Al Tariq / Palestine

Al Tariq („The Way“) aims at shaping and fostering democratic thinking among Palestinians. The organization carries out human rights work, builds new perspectives for young people and provides trainings in non-violent methods of conflict resolution; for example summer training camps for youngsters as well as workshops for facilitators.

In a situation in which many people in Israel as well as in Palestine seem to consider confrontation and violence as the only viable solution, we think it is vital – more than ever – to support an organization like Al Tariq, adhering to the Threshold Foundation’s Peace Prize motto: crossing thresholds – breaking the vicious circle.

Al Tariq was founded in 2005. Nearly all founding members were already actively involved in other peace initiatives and dialogue projects before starting Al Tariq. Some activists are also part of „Parents Circle“, an Israeli-Palestinian organization that brings together people who lost their relatives or friends through attacks or Israeli military operations.

The increasing imbalance of power and unequal preconditions for dialogue on both „sides“ lead to the decision to establish a Palestinian organization with the aim of building up a non-violent and a democratic civil society in Palestine.

Al Tariq primarily works with children and teenagers as well as influential individuals of Palestinian Society, the so-called local leaders on issues such as: everyday violence caused by the occupation, violence within Palestinian society itself as well as the possibilities of non-violent resistance against the occupation. Together with the local leaders, Al Tariq aims to build up a non-violent civil society.

In 2008, Al Tariq published a booklet on sensitive issues and topics treated as taboos, such as intra-Palestinian violence, domestic violence and psycho-social trauma. Basic and advanced trainings are of great importance and urgency to our partner organizations: 20 facilitators from different places of the West Bank are going through a multilevel training.

Since 2007, Al Tariq has been successfully mobilising some Palestinian “local leaders” –also from rural areas– to join the project.  This is very important in order to make the project work truly sustainable. In this manner, Al Tariq managed to hold a summer camp in Tubas (near Nablus), in which 250 children and youngsters participated. Funds provided by The Threshold Foundation, local contribution, including support from the village community itself, made the camp a great success. “Developing Democracy” and “Non-violent Education” were the main themes, which drew the attention of many village-youngsters. They continued to work on these themes in workshops and trainings. Al Tariq also succeeded in initiating a dialogue project with an Israeli school. Providing Internet access, monitoring the online-based dialogue as well as training for young people of Tubas to become youth group facilitators are important steps needed for non-violent conflict resolution.

Another workshop on “non-violent resistance” was held in Bethlehem in 2008 with activists from South Africa and Serbia. The participants developed very creative and inspiring ideas of how to cope with group feelings of rage and aggressions in a non-violent manner.

With the support of Wings of Hope Foundation and The Threshold Foundation, International Youth Meetings could be held in Ruhpolding, (Southern Germany) in 2007 and 2008. Young people from Palestine, Israel, Bosnia, Iraq and Germany participated and jointly dealt with and discussed their traumas resulting from their experiences of living and even surviving in a hostile societal environment. Methods used were: Gestalt-pedagogical workshops, music therapy, trekking as well as exercises for stress relief and mental relaxation. Al Tariq’s young participants are already working actively as facilitators in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Tubas. If you want to know more about Al Tariq’s work, read this report.

Peace work should not – according to Al Tariq – be restricted to small dialogue projects between Palestinians and Israelis. The focus of non-violent conflict resolution should be broadened and, in the long run, include all segments and levels of society. Young people –growing up under the constraints of constant violence and military threat and whose everyday-lives are defined by the omnipresence of weapons and armed conflicts– are suffering from long term traumatic effects of their violent Lebenswelt and may also tend to show violent behaviour in turn. Khaled Abu Awwad from Al Tariq comments on their efforts to develop non-violent conflict resolution strategies, saying “We don’t want to give any reason to deny us peace”.

For further information on Al Tariq please visit this website: www.theway.org.ps