The goal of this project is to provide Palestinian youth with a mental and physical haven from the daily violence of the military occupation as well as to strengthen identity through a culture of service and engagement. The methodology used in the project was thought to achieve a nonviolent tool to protect the Palestinian identity and the Palestinian land and to disarm occupation barriers by providing knowledge on the rights and traditions of Palestinians.
Palestine lacks a sufficient infrastructure to offer youth a break from the conflict or a positive alternative to deal with their frustration. Young Palestinians have taken note of methods of nonviolent resistance but there are few positive outlets for them in Palestine. The Israeli occupation imposes an enormous amount of stress on Palestinians through checkpoints, the apartheid wall, and constant military threats. Violence from Israeli settlers and the uprooting of trees have diminished a sense of belonging and stripped Palestinians of their livelihood. Palestinian society is becoming increasingly divided and conflict has become part of daily life. Violence has become the norm and a fragmented national identity negatively affects the experiences of many of the young in Palestine today. As a result, the rich beauty and diversity of the environment in Palestine is often neglected, unappreciated, and damaged.
Traditional values and customs of Palestinian society have begun to fade in the face of occupation. This project aims to redevelop the importance of volunteer work. It intends to revive those traditional cultural practices and create a sense of pride in traditional Palestinian culture among.
The EEC has identified a lack of information among students regarding their rights and their identity as Palestinians. A great majority of these students have few opportunities, if any, to escape from the conflict. The EEC has held several programs in schools that provided a significant amount of information and experiences regarding the environment to students. Despite our efforts, the work in this field is far from complete and the lack of information on Palestinian identity, history, and culture still subsists.