Artsbridge: Conflict mitigation with Israeli and Palestinian youth

Abstract

Artsbridge Inc., founded in 2008, utilizes the arts, reflecting dialogue and expressive therapy to work with teens from Israel, The Palestinian Authority and the United States in order to empower its students to create constructive change within their communities. This article discusses their unique approach to conflict mitigation, which trains students to think critically and creatively, and to work together constructively. The intended goals of Artsbridge Inc. are to empower its students, to provide them with effective communication skills, to deal with the pernicious effects of protracted conflict, to instill a sense of hope that change is possible and to empower them to work towards that change.

Developing relational resilience : engaging youth living in the midst of intractable conflict

“…Participating in the summer program one to two years before high school graduation provides the opportunity for the students to continue with Artsbridge through follow-up seminars and alumni conferences for at least the following year, allowing Artsbridge to continue to support the students' newly acquired ways of thinking and being (Nathan, 2016).…”