YaLa Press
YaLa Press is our one-of-a-kind multimedia platform showcasing the work of YaLa Academy participants and alumni, sharing their personal stories and views on current events in the region.
YaLa Press is unique. Our contributors give a first-hand look into their communities around the region, writing as private agents. They are independent and do not answer to any institution or editor with a specific pre-defined agenda. Our contributors have undergone professional training through the YaLa Citizen Journalism program and are thus able to bring the best of both the independent citizen and professional journalist perspectives to the table.
Contributors express their views through a variety of different medias including written essays, photos, and videos, and cover a range of pressing regional topics such as human rights, the environment, conflict and peacebuilding, gender equality, culture and heritage, development, and more. They come from Algeria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen and beyond.
Shai Shalgi
Co-Editor and YaLa Project Manager
Shai, a 2018 YaLa Alumna, specializes in conflict resolution, international development and international law and has been working for the Peres Center since 2018. Shai holds a Master’s in European Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she wrote her dissertation on EU policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict.
She also holds a Bachelor’s in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya as a Fellow of the Argov Program for Leadership and Diplomacy. Shai speaks fluent Hebrew and English and
conversational Arabic.
Chloé Perla P
Co-Editor and YaLa Community Manager
Chloé, a 2014 YaLa Alumna, has been working closely with numerous peace and conflict resolution organizations and has several years of experience in social work and education.
She graduated from the Regional Institute of Social Work of Paris and holds a Bachelor’s in Education and Social Sciences. During the past two years, she
specialized in E-learning, social media and alumni relations. Chloe speaks French, English and Hebrew.
Sarah Perle Benazera
Former Chief Editor
Sarah Perle Benazera is a peace-activist, storyteller and educator, with over 10 years of experience in peace-building and inter-cultural dialogue. Sarah was the former project director at YaLa Young Leaders, and part of the team that designed the original YaLa Citizen Journalism program. She has been the editor of YaLa’s blog platform since 2013.
“I believe stories can help bringing people together and build bridges when fear build walls.”
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