"Me... Against Violent Extremism" Student Art Projects in Yemen

Student participants at Raba'a Al-Adawia school for girls in Sana'a, Yemen.

Under the slogan “Me…Against Violent Extremism,” SAVE Yemen and Raba'a Al-Adawia School organized a workshop for female students from different grades. In the workshops, the girls drew their perspectives about terrorism and extremism.

SAVE Yemen trainers Fatima Al-Zuhairy, principal of Raba’a Al-Adawia, Noor Baabad, a Minister in the Department of Social Affairs, and Fahmia Al-Fotih', SAVE Yemen Coordinator, facilitated the workshop and observed the students’ outcomes.

In the beginning of the workshop, Ms. Al-Zuhairy had a dialogue with the participating students in which she measured the students' level of understanding about “terrorism and extremism.” She also discussed with them the negative impact of terrorist activities on their personal lives, communities, and beloved country. Ms. Al-Zuhairy explained to the young girls the importance of their roles in building peace and rejecting intolerance and negative practices as the future mothers and leaders.

 Ms. Baabad talked to the young participants stressing the important roles that young people can play in developing their countries; she told them that development could not be achieved unless there is peace and accepting of other cultures.

Ms. Al-Fotih expressed gratitude to the school's administration and to the student participants, hoping that their noble participation in rejecting violent extremism would move beyond the workshop to their families and their communities.

At the end of the workshop, around 18 students managed to come up with a number of portraits through which they depicted their strong hopes for peace and fears of bombings and insecurity. Some have pictured a peaceful village of houses demolished by a bombing and others portrayed suicide bombers destroying all lives.

An example of a student's response to violent extremism through art.

This students' campaign is just of one of activities that SAVE Yemen is carrying out.

Report by SAVE Coordinator Fahmia al-Fotih'