English Archives - Page 23 of 35

Discover Palestine through Art by Manar Anwar Hmouz, Palestine

Published: July 21, 2016
Categories: in Current Events, English
Comments: 1 Comment
Tags: Art, gaza, hope, palestine, spices, youth

Although the Palestinian struggle is as a great source of inspiration for many Palestinian artists, the political character of Palestine does not solely define Palestinian art. Palestinian modern art has become part of the successive process in which Palestinian culture and heritage is celebrated. Every now and then, we hear about creative Palestinian youth who […]

“Cut your wings” by Leila Ali from Tunisia

Published: July 20, 2016
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: genderequality, traditions, tunisia, women, women rights

It wasn’t said to me, not straight and harsh like that, but it was said indirectly and slowly with time. It was said in words that took the mask of advice even though they seemed more like threats and an abuse of power. It was one of many selfish attempts that humans used to make […]

Hijabs, Basketball and Equality by Asma Elbadawi, Sudan

Published: July 19, 2016
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: basketball, fiba, gender equality, hijab, religion, sudan, tolerance, traditions, women, women rights

My name Is Asma Elbadawi, I am a Basketball player, Coach, Artist and spoken word poet from Sudan. I am also an activist: I am campaigning for the International Basketball Federation to extend its 2 year preliminary rule which allows players in turbans, hijabs, and other religious headgear to play, and to apply this rule […]

A letter on my grave by Malek Hajlaoui from Tunisia

Published: July 15, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: peace, solidarity, unity

It was really hard for me to pick a subject for my article. I wanted something to bind us together. I wanted to send a letter through YaLa Academy and for all the participants here. So here is my final assignment. Who are we? What have we done? Where do we stand? When will it […]

I’m not my complexion by Samantha, Kenya

Published: July 11, 2016
Categories: in Current Events, English, Identity, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: color, kenya, racism, skin, skincolor

Today I logged into a popular photo sharing app, as I was scrolling down my feed I came across a photo that I really liked. I proceeded to clicking on the persons’ page and the first thing my eyes met turned my amusement into disappointment; ‘Only light skins allowed, No dark skins.’ was written in […]

The Tent by Thabit from Sudan

Published: July 6, 2016
Categories: in Current Events, English, Sudan
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: europe, macedonia, mother, refugees, sudan, youth

Among the thousands I saw every day in and around the Idomeni camp at the Macedonian border, I once encountered a young mother who I will never forget. She was, like many other refugees, men, women and children alike, walking the 25 km that separated them from the border. I was walking, purposefully dealing with many […]

Yala Young Leaders: Five years of changing lives and growing a family of young peace builders by Maroi Ech-Charkaouy from Morocco

Published: June 22, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, Current Events, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, change, MENA, MiddleEast, morocco, peace, yala young leaders, yalayoungleaders

At the end of 2012, I was feeling down for many reasons: studies, I had no goals in life, I had hardly any friends, but I mainly felt that I was not able to trust anyone. I was basically living day to day waiting for something new to happen. I was once part of this […]

LET ME DIVORCE by Eliya Horesh, Israel

Published: June 7, 2016
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 2 Comments
Tags: divorce, gender equality, get, israel, traditions, women, women rights

She thought she found her true love. She just couldn’t resist his smile and let herself fall into his strong arms. Being with him felt safe. She loved to hear his stories and laugh at his jokes. She was excited to see the shine in his eyes every time they met, shining like the eyes […]

The fight for equality continues by Nermin Jamal, Palestine

Published: May 31, 2016
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 0 Comments

I was on my porch, drinking a cup of tea at 7:00 am, looking at my beautiful town (Bethlehem), just observing the ancient buildings, both mosques and churches. This view never fails to capture my heart. In the meantime, there was a boy and a girl who were 6 to 7 years old, I was […]

The refugees return for one day by Narmeen Bisharat, Israel

Published: May 29, 2016
Categories: in Current Events, English, Identity
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: church, easter, israel, palestine, pilgrimage, refugees

In the pictures is the church in 1936 and now. Let’s go on a small road trip. I’ll try my best to give you the directions after all, not everyone can come to this place. I’ll try my best to draw for your imagination a picture of this heavenly place. On road 75, between […]

Freedom for Hijabis by Meryam El Bouhati, Morocco

Published: May 17, 2016
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ, Tolerance
Comments: 2 Comments
Tags: gender equality, headscarf, hijab, hijabis, women, womenforpeace

I like watching Youtube videos. One of my favorite youtubers, called Marie, recently posted a video where she talks about Rafael Nadal’s underwear ad and the effect it had on her. She says; the nudity of a man, to which she was not used to, has brought out the female in her. Every time she […]

Grounded Angels by Moriya Rosenberg, Israel

Published: May 11, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Hebrew, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Angels, israel, Memorial Day, palestine, Remembrance Day

Scroll down for Hebrew If I were an angel I’d put up the no vacancy sign and hold the door shut so that no more angels come up to the sky. In the mean time I put my hopes on the people who push the rock of reconciliation, peace and tolerance up Humanity Hill. Against […]

Five years after the Jasmine Revolution- 2 blogs by YaLa Citizen Journalists from Tunisia

Published: May 10, 2016
Categories: in Civil Activism, Current Events, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, arabspring, change, jasminerevolution, religion, revolution, traditions, tunisia, women rights, yala young leaders

Tunisian Women Five After Years of the Jasmine Revolution by Marwa Belkhiria, Tunisia Prior to the revolution, the Tunisian woman was a role model for the women of the Arab region. When the newspapers and TV programs would speak about the rights given to Tunisian women in comparison with other countries, I used to feel […]

Too Late by Yair Arieli, Israel

Published: May 3, 2016
Categories: in Civil Activism, English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 0 Comments

Too late. Two words describing a tragedy. Ruth Blumert was an Israeli writer and poet. In 1993, she received the prime ministers prize for writers from Yitzhak Rabin. She was also my grandmother. Ruth Blumert for me is a sign of relentlessness. She is a symbol of determination and knowledge. From her I learned how […]

Matters of the heart by Uri Eytan, Israel

Published: April 26, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: army, heart, israel, IsraelPalestine, peace, youth

Growing up in a secular, upper middle class neighborhood in Jerusalem around the turn of the century, I felt I was firmly rooted in my country, an integral part of the land. My parents were both born in the city, as well as two of my grandparents, and although we were always on the (relatively […]

A Trip to Starbucks by Dom O’Connor, United States

Author: Dom O'Connor
Published: April 23, 2016
Categories: in Culture and Heritage, English, Friendship, Identity, Israel, Israel-Palestine, Palestine, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments

For the past couple of months, I’ve been contemplating a few things…graduating from undergrad, heading off to law school, a few new tattoos, a fun summer, and where this whole “peace process” is heading. In that line of thought, I decided to head down to my local coffee shop, conveniently situated next to my favorite […]

Dead Souls by Marwa Farhat, Tunisia

Author: Marwa Farhat
Published: April 21, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Human Rights, Tunisia
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: CVE, PVE

A great man said once: “Today I choose to feel life, not to deny humanity but to embrace it”. A few weeks ago when US forces bombed Libya, a boy’s name appeared among the killed ISIS soldiers. A boy I used to go to class with. A weird pain took over my entire body, an […]

When having a leftist daughter becomes handy by Sarah Perle, Israel

Published: April 13, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Identity
Comments: 1 Comment
Tags: algeria, coexistence, family, IsraelPalestine, leftist, MiddleEast

Politically I would say that my family has the tragic tendency to be mainstream… I say “tragically” because nowadays, mainstream can mean slightly right wing and slightly racist. Not the kind of vocal and violent racism you see on YouTube videos, but the sneaky silent one that is a direct side-effect of fear and trauma. […]

Young African leaders lost on their way to Europe by Yayehiyrad H.micheal from Ethiopia

Published: April 6, 2016
Categories: in Current Events, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: africa, africans, europe, hope, Immigration, migrants, refugees

I am an optimistic person. I have always seen my Africa as a continent with lots of opportunities and potential, that only needed more time to shine than the rest of the world. Today us, the African youth, the African young leaders, are driving our countries towards a prosperous and better future. However, one doesn’t […]

9 Problems Girls Face in the MENA region by Maroi ECH-CHARKAOUY, Morocco

Published: March 22, 2016
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 1 Comment
Tags: education, gender equality, MENA, morocco, traditions, women, women rights

Girls in our region face many problems, especially when we hit our 20s. I would like to tackle few of these issues here: Marriage: Being a girl in the MENA region in general and in Morocco in particular, you will face pressure to get married basically every day of your life! The pressure gets higher […]

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