In a bid to empower young Palestinian women in Gaza through culture, the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) recently participated in an international seminar. The event, titled “Empowering Palestinian Women in Gaza Through Culture,” was held in collaboration with the University of Glasgow as part of the “Culture for Sustainable and Inclusive Peace” (CUSP) project led by Dr. Nazmi Al-Masri. The seminar aimed to explore issues related to women and discuss how the CUSP project could raise awareness among women in participating countries.
The event was attended by Dr. Hiab Johannes from the University of Glasgow, along with academics and non-academics from partner countries, including the University of Strathclyde, the Ignite Theatre in Britain, the University of Ghana, and the University of Mexico. Dr. Mahmoud Jalmbou, who works on the CUSP project, and Engineer Sherehan Al-Masri, who is in charge of the project, were also present.
During the seminar, Dr. Refat Al-Areer, an assistant professor in the English Language Department at the Islamic University, presented a paper entitled “Empowering Palestinian Girls Through Folk Tales.” Dr. Al-Areer highlighted the outcomes of a small CUSP grant that he had won, which involved conducting scientific research to document the implementation of two primary activities: building capacities in creative writing skills and holding a folk tale festival.
The festival explored folk tales from ten cultures with similar conditions to those of the Palestinians, including Palestine, Scotland, Ireland, Nigeria, Malaysia, Native America, Cuba, and Brazil. The festival aimed to teach students about other cultures and the positive roles women play in those cultures. It also aimed to teach them different skills, like how to do research, write, and talk to people. Around 21 participants were trained on writing creative and non-creative articles that focused on women’s issues. The 4-day festival received about 6,000 visitors, including 60 local schools, with the participation of about 150 students from the English Language Department.
The seminar also featured the participation of the Nawa Foundation for Culture and Arts in Deir Al-Balah, the non-academic partner in the CUSP project. The foundation’s activities were discussed, and the most important achievement highlighted was the restoration of one of the oldest monasteries in Palestine, St. George’s, and its conversion into the first and only library in the central region. The foundation encouraged women in the area to take part in cultural activities and gave them informal opportunities to learn about art.
The seminar concluded by highlighting the positive psychological effects of the Al-Khidr Library, which the Nawa Foundation operates. The CUSP project remains focused on empowering women in participating countries through culture, and the seminar proved to be a successful platform to exchange ideas and experiences to achieve this goal.
