Towards a Unified Collective Effort to Build the Desired Lifeboat

Due to the numerous disappointments and calamities that humanity has experienced on this worn and punctured planet, I did not expect that this society in general and the Jerusalemite society in particular would need to be reminded that dirty waters flow beneath it, threatening to destroy one of the most important pillars of its national identity – the education system. This is despite the continuous statements and resonant slogans that can be summed up by saying: We hear noise but see no results. If efforts remain limited to this type of thinking, focusing solely on the reconstruction of stones without giving the necessary attention to people, we should not be surprised when someone calls for the broadcasting and promotion of what is falsely termed "the Abrahamic religion," accompanied by full normalization in all its forms, as a means of salvation. Here we find ourselves echoing the saying, "I was eaten the day the white bull was eaten!"

In order not to keep chasing the smoke thread and to recover from the state of mental confusion and the constant feeling of exhaustion caused by the disruption of thinking about what should be done, I allow myself to say that what the education system in Jerusalem, in particular, and humanity at large, needs to maintain its role in upholding national citizenship - which all countries in the world rely on - is as follows:

•   To begin re-evaluating and reviewing accounts related to the role of the school (for more see: The Role of the School in Social Solidarity, CARE Publications 1995), and the living reality of teachers, helping them recover from the burnout epidemic, so they can carry out their educational mission interactively, free from feelings of frustration, routine, and helplessness, finding an alternative feeling that they are not merely employees but standing at the frontiers of confrontation, to secure our children's legitimate right to education in safety and freedom, as a legitimate right and not a luxury, despite all the difficulties and enormous challenges.

•   To think outside the box regarding the place and space required to practice the educational process, meaning not only the school with its walls and staff, but also assigning a greater role to the family, as they are the first line of defense in this field, coordinating with the Parents' Union and any other relevant community institutions, avoiding monopolizing visions by those raising political slogans and self-proclaimed bodies, and emphasizing the need to distance ourselves from moods and personalizing matters to avoid exclusionary and improvisational approaches as much as possible, which led to the failure and atrophy of the desired outcomes of previous attempts. Let us work according to a relationship of integration and cooperation without impositions from any side. Let us work in the spirit of shared responsibility, starting by providing the necessary material needs (books, stationery, opportunities to expand cultural and artistic awareness, and educational games).

 To transform the courtyard and the shade of olive trees into educational spaces. In doing so, we ensure effective interaction between social education/learning through the ability to interpret what happens around us if the student possesses observational and focus learning skills and subsequently seeks solutions to problems rather than adapting to them. There is nothing wrong with employing educational methods and available technological means, creating short educational applications and films, while ensuring a wide margin for practicing individual or peer play. Here, we ensure the presence of opportunities to nurture and educate as we desire, as we do not seek just to fill the cognitive void but to influence behavior and community interaction paths that may lead to lasting and desirable impact.

•   To activate/increase the role of Islamic and Christian endowments – churches and mosques, toward achieving the embodiment and practical application of Islamic and Christian beliefs in a practical spirit rather than merely settling for words, by returning to enforce the authority of values and ethics, the principle of responsible partnership, a creative thinking approach, and raising public awareness of its importance, while ensuring the dignity of the teacher and student, acting in accordance with "And We have honored the children of Adam."

•   This is what the pillars of the educational system should be, as this enables the system to provide those involved in the educational process with skills to face challenges and psychological shocks and ensure that we do not increase or contribute to raising a lost generation/generations.

•   The media (by its various names and types) and social media have an important and active role in supporting all that has been mentioned above if directed in the right direction, with a guarantee of a larger margin for freedom of thought and expression.

•   There is also an important role for intellectuals, writers, and artists in nourishing and supporting those desired efforts.

•   Not to overlook the role of the environment and the reality on the ground that the learner and teacher live daily (destruction barriers, killing, displacement, arrests, and the confiscation of freedom of movement and intensified restrictions on freedom of thought and expression, with the need to avoid hate speech and incitement, understanding in advance that the existing flaws and issues are born from a politically imposed regime with force and exaggerated arrogance.
In conclusion, give me effective national education and teaching, and I will give you a cohesive, healthy society characterized by civil peace, solidarity, and mutual support, ensuring the preservation of national rights for all, without injustice, discrimination, racism, or pre-existing negative stereotypes.

All of this will happen if we adopt a unified collective humanitarian thinking approach, guided by the principle of preserving human dignity regardless of color, gender, religion, or language, after we have all contributed to building a lifeboat for all of humanity in general and for the Palestinian Jerusalemite specifically.