Resilience through knowledge: insights into knowledge sharing in Palestinian NGOs

This study explores the challenges of knowledge sharing practices in NGOs, particularly in conflict driven resilience contexts. While traditional knowledge management strategies emphasise structured systems, this research investigates the organic, crisis driven knowledge sharing observed within Palestinian NGOs. The study asks how NGOs create, mobilise, and share knowledge in routine work and crises; how does resilience through Sumud shape knowledge sharing and affect organisational adaptability. Drawing on ten indepth interviews across three NGOs and materials, we identify “knowledge resilience” and “knowledge ownership” as key mechanisms. Findings show that sharing is largely organic and crisis driven, hampered by donor templates, security risks, weak retention, and top down flows. Informal, trust based exchange sustains services and advocacy, yet lacks institutionalisation, effective ownership, and bidirectional internal circulation. We argue for context led, minimally structured systems that codify locally produced knowledge while preserving tacit, community embedded know how strengthening adaptability, and credibility in volatile environments.