Building Bridges Early: Summer Camp 2024
Duration: 5 days, July 2024
Overview
Children are often the most natural peacemakers, possessing a unique ability to see the humanity in one another despite the divisions of the adult world. The Musalaha Summer Camp brings together 80 Muslim and Christian Palestinian children (ages 7–12) for five days of play, connection, and discovery. In a region marked by instability, the camp provides a rare, safe haven where children can replace fear and suspicion with lifelong friendships.
The Challenge
Growing up under military occupation, these children face daily trauma and social pressure to view "the other" with distrust. Interreligious tensions have been particularly high since October 2023. This project addresses these barriers by creating a "neutral ground" in the Bethlehem area, ensuring children can safely gather to explore their shared identities.
Project Activities
The camp uses a mix of fun and faith-based learning to plant the seeds of reconciliation:
Building Trust Through Play: Through sports, arts and crafts, and team competitions, children build trust and teamwork. Children build genuine bonds and learn the value of cooperation in a safe, joyful environment.
Interactive Learning: Using Musalaha’s Youth Curriculum, campers explore “reconciling values” like loving your neighbour, non-violence, and equality.
Safe Expression: Guided sessions of arts and crafts allow children to share their daily struggles and their personal journeys in a supportive environment. This provides a rare opportunity for children to talk about their struggles with trauma and stress, helping them process the world around them.
Mentorship: 20 young adult counsellors (ages 15–30) from both faith backgrounds serve as role models, demonstrating what cooperation looks like in practice.
Building for the Future
The goals for this summer camp go beyond a single week of activities:
Lasting Friendships: We expect 80% of the children to build genuine, lasting relationships with children from different faiths and backgrounds
A New Way of Seeing: We hope that most campers (60%) report wanting to stay in touch with their new friends, often encouraging their parents to connect across community lines as well.
Changing Hearts: Through surveys, stories and artistic expressions, the camp measures how children move from "exclusivist", fear-based narratives toward those of empathy and respect.
Future Leaders: This camp is a gateway; historically, 90% of campers return as volunteers when they grow older, and 80% of our adult program participants started their journey at this very camp. This starts a life-long commitment to peace.
Starting Strong
By focusing on the next generation, this project goes to the heart of Musalaha’s mission to build and restore relationships from the ground up. It is more than just a summer camp; it is an investment in the future leaders who will one day advocate for peace, justice, and equality in their communities.
