Past Special Editions Archives

Banning the Niqāb: Compromising Rights over Security?

Author: Marwa, Tunsia
Published: June 23, 2016
Categories: in Current Events, Human Rights, Past Special Editions, Tunisia
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: niqab, Tunsia, veiling

Recently, a nationwide debate arose in Tunisia over women wearing niqāb – what is known as sharia veil or burka – different names for the same cloth. With the fear of terrorism everywhere, deputies at the parliament proposed a bill on the 18th of March 2016 that bans face covering in public places. This measure, […]

What I am Passionate About | Omnia, Egypt

Published: June 23, 2016
Categories: in Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: egypt, Inspiration, Ted Talk

“A good way to find your passion is to ask yourself what job you would do for no money and never feel bored doing it.” Dr. Amr al Fass (Ted Talk) When I was young, at primary and preparatory school age, I always faked stories to leave my school early before the day ended, I […]

An Act of Love

Author: Marwa, Sudan
Published: June 23, 2016
Categories: in Human Rights, Past Special Editions, Sudan
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Female Genital Mutilation, sudan

It’s 9 in the morning; the cool breeze of the winter season caresses our tiny sleepy faces. The humming voices of students reciting Qura’an in the yard broke the silence in our classroom. Our 4th Grade teacher walked in holding his black leather bag and announced that today’s class is going to be on ‘Female […]

Strawberry Power of Life | Salsabeel, Gaza

Published: June 23, 2016
Categories: in Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Inspiration, Life in Gaza

Being under pressure for weeks can be stressful. In the morning, I have to go to work. In the evening, I have to do my housework. Then at night, I have to prepare my applications to study my MA abroad. For weeks, I was in the same circle. I didn’t have time to meet friends […]

Summer Camp is Life, the Rest is Just Details | Errel, Israel

Published: June 23, 2016
Categories: in Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: California, Sexuality, Summer Camp

It was about a year and a half ago, in the summer of 2014. I was a counselor at a Reform Jewish summer camp in California, and had an absolute blast. I have always been very fond of education and working with kids and this was the first opportunity I had after a long time. […]

Say Salam, say Shalom, make a change in the holy land… by Mohamed Sheriff, Gaza, Palestine

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 1 Comment
Tags: activism, children, future, israel, palestine, salam, shalom, yala young leaders, youth

I will start with the words of the prophet Mohammed who once asked his followers: “Do you want me to tell you about something you can do to spread love among you?” He said, “Spread the Salam (Salutation) among you.” I now have a new mission in my life thanks to a Jewish child […]

Breaking Through The Borders by Abigail Levitt , Israel

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 3 Comments
Tags: activism, change, coexistence, fear, gaza, israel, love, palestine, peace activism, skype

It’s the summer of 2014. Sirens are sounding and rockets are flying. With each one, I crouch down next to my bed, telling myself I don’t really need to be worried, but praying just the same. Afterwards, I open up Facebook and read what Joujou is saying on the “”Palestine Loves Israel”” page . ‘Just […]

Love means Life by Weam, Syria

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: family, love, peace, syria

I was 15 years old when my dad passed away. He used to tell me that mothers and fathers never die, because I was afraid of losing one of them. Unfortunately I believed him. I was a child. One day I opened my eyes to find that my dad had passed away. Since that day, […]

Swimming against the tide by Eleen Tibi, Israel

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Identity, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, identity, israel, palestine, peace activism, SpecialEdition, tolerance, yala young leaders

As an Arab girl living in Israel, I have seen so much racism on both sides of the Arab-Jewish tensions. Observing all of the incitement and militancy made me realize that peace is the best and only solution and that we should all embrace it. So I decided to be a peace builder and started […]

A short dress is more dangerous than a knife, by Houda Laabadi, Morocco

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: catcalling, gender equality, morocco, tolerance, women rights, yala young leaders

I had just spent what I consider one of the best moments of my life: I went to the concert of one of my favorite bands with a group of amazing friends. It wasn’t extraordinary! It wasn’t life changing. But I felt alive, and that’s all that really matters. I took the tram to return […]

Life is a chance, chase it! by Hannen, Palestine

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: change, life, middle east, palestine, positivethinking, yala young leaders, youth

Between the first breath we take and the last breath, the life in between is full of chances. When we come to this world, it’s our chance to live and live well. When we meet people, it’s our chance to know them and to make friends – to share part of our life with them, […]

Like a woman in the Cairo metro by Ramah Aleryan, Egypt

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, catcalling, egypt, gender equality, sexualharrassment, women rights, yala young leaders

I graduated from the African Leadership Academy in June 2015. I found that going to college this year was not the right step for me so I decided to take a gap year in Egypt. I still I don’t know if I regret this decision or not. I came to Egypt mainly to be involved […]

Being a woman in misogynist society by Wini from Sudan

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in Civil Activism, English, Gender and LGBTQ, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: gender equality, men, misogynist, sudan, tolerance, traditions, women, yala young leaders

Your roles in this life have limited your abilities and justify that your capabilities will not be greater than men’s. This is a system that has become naturalized, therefore everything is previously prepared and drawn out. You just have to say yes and fall in line, that’s what is available for you to perceive and […]

Travel story by Ehab Othman from Jordan

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Jordan, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Culture, jordan, poverty, Travel, yala young leaders, zanzibar

In the eye of the beholder … When the first YaLa assignment was announced, I started writing a few drafts about different prior experiences I’ve been through which I considered life changing experiences. I am a proud of myself for the things I have been through, feeling like I’ve seen it all: the good, the […]

A whole other kind of Inferno, by Nada Afa from Morocco

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: hammam, inferno, publicbath, tolerance, traditions, tunisia, yala young leaders

Burning, sinning, and purging the best we can. The sun was too bright, the air was heavy, and it only took couple minutes for my toe to get dirtied by the dusty soil. Still I was alive. I don’t like going to the bath, but when my aunt begged me to do so; I didn’t […]

Feminism, the other F word by Daniel Gal, Israel

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 1 Comment
Tags: education, Feminism, gender equality, israel, women, womenandmen

Two days before I started my first year at University, my older sister invited me for a coffee and a talk. She has been my mentor since childhood; for every milestone or big step I took in life, she was the first person I would turn to. We were sitting and chatting about the near […]

ليتني ما زلت نائما.. by Ehab, Palestine

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in Arabic, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: gaza, hope, life, palestine, youth

ليتني ما زلت نائما.. استيقظت من النوم مبكراً، نظرت إلى الساعة؛ إنها الثامنة، حان موعد ذهابي إلى العمل، جال في خاطري كثير من الكلام والأسئلة، وشيطان النوم يقول لي«فلتنم نصف ساعة أخرى لن يضرك بشيء، أنت متأخر بكل الأحوال ولن تجد الوسيلة التي ستقلك إلى العمل». تغلبت على هواجسي، نهضت، اغتسلت، ارتديت ملابسي، داعياً الله […]

Where did Henda Saidi go? by Emna Kachai from Tunisia

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: jihad, lostyouth, tunisia, youth

Henda Saidi: 1993-2014 Almost a year now my dear friend. Wherever you are, Rest in Peace. 24th October, 2014 was uneventful day until the news came out. An armed group was held up in a house with two children (a two year-old boy and three year-old girl), in the west of the capital Tunis. They […]

Create your Castle with books, by Amr, Palestine

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: conflict, cult, diversity, egypt, gaza, manipulation, religion, traditions, youth

Each one of us has been manipulated at some point. Sometimes you lose your money or life because of this manipulation, when your mind becomes injected with an idea or an ideology to the extent that makes you a slave to it. Then you no longer have control over your decisions and way of […]

Growing up in Gaza, by Khalil, Gaza, Palestine

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Past Special Editions
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: change, gay, gazawar, justice, palestine, palestinian, war, youth

My city affects my life and changes every single day. You wonder how? Let’s talk history a bit. I was born in 1994 when the Palestinian authority came to power. I don’t like to talk about history that I didn’t see or experienced… so I will start from where I can truly remember. The Fatah-Hamas […]

Past Special Editions