Conflict & Peacebuilding

Developing a Community by Ali Osman

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The journey to peace never starts as many consider through negotiations between two countries. I actually believe that peace should come first from the inner community of the country, which then will ultimately alter the overall culture towards peace between that country and another. Simply looking through my community and observing what is going on, […]
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Peace Building by Saleem Shtayeh, Palestine

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Hello, my name is Saleem. I was born in the West Bank city of Nablus in 1975 to a Muslim family from the village of Tel. The village of my childhood was green, and life there was quiet compared to the city. Like any other child in the world, I was mostly interested in playing. […]
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My Story of Peace by Sara Gamil, Egypt

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When I was a child I used to believe in the idea of peace. I remember that I enjoyed going to any place and at anytime without being afraid we were walking in the streets until 4 am and it was ok. We didn’t have anything to be afraid to lose except our grandparents, thanks […]
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Sexual Harassment in Tunisia: The Daily Nightmare by Rahma Sghaier from Tunisia

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Walking quickly on my way back from university, I can hear distant music beats coming from somewhere. I close my eyes. I try to focus only on the music; and for a second I disappear. I am no longer here. I feel that the melody is coming from my inside and its beats are synchronized […]
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Open Letter to our Christian friends by Sahar Amarir from Morocco

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Dear Middle Eastern Christians, I know this year has been difficult for you. I know the previous years were too. Maybe you think I’m supposed to not understand because I’m Muslim; so how could I understand you as Christians?  I don’t know about the sound of bombs falling from the sky, or the sound of […]
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Immigration to Palestine by Hamze Awawde, Palestine

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If the only option is immigration, then let’s immigrate to Palestine. Although the state of Palestine has not yet been established, Palestinians are already living in the land where the state of Palestine will be established in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem; so I call for the young frustrated Palestinian men and women […]
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Dam by Yair, Israel

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Mid-July 2014, in the West Bank. The segment of Road 60 that stretches between Hebron and the checkpoint at the gates of Jerusalem is open tonight for both Palestinians and Israelis. 20 year old cars, with the print “No god but Allah” on the rear windows silently sail the road, very aware of Israeli army […]
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Interview: Uri Savir, Chief Negotiator of the Oslo Accords and founder of YaLa-Young Leaders يالا-يا قادة الشباب יאללה-מנהיגים צעירים

Author: By Chloe Perla Portheault, France-Israel
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This article was first published in November 2014 on our former platform: YaLa-Cafe YaLa-Young Leaders is a peace movement of young leaders from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) who are fostering dialogue & change.   Established in 2011, the Facebook group “Yala-Young Leaders” brings together almost 1 million followers across the Middle East and […]
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A Journey to the Other Side, Where Peace is a Reality’ by Taha Barkaoui, Tunisia

Author: Taha Barkaoui
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It has been a month, and I am still having the same dream. It has been a month and I am still inspired by the people I met. It has been a month and I still talk about it as if it was yesterday. It is a journey I started with a hug and a […]
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‘We All Want Peace’ by Angy Shavit, Israel

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Stop acting like I’m not on your side, because I’m on everyone’s side. That’s because- we are all on the same side. We all want peace. We all want our children to grow up in a country where they feel safe. Where we know they will go to school in the morning and come back […]
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‘From a Seed to a Fruit’ by Shadi Salameh from Palestine

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I spent five months studying and interacting with the YaLa team through courses online, talking to countless youth throughout the MENA region. We discussed political and social issues, and receiving the invitation to participate in their conference was the best thing that happened to me in 2014. But as we got closer to the event, […]
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‘My Weekend at the YaLa Peace Conference’ by Ilan Bass from Israel

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This weekend I traveled to the Dead Sea in Jordan to participate in the YaLa-Young Leaders يالا-يا قادة الشباب יאללה-מנהיגים צעירים MENA Leaders for Change 2014 peace conference. There I met some inspiring people from all over the Middle East North Africa region (including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sudan, Yemen […]
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Can you see what I see ? By Naima Nas, Egypt

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There are sacred grounds for all of us. Sometimes literally, as in own country, religion or family. At other times they are less obvious, such as our support for a political party or even a football team. The fundamental error in reacting to the validity of this alleged sanctity, will always be our inability to […]
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An invitation to walk together by Udi Goren, Israel

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Some of you may already know me, but for those who don’t- allow me to introduce myself briefly: My name is Udi Goren and I’m a professional travel and lifestyle photographer. I went to university in the US and came back to Israel 2.5 years ago. I wanted to share with you a new project […]
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A voice from inside Gaza By Adonis Salameen, Palestine

Author: Adonis Salameen
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I don’t like talking about politics. I also don’t like politicians because they are simply professional liars to me. Last week I went to Jordan for a vacation.  All I know is that a “ceasefire” was going on. The two conflicted sides were in Cairo doing “their best” to reach an agreement for the deteriorated […]
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‘Choose Being Pro-Peace’ by Iris Fisher, Canada

Author: Iris Fisher
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It’s hard to believe we continue to have wars and fight over land, religion and power in the 21st century, despite what we have learned from history books and what our ancestors went through; despite the evils of wars and sufferings of innocent people. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for decades.  What’s worse is […]
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‘Switching Souls’ by Naima Nas, Egypt

Author: Naima Nas
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We could spend another 100 years discussing, debating and dying over the right to the Holy Land. The question remains: who has the right to do what with it? What is it we actually want from it? Is it access? Control? A trophy? Or is it justplain victory confirmed on a written ownership document? With […]
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‘Because You Too, You Wake Up Every Morning Hoping for a Better Future’ by Rahma Sghaier, Tunisia

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Lately, I’ve been trying to bury my head in my pillow for as long as I can, desperately trying to escape the insane escalation of bloodshed surrounding us. I’m sitting now and thinking that even basic things can’t happen in many places in the Middle East…that on the other side of the world, many people […]
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‘The Fast Lane to Reconciliation’ by Sasha Shlomzion Clarfield, Israel

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How many of you think religion was and is a major factor in the creation and continuation of the hostile relationships between Israelis and Palestinians? I’ll assume there are quite a few. In fact, it would be quite rational to say that many wars and battles throughout world history have been fought and sustained by […]
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‘Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover’ by Adonis Salameen, Palestine

Author: Adonis Salameen
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I drove my car at seven pm. I had no idea what I would face ahead. All I knew was that I was invited by a friend to attend a strange meeting with strange people who speak another language. All I knew was that I was about to meet with a “religious group”. To me […]
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