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Eye to Eye

Country

Lebanon, Palestinian Territory

Region

Middle East

Programme Summary

Eye to Eye was a multi-media project which ran through June 2003 and enabled fourth-generation Palestinian refugee children living in refugee camps in Lebanon and Occupied Palestinian Territories to express themselves through photography and the web. The project aimed to raise public awareness and increase understanding among audiences in the UK of the needs and rights of Palestinian children and the negative impact of the stalled peace process; and to increase awareness among Palestinian communities of the value of children's work in presenting their situation to the outside world.

Communication Strategies

The Eye to Eye project held six photography-based workshops in refugee camps in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including four seven-day workshops producing materials for local display (in Arabic) and international exhibitions (in English) and for a website developed and managed by the Education Unit of Save the Children in the UK. Two shorter "emergency" intifada workshops focused on eliciting materials for the website.

The workshops used a "powerful, highly participative, expressive methodology which enabled the children to learn new skills and gain self-confidence, think for themselves about their lives and communities, and represent themselves to external audiences." In the workshops, children got to know each other and shared camp life experiences through their photos. They exhibited 700 images with accompanying interviews of elders and other writings relevant to the photos. In some workshops "books" were produced by the children with the purpose of providing a referenced resource from which website, exhibition and other materials could be selected in London. Cameras were left with after-school clubs and partner organisations in the camps to allow children to continue to take photos.

The website provided information for Global Education in the UK and offered a controlled message board system to facilitate interaction and exchange between Palestinian refugee children and other individuals and groups around the world. The website no longer facilitates this exchange, but has archived the messages and stories collected while the project was running. It also continues to incorporate curriculum materials for use by teachers in the UK.

Development Issues

Children, Refugees.

Key Points

An estimated 100 children participated in the project, including 10 who were involved in later workshops as volunteer assistants or peer educators. A second Eye to Eye project, in India, was planned and piloted in 2003 using digital technology within a similar framework to address child rights.

Partners

Education Unit of Save the Children UK.

Contact


Placed on the Communication Initiative site March 17 2006
Last Updated October 18 2007

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