Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Lara, School of Hope, Ramallah As a teenager, I am jealous when I see the social media post of other teenagers my age. Instead of waiting for a friend’s graduation or perhaps even getting to the point of attending their wedding, I was already going to their funerals and comforting their mothers, saying that one day there will be peace, and maybe their young kids did not die in vain. Since October, most of the prisoners and martyrs have been between the ages of 7 and 17 years old, kids that in other countries are considered minors who are not allowed to go alone in certain places without an adult. How is this fair ? ... What I see is news about someone who has died, someone who has been imprisoned and someone who is mourning the death of her only kid. How is this fair? Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Young people from Bethlehem University I like to carry out my personal ambitions and look for an untraditional career because in our society are few normal work opportunities available.   I hope to work hard on myself to deepen my self-esteem and self-confidence. I will then look for positive reinforcements to live a dignified life and serve my community. Change will not happen unless the leaders in my country will support me to participate in decision making. Raghad aged 20 Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Bashar, Dar Al-Kalima School, Bethlehem I want to be involved in human rights organizations. I want Palestine to provide its citizens with their human rights. That would be a huge step towards our goal of reaching an independent Palestinian country…. people should be provided with the rights they deserve, especially since the Palestinian people are deprived of their human rights like access to clean water. I wish for peace and human rights. I want the wall to be torn down in order to rebuild Palestine. I also wish for the refugees to be brought back to the house they were forced to leave. I want a two state solution, because that is the only way the conflict can be resolved. Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel I’m the organist in my Lutheran church in Ramallah, and a lot of groups from different countries come to attend services. When I get to speak with them about our situation here and what we need as Palestinians for a better life, they get shocked and surprised at the fact that all we are demanding are things they have and get easily in their countries — basic rights as simple as having water and electricity every day, as simple as moving freely. Water resources in the West Bank, for example, are controlled by Israel and sold to Palestinians living in the West Bank. In the summer, water in the West Bank is available to families two days a week. Sometimes it can be cut off by Israel for even longer; recently, water was cut off from my family in Ramallah for three continuous weeks. Wadie, Lutheran School, Ramallah Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Young people from the Arab Educational Institute, Bethlehem First of all, I would like to finish my university studies and then complete my higher studies abroad so as to gain more knowledge and skills. I want to help refugees who escape from war areas in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and especially Palestinian refugees from the Nakba in 1948 and the Naksa in 1967.   In order to fulfill these personal, national and humanitarian dreams, I want to work hard to finish my studies and find a job. Later on, I have to work together with more foreigners in order to be in solidarity for a just and lasting peace In Palestine. Milad aged 22 Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Young people from the Tabeetha School, Jaffa I don’t think I want what is any different from anyone else in the world… I am a basketball player and love doing that. I want to be a lawyer and defend the right thing. I know hard work will determine my future. Melissa, aged 12 Life for me is complex in Jaffa. Sometimes it is good fun and sometimes, after a murder, the police stop every Arab person even if they are kids and ask them questions and make them afraid. Mahmoud, aged 12 Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Being a pilot was my greatest dream. But I started asking questions about the military, doing research. There are other narratives, not just ours. I think what led me to refuse is first my pacifist instincts. I do not believe violence is a way to achieve goals. It’s sad there are no more meetings between Palestinians & Israeli/s, Jews & Arabs. The current situation where we are ignorant and unacquainted allows situations of insecurity. I think when we try to control people and justify it for security reasons we should ask ourselves: is this the right thing? Are we truly free when we control another people? Noa, aged 19 Noa Gur Golan from Netanya. Conscientious Objector https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5yLA9IrLEU Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel Students at the Evangelical Lutheran School, Beit Sahour For me as a student living in an occupied country, it’s hard to go anywhere because of the restrictions of movement. Everyday I hear in the news about Palestinian people being arrested by the Israeli army, demolition of Palestinian houses, killing of Palestinian youth… In this country there are no good opportunities because of the Israeli occupation. Therefore I plan to continue my higher education abroad Yazan Musleh Produced by the UK working group for WWPPI  

Voices of the young…visions for the future World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel UK Working Group for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel Amos Trust, Baptist Union of Great Britain, Church of Scotland Council of Lutheran Churches, Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine & Israel, Embrace the Middle East, Friends of Sabeel UK, Kairos Britain, Methodist Church in Britain, Pax Christi UK, Quakers in Britain, United Reformed Church Commitment for Life More here http://paxchristi.org.uk/campaigns/israel-and-palestine/world-week-for-peace-in-pi/