SkatePal: How Skate Culture is Impacting the Lives of Young Palestinians
“Just come and skate!” 11 year old Basma shouts to the cameraman during an interview at SkatePal’s Rosa Park, located in the West Bank. Founded in 2015 by Charlie Davis, SkatePal is an initiative to bring skateboarding to youth living in the West Bank and Gaza by creating an accessible and affordable skate environment for local communities. During his 2006 volunteer experience, Davis’ students’ interest in skateboarding inspired him to create SkatePal.
What makes SkatePal stand out is its unique way to engage with Palestinian youth as their work aims at “supporting communities throughout Palestine, promoting the social, health and wellbeing benefits of skateboarding to enhance the lives of local youth.” Skateboarding and skate culture are relatively new to Palestine, generating more excitement in SkatePal and the social scene skateparks bring to communities. SkatePal's commitment to accessibility for all ages, skill levels, and socio-economic statuses allows this organization to expand its appeal to the entirety of a community. This sentiment of inclusion and accessibility helps to break down class, race, and gender barriers in a community.
In all four of its active parks, SkatePal has volunteer teachers, free lessons, and freely loaned equipment for anyone interested in skateboarding. SkatePal built their first park in 2015 in the town of Asira Al-Shamaliya. Since the completion and success of Rosa Park, SkatePal has expanded their work to build three additional parks located in Ramallah, Al-Bireh, and Jayyous. SkatePal works with local organizations such as The Palestinian House of Friendship, SkateQilya, and Asira Al-Shamaliya. Partnering with locally established non-profits has helped SkatePal effectively integrate themselves into Palestinian communities and ensure their projects are for the benefit of the people accessing them.
Additionally, SkatePal emphasizes the importance of including female skaters in their parks. In 2022, they partnered with Inash AlUsra, a non-profit Palestinian women's organization, for the construction of a skatepark directly attached to their all-girls orphanage. This project is still under construction, but upon its completion, the girls in the shelter’s care will have access to free skate classes and materials. Moreover, SkatePal’s Sareyyet Club in Ramallah has a 50% female participation rate at their park. In an interview with 11-year old skater Basma, the young girl shares her experience at SkatePal’s Rosa Park. Basma recounts how before getting involved with SkatePal’s programs, she “didn’t have much to do on the weekends” but that has since changed. Basma’s experience with SkatePal’s programs reflect the stories of many youth that come to these parks to skate whether it's for their passion for skateboarding, social interaction, or simply somewhere to spend their time and have fun.
SkatePal chose to launch their initiative in Palestinian communities in part because of the political climate and increased civilian exposure to violence occurring in the West Bank and Gaza. This exposure reduces cultural, educational and sporting opportunities for youth. Save The Children reported 2022 as the deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2007 with an estimated 34 children killed, highlighting the traumatic effects of violence on younger generations. Palestinians also face a dire economic situation with 2022 reports showing the unemployment rate for young adults living in the West Bank being 28.6%. Furthermore, unemployment for young adults is 73.9% in Gaza. The wellness of Palestinian youth has been surveyed in various studies with results showing that, due to exposure to the trauma of conflict, Palestinian youth are more inclined to participate in risk behavior such as substance abuse and interpersonal violence. The 2018 Palestinian Youth Health Risk Survey found that 56% of males and 29.3% of females, ages 15 through 19, had been in a physical fight within the last year. Without adequate means to access resources to improve their quality of life and well-being, the younger generations in Palestinian communities have an increased likelihood of falling into a lifestyle characterized by risk behavior. Importantly, half the population in the West Bank and Gaza is under 21, making the demographic at risk a large portion of the population. It is no surprise young Palestinians are frightened for their futures; this persistent fear is detrimental to their development.
Programs such as SkatePal that target youth are crucial because they provide a space for positive development, social interaction, and exercise which reduces the likelihood of participants engaging in risky behaviors. An organization called Play Street conducted a 2017 survey assessing the benefits of having a shared space for youth. In their assessment, recurring themes of social cohesion and support were frequently mentioned by youth participants in these spaces. Both youth and adults in populations interviewed expressed how the implementation of shared spaces facilitated the formation of social links between community members. SkatePal is an example of how community arenas for sporting and social interaction can begin to combat the adversity faced by youth growing up with higher exposure to violence and conflict.
By bringing skate culture to the West Bank and Gaza, SkatePal attempts to combat the negative effects conflict and strife has on younger populations and is planting the seeds for a vibrant skate-based culture that could very well become a staple in these communities.