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Musalaha’s Summer Camp from a child’s point of view:
What is Musalaha’s summer camp in Bethlehem all about? Is it about serving 85 children with 20 volunteers and 7 interns in 6 days? Is it having fun, playing games, making new friends, and enjoying summer? Sure. But what makes a difference in the lives of the participants that lasts more than a few days?
That’s Musalaha’s intention: Planting seeds of reconciliation between the participating children – half of them Muslim, half of them Christian – and teaching them the golden rule “do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Seeds of bearing “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22:23).
These two themes were the topics we planned this year’s camp activities around – that was the well-prepared plan for the group of kids with diverse backgrounds, coming from different areas around Bethlehem. But the reality on the first day is that kids cry because they don’t know anyone, they are suspicious of each other, and sometimes they even want to leave.
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FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
Peacemaking begins with children. Sponsor a child for an unique summer camp!
Click here
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EUROPEAN YOUTH EXCHANGE UK TO PALESTINE - A PARTICIPANTS REVIEW
After welcoming a Palestinian - Israeli group in England in the past now at the end of June there was the great opportunity for Europeans to go on a return exchange trip. So the British group – which was actually formed of British, German and Austrian nationalities – arrived on Friday 28th at Tel Aviv Airport before going to Jerusalem.
To offer a brief but substantial insight in our project I would like to highlight only a few but outstanding events surrogating detailed but basic facts, in fact I can’t really remember all the names of restaurants we went to anyway. First, there was indeed a very new experience to Europeans right at the beginning when going through the remarkably strict border control. Quite different to the EU Schengen free movement zone, admittedly. We had to wait for almost two hours at the airport while proving that our group truly doesn’t hide suspicious personalities.
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THE REAL SKILLS LEADERS SHOULD LOOK FOR IN NEGOTIATIONS
Our upcoming training is one we have never done before - this month, 24 leaders from four groups, will act as representatives to be trained in negotiation skills. Since 2018, these four groups are
- Business Leaders,
- Community Leaders,
- Women Leaders and
- Young Political Leaders
They have all been through Musalaha's in depth training and are now moving to the next stage. The 24 representatives attending the training in Athens will return to their respective groups with concrete recommendations on how to implement the lessons in negotiation skills and put it into action.
We are very happy that we could recruit Arik Segal for training them. Arik is a well recognized teacher in innovative conflict resolution - who else could better prepare our participants for their future activities, to lead difficult discussions, and to negotiate lasting solutions for our society!
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AN IMPORTANT TARGET GROUP - SALIM TOOK THE CHANCE THIS WEEK
Last year, different school principals and teachers from East and West Jerusalem were exposed to Musalaha's Reconciliation work. That was the door opener for this weeks' happening: Salim was invited to present Musalaha's stages of Reconciliation to around 100 of them - not to mention that they are a very important source of authority and influence to apply the message of Reconciliation in other segments of our society.
The great news is: Musalaha was asked to develop a program for teachers in a joint project with the organization "Matach - Center of Educational Technology". This program should be implemented in the next school-year, first in their own group as teachers, then to reach out to their students!
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Musalaha Executive Director Salim J. Munayer will be in the U.S. October 15 - 21. He will speak in Santa Barbara and in Los Angeles. If you would like to attend his speakings, meet with him in person or have him speak to your church or group, please write to us at info@musalaha.org
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Prayer Requests
- Please join in prayer for our little ones returning from the summer camp in Bethlehem - may the seeds planted in their hearts impact their life, as well as their families, friends and neighbors. The second camp will be at Nes Ammim in the Galilee, 4-9 August. Please pray for the ongoing registrations, for the preparation of the counselors and volunteers, and for our efforts to raise financial support in order to bless those families who cannot afford the price of the camp.
- Pray for the success for the gathering of the leaders who will be trained in negotiation skills - for their safe travel to Athens, for their continued efforts to use their learnings, and to move ahead with their actions.
- We would appreciate your prayers for a continued relationship with local school principals and teachers. This growing relationship is essential to the Musalaha mission of Reconciliation in order to make a greater impact in our divided society.
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