Project director: Kathy Bergen, Project Coordinator for the «Friends International Center in Ramallah» (FICR) (Building for a culture of peace and nonviolence).
Drama workshop with Faten Khoury, actress and Drama Trainer
Project Coordinator in Europe: Peter Rayner, director of the project “Music in a carehome”, England.
Objectives of the Project: Through drama workshops we will ask the hard questions about violent or non-violent resistance. The objective of the project is not to give the answers, but to ask the questions and through the workshops, encourage the participants to explore the answers for themselves. These workshops will not resolve any dispute or may not change lives immediately for the participants.
Change happens slowly whether change in attitude or action, but the workshops will be apart of change of attitudes and action over a period of time through listening, self-expression and dialogue.
Target groups: Youth between the ages 18-22.
15-20 youth from the Ramallah area will be selected to participate in a 10-day workshop.
Interested participants will need to apply by filling in an application in order to become a participant. A selection committee of three persons (actor|trainer, a representative from an organization that works with youth, program coordinator of the Friends Center) will decide on the final participants.
In phase one, 10 workshops will be held with the participants. Each workshop focuses on the topics of:
Team-building; make participants aware of the types of violence; becoming aware of violence; learning to deal with violence in our lives; to listen to each other; to analyze; to act: to find an action that will promote alternatives to violence; “What can we do to solve the problems in Palestine?” – to create two scenes; using the tools of nonviolence through theatre; “How can we apply these ideas in our society?” – openess to dialogue –
We will implement phase one by:
Evaluating the experience of the participants – were their expectations met and how did the workshops change their perceptions of non-violent resistance and life in general.
Deciding with the participants to prepare a small presentation as a result of what they learned and shared in the workshops and then present this to a special community group of their choosing.
Recommending future activities for the group to continue learning together.
In the future, the project might be extended to youth coming from other areas,creating opportunities for youth coming from different backgrounds – such as Palestinians inside Israel, Palestinians from the West Banks, and Palestinians from Jerusalem – to meet and share.
It could be extended to youth living in Israel and, through the arts – theatre, music, writing, painting, sculpture, drama – develop self-esteem and be an inspiration towards dialogue.
Kathy Bergen in the garden of Ramallah Friends Meetinghouse.