Press Releases

BADIL and LAYLAC concluded the Al-Awda school for children
BADIL and LAYLAC concluded the Al-Awda school for children
PR/EN/260719/36

On July 26 2019, BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights in cooperation with the Palestinian Youth Action Center for Community Development (LAYLAC) held the Al-Awda school for children aged 10-16.

The activities were held over six days, designed and adapted specifically for children, aiming at raising their awareness and knowledge regarding Palestinian history and Palestinian refugees and IDPs.

Forty-two Palestinian children (23 girls) participated in a series of activities and lectures on different topics, including Israeli forced displacement policies and how they affect Palestinians from both sides of the Green Line.

A lecture was also held on the rights of Palestinian refugees and IDPs, in order to educate the participants about the basic rights of refugees and displaced persons according to international law. Palestinian identity and ‘Israelization’, which refers to Israeli policies implemented to dismantle Palestinian society, were also discussed during the lecture.

Within the program, the children were taken on a walking tour from the colonies around Bethlehem to the village of Battir - both the land and the people in Battir are highly affected by the Israeli displacement and annexation policies. Battir is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the participants experienced its beauty while simultaneously learning about the history of Battir village and seeing the effects of the Apartheid Wall. During the walking tour, the children engaged in group discussions about national identity and their connection to Palestinian land. The children also participated in volunteer work by helping to clean and beautify the area.

The activities are part of BADIL’s efforts to cooperate with Palestinian grassroots organizations, in order to enhance rights-holders’ awareness, engagement, and understanding of Palestinian rights, in addition to providing them with platforms to raise their voices.