When the world talks about Palestinians living under occupation and in refugee camps, it is usually in terms of politics and numbers - specifically, how many killed, injured, displaced, homeless, and/or dependent on aid. These numbers don’t convey the daily personal struggles and triumphs, the tears and the laughter, and the dreams and aspirations that are universally experienced but often not recognised for Palestinians, who instead have been dehumanised. 

A teenage girl stares at her roof, hoping it won’t collapse over her head. A young student searches the Internet for photos of libraries around the world, hoping he’ll be able to visit them one day. Another walks around the city, taking notes of all the buildings she dreams of repairing.

These are the stories of young people from Gaza, born under Israeli occupation and blockade. They are people who have endured unspeakable struggles and losses, who keep fighting to be recognised not as numbers, but as human beings with hopes, dreams and lives worth living.

We Are Not Numbers was founded in 2014 to give voice to the youth of Gaza. This vital, urgent and heartful collection spans over ten years to the present moment, offering unparalleled insight into the past, as well as the current and next generation of Palestinian leaders, artists, scientists and scholars to begin imagining where we might go from here.