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LIBRARY ON WHEELS FOR NON-VIOLENCE AND PEACE (LOWNP)

(Last Updated 1 December 1995.)

Director

Nafez Assaily

Type of Project:

Non-profit; community outreach; resource; training in non-violence and peace education.

Description:

The Library on Wheels project was originally a project of the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence founded in 1986. In the summer of 1994, it split off from the Palestinian Center and has become completely independent. It cooperates with all organizations in the same field. LOWNP travels to Palestinian villages, refugee camps and semi-nomadic Bedouin communities, distributing books to children with no access to public libraries.

LOWNP Goals

1. To provide children's educational materials to a population which has no access to public libraries;

1. To encourage and improve the reading level of children;
2. To provide opportunities for self-expression and social interaction;
3. To expose readers to information which can benefit growth and development;
4. To encourage interest in the arts, such as drama, music and storytelling;
5. To open minds to new ideas;
6. To promote the ideas of peace, coexistence and nonviolence as a way of life, particularly to children;
7. To promote the idea of Salaam within Islam, Shalom within Judaism and Peace within Christianity.

Library on Wheels for Nonviolence and Peace is constantly looking for new ways and methods to meet the needs for peaceful education and to promote nonviolence to children, has set up a puppet show program as a positive way to teach ideas to nonviolence, coexistence, cooperation and peace.

Young Leadership Training Program

The Young Leadership Training Program is designed to follow up with beneficiary children who are now adults. Since the signing of the Declaration of Principles by the PLO and Israel in Oslo, there has been fruitful ground for and widespread concern for the need to promote nonviolent and positive communication, active listening, building of trust among Palestinian youth and coalition building in order to reduce tension and to fill the gaps of misunderstanding and mistrust among Palestinian youngsters.

Administrative Structure:

The LOWNP board is composed of Palestinian men and women.

Publications:

• Library on Wheels Newsletter (A/E)