Youth for a Peaceful Society

Project overview

The overall aim of the project is to reduce and prevent violence and crime among Palestinian youth in Israel. The project focus on two Arab schools in the city of Umm al-Fahim in Israel through a comprehensive preventative programme that aims to intervene at the individual, school, and community levels of youth engagement. Youth are the most affected group by violence, whether as victims or perpetrators.

Project objectives

• Provide tools and opportunities for students to recognise their talents, personal abilities to enable them to choose suitable positive pathways.
• Introduce students to educational and professional pathways and placements at local businesses aligned with their talents, and desires.
• Equip students with essential skills for sound financial management and awareness of the risk of consumerism.
• Support students to be integrated in their society and contribute to voluntary community initiatives.

Impact statement

The aim of the project is to prevent marginalised youth from crime and violence and suggest constructive paths.

The research finding were shared during a conference in Nazareth with policy makers, academics and civil society organisations.

The project developed a model for intervention based on this pilot that can be duplicated in other Arab cities and villages inside Israel.

We documented the process, content, stages and the lessons learned and published it as a package.

The key achievements and lessons learned will be shared with the Heads of the Arab Local Councils Committee in Israel and the “Arab National Committee to “Spread Peace” and Arab local authorities.

Baladna is member of the Civil society Forum which aim to advocate at national and government level to address violence in the Arab society. The research findings were presented in this forum.

CU and Baladna will publicise the project’s achievements to key stakeholders and the public at large using social media.

Impact on the youth participating in the project:

• Awareness to resolve conflict constructively and without violence.
• Career development and professional development.
• Awareness to manage their finance.
• Reduction in violent behaviour in school and society.
• Willingness to volunteer and contribute to society.

Outputs

Two reports about gun crime violence:

• Research findings: Violence and gun crime among Palestinian youth in Israel (in Arabic)
  Here is the English summary of the research
• Policy paper for the Arab local authorities and Civil society organisations.