Language for Resilience Grants

Based in Salfit in the Northern West Bank, Cooperation for Community Development Association (CFCDA) is a community-based organisation with more than a decade of experience implementing projects based on the needs of the community with many focusing on educational support. CFCDA’s Community English Language Clubs project will train unemployed English language graduates to establish and lead 6 English clubs in different communities in the Northern West Bank, reaching 300 Palestinians including children, young professionals and mothers. These clubs will make it possible for people in the targeted communities to practise and develop their English skills in a familiar and accessible environment.

Find out more through CFCDA's Facebook page. 

Due to the lack of specialised centres addressing children's issues, which are influenced by various environmental and psychologicl factors, CFCDA aims to mitigate the pressures affecting children's behaviour, educational performance and future prospects.

Rehab Al Amour, CFCDA President

This project by Jerusalemite Youth Cultural Forum (JYCF) aimed to make quality English education accessible to youth in and around Jerusalem. JYCF is a Jerusalem-based organisation with experience organising and running educational activities including English clubs. English for Identity builds on JYCF's previous experience by combining interactive English lessons with a range of wraparound activities (including art, music therapy etc.) to support the overall well-being of the participants. This is particularly important given the specific challenges that Jerusalemites face on a daily basis, and the impact this has on their education. The project reached 165 young people including children with disabilities in the Jerusalem area with groups receiving tailored English support based on their level and interests. Find out more on JYCF's website.

Find out more on JYCF's website.

The project utilises English language skills along with self-development activities to provide an opportunity for marginalised communities in Jerusalem and Aida Refugee Camp to proudly and confidently reflect their Palestinian identity.

Khader Abu Swai, JYCF Projects and Programmes Coordinator

LINEs for Palestine aims to provide academic support and professional development to Palestinian English language teachers and Palestinian English and Education graduates. Following a needs analysis,  it will establish connections between Palestinian students and UK-based academics who will offer their support through series of workshops on topics identified by the Palestinian students and through one-to-one mentorships. LINEs for Palestine builds on the LINEs (Learning for Informal and non-formal Educators) project that was recently carried out in refugee settings in Lebanon and Jordan.

Lines4Palestine Poster

Seraj Libraries will weave together the threads of cultural heritage, resilience, self-confidence and bilingual storytelling through its Stories for Resilience project. Seraj is a Palestinian organisation that has established a network of libraries that serve as community centres in marginalised areas across Palestine. Through this project, they will translate three Palestinian stories to create a bilingual book that will be featured in the libraries and be used in storytelling sessions. A group of 30 English teachers will receive training in the art of storytelling and go on to lead performances of the stories in classrooms and Seraj's storytelling centre. A group of students will then perform the stories during Seraj's international storytelling festival.

Find out more on Seraj's website.

This cooperation between Seraj Libraries and the British Council empowers participants to transform storytelling across langauges, from narrative to written word to performance.

Fidaa Ataya, Seraj project lead and Master Storyteller

The Voices Across Worlds project will connect teachers and young people from Palestine, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greece, England, Cameroon, Bosnia and Argentina. It is led by Haneen Jadallah, who holds an MA in Drama and English language teaching from the University of Warwick and has extensive experience in theatre and drama. The project participants will write and exchange personal stories. Through their stories, they will explore themes related to their identities and understanding others. This project brings together three different theatre approaches – playback theatre, remote theatre and the theatre of the oppressed. It will culminate in the compilation of the stories and streaming of the performances.

Read more about Haneen's work.

In a world torn by conflict, let's connect youth across borders. Through sharing personal stories, we'll cherish identities and appreciate other cultures. We'll build empathy and understanding, weaving a tapestry of compassion.

Haneen Jadallah

Delivered by the Teacher Creativity Center (TCC), Voices of Resilience will use language as a tool for resilience, community cohesion and accountability. TCC is a Palestinian organisation that aims to transform education in the country to become more socially responsible. Through this project, a group of teachers will receive intensive training after which they will work with 15-17 year old students in summer camps. The summer camp sessions will provide the youth with English language support and the opportunity to articulate their own narratives. This will include a focus on the language needed to talk about human rights. The youth will then share their stories through poems, speeches, stories etc. during hearing sessions with decision makers. The project will also incorporate a talk platform to encourage dialogue and the exchange of ideas between participants.

Find out more through the TCC website.

is a creative initiative designed to empower youth in Al-Jalazoun Refugee Camp through stop-motion animation. Developed by masna al-rusoom al-mutaharrika (Almasna) in partnership with Space Foundation, the project offers 14–16-year-old boys and girls the opportunity to tell their stories, reflect on their experiences, and connect with the world using the universal language of animation.

Through a 32-hour training program in a fully equipped animation studio, participants will learn the foundations of storytelling, animation, and English narration. Together, they will script, design, and animate a collaborative short film that reflects the resilience and daily realities of life in Al-Jalazoun. The project culminates in a community screening and online release, alongside a “making-of” video.

Animation allows us to reimagine reality—frame by frame. Through this project, the youth of Al-Jalazoun reclaim their narratives and share stories of courage, creativity, and hope. Read more about the work of Almasna here.

"This project isn’t just about animation. It’s about voice, identity, and showing the world what we live, what we dream, and how we survive."

Basel Nasr

 is a creative education project led by the Tamer Institute for Community Education. Focused on the power of language and storytelling, the initiative aims at providing 200 Palestinian children and young adults in Gaza and the West Bank the tools needed to express their lived experiences using the English language. With 60 literacy workshops and a six-episode podcast series, the project combines educational enrichment with digital storytelling to strengthen self-expression, resilience, and cross-cultural dialogue. It offers a unique platform for young Palestinians to share personal narratives, advocate for their communities, and connect with global audiences—amplifying their voices during a time when being heard is more urgent than ever. Read more about Tamer’s work

“In times of crisis, storytelling becomes not only a tool for healing, but a form of resistance. Through this initiative, we hope young Palestinians can have a chance to reclaim their voices, craft their narratives in English, and speak directly to the world. Their stories deserve to be heard—unfiltered, honest, and powerful.”

 

Dima Saqfalhait, 

Coordinator of the Literary and Knowledge Production Program at Tamer Institute

Resilient Voices, led by Dr Ahmed Kamal Junina, aims to support 50 Palestinian youth aged 18-30, including those displaced by the war on Gaza, through English language training and digital storytelling. The project brings together a skilled international team, including Dr Martin McMorrow (Australia), Gerhard Erasmus (Taiwan), and Dr María Auxiliadora Durán (Spain), each contributing expertise in linguistics, education, and mental health. Through workshops in creative writing, podcasting, and blogging, paired with mental health support, participants will craft and share personal stories of perseverance. A public digital archive will preserve these narratives, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and amplifying Palestinian voices on a global stage. The initiative enhances language skills, digital literacy, and community cohesion, while also creating resources to inspire and inform similar educational and advocacy efforts worldwide.

Read more about Ahmed Junina

Through Resilient Voices, we empower Gaza’s youth to transform their experiences of hardship into powerful stories of resilience, building bridges of understanding and hope that connect their voices to the world.

Dr Ahmed Kamal Junina, Project Lead

“If I must die, you must live to tell my story…” 

Refaat Alareer

This programme, led by a core team of Amir Garmroudi and Aisja Hamed, develops and facilitates a programme of storytelling masterclasses in the form of co-learning sessions in English for budding Palestinian storytellers. The sessions and the surrounding activities will be curated not only to help participants tell effective stories about their life and experiences in Palestine but also to make the jump towards becoming professional storytellers. The programme will both support storytellers to refine their storytelling skills and, support them in understanding how to get those stories out into the world, engaging with a creative community that offers support and feedback in the development of participants' creative ideas. The programme will culminate in the creation of a digital publication showcasing participants’ work.  Read more about Amir’s work and check out Hakayana website. 

“It is a daunting task for a Palestinian to become a storyteller and carry the responsibilities that come with it. In our case, to write is to fight. Against erasure and for the liberation of our people. We learned this from our fallen friends, like Refaat Alareer. As a writer, scholar, and mentor of young writers from Gaza, he was an inspiring figure to many. We take his final words with heavy hearts, but earnestly: we will tell your story, Refaat, because it is also ours.” –

Aisja Hamed

is part of the LINESforPalestine project, which has been supporting students and academics in Gaza since early 2024. LINES2F fosters collaboration between undergraduate students at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG, Palestine) and the University of Porto (Portugal) through sci-fi storytelling and filmmaking. 50 students from Gaza and Porto will work in small, mixed groups to make short science-fiction films guided by online workshops and group mentoring from creative writing and film-making experts. They will develop and express their creativity

on an international stage, make new connections, practise English in an authentic context and learn about creative writing and filmmaking. Through the parallel research strand, the University of Glasgow will provide new insights and evidence on how intercultural work on this type of shared project can facilitate reciprocal understanding and agency in the active imagining and telling of presents and futures for individuals and communities. The films will be premiered as part of the established film series held by the Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMNet), which ensures the dissemination of research nationally and internationally, engaging both academic and non-academic audiences.

"Through sci-fi storytelling and collaborative filmmaking, supported by meaningful virtual exchanges with their peers in Portugal, the LINEs2theFuture project strengthens the language and intercultural communication skills of Palestinian students in Gaza. It also helps them navigate trauma, amplify their voices, instill hope, and rebuild trust in a global academic community amid war, displacement, and ongoing academic uncertainty."

Dr Nazmi al Masri (Professor of Language Education, Islamic University of Gaza)

"Story on a Plate" is a creative workshop series that empowers Palestinian children and young people aged (9- 17) to express their identities and experiences through storytelling and art. Hosted by Tashkeel, an eco-friendly art space in Nablus/ West Bank, the programme combines English language learning with visual arts, using literature as a catalyst for creativity. Participants engage with classic children's books, then create ceramic plates and other artworks that reflect their personal narratives. The initiative fosters language skills, cultural expression, and community engagement, culminating in a public exhibition and digital storytelling showcase. Check out Tashkeel Instagram.

“Through storytelling and art, we reclaim our narratives and share our resilience with the world.” 

— Wasan Qaraman, Creative Director, Tashkeel