Schools: Student Quotes 2008/2009

"Seeing the videos helped me understand the situation, making the poster helped me express how I felt about it but meeting the students made me care more about the issues."

"Learning about human rights and realising other people’s views on conflict was interesting."

"The main benefits of this project for me were gaining awareness, making a connection and finding friendship."

"With our poster we want them to see that we can understand both sides of the conflict."

"Rights in a conflict just get thrown out the window. Conflict starts and rights are not appreciated. We should use the language of rights to uphold some form of dignity in a conflict situation so that rights are not completed ignored and it gets out of control."

"The project has made me more aware of the news but the main benefit was meeting the students."

"The steps are the basic values and rights – life, respect, tolerance, security, education, freedom, and compassion. They are the basic rights and values in order to get to a brighter future."

"I think somebody must help the children in this conflict to have their rights and values to move forward."

"Under the four hands on our poster we can read we are all humans and we are all living on one world. The four values –Freedom, Dignity, Respect and Equality exist in all religions – Islam , Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism – these religions defend these values very well and the message is – whatever we are, whoever we are, whatever colour, we can all lie together."

"Cowardice asks is it safe? Expediency asks is it political? Conscience asks is it right?"

"This is trying to say that there are two sides to a conflict, but the one we must consider the most important question is what conscience asks about the conflict: the question is – is it right?"

"Our poster symbolises the final goal, which is peace which we know is hard to get and it takes a lot of effort. We are not over valuing peace in any way. We just like to show that we care about this conflict. We want to show them that they are not alone."

"I have a different, more objective perspective on the realities of the conflict now and the conflict itself."

"It was good to be able to ask students form both sides about the conflict and share views without holding back on either side."

"We want to show Peace, Education and other values on our poster why they are important ad to tell others about what we all need and what we have to have."

"The big word o our poster is Respect. We wanted to do it to show everybody that we should respect each other and that we’re all equal."

"Everyone has the same rights. One can not be treated worse because of one’s nationality or the place one lives in."

"Interdependence is people depending on each other, needing each other and relying on each other to help each other. We are trying to help the Israelis and Palestinians to see that war is wrong and that they need to see something else."

"I think the posters were great because they let the students know how we feel. "

"I thought we learnt a lot about human rights and how they are being neglected."

"I appreciate their struggle for their human rights."

"I hope w got our message of Interdependence across to them."

"We want them to see that they need to look beyond the country and see the kids and that they have lives and that there is more than the country and what it stands for. "

"We wanted to show both sides that we support them both and how we want them to get on although we understand the difficulties in resolving the conflict now much more."

"The project gave us an opportunity to express our opinions but it also made me think about equality when I was making the poster."

"Guns can be used for protection but they should not be abused, you can just pull a trigger and that’s someone gone. "

"Hearing stories form the Palestinian and the Israeli students has given me a better understanding of the conflict from both sides."

"Learning about the conflict now helps reading more newspaper articles on the conflict and understanding them I also felt good that our posters and work were appreciated."

"Interacting with students from different schools and countries helped to learn not to be prejudiced towards one side over another."

"I learned so much about the conflict that they are in and understood a little how difficult it is for them by seeing their videos and hearing the students opinions and feelings."

"Being able to communicate with the students in Israel and Palestine through posters and letters was really good because it made me more interested and knowledgeable."

"One main benefit for me was learning that there are people trying to make a difference."

"Communicating with students form different countries has made more aware of religious and national conflicts."

"I found the videos and feedback very interesting and felt a real connection with the students."

"Watching videos, meeting students on the website forum and the Poetry Ireland workshop made the project a good experience for me."

"We should do this project for peace in the world, and it’s not cheesy, because no one likes war. For freedom and respect for everyone. "

"With out poster we were trying to say that no matter what their situation is in life, we are all the same and that we are one. That is our message."

"To learn how the conflict affects children and young people and to see how they actually feel about it was one benefit for me."

"Talking to people who actually went through or are in a conflict really helped me understand more."

"It was good to meet new people who have different views than me. It also made me more aware of how complicated conflicts are and I learn a lot about the conflict in Northern Ireland."

"Talking to the two different sides involved seeing the personal affect it has on young people, but I also had to think of how to help to find ways to be proactive about solving the conflict."

"The main benefit of this project for me was making new friendships."

"The project gave me a chance to listen to how people live through and in conflicts and it also showed me how people all want the same thing."

"I enjoyed writing to the Israelis and Palestinians about Ireland and telling them about our culture and the getting feedback from them."

"Learning about the conflict but also learning about them and communicating with them was good. "

"Getting to meet people who have very different lives than me."

"I learnt how conflict in Israel and Palestine affects people just like here. We can do something just by being a good example to encourage them and for them to keep up hope."

"Meeting the Israeli and Palestinian students was very enjoyable."

"Now that I know about the conflict I can understand the problems in different countries other than just focus on my own."

"I really enjoyed gaining a better understanding of the backgrounds and meeting the students as well as improving my communication skills."

"One main benefit of the project was getting to meet new people form different communities and see what other’s opinions are about eh conflict her and in Israel and Palestine."

"Hearing other’s opinions has given me an insight into the conflict and it has made me more aware of the situation here and in Israel and Palestine."

"I really appreciated meeting people from across the border and hearing what other people thought of Northern Ireland."

"I was good having the opportunity to talk about the troubles and wars and learning about the daily lives in another conflict zone."