By: Tala AlRaheb, Ph.D.
Development Director at Bright Stars of Bethlehem
Rami *[1] a young boy in Gaza was stuck under the rubble with his family when an airstrike hit their home last summer. The weight of the rubble had crushed his shoulder and arm. Despite receiving medical care and attention, doctors told Rami’s family that he would never regain movement in his arm again. Imagine being a child, already worried for your life, and being told, if you live that you will be left with one working arm.
Rami was traumatized. Every time he looked at his arm, he was reminded of the night his home was reduced to the ground and the moment he thought he and his family would die. A few months following the airstrike, Rami was invited to attend a music and dance activity hosted by Dar al-Kalima University volunteers. These art-based psychosocial activities have been foundational in offering a sense of normalcy and maintaining a sense of hope for children in Gaza. Dar al-Kalima University has been hosting these art-based psychosocial activities since early 2023, but their existence has become even more significant in the last two years, where more than 20,000 children have been served through these activities, Rami being one of them.
With destruction and hardship all around them, children were dancing and singing, as if for a moment, joy was all they ever knew of this world. Rami was overcome with hope, and suddenly to the surprise of his mother, Rami moved his arm to the sounds of music. Through art, Rami was no longer stuck in freeze mode. Instead, art and music gave him courage that overshadowed the pain and trauma he had carried with him since the destruction of his home.
The story of Rami is one among many that attests to the power of using art to address trauma and mental health challenges in conflict zones. One Dar al-Kalima University volunteer described Art therapy by saying, “Art takes the greys of the war, and instead offers colors to children’s world.”
In the last two years, Palestinians have been subjected to extreme forms of violence. In Gaza, thousands have been killed. Thousands more remain under the rubble, identities unknown with family desperately hoping their loved ones might still be alive. But the inhumanity is not only in Gaza. Palestinians living in the West Bank continue to endure violence and restrictions that make daily life seem impossible to most of us. These experiences, among many more, have contributed to a collective trauma in Palestinian society. It is in such contexts of political violence that traditional forms of therapy, which have been espoused to be highly effective, become completely insufficient to address the concerns of those experiencing daily trauma. How do you provide care to individuals experiencing ongoing trauma? To the child who has been through 6 wars and a genocide by age 16? In order for talk therapy to be effective, it necessitates an end to the traumatizing event. Yet, for more than 75 years, generations of Palestinians have had to live under occupation and experience insurmountable traumatic experiences. This is why Dar al-Kalima University needed to find new avenues to address ongoing trauma in Palestinian society, for which Art Therapy was the answer. Globally, Art therapy has been shown to be a highly effective intervention, particularly in conflict zones.[2]
Recognizing the importance of Art therapy in war zones, and the need for trained Art therapists to provide non-pharmacological mental health interventions under occupation, Dar al-Kalima University launched the first-ever master’s program in Art Therapy in Palestine. There, our students are bridging innovation, art, and therapy to provide holistic and culturally responsive care for individuals suffering from various mental health challenges. One of our students, Mishleen, utilized her background in design to create an immersive 3D virtual reality space that she paired with music and breathing exercises. In a soon to be published study, Mishleen found that immersive space and art lead to a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms among university students.
Utilizing innovative methods and modern technology in the art therapy program at Dar al-Kalima University is a unique feature that recognizes that, in a context of war, physical refuge might not be possible, but the need for mental health care is ever-present. Virtual reality spaces, like what Mishleen has created, allow Palestinians to access Art Therapy sessions from anywhere in Palestine. This new intervention is vital as we think about Gaza where 90% of the infrastructure has been destroyed. Such interventions offer new avenues for hope and ensure that even when political forces destroy physical spaces, art becomes a tool of hope that uplifts and heals spirits and promotes resilience.
As the first and only university of arts, culture, and design, Dar al-Kalima is equipping the next generation of creative leaders to address mental health challenges under occupation and genocide. So far, the program has 30 students, who study and practice by doing supervised training. Through partnerships with schools, NGOs, hospitals, and clinics, Dar al-Kalima students have been able to contribute their talents and provide art therapy to Palestinians in a wide variety of community settings. As the only Art Therapy program in Palestine, Dar al-Kalima University provides Palestinian society with trained professionals during a time of critical shortage. The impact of Dar al-Kalima’s Art therapy program has already reached thousands of children in Gaza and the West Bank; its continued growth is vital to ensure that every Palestinian receives individualized care and has life in abundance.
Join us in supporting DAK and empowering Hope in Palestine. Give to Bright Stars of Bethlehem.
[1] Name of child was changed to maintain anonymity and safety.
[2] For studies on Art therapy from around the world, see the International Journal of Art Therapy. https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rart20
**Full disclosure: The Emergent Grace Movement and The Erin Grimm School are major financial sponsors of the art therapy program at Dar al-Kalima University, having supported it generously since October 2023.
