“Education has always been a source of hope and resilience for all Palestinians”: Interview for the OLIVE Project

As we read in the interview, the conversation took place when there are currently no university left in Gaza due to Israeli attacks. This is part of what Palestinian Professor Karma Nabulsi called ““, during the 2008-2009 Israeli assault on Gaza, to refer to “systematic destruction of Palestinian education by Israel.” Much of what Tahani explores in this conversation is also echoed in the “”. The open letter was published a few days later. In it, the importance of online teaching in the current circumstances is pointed out and that, as Tahani puts it, “the rebuilding of Gaza’s academic institutions is not just a matter of education; it is a testament to our resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment to securing a future for generations to come.” 

Online teaching and learning and teachers' professional development in Palestine are at the core of OLIVE project. They are also the focus of the collaborative work currently taking place at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Helsinki University and the Faculty of Education, Birzeit University. The collaborative work concerns the development of online teaching methods and learner-centered pedagogical approaches as part of the activities and outputs for the OLIVE project. 

The interview comes in two parts. In Part 1, the focus of the discussion is, in addition to online teaching and learning, on the impact of Israeli colonialism and occupation on Palestinian education, and teachers’ resilience in Gaza. The second part of the interview will be published next week. Read the interview on OLIVE project blog.