The Palestinian Vision Organization concluded Somou project that was implemented for 2 years in 2 stages which aims to enhance the students’ role in their communities to provide them with interactive tools and develop their individual capacities to help them solve problems, resolve conflicts, and develop their social skills to reduce bullying and violence phenomenon against girls. In the second stage the project focuses on strengthening the role of youth in responding to natural and human disasters.
The Palestinian Vision concluded Somou Project activities in a partnership with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with a support from the Finnish government and in corporation with the Guidance Department of The Ministry of Education. The project targeted about 2000 male and female students from Jerusalem and Hebron Governments who have undergone the training program that was implemented in summer camps and clubs which emerged from 18 schools that have been targeted by the project in Jerusalem and Hebron cities.
The Training Program of Somou Project focused in his first stage on violence issues against women, bullying, and awareness of their danger, ways of guiding positive behavior, child rights. The project targeted the guidance teams in the targeted schools with intensive training of the violence and bullying phenomenon with their all forms, ways of reducing them and positive guidance.
The training sessions culminated in a series of competitions, debates and initiatives organized at the provincial and national levels on the whole to raise awareness among the Palestinian society about the dangerous of violence and bullying. The participants’ students organized a series of debates, awareness campaigns and drama performance that were produced by specialized clubs in Jerusalem and Hebron schools.
The project allocated training sessions which was targeted the parents and guardians of students and children in the targeted cities in meetings on positive and psychological education, ways to reduce violence and its risks.
Within the project, the organization launched the national campaign “Somou” aimed at the rejection of violence and bullying in the Palestinian society. The campaign roamed the streets of the West Bank and Jerusalem with activities and interactive awareness activities in which the Palestinian students identified the forms of violence and ways to reduce it in public places for the Palestinian audience. Moreover, 30 Palestinian influencers has also participated in the campaign and provided illustrated messages about renouncing violence.
At the final stage, Somou project targeted 90 young men and women from Jenin, Jerusalem and Hebron cities who were subjected to a series of exercises with the civil defense on life skills, salvation, fire, landing and simulation. Through this stage the participants provide maps showing the dangerous area in the towns of Yabed, Anata and Yatta Governate that contribute in raising citizens’ awareness and sensitizing them to safety in the targeted areas. The participants have become able to deal with the disasters in their area and with preparedness that ensures providing support and volunteerism with civil defense teams as needed.
