Comments on: The Streets Revisited

By: Saturday With Yarmouk Kids : 7iber Dot Com

Saturday With Yarmouk Kids : 7iber Dot Com — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:22:09 +0000

[...] neighborhood. Nearly one month later, their streets were re-visited by our team to be part of a full-day of fun activities under the slogan “Clean at Home, Clean Everywhere”, a slogan created by Ameen [...]

By: Simon Columbus

Simon Columbus — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:42:33 +0000

Wow! That’s kind of an amazing project. I’m really stunned. These kids get something to do of their own, a way of self-expression and self-organization: That’s the kind of opportunities kids need.

By: Jean Luc

Jean Luc — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:46:32 +0000

Bravo pour cette initiative ! Nous travaillons en France sur ce thème et sommes impressionnés par la mobilisation des enfants dans leur quartier. Peut-on travailler ensemble sur un projet ?

By: sarah

sarah — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:06:20 +0000

amazing job, keep the good work,
best of luck

By: ArabianMonkey

ArabianMonkey — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:24:40 +0000

This is an excellent first step – from grass roots spirit and action to attracting various entities and people to get engaged, and sharing the stories. Excellent. Just keep going. Organized, chaotic, participatory, controlled, short, long, safe, risky, whatever- just don’t stop, and allow time to process and evolve it. Continuity is key if we want to live results.

What’s next?

By: Deena

Deena — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:50:25 +0000

I wasn’t trying to belittle how tired or energy consuming the day was – I hope my comment wasn’t taken that way. I applaud you and your team for your commitment and dedication. However, I wasn’t speaking from opinion – it just seemed to me that the project overlooked the whole component of “participatory” within the discipline of community art.

There is a tendency, culturally, to “direct” everything – to use your word; from art to economics and politics. So the issue is not, as you suggested, which method is ‘good’, ‘works’, or produces something ‘nice’ – it is about what kind of generation we want to create. Do we want a generation just like ours and our forefathers, all who have been taught through ‘direction’??

All I am asking is, would Picasso have been Picasso if someone told him how to draw and colour?? It is said he sees the world through the eyes of a child, and that is the beauty of his work. Let us not deprive children from seeing the world through their own eyes so soon.

Again, I hope my comment wasn’t taken in the wrong way! I admire you all and hope your work and dedication will inspire others to follow your path :)

By: Naseem Tarawnah

Naseem Tarawnah — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:42:53 +0000

Ruba: thanks

Deena: that’s a valid point, but, lol, as strange as this may be to say: had what you suggested taken place there might have been utter chaos. These kids were full of a lot of energy and they spent the afternoon like random atoms colliding, and perhaps literally in this case, bumping off the walls. So much energy that it made the rest of us all so tired just observing.

In other words, that kind of youthful energy needs to be directed a bit in order to produce something nice.

But sometimes, your way is good too :-D

By: hatem abunimeh

hatem abunimeh — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:34:10 +0000

Very good job, I’m very impressed.

By: Ruba Saqr

Ruba Saqr — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:48:59 +0000

I love thissssss… brilliant feature ya Naseem… beautiful

By: Mariam

Mariam — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:15:09 +0000

Thank you for your kindness… It was so much fun… Of course, anytime you want…

By: kinzi

kinzi — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:35:04 +0000

This is fantastic!! I almost skipped this follow-up, and what a treat would have been lost. amazing what momentum has been built. Not only should it be continued, but multiplied.

Mariam, bravo 3alayki! I want to talk more about Tatawor!

By: Deena

Deena — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:38:07 +0000

How refreshing! Wish I was there …. I guess my only reservation, with regards to the video, is the artist ‘telling’ the children where to colour and how to do it…
I wish he had – instead – handed the paint to the children, gave them creative control, and let their imaginations be their guide…
Colour is not enough to make the wall ‘their own’… they also need to be able to see their vision, growth, and personal subjectivity on it.
Ghandi Saber is a brilliant dramatist, and an expert in Forum Theatre, so I hope his session allowed a greater space for the children’s personal narratives/imaginations!

By: Mariam

Mariam — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:18:10 +0000

Thanks Geore for your comment… The project was fun and we had as much as fun as the kids, only we all were exhausted at the end of the day… ( the kids were not!)