peace activism Archives

The Change Just Started / A Palestinian refugee between the hammer of pain and the anvil of hope By Sam A, Palestine

Author: By Sam A, Palestine
Published: July 7, 2019
Categories: in Civil Activism, Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Friendship, Human Rights, Identity, Israel, Israel-Palestine, Jordan, Palestine, Tolerance, Travel
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: AravaInstitute, IsraelPalestine, palestine, Palestinians, peace, peace activism, peacebuilding, storytelling, yala young leaders

After graduating from university in 2015, I spent three years moving around the cities of the West Bank, unemployed and looking for a job or any other opportunity. Given the situation of favouritism and nepotism in my country, all my attempts meant nothing, and I lived three years in a bubble of puzzle and isolation. […]

Remembering Together, By Noa Bar

Published: May 1, 2017
Categories: in Civil Activism, Conflict & Peacebuilding, Current Events, English, Friendship, Identity, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: ceremony, conflict, israel, israel-palestine, Nakba, palestine, peace activism, rememberence day, yom hazikaron

In this piece there are no intentions to compare the struggles of the two peoples. Both Palestinians and Israelis have had traumatic experiences. Both encompass a tremendous pain, which I do not intend to compare, assess or belittle. Both have youth who carry a very heavy weight on their shoulders, designed by nationalism, history, tradition […]

Nabatean Civilization by Ashraf, Palestine – photo essay –

Published: April 26, 2017
Categories: in Culture and Heritage, Human Rights, Identity, Photo Essays, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, diversity, history, hope, identity, IsraelPalestine, nabatean, peace activism, tolerance, yalayoungleaders

From the north of Damascus to the south of Ola, and from the east of Sham and Naqab to Gaza and Sinai, they built an Empire. The Nabateans were smart people. They worked on copper mining , agriculture, and trade. They established sophisticated systems and lifestyles in this region thousands of years ago. At the time, these […]

My Future Trip To Beirut, by Itamar Hauser, Israel.

Published: April 5, 2017
Categories: in Education, English, Lebanon
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, coexistence, diversity, education, Friendship, identity, israel, MiddleEast, peace, peace activism

Growing up in Israel one quickly learns what the attitude towards “the Arabs” is. And you guessed right – it’s not always a positive one. Even though Arab-Israelis are 20% of the country’s population, when you grow up in Tel-Aviv, you don’t really see any Arabs and you certainly don’t have any Arab friends if […]

Perspective, by Natalie Goldshtein, Israel

Published: April 5, 2017
Categories: in Education, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: change, coexistence, conflict, diversity, education, israel, jordan, MENA, MiddleEast, palestine, peace activism, youth

One of my main motivations in choosing to continue my studies and complete a MA Program was the knowledge that it was a cooperative program, with colleagues from both Jordan and Palestine. It was a two-year Program: one year in our home country, and one year abroad – Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian students all studying […]

On a Quest in Search of Purpose by Tom Sagiv, Israel

Published: March 19, 2017
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Friendship, Human Rights, Identity, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, change, coexistence, diversity, education, hope, identity, IsraelPalestine, MiddleEast, peace activism, tolerance

Another day of work comes to an end. You survived the last two hours of your shift; glancing at the clock every few seconds wishing the hands would go just a bit faster. 12:00, the office doors swish behind you as you walk out, fast enough to not waste another unnecessary moment there, but slow […]

It’s not too late to save war-torn Yemen by Yazeed Mohammed, Yemen

Published: February 1, 2017
Categories: in Civil Activism, Conflict & Peacebuilding, Current Events, Friendship, Human Rights, Tolerance, Yemen
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, Civil War, Human rights, peace activism, yemen

Now it has been over 22 months, or almost 2 years since civil war broke in my country, Yemen, the poorest state in the Middle East. A war that savagely kidnapped the lives of thousands of civilians, as the latest UN reports confirmed the death toll to rise over 10,000, and wounded to about 50,000, […]

מלאכי השלום לא משגיחים על העיר הלילהנכתב ע”י זוהר ינקו מישראל

Published: March 30, 2016
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, Hebrew
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: future, israel, palestine, peace, peace activism, yala young leaders

התלבטנו אם לסגור את הדלת הראשית או לא. שישי בצהריים בשוק לוינסקי, זהו סוף השבוע ותחילת השנה החדשה. במרחק של קילומטר מכאן כמה חייהם של כמה בחורים הגיעו לקיצם. צעיר אחר נכנס לבר ברחוב דיזנגוף בתל אביב וירה בהם למוות. הוא עדיין מסתובב איפשהו. אחותי הצעירה הייתה בקרבת מקום, וליבי ונישמתי נעצרו ל-40 שניות עד […]

Tel Aviv-Ramallah-Kigali: a peacebuilding journey, by Sarah from Israel & Hamze from Palestine – video –

Published: December 1, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, forgiveness, future, genocide, israel, palestine, peace, peace activism, rwanda, yala young leaders

Together we went to Rwanda and discovered what peace and reconciliation really means. Together we faced our fears and faced each other. Do Israelis and Palestinians have to go all the way to Rwanda to finally believe that peace is possible? We spent 10 days together in Rwanda. And when we say that, we […]

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 […]

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 […]

בין ייאוש ותקווה – אור סרי, ישראל

Published: October 13, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, Hebrew, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: israel, peace, peace activism, tolerance

בזמן החגים, כמו ישראלים רבים, הייתי בטיול בחו”ל. אז כשהמצב הדפוק הזה התחיל, הייתי בבועה שלי, וגם כשחזרתי העדפתי להישאר בה. אבל קשה להתעלם כשהחדשות תוקפות אותי מכל כיוון. ובינתיים כוחות הייאוש וכוחות התקווה נלחמים בתוכי, נאבקים ביניהם בזמן שאני תקועה באמצע. הייאוש גורם לי לדפוק את הראש בקיר ולא להצליח להבין איך אין למידה […]

Tunisia Celebrates the Life by Celebrating the Death of its Guests by Marwa Farhat, Tunisia – photo essay –

Published: July 11, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: march, peace activism, revolution, tunisia, yala young leaders

John C. Maxwell said once that “there are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. Good pride represents our dignity and self-respect; bad pride is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” Before December 17, 2010, those words didn’t mean a lot for me, but after that and more specifically […]

It Is the Same Sunset by Ala Weslaty from Tunisia

Published: June 11, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, change, diversity, education, love, MENA, peace, peace activism, tunisia, yala young leaders, youth

Real Hope in the Land of Opportunities I had to put my camera down and surrender to the scene, my toes digging into the sandy dirt, saltwater splashing at my ankles, my eyes burning because of the warm salty breezes and the lack of sleep. I enjoyed standing there. I enjoyed squinting towards the horizon, […]

Maybe One Day It Will Rain in the Summer by Ruth Vasileva from Israel

Published: May 28, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, gaza, gazawar, israel, love, palestine, peace, peace activism, tolerance, yala young leaders

One rainy story about friendship and miracles… With the summer rapidly approaching, and daily temperatures reaching 38 degrees, I can’t help but feel a pit in my stomach, fear creeping in. As one Israeli friend, who was just called up for reserve duty, said to me the other day: “War Season is coming. Wars are […]

Remembrance in Action by Moriya Rosenberg, Israel

Published: April 19, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: freedom, holocaust, israel, memorial, peace, peace activism, yala young leaders

The series of memorial days caught me off-guard this year. Off-guard and thinking, which is always dangerous when observing the status quo because one is bound to find stains in the pristine public consciousness. And the stains I found aren’t in commemoration, an art we have rightfully mastered. A soldier or innocent citizen who has […]

Change-Makers Meet at the Dead Sea, by Rahma Sghaier, from Tunisia

Published: April 6, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: change, israel, love, peace, peace activism, tolerance, tunisia, yala young leaders

I finally arrived at the Dead Sea, after it seemed that I was not going to be able to make it. For a while, it seemed like leaving Tunis would be like “mission impossible”. But YaLa insisted on having me and I insisted on being there, even if it meant I would be late. Finally […]

Yemen Needs Your Help, by Yahya Yacoob, from Yemen.

Published: March 25, 2015
Categories: in Civil Activism, Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: education, extremism, peace activism, yala young leaders, yemen, youth

Yemen, Yemen, Yemen… a place that is filled with chaos, a place where everyone is trying to kill the other. A place where there is no security anymore. Even in the most religious places. A place where all memories are fading and being replaced by horrible facts. A place where no one is safe anymore. […]

The Role of Women in Peace Building, by Ayman H. Fakhereddin, from Palestine

Published: March 5, 2015
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: change, gender equality, palestine, peace, peace activism, women, yala young leaders

Peace building needs the involvement of women. Women’s roles in peace building in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Kashmir, and many other places in the last decade highlight the importance of moving women beyond the “humanitarian front of the story.” Women have influenced, and can continue to influence peace-building processes. They go beyond […]

The Middle East After 10 Years of Peace, by Sara

Published: February 26, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, israel, MENA, palestine, peace, peace activism, tolerance, yala young leaders

The Middle East is always an area of troubles, and I do not know why. It’s of its nature. If I am going to think about the future of Middle East after 10 years of peace, first of all, I hope it comes true, and second, I want to talk about the future from my […]

Tag: peace activism