The image many people have of Palestinians is one of violence. And who can blame them really, because that’s the overall impression they get through the lens of the media. It’s easy for the young, angry stone thrower, or suicide bomber to make the news. But as the Dutch free speech organization, Loesje says: 99.99% of what happens is not on the news. And so it’s likely that you have never heard of the Alrowwad Centre, an independent organization that provides artistic, cultural, and theatre training for children in Bethlehem’s Aida refugee camp, one of three Camps in the city, and where Israel’s 26 foot high concrete security wall stares down at the 4,700 residents. The aim of the Centre is to provide a safe and healthy environment to help young people foster creativity and to express themselves amidst the difficult conditions in which they are forced to live.
It was the negative image that people had of Palestinians through the media that moved Abdelfattah Abu-srour, who has a PhD in Biology, and was a mechanical engineer by profession, to establish the Centre. “Peace and love are human values that we all share,” he says, sitting in his office. “Palestinians have every right to resist Israeli occupation, but it will be a beautiful resistance, with a focus on theatre, dance, and art. Our children deserve a better heritage.”
The Centre was founded in 1998 when it was learned that because of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, more and more children were found to have learning difficulties. It’s hard not to imagine how all of this wouldn’t have an impact on the children living in the Camp, as they witnessed death, injury, and the destruction of homes after incursions into the Camp by Israeli soldiers in jeeps, tanks, and attack helicopters. “The Camp suffered a lot during the second intifada, between 2000 and 2005,” remembers Abu-srour. “We noticed that children began exhibiting violent tendencies and were regressing in school.”
The roots of the Centre started in Abu-srour ‘s parent’s home, where little by little it grew until people started to notice. Alrowwad, which means pioneer in Arabic, is now housed in a multi story building and home to two theatre groups, one for children aged 8-16, and the other for those aged 16-22. The groups have performed in Europe and the United States. Young people also have the opportunity to learn skills in photography and video production.
In an environment devoid of green spaces and parks, where the unemployment rate is 70%, and two-thirds of the population are under the age of 18, the Alrowwad Centre is one positive in Aida Camp. “We can’t just say our situation is hopeless,” says Abu-srour, “because our children would ask us, what did you do?”
Why do I mention the Alrowwad Centre? Because it’s an example of something positive, and a source of optimism, and those two things rarely make the nightly news. I mention this also because during the two weeks that I spent in Palestine, I didn’t find a lot of optimism, but I did find Palestinians to be kind, gracious and hospitable, all of which is part of the 99.99% that you don't see on the news.
To learn more about the Alrowwad Centre, visit http://alrowwad.virtualactivism.net/index.html
A video produced by young people at the Centre, titled Bethlehem Checkpoint 4 am can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1FaWE1SIZk
It was the negative image that people had of Palestinians through the media that moved Abdelfattah Abu-srour, who has a PhD in Biology, and was a mechanical engineer by profession, to establish the Centre. “Peace and love are human values that we all share,” he says, sitting in his office. “Palestinians have every right to resist Israeli occupation, but it will be a beautiful resistance, with a focus on theatre, dance, and art. Our children deserve a better heritage.”
The Centre was founded in 1998 when it was learned that because of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, more and more children were found to have learning difficulties. It’s hard not to imagine how all of this wouldn’t have an impact on the children living in the Camp, as they witnessed death, injury, and the destruction of homes after incursions into the Camp by Israeli soldiers in jeeps, tanks, and attack helicopters. “The Camp suffered a lot during the second intifada, between 2000 and 2005,” remembers Abu-srour. “We noticed that children began exhibiting violent tendencies and were regressing in school.”
The roots of the Centre started in Abu-srour ‘s parent’s home, where little by little it grew until people started to notice. Alrowwad, which means pioneer in Arabic, is now housed in a multi story building and home to two theatre groups, one for children aged 8-16, and the other for those aged 16-22. The groups have performed in Europe and the United States. Young people also have the opportunity to learn skills in photography and video production.
In an environment devoid of green spaces and parks, where the unemployment rate is 70%, and two-thirds of the population are under the age of 18, the Alrowwad Centre is one positive in Aida Camp. “We can’t just say our situation is hopeless,” says Abu-srour, “because our children would ask us, what did you do?”
Why do I mention the Alrowwad Centre? Because it’s an example of something positive, and a source of optimism, and those two things rarely make the nightly news. I mention this also because during the two weeks that I spent in Palestine, I didn’t find a lot of optimism, but I did find Palestinians to be kind, gracious and hospitable, all of which is part of the 99.99% that you don't see on the news.
To learn more about the Alrowwad Centre, visit http://alrowwad.virtualactivism.net/index.html
A video produced by young people at the Centre, titled Bethlehem Checkpoint 4 am can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1FaWE1SIZk
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment