Palestinians and Israelis to participate in workshop

Palestinians and Israelis will participate together for the first time in a programme by Art of Living (AOL) NGO called Break Your Walls, a week-long culture and meditation workshop from 10 to 16 April. According to the NGO, approximately 25 Israeli and Palestinian youth (aged between 18 and 35) will participate. The Israeli delegation consists of both Jews and Arabs.   "Joining them will be a group of Europeans. All participants vary in traditions, cultures and religions," a statement by the European NGO reads. At Break Your Walls, participants will explore interactive group processes, relaxation exercises and a number of cultural activities to bridge all differences. They will learn new ways to cope with stress, conflict, negative emotions and how to deal with pressure. Initially the Wall Project was created in 2004 for Jews living on Israel's border with Gaza which was undergoing major bombing attacks. Participants at the time engaged in a number of trauma workshops and cultural activities to deal with their stress. With Arab-Israeli relations currently tense, Dr. Dafne Paz, who lives in Israel, decided to establish the project to break the group and individual mental walls and to help both cultures to learn to co-exist.