The Gaza Youth Committee () is a peace activism organization based in the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
. It was founded in 2010 by
Rami Aman.
As of 2019, the group had more than 200 members.
The organization is a member of
Alliance for Middle East Peace.
Activity
The Gaza Youth Committee "wants a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and an end to the Israeli siege on Gaza".
Their primary strategy for obtaining these two goals is to support local youth
and to build interpersonal relationships between Gazans and Israelis, although the group has also tried to build relationships between Gazans and West Bank residents.
The organization also holds non-violence trainings, and has held a letter-writing campaign addressed to international activists.
In 2015, the group began the initiative "
Skype
Skype () was a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for IP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also had instant messaging, file transfer, ...
with your Enemy", in which the group hosts joint conference calls with both Palestinians and Israelis.
During the calls, participants discuss the realities of life in Gaza and Israel.
In 2018, the group held a demonstration in which they released 200 doves, each with a message of peace.
In 2018 and 2019, the group organized Skype calls between Gaza residents and American citizens during
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
.
In March 2019, the group's founder, Rami Aman, was arrested following a "Skype with your Enemy" call; he was released shortly afterward.
On
Yom HaZikaron
Yom HaZikaron (), in full, ''Yom HaZikaron LeHalelei Ma'arkhot Yisrael ul'Nifge'ei Pe'ulot HaEivah'' (), is Israel's official day of remembrance for fallen Israeli soldiers and terrorism victims, enacted into Israeli law in 1963. While Yom H ...
2019, the organization streamed the Alternative Memorial Ceremony, which took place in Tel Aviv and was organized by the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Family Forum and Combatants for Peace, in the Gaza Strip. In June of that year, the Gaza Youth Committee organized "Peace and Freedom" cycling and foot races, which were open to both Palestinian and Israeli participants. Three GYC members were arrested after the event, and charged with "normalization".
In 2020, Aman,
Manar al-Sharif, and a third GYC member were arrested, again following a
Zoom
Zoom may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* ''Zoom'' (2006 film), starring Tim Allen
* ''Zoom'' (2015 film), a Canada-Brazil film by Pedro Morelli
* ''Zoom'' (2016 Kannada film), a Kannada film
* ''Zoom'' (2016 Sinhala film), a Sr ...
call held with both Palestinians and Israelis.
[{{Cite web , date=2021-04-01 , title=Gaza man: After lengthy torture, Hamas forced me to divorce , url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-middle-east-coronavirus-pandemic-marriage-gaza-strip-1836eabe150e816658907967835f029a , access-date=2023-11-04 , website=AP News , language=en]
References
External links
Official Facebook
2010 establishments in Asia
Political organizations based in Palestine
Organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process
Gaza Strip