Peace Building & Social Cohesion Program

Basmeh & Zeitooneh founded its Peace Building unit in 2015, under which the Peace Education curriculum was developed with the support of experts in peacebuilding, playback theater, and PSS fields. This curriculum was first adapted to respond to the emerging intra- and inter-conflicts that affected the well-being, protection, and coping mechanisms of children, youths, and their parents. The sessions within the curriculum targeted the different communities within the areas we operate in.

These sessions focused on a child’s internal struggles and difficulties, interaction with others, and the community at a wider level. The Peace Education program tackled subjects such as resolving conflict in peaceful ways; acceptance and tolerance regardless of nationality, religion, and political divides; and sensitive topics such as early marriage, child labor, and children’s rights, to only name a few.

In 2018, this initiative became the Basmeh & Zeitooneh peacebuilding unit that encompasses a wide range of projects such as community initiatives, youth engagement, youth leadership, and conflict analysis within the community. Basmeh & Zeitooneh established this unit to bridge peace, cohesion, and acceptance between contentious communities by utilizing a conflict-sensitive approach.