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Enjoying the EU Summer Fun Days in the West Bank

13 October 2016

From 1 to 8 August, over 1,700 Palestine refugee students participated in the annual EU Summer Fun Days at 35 schools across the West Bank. Every year, with generous funding from the European Union, UNRWA schools in the West Bank organize ‘EU Fun Day’ activities on Saturdays during the academic year and for a week in the summer. Ranging from sports, drama, dance, music, and arts and crafts, these activities help to reinforce the principles of peace-building education, covering a wide array of global themes such as non-violence, conflict resolution, democracy, gender equality, human rights, environmental responsibility, communication skills, co-existence and diversity. The EU Summer Fun Days provide refugee students with a safe space to play, form new friendships, develop their talents, and learn more about the European Union and its support to Palestine refugees.          

Students at the Kalandia Boys’ School practice dabke, the traditional Palestinian folkloric dance, during EU Summer Fun Day activities in August 2016. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala HeitawiThe EU Summer Fun Days provide safe spaces for Palestine refugee children to play. Crowded camp conditions and a lack of open recreational spaces present many refugee children with few alternatives in the summer when school is not in session. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala HeitawiDuring the EU Summer Fun Days, Palestine refugee children enjoy a broad range of fun activities with their peers, including arts and crafts. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala HeitawiStudents participating in the annual EU Summer Fun Days at Kalandia Boys’ School watch educational films about the European Union and its long-standing history of supporting Palestine refugees. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala HeitawiThrough the Fun Day activities in the summer and throughout the school year, students learn more about the history, geography and culture of the European Union and its member states. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala HeitawiStudents at the Ramallah Girls’ School enjoy the annual EU Summer Fun Day activities. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala Heitawi“There are few other alternatives for these students to play in the summer,” explains Sireen Duweikat, the school principal at the Askar Girls’ School. “Without these activities, many of them would have to play in the streets, which can be dangerous, or they would not have space to practice their hobbies.”Girls at the Askar Basic Girls’ School in Nablus practice their dance choreography during the EU Summer Fun Days in August 2016. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Tala Heitawi

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