We Will Overcome the World

Times of war create immense stress and uncertainty for all of us, but children are especially susceptible. Even if they are not in physical direct danger, children can experience negative psychological effects from living through war. A review published in 2022 found that rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety were 2-3 times higher among those exposed to armed conflict compared those who weren’t, with women and children being the most vulnerable. There are, however, things we can do as caregivers to help counter the effects of war on the children that we care for. Manar Wahab, House of Hope’s Director of Trauma-Informed Education has recently taken the time to assemble guidance for caregivers, based on her experience and training in the Waldorf educational framework. The Waldorf approach focuses on “Emergency Pedagogy” to help stabilize children’s emotional well-being by emphasizing familiar structures and routines, as well as artistic expression. You can read Manar’s full guidance in the documents linked below, which are available in both English and Palestinian Arabic. These documents contain practical suggestions for anyone caring for young children during the chaos and stress of war, and include activity suggestions as well as stories that can help children hold on to a sense of hope during wartime. 

To All Who Believe That Humanity Comes First

Palestinian Nonviolence and Peacebuilding: Approaches to Educating and Nurturing the Next Generation

As a Palestinian living without freedom, I carry unending pain and deep sorrow. I witness children and women in tents whose dreams have been destroyed, entire Palestinian families erased from civil records, as if they had never existed on this land. From this place of lived reality, I say this clearly: blood only brings more blood. Violence creates no stability, and the use of excessive force against unarmed civilians, or against any human being, is a greater violence that opens wider doors to hatred. The killing of any Jew anywhere in the world is a crime against humanity , just as the killing of any innocent human being—regardless of religion or ethnicity—is a crime that can never be justified or ignored. All political conflicts must be resolved only through dialogue and negotiations, and through every peaceful, non-violent means, because violence builds no future, creates no peace, and leaves nothing but pain. The history of modern wars justified in the name of security and fought through overwhelming military force—from Vietnam to Iraq—alongside a long history of racism, oppression, and racial supremacy, has never produced peace or safety. It has produced only destruction, trauma, and generations shaped by hatred. Occupation and mass violence create conditions in which hatred and dehumanization spread—fueling antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of racism, all of which must be rejected. We condemn all forms of repression of freedoms, violations of human dignity, restrictions on freedom of movement, and denial of access to religious sites. And I say this from the heart: just as I see Muslims as my brothers and sisters, I see Jews around the world as my brothers and sisters as well. Our struggle is not with a religion, nor with an identity, but with occupation, injustice, and the stripping away of humanity. Palestine deserves full freedom, and its people deserve to live with dignity and safety—one day, side by side with all the peoples of the region, in a just peace that includes all Arab countries, including Israel, based on justice, not force, humanity, not violence. Above all, what is most needed is an awakening of the human conscience—to see the human being before politics, life before conflict, and dignity before all other calculations. Salaam, Peace, Milad Vosgueritchian House of Hope Co-Founder and Director of Peace and Justice Education 

Even under Occupation and war, Palestinian children dare to reclaim what was stole from them — their childhood.

Dear Friends, In times of war, each of us is faced with a moral crossroads: Do we choose hate, fear, and revenge—or do we choose unity, humility, and shared humanity? As violence escalates between Iran, Israel, and the United States, the greatest crisis we face is not only political—it is deeply and devastatingly human. We are forgetting how to see one another. We have grown blind to each other’s pain. We stare into the mirror and see only our own fear, forgetting the faces of those suffering across the wall, across the border, across the street. Today, while some cling to comfort, others are crushed under the weight of occupation, hunger, and unrelenting trauma. We live in a world where the safety of one is sacred—and the dignity of another is expendable. Where one voice dominates—and the rest are silenced. It is time to stop the machine of death. It is time to end the starvation of Gaza. It is time to confront the daily trauma facing families across this land. The suffering is real. The wounds are deep. But still—peace is not lost. Peace is not an illusion. It is not naïve. Peace is a fragile fire that still burns in the hearts of the brave. And it needs all of us now. So what do we do in such a time as this? We must return to the only path that has ever saved us: The path of nonviolence. The path of compassion. The path of justice with love, and love with teeth. At House of Hope, we are not building peace on paper. We are building peace in hearts, in classrooms, in streets lined with rubble. We are raising up a generation who do not bow to hatred— Who do not answer rockets with revenge— But who say with trembling voices and steady souls: We will not become what has wounded us. We will not mirror the violence that surrounds us. We will live another way. Because nonviolence is not a slogan. It is a discipline. It is a fire that burns in the heart. It is a revolution that begins in the mind. It is a choice made daily—in our speech, in our thoughts, in our actions. It is saying: I will not let bitterness grow in me. I will not let my dignity be stolen by hatred. I will rise, again and again, in the name of peace. This is what we teach. This is what we live. This is what we offer to the world. To our friends in the United States and Europe—we ask you not only to stand with us, but to walk beside us. Support this work. Amplify our voices. Share our story. Let the world know that behind the Wall, a different future is already being built. Because this is not just about Palestine. It is about choosing life over death. Humanity over fear. And hope over despair. With resilience and hope, Milad Vosgueritchian Executive Director, House of Hope Al-Eizariya, Palestine

Nonviolence Is The Path of the Soul

What is Peace and Justice Education, and Why is it Crucial in Palestine?

At House of Hope, we provide Palestinian students with a holistic education created by and for Palestinians that combines Peace and Justice Education with Trauma-Informed practices.