"I dedicated my entire life for peace, for medicine." - Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, MD, MPH

Our Mission

In 2009, Dr. Abuelaish, a long-standing and beloved doctor, working with patients of both Palestinian and Israeli descents, saw his worst fears realized. During an Israeli incursion into Gaza, his three daughters, Bissan, Mayar, and Aya, and a niece were killed. His faith in humanity, in the peace process in which he had dedicated his life and his hope for a better world were severely tested. His first response was anger and hate. But he drew deep into his own faith to re-connect with his fundamental belief that violence of action and thought are no response to violence.

Following publication of the 2010 best-selling book, I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey, which chronicles his life journey as a doctor and peace activist, Dr. Abuelaish set his sights on improving the lives of girls and women in Palestine and Israel. He believes that the peace process and lasting peace must include the voices and full participation of women and an acknowledgement that all actions and decisions must be based upon bettering the lives of both genders for generations to come.

Dr. Abuelaish’s three daughters, Bissan, Mayar, and Aya, and niece, Noor, were all involved in school and in the peace process. But many Palestinian girls, due to the Israeli occupation of their territories, poverty and the constant threat of violence, do not have access to the opportunities Dr. Abuelaish was able to provide his own family.

As a result, Palestinian girls dare not to dream. Daughters for Life Foundation seeks to change this, by providing university scholarships and scholarships for health and other education programs for young women in the Middle East.

These scholarships will be offered to young women of any background, so they can study in the Middle East or Western institutions of their choices, earning degrees and garnering experience so that they can feel they are a part of creating a better world and, most importantly, hope again.

Furthermore, the foundation will design, deliver and evaluate leadership programs on health and education in the Middle East.

More was lost in that instant when Dr. Abuelaish’ three daughters and a niece were killed. The deaths awakened people around the world to the terrible loss of civilian life in the protracted Middle East conflict.

For many Israelis, this moment brought the deaths of Palestinians and Gazaís and their humanitarian plights onto the television screens and newspapers of their living rooms. Comfort for all was lost.

About Us

Daughters for Life, founded in 2010, is a registered Canadian charity that provides young women in high school and university the opportunity to develop a strong voice and play a more influential role in improving the quality of life throughout the Middle East through their education.  We believe that every girl throughout the Middle East has the right to higher education and training. To this end, the foundation provides scholarship awards to encourage young women to pursue their studies at universities in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria.