Participants are being recruited for a summer campaign to combat violence and sectarianism in Bahrain.

It is being spearheaded by the National Unity Assembly (NUA) and coincides with the school holidays.

Organisation spokesman Yaqoob Slais said the initiative aimed to highlight peaceful ways for people to express their opinions, without resorting to violence on the streets or abuse on social networking sites.

"The rise in violence on our streets in previous months has made us feel there is no voice for those who condemn the violence on a local or international level," he explained.

"This is a way to give those members of the public who feel that there is a lack of representation for their anti-violence views a platform to express themselves as loving and peaceful people who reject violence."

More than 90 people signed up for the programme by the end of last week and registration will continue until the end of this week.

Details of the initiative have yet to be announced, but Mr Slais said it would start with a meeting explaining the goals and how they will be achieved.

He added that while the campaign was not specifically timed to coincide with the school holidays, the fact that it did meant children could also get involved.

"Having it in the summer means children would have more time on their hands and it would be a good way to get them involved and busy."

One of the ideas is to host specialised workshops for professionals working in different fields such as the media, law and politics, as well as Bahrainis who have been affected by violence.

"The goal of the workshops is to raise awareness about the danger of violence among the different sectors and encourage the public to condemn all facets of violence," added Mr Slais.

In the final stages, the NUA campaign will also promote expressions against violence through art.

"The events of the campaign will be aimed at the youth of Bahrain, primarily to help build and promote a culture of self-expression without the use of any kind of violence or sectarianism," said Mr Slais.

"Especially in social networks like Twitter," he added.