Hope Through Literacy in the Palestinian Territories

The Astrid Lindgren Prize was set up by the Swedish government to promote children's literature and children's cultural rights. It is the world's richest children's literature prize and has been awarded since 2003 to individuals such as Maurice Sendak, Philip Pullman and Katherine Paterson.

This year, for only the second time, the recipient was an organization: The Tamer Institute for Community Education. Founded in 1989 during the first Palestinian intifada, the Tamer Institute works to promote reading, writing and literacy among children in the West Bank and Gaza, especially in those areas where access to formal education has been curtailed. According to a statement on their website, the institute's "philosophy is centered on the idea that learning environments for children and young people can only be created among youth who are encouraged to read, write and participate in dialogue while working in small groups united by a common dream and joint aspirations." The Lindgren judges praised the group's "perseverance, audacity and resourcefulness."

More can be found here