This project is examining ways to engage youth in health promotion and create youth driven community action in the Middle East.  Using low-end technologies (photography) and high-end Internet-based technologies, youth document the strengths and weaknesses of their communities and take action on selected issues of importance to them.  Through these projects youth learn cooperation, research and leadership skills.

This project draws on the potential of Internet technology to allow young people from diverse communities to interact in youth-owned ways and spaces, with the goal of creating innovative models for community health promotion.  The research is guided by a six stage model (EIPARS) for sustainable action with youth: 1. Engagement, 2. Issue Identification, 3. Planning, 4. Action, 5. Rs (Research, Reflect, Reward) and 6. Sustainability.  This model has been used successfully with diverse youth groups in Canada, and is now being applied internationally.

Initial Study

During March-May of 2004 the first phase of the project focused on Engagement and Identification stages.  Two groups of Grade 9 Bedouin students (10 from Tuba in the North of Israel and 10 from Segev Shalom in the South; half boys and half girls), used photography (engagement process) to document and identify personal and community health issues.  See the link for the description of the schools.  The youth then selected a number of photographs and wrote descriptive captions for each photo as part of the issue identification process.  A key finding was that similar issues were identified in each community, such as: smoking, violence, sports, animal abuse, friendships, Bedouin culture, injuries.  In addition, unique issues were identified for each community: suicide at Tuba and industrial pollution at Segev Shalom.  The photoessays were then uploaded to the Global Youth Voices website for virtual discussion.  See the link for the photoessays.  The students met together on May 20, 2004 at Tel Aviv University where they presented community health issues affecting their communities.  This joint meeting concluded the Issue Identification Phase of the EIPARS model.  This initial study helped establish relationships between these two Bedouin communities and provided a basis for projects aimed at youth driven community health promotion in the Middle East.  See the link for photos from this event.  This phase of the project was lead by a Canadian facilitator Russell Bader and two Arab-Israeli facilitators: Sami Hamdan and Tariq El-Hamamdeh.

During October 2004 – January 2005, the second phase of the project focused on the Planning and Action stages.  The students from each community (now grade 10 students) who participated in the first phase, selected one issue for each group and designed a project targeting this issue.  A Canadian facilitator Revital Wanono and two Arab-Israeli facilitators (Sami Hamdan and Tariq El-Hamamdeh) lead the sessions with the youth aiding them in selecting an issue, planning and then carrying out a feasible action plan in their community.  On December 22, 2004 the students met for a second time at Hebrew University to present their community health projects.  See the link for photos from this event.  

The students from Segev Shalom presented a video and an exhibit targeting their selected topic Violence Prevention, including physical, emotional, verbal and political violence.  In the video, one of the students defines violence and its various forms, and then goes on to describe its affects on the daily lives of their community.  She is then followed by two other monologues: 1) a female student telling a true story of emotional abuse as a child (a story of a female Arab writer) and 2) a male student telling of verbal abuse by his teachers (a fictional story).  A short skit follows showing students physically fighting over cigarettes.  Finally, two interviews conclude the video including the school's guidance counselor describing various reasons that contribute to violence, and an interview with a religious figure in the community explaining Islam's condemnation of violence.  See the link for the video.  The exhibit created by the students includes newspaper articles and photographs describing emotional, sexual, physical, and political violence.  Also, photographs were taken staging examples of the different types of violence with captions to describe each scenario, and community resources are listed for victims of violence.

The students from Tuba High School presented the topic of Suicide Prevention.  The students prepared a PowerPoint presentation targeted at educating teachers and parents on this sensitive subject.  The presentation included general facts and statistics on suicide in Israel, myths, contributing and protective factors, reasons, signs of depression, warning signs, steps for prevention and community resources.  See the link for the PowerPoint presentation.