Association Najdeh was founded in 1976 by a group of independent Lebanese women and men to secure immediate income to Palestinian refugee women who became the main breadwinner of their families after being displaced from Tel-Za’atar camp. Pieces of canvas and threads were distributed to Tal-Za’atar women who know how to make embroidery and paid them for their job then sold those embroidery pieces. Later on the same year Najdeh started a nursery and a KG for the women who were working on Embroidery enabling them to work while providing their children the needed care. Then in 1978, Association Najdeh (AN) was registered with the Ministry of Interior as independent Lebanese social and nongovernmental organization (NGO) with headquarters in Beirut.

Association Najdeh consists of a General Assembly that elects an Administrative Bureau, which in turn assigns the members of the Executive Board on the basis of their specialized skills. The General Assembly is 70% women and 30% men. The administrative board has progressed over the last few years from only female members to a fifty-fifty female/male division (6 members). Gender analysis is at the basis of Najdeh’s program development. Its program is focused to a great extent on promoting women’s rights, expanding opportunities for women and countering violence against them.

Throughout the last three years, 04-06, Najdeh expanded the democratisation and decentralization knowledge and leadership style by giving key members and members of the executive board responsibilities outside their traditional fields. Those are representing AN, in different networks, collective and separate projects. All of representatives have been working with Najdeh for many years and they are capable of holding the new responsibilities. Najdeh also enhanced the External Relations Committee that now consists of three members.

During 2005 & 2006, AN elaborated its own Code of Conduct (enclosed) in response to its social and GBV programs and activities. Participatory training workshops with key members of the organization were conducted and carried out the Code of Conduct. On the local level, the Code of Conduct was also introduced to the majority of local NGOs working with Palestinians in 5 regions. Najdeh believes that introducing and training on CoC for other NGOs working with Palestinian refugees would assist in strengthening the progressive role of civil society institutions against regressive and discriminative one promoted by Islamic trend's institutions especially after attempt made by them in 2006 in Borj El Brajneh camp to impose an Islamic constitution on local NGOs.

Najdeh’s vision is a Palestinian community enjoying national and human rights, social justic and equality between women and men.

Najdeh’s mission is to empower women and children, the most disadvantaged elements of the refugee community, with the tools necessary to a more-participatory role in their community economically, socially and educationally in order to contribute concretely to the development of the overall Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon. Najdeh provides a core program of social, psychological, educational, economic, and advocacy.