yala young leaders Archives - Page 2 of 5

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 […]

Four hugs per day by Yaara Steiner, Israel

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: army, hugs, israel, love, positivethinking, smile, tolerance, yala young leaders, youth

A person needs at least 4 hugs a day to stay sane. I read it somewhere. I was stationed in a dusty, remote base during my army service. I didn’t go home much and I was surrounded by cactus like girls who didn’t want me there. I didn’t want to be there either but it’s […]

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
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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
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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 […]

In the inability to trust – Noam Pash, Israel

Published: November 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Past Special Editions, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, israel, jerusalem, knives, palestine, peace, terror, Terroris, war, yala young leaders

It’s weird how the events in the political and national sphere can be so different from those of the personal sphere. Now things are so warmed up, with this on-going acceleration of aggravation, that it’s impossible not to see them as contradicting. or are they? I mean – people are so nice. Everybody is perfectly […]

Where We’re From by Tamar and Khalil from Israel and Palestine

Published: November 18, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Identity
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: enemies, Friendship, identity, israel, palestine, peace, tolerance, yala young leaders

“Study the past if you would define the future” – Confucius Before we talk about today or tomorrow, we think it’s necessary to write a bit about the past. A major part of the misunderstanding between Israelis and Palestinians is that we aren’t taught the same version of historical events. We may have been […]

How Can an IDF Soldier Wear a Palestinian Flag? by Angy Shavit, Israel

Published: August 2, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 1 Comment
Tags: coexistence, IDF, israel, palestine, peace, tolerance, yala conference, yala young leaders

There were a few hours left before I had to be at our meeting spot in Tel Aviv. So I started packing. Maybe this color isn’t nice? Maybe this color isn’t friendly enough? Maybe this color will scare them away from me? I took out something I could wear to sleep only to then realize […]

Prejudgements Are Ones First Enemy by Shadi Salameh, Palestine

Published: August 2, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, israel, palestine, peace, tolerance, yala conference, yala young leaders

In the morning, I left very early leaving no chance to arrive late, and was very happy to see the departure area of the borders at the Palestinian side almost empty. I bought my tickets, got my passport stamped by the Palestinian policeman who liked my name and started to sing Fairuz’s song for me, […]

The Palestinian, The Solider, and The Truck by Ahmad Abu Rayyan, Palestine

Published: August 1, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: israel, palestine, tolerance, yala young leaders

It was one year ago; I was driving my white semi-truck on the highway between Ramallah and Nablus, near the Ofra army camp. The atmosphere was wonderful and I was listening to Om Kalthom. After a few hours I heard that something was wrong with my truck. I lowered the sound, parked the truck on […]

Jordan Culture and Traditions by Sufian AlNweihi, Jordan

Published: July 20, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity, Jordan
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Tags: Culture, identity, jordan, nationality, religion, traditions, tribe, yala young leaders

Jordan’s culture is a pleasant jumble of old and new, and Amman (its capital) has rapidly become one of the most sophisticated cities in the Middle East. Values & Traditions Jordan can be regarded as a typically Arab country, for its people are very warm, friendly and hospitable. Jordanians are typically happy to forgive […]

Jordan’s Identity Challenge by Laila Bashar Kloub, Jordan

Published: July 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity, Jordan
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: identity, jordan, yala young leaders

Today in 2015, the world is really different. Everything is quicker, easier, and changeable now. Preserving identities is not a problem of the country, it’s a global challenge. When you can easily go to primary school in the Arab world, high school in Europe, college in America, and then work in Australia, for example, you […]

The Constant Dilemma of Identity in Tunisia by Abir Farhat, Tunisia

Published: July 11, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: arab, identity, tunisia, yala young leaders

It is interesting to tackle the issue of identity from its very first root. In elementary school, students are taught one phrase, like a recitation, and they are supposed to learn it by heart. This phrase is to define how they perceive themselves for a lifetime unless they actually, and unlikely, question it. It says: […]

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 […]

I Want Justice, Not Honor by Katherine Leff, Israel

Published: June 30, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: israel, justice, Media, yala young leaders

Since the murders of nine churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina last week, commentators and reporters in the US have been wrestling with whether to call Dylan Roof a murderer or a terrorist. Some have been quick to label him mentally ill. Others say that to do so discounts the reality of domestic terrorism – especially […]

All You Need Is Love by Montaser, Palestine

Author: By Montaser, Palestine
Published: June 19, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: america, love, palestine, tolerance, yala young leaders

I was born in Bethlehem, Palestine. My parents expected the best from me. This caused me to excel academically from a young age. When I was a sophomore in high school, I was selected to be an international foreign exchange student. I was elated because I was going to finally see the America that […]

Hind Touissate – photo essay –

Published: June 17, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: beirut, peace, photography, yala young leaders

Diversity For The Win! by Dyna Eslam, Turkey

Published: June 13, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: coexistence, diversity, peace, syria, turkey, yala young leaders

I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. That was one of the greatest challenges I had to face in my life. I’m a Syrian of Circassian origins (A community in the south-west of Russia). My parents brought me up with the strict Circassian values. Values that are all about respect and co-existence, values that […]

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, […]

It Was A Moment In Turning My Gaze To The Other by Khaled Bouallegui

Published: June 7, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: peace, religion, tolerance, yala young leaders

I am a Muslim and I could hear of the other religions from a distance, but at a given moment, I wanted to discover the other of religions. I read the Bible and the Torah and then I realized that they have the same values – the objectives of all the heavenly books are peace. […]

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