Al-Mostaqbal association for violence victims care, in partnership with the Pal-Think Strategic Studies and FXB France, has implemented the “Let’s Talk” initiative, with 30 children and 30 women participating, at  Shams Center, the rehabilitation of Disabled People’s Foundation. The initiative included workshops with 4 children’s sessions, a day of entertainment, 3 sessions for women and a day for a discussion activity.  All these activities are part of the  ‘The Palestinian Consortium for Non-violence: towards a regional movement on Non-violence” project that seeks to disseminate the philosophy and culture of non-violence as a life approach.

The initiative’s coordinator,  Asmaa’ Albawwab, started the workshops and welcomed the attendees, saying: “Today, in partnership with Pal-Think, we are implementing this initiative that children and women need to promote a culture of non-violence within the community. Besides,  and we received 30 children to express violence against them and 30 women involved in the eastern Gaza region.

Also, she said: “We chose not to talk because during the Corona and quarantine period we noticed an increase in violence and introspection among children and women, and an increase in domestic burdens on women, as well as the increase in leisure time for children because there are no schools or open leisure places. The goal was to listen to the target group for its violence and talk with them with every sense of purpose by talking to a psychologist, social, and also a lawyer”.

Albawwab pointed out that during the workshops they committed themselves to safety and safety guidelines, and to benefit from sessions and workshops, children expressed their feelings by drawing on the paintings where each child expressed the forms of violence that they might face through the drawings presented and discussing how to confront violence through peaceful means. Women also participated in the expression of feelings and diversity of violence through representation, where they carried out a theatrical scout dealing with non-violent means, referring to the principles of tolerance, respect for others and acceptance of the other opinion.

As well as, the initiative’s team organized a discussion activity for the women’s target group to achieve the main goal of the initiative, which is to promote a culture of non-violence as a life approach for women and how to confront violence in the right ways, whether through resorting to law or psychologists and social workers. This is applied to them both within the family and in society. 

Over the above, The team also concluded its leisure day initiative, which includes several paragraphs and activities that carry messages that promote civil peace and concepts of dialogue; which have demonstrated the interaction of children and the people, their acceptance of the concepts of non-violence and their desire to participate in the dissemination of a culture of non-violence.

In conclusion, the working team and the Initiative Coordinator thanked Pal-Think for this partnership and described it as a bright experience in the future in promoting a culture of non-violence in Palestinian society.