Juliano Mer-Khamis, a leading figure in Palestinian for creative nonviolent resistance, was killed Monday in the West Bank by a group of masked assailants. He was the founder of the Freedom Theatre, a vital creative outlet for Palestinian children in the Jenin Refugee camp.

In this clip produced by the Friends of the Jenin Freedom Theatre, Mer-Khamis describes the work of the theater as a place where Palestinian youth can deal with their experiences living under the Israeli occupation.

By experimenting in the arts they can start to feel what freedom feels like, Mer-Khamis says. “Now they are journalists, they are actors, they sing, they do photography exhibitions. I think this is power, because Israel wants them on their knees, and this is the real struggle.”

For more on Mer-Khamis and his legacy, read Ismail Khalidi and Jen Marlowe’s Remembering Juliano Mer-Khamis.

—Sara Jerving