Middle East Children's Alliance

The Middle East Children’s Alliance, also known as MECA, is a no profit organization that works in the Middle East to fight for the rights of children. In an effort to achieve this goal, this organization has made it their duty to inform the international communities such as the United States on the effects of the US policy on the children that live in the Middle East. MECA also offers humanitarian aid and involves themselves in projects that are geared towards uplifting the youth. The organization was formed in the year 1988 by Howard Levine and Barbara Lubin. This was after a visit that Barbara made to Palestine and Israel after the first Intifada. What Barbara witnessed in these countries was poverty, injustice of the people and violence towards the locals. It was subsequent to witnessing this that Barbara teamed with Howard to be the voice of these children and undergo different projects in order to raise money to assist these children. They decided to do this in the West Bank and Gaza.

For the first two years that this organization was running, MECA led many delegations to Palestine. They were also very keen on assisting those cooperatives that were headed by women in West Bank and Gaza that were aimed at providing food. They also organized a few demonstrations that were greatly geared towards the ending of the US support of Israel. MECA was also the organizer of educational events that were intended to educate and inform about Palestine. On their first shipment to Palestine, the organization included warm clothes and baby formula. Although the organization is based in Berkeley, California, they support the children and families in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.