أطفال بيت لحم
Children of Bethlehem
“What the Palestinians are looking for is for freedom.
…They are looking to have the opportunity not only to survive but to thrive.
What many people maybe don’t know is, like the city of Bethlehem
that they sing about every Christmas Eve, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, is…
surrounded from three sides by twenty-five foot high wall.
It’s like a big prison.”
- Rev. Mitri Raheb, Bethlehem, Palestine, ”Madison 365”
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أطفال بيت لحم
Children of Bethlehem
presents the experiences of 12-13 year-old Palestinian Muslim and Christian youth living under military and colonial occupation in Bethlehem. Four generations of people in Palestine-Israel have only known life under these conditions. How does that influence the current generation of children? What does that mean for these future leaders? Photographs of hand-drawn self-portraits paired with voiced personal experiences express the daily life, emotions, fears and dreams of Bethlehem’s youth at this pivotal time in their lives.
“Children of Bethlehem” is being created in partnership with Creative Visions Foundation and Dar Al-Kalima School in Bethlehem and connects the world with the children growing up in one of the most nostalgically beloved, but barely known cities in our world, Bethlehem. The project invites perspective on how the socio-political-ecological climate is shaping these future leaders of the region and aims to help our global community gain insight into the lives of Palestinian youth and motivate audiences to join ongoing efforts working for justice, equity, and a peaceful coexistence without occupation for all in the region.
