yala young leaders Archives - Page 3 of 5

Redefining The Term Family by Nathir Ha, Syria

Published: June 3, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
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Tags: diversity, syria, tolerance, yala young leaders

If you have not been an international student or foreigner, understanding this article is not going to be the easiest thing in the world. This might seem harsh in the beginning, but please bear with me until I finish. For me, as an international student, I have a family that I am living with. It […]

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

Published: May 28, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Tolerance
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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 […]

To Lead To A Better Future by Aviv Ayash, Israel

Published: May 28, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English, Tolerance
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Tags: future, israel, leadership, peace, tolerance, yala young leaders

My name is Aviv Ayash. Born in 1987, both sets of grandparents immigrated from Morocco with the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel, leaving all of their possessions behind them. I grew up in a very Israeli Zionist family; we kept Jewish tradition and I never had to consider the question of what was […]

The Palestinian, the Soldier & the Truck by Ahmad from Palestine

Published: May 20, 2015
Categories: in Arabic, Civil Activism, English, Tolerance
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Tags: activism, change, identity, israel, love, palestine, peace, 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 […]

Oh, The Kind Nation by Mouad Belahcen, Morocco

Published: May 12, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
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Tags: middle east, morocco, music, peace, yala young leaders

It was a sunny day in the late weeks of summer 2011 in the center next to the old port of the French city of Marseille. A group of independent musicians, with the help of donors, organized a small concert for charity to gather donations for the Palestinian children. Palestinian flags and Banners were lifted […]

The Blue Eyes by Mohamad Elbakri, Lebanon

Published: May 10, 2015
Categories: in English, Lebanon, Tolerance
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Tags: inspirational, lebanon, smile, syria, tolerance, yala young leaders

Down and high, it’s how our life is going on; there is no stable emotion all the time. Everyone has down times when they feel upset, useless, and mad, and high times when they feel positive, active and happy, even when they face the same situation. I still remember that day when I was so down, […]

This Is The Only Way, by Angy Shavit, Israel

Published: April 26, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, Tolerance
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Tags: activism, coexistence, israel, love, MENA, palestine, peace, tolerance, yala young leaders, youth

Today I took part in another meeting between Arab and Jewish teenagers in Israel. For those who don’t know this, I volunteer in an organization called “אפשר אחרת”, or in English “A New Way.” It literally means “A different way is possible.” During the meetings, I speak privately with the students and try to understand […]

Meeting the Others by Shimaa Mahaina, Palestine/Italy

Published: April 26, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
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Tags: israel, italy, palestine, tolerance, yala young leaders

Growing up as a second-class citizen has always been one of the biggest obstacles in my life. Always fighting for my basic rights and fighting against discrimination and racism has been incredibly overwhelming. As a Palestinian citizen of Israel, I’ve grown up without having the chance to connect myself with other “Arabs” around the MENA region because […]

1991 in South Africa by Adi Samarias, Israel

Published: April 25, 2015
Categories: in English, Tolerance
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Tags: israel, south africa, tolerance, yala young leaders

I was 6 years old and my father (who was a captain in the Israeli commercial navy) decided to take my mother, my brother, and me to sail with him to South Africa. All the way, the only sight around us was the ocean. 1991 was also the beginning of the end to the apartheid […]

Peace, Love, and Hummus in Barcelona by Rahma Sghaier, Tunisia

Published: April 22, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
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Tags: hummus, peace, tunisia, yala young leaders

November 2012, I went to Barcelona on a peace delegation with Yala Young Leaders. I was with 4 young people: one Sudanese, one Israeli and two Palestinians. FCB invited us to spend a week together in this beautiful and warm city. I was 19 years old and it was one of the most marking human […]

Remembrance in Action, by Moriya Rosenberg, from Israel

Published: April 21, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
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Tags: activism, change, israel, legacy, love, memorial, palestine, peace, refugees, traditions, yala young leaders

“Lest We Forget” is not enough to prevent the next tragedy. This is why this year on remembrance day I pledge to take my private commemoration one step further. The series of memorial days caught me off-guard this year. Off-guard and thinking, which is always dangerous when observing the status quo; one is bound to […]

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
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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
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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. […]

A Flashback and a Recent Incident : A Story of Fear

Published: March 23, 2015
Categories: in Arabic, Conflict & Peacebuilding, English
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, change, coexistence, MENA, peace, yala young leaders, youth

Three months ago, I had the chance to be part of a huge conference that was held in Jordan. It was a peace conference for YaLa. As any participant going, I was thrilled to be a part of something big, excited to start a new road that I hoped would make a change in myself […]

“It should be…”, by Ahmed Salah, from Egypt

Published: March 19, 2015
Categories: in Conflict & Peacebuilding, Egypt, English, Opinion and Analysis, Politics
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: activism, change, coexistence, israel, palestine, peace, tolerance, yala young leaders

“The Middle East is facing a lot of Crises and Serious Challenges…”, a typical introduction, boring and repeated in every article that speaks about the Middle East. When I was asked to give my personal vision of the Middle East in the near future, it took days of thinking. I was really baffled. What can […]

Confiscated Dreams In An Unknown Village by Rahma Sghaier, Tunisia

Published: March 12, 2015
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
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Tags: education, gender equality, tunisia, yala young leaders

When this picture was taken, I was a kid who had absolutely no idea about the future and how life would turn out for her and for these two little girls whom she met one day in the countryside. But first things first; you are probably already wondering: who are these little girls? They are: […]

My Dream Came True by Doaa, Gaza

Published: March 12, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity
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Tags: dome of the rock, gaza, identity, jerusalem, yala young leaders

At the beginning of 2014 I asked my friend what she wished for this year. She answered me and asked me the same question and I told her all my wishes and that the biggest wish for me is to visit Jerusalem and pray in Al AQSA Mosque. I knew that this dream would come […]

Let the Bad People Be Your Reason For Success by Cheikhrouhou Cyrine, Tunisia

Published: March 12, 2015
Categories: in English, Identity
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Tags: identity, love yourself, tunisia, yala young leaders

In my second year in the university, I met him and we fell in love. We had our good and bad moments just like any other couples, we had our dreams and our tears but we were happy together. We lived in our world for two years, until his mother entered to this world. She […]

Happy women’s day! by Manal Harrouche, Algeria

Published: March 10, 2015
Categories: in English, Gender and LGBTQ
Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: algeria, gender equality, IWD2015, ManalHarrouche, women's day, yala young leaders, youth

Some of us may just receive messages of congratulation, while others may get red flowers from a lover, husband, father, brother or a son, and if a bit more lucky, the flowers will be accompanied with a gift. On March 8, 2015, most women of the world will be remembered by their families, institutions and […]

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