On September 20, 2024, the first project-development hackathon was held at the School for Peace. Graduates of the school and their partners, who are advancing various initiatives for change and liberation, promoting Jewish-Palestinian partnership, raising awareness about the conflict, and working toward ending the war, were invited. The fields of activity were diverse, but what united them all was the commitment to political action for transforming reality.

The hackathon aimed to address the needs raised by activists within the alumni community, as they emerged in various graduate forums and the final projects of recent course participants. Unlike most of our events, which focus on meetings, dialogue, and shared learning, this event emphasized collaborative work and action—a first of its kind at the School for Peace.

Throughout the day, participants worked in teams to map the strengths, weaknesses, barriers, and opportunities for each project using the SWOT model. Peer consultations were held around dilemmas defined by each project team to explore issues together. Discussions addressed both the practical aspects of the project and its political dimensions. Among the dilemmas raised were questions such as: “How can we recruit partners for the project?”, “How should we share and present content that is both personal and political?”, and “Are the Jewish partners coming to ‘help’ the Palestinians? Why is this the case, and how does it affect dynamics?”

The last question sparked an important discussion on a challenge unique to activists who are alumni of the School for Peace: how to maintain the principles of dialogue—aspiring for structural equality and balancing power dynamics between the two national groups—within activism.

Additionally, we hosted two alumni, Rawan Bisharat and Ilana Dorfman, who facilitated workshops on resource development and collaboration.

At the end of the day, each participant defined their next step in advancing their project. Two collective decisions were also made: to create a WhatsApp group for activists to serve as a networking and update space, and to reach out via a newsletter to other alumni with an invitation to join projects as partners.

In their feedback, participants shared that they benefited from the collaborative work and learning and that the event strengthened them practically, socially and politically. They reported leaving with good ideas, a broader understanding of their project’s status, a clearer sense of feasibility and possible actions, and a good opportunity for sharing, partnerships, and learning.

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#1

Who Am I?
My name is Nashwa Al-Rafa’iya, and I participated in the Environmental Justice Course 2023-24.

What Is My Project?
Our project aims to achieve environmental and distributive justice in the city of Lod by building an aware and empowered community that demands its rights and is ready to take action for change. The project features a photography exhibition by women from Lod, documenting environmental hazards in the spaces where they live. The exhibition travels across the country.

What Am I Looking For?
Resources, ideas, and people.

Want to Learn More?
Feel free to contact me at 052-642-0617.

#2

Who Am I?
My name is Eden Fuchs, and I participated in the Conflict Group Facilitation Training at the School for Peace.

What Is My Project?
My project, Nakba on the Map, integrates information about Palestinian communities that existed until the 1948 Nakba into popular navigation apps. This exposes tens of thousands of travelers to the heritage and lives of these communities in an organic way, without requiring active searches for the information.

What Am I Looking For?
I’m inviting partners to join in three types of activities:

1. Sharing Site Information: If your family experienced the Nakba and you’d like to point me to the site from which they were displaced or connect me with others who can share information, I’d be glad to document and upload it.
2. Maintenance and Updates on Apps: Helping upload new information I collect or maintaining existing data that may be removed by hostile users—this can be done from home with guidance from me.
3. Site Documentation: If you enjoy traveling, I can guide you on how to document specific sites, and I’ll handle uploading the information to the apps.

Important Note: Please refrain from publicly sharing information about this project, including on social media, to prevent data deletion by opponents.

Want to Learn More?
Feel free to reach out via WhatsApp: 054-6944644.

#3

Who Am I?
I’m Inas Osrof Abu Saif, a graduate of the Change Agents in Mixed Cities Course.

What Is My Project?
The project Will Return involves gathering information and creating ceramic tiles to be displayed on houses in Jaffa, telling the stories of the families who lived there before they were displaced.

What Am I Looking For?
I’m looking for partners to join me in researching, using archives and social media, to uncover the identities of the families who lived in Jaffa before their displacement.

Want to Learn More?
Reach out to me at: inasit5@gmail.com.

#4

Who Am I?
I’m Uri, a visual artist and a graduate of the Performing and Screen Arts Creators Course, 2020-2021.

What Is My Project?
I’m working on a feature film that blends animation and musical theater, offering a fresh yet familiar perspective on the conflict. Contact me to learn more!

What Am I Looking For?
At this stage, I’m primarily looking for producers, as well as help in finding suitable grants and investors. Any tips or assistance would be greatly appreciated, and collaboration would be even better.

Want to Learn More?
Feel free to reach out:
050-3667901
adam.uriel1@gmail.com
simanche-alama.com

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