Teen Voices from the Holy Land

From what I have heard, Syb Roell, Vice President of Business Development for Ode, is hoping to create an ODE for kids. That’s a terrific idea, and I’m sure Syb would welcome suggestions. So here’s one: It’s a book entitled Teen Voices from the Holy Land, a collection of 34 interviews with Palestinian and Israeli teenagers, that gives readers a chance to hear about what it’s like as teenagers living in the troubled Holy Land. Readers will hear from 17-year old Ahmad who doesn’t like school, loves his family, and is ready to share the Holy land with people he doesn’t like. Ella Shik, a 12-year old girl lives in Tel Aviv, has a 17-year old brother, plays guitar, wants to live on a kibbutz and help make the world a safe place to live in. Reem, a Muslim teenager from Yama, feels that friendship “is like living in a steady stream of sincerity, honesty, love and cooperation flowing from one person to another.”

And there are so many others, 34 of them, each with a unique personality and something to say. Some play guitars, piano, soccer, and computer games. Some have dreams, some fear to dream, but all are teenagers telling us that they exist and want to do so in peace.

The book is part of a project called the Global Oral History (GOHIP) Project, initiated by two American professors, Dr. Mahmoud Watad (William Paterson University), and Dr. Leonard Grob (Farleigh Dickinson University). GOHIP’s intention is to “promote understanding among peoples in conflict anywhere in the world” through books, films, and multimedia presentations. In the introduction to Teen Voices from the Holy Land, the authors say that their “...hope is for the narratives to spark reflections about the value of commonalities and an appreciation of differences...” And they hope it will help in “dispelling harmful stereotypes.”

So, Syb, et al, if you do get something going in the way of an ODE for kids, I sure do recommend Teen Voices from the Holy Land as book to let kids know about.

More information about the book can be found on Amazon, www.amazon.com/Teen-Voices-Holy-Land-Who/dp/1591025354.