Ghadeer, 31, is an architect, designer and planning specialist. She is intrigued by the social and spatial fragmentation among young Palestinians in Jerusalem, and actively tries to contest it. Ghadeer experienced this fragmentation first-hand when she tried to move into neighbourhoods that were not related to her own community: “I couldn’t fit in any of the communities. It’s hard to fit in or be part of their events even.” To Ghadeer this is a dynamic that can be seen all over the city.
People of different religious or socio-economic communities are strongly fragmented. Ghadeer thinks this is the biggest issue for young people, because it is stopping them from standing strong and united. She feels the solution to this fragmentation is knowledge about the other, coming from both cultural activities and education: “I’m always insisting on education. Education, education, more education. Nothing else can help.” In addition to this, cultural activities can offer a more interactive opportunity for different young Palestinians to connect. For Ghadeer this interaction will lead to more positive feelings about the other. She does not feel the authorities are doing something to change this. To the contrary, “the system is excluding every single minority. There should be more political pressure on the system, because they’re helping to increase the segregation and fragmentation”. Therefore, to Ghadeer, the people themselves should take action.
She leads by example: Ghadeer is organizing precisely these kind of cultural activities to bring young Palestinians from different communities together.
Read more about Generation of potential.