In an annual tradition, the Ni’lin Teacher Centre / Educational Research and Development Programme (ERDP) of the A. M. Qattan Foundation commemorated the Land Day with Writings, a project implemented by students and teachers. This activity is part of Project-based Professional Development, an initiative supervised by the ERDP in Gaza. Held on 31 March 2018, the activity involved an exchange of letters between children in Ni’lin and Gaza.
Students of the Al-Nuseirat Preparatory Boys Schools B at the Gaza Port met with their teacher Wisam Ayed. Having called to mind children from across Palestinian cities and the Diaspora, students wrote letters loaded with dreams to see each other. Together with grains of sand, olive leaves, and shells, children put their letters in sealed bottles and sent them into the sea. Perhaps, the letters reach out to the children of Palestine and free people around the world.
In the Writings project, children attempt to explore the act of writing in the life of society. In this context, children investigated the evolution of, and relationship between writing and human life. They also tracked the development of ancient alphabets, interpreted symbols, and uncovered their relevance to the lives of those who produced them. Children also completed the Proto-Canaanite alphabet by inventing missing letters. They tried to produce, and carve letters on, clay in order to experience the feelings of ancient people. Children believe in the theme of their project: “We write things that are not erased nor withered with the passage of time”.
In Ni’lin, in their imagination, children met with others who had been displaced from their destroyed villages. Through symbols and art, they invoked destroyed villages, such as Yazur, Beit Daris, Al-Majdal, etc. With wishes for love, freedom and peace, children wrote letters to the residents of these villages, who had been expelled and displaced to Al-Nuseirat.
At the end of the event, children took photographs of their letters in Ni’lin and Gaza. These will be converted into a video, which shows the activities carried out in both areas. The video will provide a common, human learning context, through which children exchange ideas and raise questions about their identity, life, cities and dreams.