‘Be my Last Resort’, a First Step to Refine the Skills of Young Writers with Disabilities
Effective Writers – Gaza – Ramallah – Tunis
Palestinian writers Yusri Al Ghoul, Ghareeb Asqalani and Ahmed Baalousha and Tunisian poet Al Munsif Al Manzaghni concurrently spent five consecutive days in Ramallah, Gaza and Tunis providing training on literary writing skills to a number of young writers with disabilities. The training and practical exercises aimed at refining the writing skills of the trainees.
The training was provided as part of the ‘Effective Writers’ project which the Social Developmental Forum (SDF) is implementing as part of SouthMed Program with generous support from the European Union. The project targets 30 persons with disabilities in Gaza, the West Bank and Tunisia.
The trainees brought their writings to the trainings. The writings were discussed and objective amendments were made to them. The outcome is a book titled ‘Be my Last Resort’ which includes the literary texts that the trainees discussed and amended in the trainings. The book was issued in Gaza and distributed in a number of countries in the Southern Mediterranean region.
Palestinian writer Yusri Al Ghoul said that he is happy and optimistic for the writers with disabilities. “During the training, I noticed that the trainees were excited about advancing their writings,” he explained.
“Be my Last Resort is a gleam of hope for those who attended the training. It is their first book and the first newborn of those who adopt the cause of persons with disabilities,” Al Ghoul said.
Al Ghoul said that he believes that the book will motivate writers with disabilities to be more creative in their writings. “This book will be followed by books authored by single or several writers with disabilities,” he added.
Palestinian novelist Ghareeb Asqalani agrees with Al Goul and says that the book; Be my Last Resort, is the first step by writers with disabilities to start the journey of creative writing.
Talking about the project, Asqalani said the project is very positive for persons with disabilities in all walks of life. “It agitates creative inner energy mainly in persons with disabilities. The project highlights participation aspirations of persons with disabilities,” Asqalani noted.
“Having participated in the training and the meetings, I have concluded that some persons with disabilities are able to develop and add something of their own. If their skills are well developed, we may find that they have the potential to write nicely and effectively. This will help solving many of their psychological problems and ending the isolation and confinement they feel because of their disabilities,” Asqalani explained.
Asqalani wishes that organizations that implement this kind of activities and projects will be able to develop their programs and not to limit their support to persons with disabilities to this project. Stressing that Effective Writers project is the first of its kind in Gaza, Asqalani said that “support should be provided to other arts such as theatre and fine art in future projects.”