, Spain, and Holland.
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4. 13. Good relationship with activists in Housing rights in several continents: America
Latina, Mexico, Asia, francophone Africa, Anglophone Africa, Middle East and North
Africa.
14. Maintaining good relationship with funders and Church affiliated donor organizations, in
Europe. coordinated efforts tor emergency support to Bedouins and house -demolition
families
- Social skills and competencies - work well both independently and within a team and contributes
actively to achieving actual positive results; minimize side effects and loss, willingness to take
initiatives as well as to assist and support colleagues. Respond positively to requests for help or
information.
- Organisational skills and competencies - very positive attitude towards work, liaison among different
points of view and commitment with officially agreed upon decisions, well organised, highly
motivated and do respond well to new demands and challenges;
COMPUTER SKILLS AND INTERESTS
- Very good management of computer skills, MS Word, excel, power point designing, Adobe Photoshop,
internet campaigns.
- Planning and executing advocacy campaigns.
REFERENCES :
1. Mr. Naseef Muallem, executive director of Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy
(PCPD), Tel: 02-2965981, pcpd@palnet.com.
2. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Head of Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees,
tel: 02-2969970, mobile: 0599254218, email: pmrs@pmrs.ps.
3. Palestinian Legislative Council member Muheeb Awwad, mobile: 0599520925,
muheebawwad@yahoo.com
4. Rafeef Mujahed, UNCHR, 0598108957, rmujahed@ohchr.org
5. Mr. Shawan Jabbarin, director of Al-Haq (human rights NGO), Tel: +970-2-2954646,
shawan@alhaq.org. Ramallah.
6. Mrs Suha Musleh, ICRC ramallah, email: Birehrc@palnet.com, tel : +97222406260
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