Now, there is hope in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.  The Youth Initiatives Program called “Rainbow of Hope” funded by the United States is bringing students together in an effort to minimize prejudice and build friendships. Syrian refugees stream into Lebanon, tensions between Lebanese and Syrians are growing daily.

The said program, gathers the youth once a week, students convene for activities such as basketball, puppet shows, plays, films and cultural excursions. The program provides leadership skills and the chance to build conflict resolution skills through extracurricular activities. Director of the Youth Initiative Program, Nidal Khaled said, “The Syrian army’s former presence in Lebanon is one reason for the tensions, but there are others. The Lebanese media is playing a negative role by making Lebanese scared of the Syrian refugees. The media too are also imposing some ideas that the Lebanese are of a higher class. In addition, most of the refugees are really poor, so their lifestyles are different from the Lebanese.”

Different testimonials from students and a teacher under the program were given.  Asma Harouk, a Lebanese student, said: “When the Syrians first came, I didn’t know them, I didn’t interact with them. Now I feel there’s a friendship between us because of these activities.”

Syrian student Rama Salib said:”I didn’t understand them because they speak Lebanese dialect,” Salib said. One of the teachers for the program, Lilianne Hamzeh said, “With war in Syria raging just over these hills, it is hard not to think about the hardships some of the children have been through. We are trying our best to make them equal, but sometimes you are finding yourself feeling with the Syrians much more because of what they faced before.”

Despite a history of tensions between their two countries, these students are learning to respect each other through the program.