Palestinian children are facing a 'psychological war', says Abla Nasir of Christian Aid partner, YWCA Palestine. 'Our universities are full of angry and academically ill-equipped children. Even their graffiti is full of misspelled words.' image: Christian Aid
'The barrier is like a row of impenetrable dominoes and we have to keep thinking of ways around it,' she says.'

'The Wall is forcing us to re-familiarise ourselves with our surroundings. We are going to need a new Road Map just to find our way around!'

Abla's home is in the West Bank town of Ramallah, close to Jerusalem.

Israel's separation barrier and the network of checkpoints imposed by the military mean it can often take her two or three hours to make a journey that should take 25 minutes.

She keeps a sleeping bag in her office just in case she's unable to get home.

'The barrier is like a row of impenetrable dominoes and we have to keep thinking of ways around it,' she says.

'In the 1960s the Israeli Defence Forces entered houses and destroyed property to force people to leave. Now they use more subtle methods and we are caught up in the daily grind of Israeli bureaucracy.

'The separation barrier is cutting off communities from one another, making travel and trade virtually impossible, and limiting access to schools and hospitals.

'Palestinians need permits to commute and are not allowed into Jerusalem unless they have a Jerusalem ID.

'Daily life is becoming unsustainable and many Palestinians are emigrating to neighbouring Arab countries', she says.

And Palestinian children, who already face the daily drudgery of living under occupation and in poverty, are facing a 'psychological war', she adds.

'Our children have no time to go to museums or appreciate nature and the arts.

'Our universities are full of angry and academically ill-equipped children. Even their graffiti is full of misspelled words.

'Young people are resilient but we have to work very hard to transform their bitterness into maturity, growth and wisdom.'

Education is key

Abla believes the key to reform lies in the education system:

'Whatever reforms have been made are not sufficient - our teachers are too traditional and young people are so lost.

'They need space for self-expression and creative thinking. Non-formal education can help as it is far more flexible.

'We use role-play in refugee camps to enhance young people's sense of identity, and their concept of art and music.

'We want our children to be proud of who they are. It's quite a challenge, but I always say that, the more the Israeli army squeezes us, the more ideas will come to our mind - this is our survival mechanism.'

*Israeli settlements, roads, municipal control of the land, the barrier, etc.