AEI’s Summer Workshops involved each year during 2-3 weeks in June-July some 100 Palestinian youth, Christians and Moslems, from the Bethlehem area. The workshops are conducted in cooperation with the Greek-Catholic School in Beit Sahour.
The background of the summer workshops is that the present oppressive reality in Palestine hinders young people’s imagination and creativity. The political situation promotes obstacle rather than opportunity thinking. Palestinian youth are in need to see new vistas of possibility and find spiritual meaning by once again connecting to the land and the community of Palestine.
As its their central aim, the summer workshops encourage Palestinian youth to live the value of sumud (steadfastness and connection to Palestinian life and culture) and develop skills to express and communicate this value creatively.
With this aim in mind, the workshops have the following concrete objectives:
- Strengthening a sense of appreciation among Palestinian youth about Palestine’s culture, history and environment.
- Strengthening the Palestinian spirit of connectedness to Palestine.
- Developing expressive skills in drama, music and poetry.
- Developing communicative skills in Internet and youth journalism.
- Enjoying creative activities and togetherness.
AEI appeals to skilled international volunteers to join the summer workshops by coming over to lead, share and facilitate workshops.