Gaza students take part in first TEDEd event

Gaza students take part in first TEDEd event [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza students take part in first TEDEd event [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza students take part in first TEDEd event [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza students take part in first TEDEd event [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza students take part in first TEDEd event [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Ten students in Gaza were able to take part in a TEDEd Club, discussing the challenges they face living under occupation and siege.

Where the student, Lianne Abu Shaaban, addressed the horror she experienced in the last war. She outlined how her parents tried to explain the events to her as they were experiencing the power of each explosion.

“I could not sleep three weeks after the war, and my parents did not know how to treat us in this situation. On this platform, I found an opportunity to talk about this and the reaction I had. I can explain it to the world,“ Lianne explained, adding: “I appealed to people: Save us and save our childhood.”

Rania Al-Mashrawi’s talk revolved around the idea of freedom.“I was born and experienced wars and sieges, and I found myself in the dark, with a lack of electricity and water, and the closure of the crossings to the point where I could not watch a full movie,” she explained.

“When I look at the sky, I find rockets, Gaza is the largest prison in the world. Everything here is blocked. I cannot live freely. I had the experience of traveling recently to Bahrain. I was shocked. I found high buildings and wide, extended streets. Life is not just travel, but psychology, interaction, cultures and exchanges between societies. Why did we deprive us?”

“I took to this platform to talk about this darkness and I hope my message has reached a wide audience.”

OPINION: The Visual Arts Forum nurtures Palestinian youth into the world of art