All young Palestinians growing up under Israeli occupation suffer from the context of apartheid and live surrounded by illegal settlements, military camps, the Separation Wall and dangerous military checkpoints. They have all been stopped by soldiers. They all know people who have been imprisoned or beaten savagely ; many know people who have been shot, wounded or killed by soldiers or settlers. Their families are under huge pressures, confined, separated, losing land .. This context traumatises all young people growing up there although people from different communities have been confined behind their local checkpoints and young people rarely know the situation faced in other areas. All of them need to communicate their experience and to protest against the dangers and violations of human rights that face them and their friends.

Abdul Wahab Sabbah, CADFA's Co-ordinator in Abu Dis and one of the leaders of 'Beyond the Checkpoints.'

Riad Arar, former director of Defense for Children International-Palestine's Protection and Social Mobilization Program and one of the leaders of 'Beyond the Checkpoints.'

This summer course for 24 Palestinian youth from three different communities will build their understanding of human rights and their knowledge of their own country as they develop their skills in communication and advocacy. They will learn to run effective tours of their own areas to show others and to make media and presentations for internationals which they will show off in a final on-line conference on young people's lives in Palestine. We very much hope that you will be able to support it.