On September 5–6, I had the privilege of spending two days with the young Palestinian leaders of the Freedom School, a project of Combatants for Peace, leading a training on nonviolent resistance.
Many of these young people come from West Bank communities that have been destroyed by the Israeli army. They carry the weight of loss and displacement, alongside the daily pressure of living under occupation. And all of this is happening while the genocide in Gaza continues to unfold before their eyes, a reality that creates a deep sense of hopelessness and the question: What can we possibly do?
It was within this heavy context that we came together to wrestle with the depth and complexity of nonviolent resistance. We explored how systems of oppression sustain themselves, how power dynamics are manipulated to weaken us, and how, even in the darkest of times, communities can organize and resist without replicating cycles of violence. They were inspired to learn of the deep and long history of nonviolent resistance within the context of our Palestinian history. 
The most powerful moments came from the conversations themselves. The youth spoke openly about fear, anger, and despair. They asked what it really takes to stand nonviolently when everything around them seems to demand retaliation. We reflected on how to transform pain into action, how to hold on to dignity when dignity is being stripped away, and how unity is our greatest weapon against those who want to divide and conquer us.
This training was not only about tactics, it was about reclaiming a way of being. Nonviolence is not weakness, and it is not passive. It is the disciplined choice to act differently, even when violence feels inevitable. It is a power rooted in courage and vision, a power that has carried movements for justice around the world.
One participant captured it in simple words: “Nonviolence is not about giving up, it is about standing up.”
Even as their homes are destroyed and their people are under siege, these youth showed me that the struggle is alive. Their questions, their honesty, and their courage are seeds of a different future, one we desperately need to water and protect.
