Combatants for Peace (C4P) are building playgrounds as memorials to a child, Abir Aramin who touched so many hearts. They need your help. C4P brings their members, former Israeli and Palestinian Combatants, to meet, listen to the other, and work to end the Occupation. Through these playgrounds, C4P makes a tangible difference for Palestinian children and parents in the West Bank, speaks for the safety of all children, and introduces Palestinian children to Israelis who aren't soldiers.
Palestinian children need safe places where they can safely leave the occupation and enter into their imagination. Moms and dads need warm places to gather with one another as their children play. The Aramin family, among the founders of Combatants for Peace, has sought to turn their tragedy and despair into care, creativity, and teamwork in memory of their daughter. The world needs to hear more from Combatants for Peace and recognize them as a force for peaceful change.
So far, C4P has built two playgrounds, each with remarkable outcomes. First, when Rebuilding Alliance brought Combatants for Peace to speak throughout the United States, they were welcomed at synagogues, mosques, and churches. Senator John Kerry met with them, said he too is a Combatant for Peace, asked to help. The first playground was built at the Anata Girl's School. Families come there long after school. The grand opening of the 2nd playground in Al Samoa Simya will happen very soon.
C4P provides an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian former combatants to add positive action to their meetings. When they work together to build for children they begin to heal. For many villagers, this is the first time they see Israelis who come in peace. The children gain a safe place to play, a place families can enjoy after school. As the word spreads, we hope C4P's model will overcome the occupation and nurture children and inspire all to work for fairness, justice, and peace.
"Combatants for Peace are working together to build a place where children can be children, where they can go to be safe, to step out of the Occupation into a world of play and creativity, to heal."
- Zohar Shapira, Israeli co-founder of Combatants for Peace
Total Funding Received to Date: $11,252
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $6,494
Total Funding Goal: $17,747
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).


