Hafla has, until recently, focused on holding cultural events that bring together adult Muslims, Jews, Palestinians, Israelis and others connected to the middle east, for positive cultural experiences. However, our committee has recently decided to take more interest in working directly with young people, with the aim of breaking down the worrying ignorance and prejudice that exists between many of them, and helping their development into empowered citizens who relate to each other constructively, rather than destructively.

To this end, Hafla has recently incorporated into itself another, previously separate, organization, called Psychosemitic (please see psychosemitic.com). Psychosemitic is a registered not-for-profit limited company and has worked in the field of inter-communal events and education since 2006. Psychosemitic has amassed considerable expertise in this field, and garnered high praise for its education program, from teachers, schools and other organizations in the field. 

Psychosemitic has run workshops in schools and other forums which are exclusively and predominantly Muslim and Jewish, but also in mixed schools and youth groups. Its youthworkers are all highly experienced, professionally trained, and of course are subject to a strict CRB check.  What makes Psychosemitic's workshops unique is that they all utilize the creative arts to give the young people a better understanding of their own, and others' identities and cultures. Each and every workshop is primarily an opportunity for the young people to use visual, written, spoken, theatrical, musical, audio and video media to explore and re-create their own and others' identities and cultures.  

At the end of the workshop, the young people share their creations, which is always a powerful experience. Often, this sharing takes place in the context of an entire school/community, which amplifies its impact. This can also happen after several workshops of cumulative creative work, in which case the product is even more impressive. Psychosemitic has run dozens of these workshops since 2006 and has gradually improved its delivery by always requesting pertinent feedback from its clients and from the young people themselves.

It is Hafla's intention to integrate this educational work into our wider program of events, thus creating a multi-generatonal approach to achieving our goal, or greater understanding between Muslims, Jews and others connected to the middle east.

For more information about this or any of our other work, please email daniel@hafla.org.