Martin Luther King Jr's Dream is Our Dream

thea • January 15, 2022

Dear Friends,


Martin Luther King Jr. influences everything we do at House of Hope Vision School. You can find his legacy in our daily nonviolent prayer, which our students recite every morning, in the murals painted on our walls, and in our classroom lectures. 


His dream is our dream.


For nations like Palestine that are living under poverty, occupation, corruption, and injustice, Martin Luther King Jr. stressed the use of nonviolent resistance. This resistance should cause no harm or violence to any human being, whether they be a Muslim, Christian, or Jew.


Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor his memory by remembering his six core principles of nonviolence:


1. Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is an active nonviolent resistance to evil.


2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation.


3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims.


4. Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. Nonviolence willingly accepts the consequences of its acts.


5. Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence to the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolence love is active, not passive. Nonviolence love does not sink to the level of the hater. Love restores community and resists injustice. Nonviolence recognizes the fact that all life is interrelated.


6. Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win.


What we are working on today at House of Hope is first and foremost in the philosophy of nonviolence. The means must be as pure as the end. Nonviolence seeks to achieve moral ends through moral means. At House of Hope, we also refuse to inflict injury upon another. We refuse to cooperate with evil. We believe in each human’s potential for goodness and love.



Martin Luther King Jr. understood that fear is an obstacle to freedom. Fear and pride can kill a man and push their liberation farther away.


Martin Luther King Jr. also taught that love is the key to building healthy communities. Love should be at the center of our social interactions. We as the House of Hope administration, teachers, and support staff believe in the power of love to build healthy communities based on love. This is a liberation that works for everyone. This is the path to freedom.


Salaam,


Milad Vosgueritchian, Chairman, Vision Association for Culture and Arts


An adult in a green shirt supervises children playing a game in a tree-lined outdoor schoolyard.

Educational Responses in Emergency Situations

By thea • March 14, 2026
Times of war create immense stress and uncertainty for all of us, but children are especially susceptible. Even if they are not in physical direct danger, children can experience negative psychological effects from living through war. A review published in 2022 found that rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety were 2-3 times higher among those exposed to armed conflict compared those who weren’t, with women and children being the most vulnerable. There are, however, things we can do as caregivers to help counter the effects of war on the children that we care for. Manar Wahab, House of Hope’s Director of Trauma-Informed Education has recently taken the time to assemble guidance for caregivers, based on her experience and training in the Waldorf educational framework. The Waldorf approach focuses on “Emergency Pedagogy” to help stabilize children’s emotional well-being by emphasizing familiar structures and routines, as well as artistic expression. You can read Manar’s full guidance in the documents linked below, which are available in both English and Palestinian Arabic. These documents contain practical suggestions for anyone caring for young children during the chaos and stress of war, and include activity suggestions as well as stories that can help children hold on to a sense of hope during wartime. 
A teacher in a hijab leads a lesson with several children sitting on the floor.

Our Curriculum for Palestinian Nonviolence and Peacebuilding

By thea • January 20, 2026
Palestinian Nonviolence and Peacebuilding: Approaches to Educating and Nurturing the Next Generation
Two young Palestinian girls smiling, one pointing.

New music video: Our Rights as Children

September 30, 2025
Even under Occupation and war, Palestinian children dare to reclaim what was stole from them — their childhood.
A group of children are sitting around a man holding a piece of paper.

Why I Did It.

December 17, 2024
Nonviolence Is The Path of the Soul
A young boy wearing a graduation cap and gown is standing in front of a bush of pink flowers.

What is Peace and Justice Education, and Why is it Crucial in Palestine?

November 16, 2024
What is Peace and Justice Education, and Why is it Crucial in Palestine?
Two young girls hugging each other in a park

Peace and Justice Education vs. Trauma-Informed Education

By thea • November 16, 2024
At House of Hope, we provide Palestinian students with a holistic education created by and for Palestinians that combines Peace and Justice Education with Trauma-Informed practices.
A boy and a girl are playing with wooden blocks on the floor.

Introducing the House of Hope Peace and Justice Education Fund

By thea • September 19, 2024
The launch of the House of Hope Peace and Justice Education Fund marks an exciting and transformative moment for our community. This initiative is built upon the core principles of peace and justice, which are not merely aspirational ideals. We live them daily, often under the most difficult circumstances in the West Bank.
A group of children posing for a picture with Manar Wahhab, House of Hope’s Co-Founder

We Proved It!

By thea • September 1, 2024
50% of parents said House of Hope's kindergarten profoundly reduced their child's toxic stress and trauma symptoms in under 1 year.
A girl is standing on a beach looking at the ocean.

What Does Peace and Justice Look Like to Me?

By thea • June 7, 2024
At House of Hope, every Palestinian child has a different story of growing up under Occupation. But one thing is always present in each of their stories— the resilient hope for peace, joy, and prosperity for their families, their community, and the world. House of Hope was thrilled to partner with Color Up Peace , a Ukrainian peacebuilding startup, to capture our teachers' hope for peace in new and interactive ways- like coloring books of their visions for peace. House of Hope teachers selected photos that represented their vision of peace. Then, Lisa Glybchenko, founder of Color Up Peace, rendered these photo-based visions of peace as coloring pages for you to color ! Below, you are invited to read what inspired each teacher to select their photo, as well as download the corresponding coloring page . “Playing the Darbukah with Friends,” Selected by House of Hope Teacher's Aide Abed "I feel freedom and inner peace when my fingers play darbukah. I feel my spirit so happy when I hear music. It is the way to seek peace when the universe dances together and sings for peace day and night." - Abed Download Abed's coloring page vision for peace and justice here .
A black and white photo of a man with a beard wearing a plaid shirt.

See Us As Humans

By thea • April 27, 2024
Palestinians need freedom and not tanks and an army against them. Palestinians demand dignity and human rights. They need a state of their own, not an occupation party ruling and organizing their life. We need the world to see us as humans.