We’re sad people! Almost all of us!”
“Well, the hardest thing you'd face in your entire life is feeling like a stranger. I mean not in a different house or place but in your own country. Today I went down the streets of Gaza and felt exactly like I don't know where I am. It's hard because it's your own city where you've lived and were born in. I always feel like I'm excited to go out there and walk wherever my feet take me but unlike every time I didn't feel any kind of excitement when I was walking. I just wanted to fade between people and run home. Pale and sad faces were all around me, I couldn't help it; it's wherever I go. War didn’t only destroy our homes and streets; it obviously destroyed what was left of us; hearts, minds and almost everything. I'm not acting pessimistic, just saying what I felt!!” Hanaa' Ibrahim from Gaza said.
“Going to school became a nightmare...”, “life seems to be a very bad experience to have…” Tamer Shoblaq- Gaza
These words, sentences and phrases were the outburst feelings of children after experiencing three fierce assaults. Some of them were injured or dismembered. Others have watched their family members being killed or heard their friends, neighbors and their classmates were murdered during the wars. This turned them into kids of no hope, afraid of the future that usually brings more wars, psychologically unstable, and increased other kids’ potential of violence. Therefore, bullying has been a reflection of what most kids in the Gaza Strip have lived in these hard times. Most difficulty, parents were not able to deal with the psychological problems such as bullying or being victims of it. In consequence,the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has launched this Anti-Bullying project as a part of some actions meant to be done in order to help the Gazans and their kids to continue live peacefully by obtaining and maintaining having their rights as humans. And to have a life which guarantees their practice of their own basic rights, a life which can tell that they are still humans!
About our Anti-Bullying Project:
The Gaza Strip has been affected badly for the last following six years (2008-2014) because of the three consecutive assaults on it; which made the strip psychologically and economically overwhelmed. Therefore, many tragic situations have resulted leaving a lot of suffering and pain affecting all life aspects including educational, social, and economical sides. This basically has influenced children in the Palestinian society; precisely in the Gaza Strip. As a human rights organization in Gaza, we have been contacted by many parents reporting a very critical phenomenon which is bullying. Children start having behavioral and psychological problems leading to low achievement and a huge educational drop in the school.
Therefore, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor decided to start an anti-bullying project. In that regard,
Euro-Med Monitor has conducted a survey taking 1000 students as a sample; it found out that around 5 - 7 of ten students between the ages of 10 – 16 years old have been bullied in the Gaza Strip
In case of funding this project, the grant will contribute in the protection of the children’s rights in the Gaza strip, guide human rights organizations to improve working on children’s rights, and it will help in the prevention of violations against children in the strip.
How will the fund Help US?
Reduction of bullying phenomenon among children in Palestine- The Gaza Strip
Our Anti-Bullying Project aims at:
- Strengthen children’s rights awareness in communities and schools,
- Provide assistance and referral services to children that are victims of violence by any source of aggression,
- Encourage the parents participate in enlightening their children with their rights during war and peace,
- Improve the children’s rights environment in the Gaza strip,
- Encourage legal instructors to improve their skills and grant them with more knowledge related to human rights,
- Contribute in the protection of the children’s rights in the Gaza strip,
- Guide human rights organizations to improve working on children’s rights,
- Help in the prevention of violations against children in the strip,
- Empower children with information about their rights specifically; and human rights generally during war and peace,
- Reduce violence perpetrated against children.