appeared and shot teargas and rubber bullets into the crowd. Some of the Palestinian participants would be actively confronting the armed Israelis, while others would be watching and the last group would be fleeing. Children were asked to indicate which group they felt the most identification with. Those who saw their role among the fleeing were likely to have more severe symptoms of PTSD than those who saw themselves confronting their attackers. This may indicate the role of empowerment in overcoming shocks and traumas in ones life. This also supports the view of three generations of Palestinians living in uncertain and potentially volatile circumstances for sixty years or more that education is extremely important to the continued survival of their people and the ability to coexist reasonably in an uncertain and dangerous environment (Alzaroo and Lewando Hunt, 2003) (Van Dyke and Randall, 2002).
Education helps to improve students’ feelings of empowerment over their own future and can give them something hopeful to focus on when the current circumstances seem overwhelming. At the same time, languages introduce new ways of thinking about events and concepts and encourage language learners to be flexible in their thinking about the meaning of the things they encounter. Though the human reaction to stressful and traumatic life events can present problems for people trying to learn new things, persevering in education could possibly be the best thing a person can do to overcome their fear and stress and take charge of their situation in new ways.
Bibliography
Alzaroo, S. and Lewando Hunt, G. (2003). Education in the context of conflict and
instability: the Palestinian case. Social Policy and Administration. V 37 I 2. 165-180.
Chemtob, C., Nakashima, J. and Carlson, J. (2002). Brief treatment for elementary school
