Palestinian youth theatre group presents show on life under occupation

A new drama group made up of high school students aged 16-17, from the Latin Patriarchate School in Bir Zeit, presented a play and a film focusing on what it means to be a human living under occupation. The six-strong group, named FHEJ (For Humans Everywhere, Join Us}, is supported by the Bir Zeit chapter of the Caritas Jerusalem Youth Volunteers program. The show, which was presented to a full house on 3 April, received rave reviews. Commenting on the event, Claudette Habesch, Caritas Jerusalem's Secretary General said: "I was amazed by what I saw. These six youngsters have bright futures in the dramatic and theatrical world. I honestly was completely surprised to know that this was their first public dramatic presentation. I was convinced that I was witnessing a group of seasoned professional actors. The initiative of these young people is not only impressive, but it deserves our attention and support." Through the Youth Volunteers program, Caritas Jerusalem will continue to accompany these young people by providing training to help them develop their skills. They have provided the group with a video camera to help them document and promote their work. The evening raised 900 NIS ($250 US Dollars/160 Euros) which will be used to help future work of FHEJ. This group in Bir Zeit is one of ten youth volunteer groups that Caritas Jerusalem supports. Through out the West Bank and East Jerusalem, these groups work in their own areas bringing community betterment through volunteer work. More than 140 youth volunteers are now participating in these groups whose numbers continue to grow.