Jewish and Palestinian women birthing peace

Monday, 18 January 2010

 

"We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

            -- Aristotle  (384-322 BC)

If ever the world sees a time when women shall come together

purely and simply for the benefit of (hu)mankind,

it will be a power such as the world has never known.

            -- Matthew Arnold  (1822-1888)

                        British poet, cultural critic

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     Giving birth to peace, THE MIDWIVES COEXISTENCE PROJECT is a group of Palestinian and Israeli midwives freely sharing their combined knowledge to help pregnant Israeli and Palestinian mothers experience safe and natural births.
     A coexistence project of Circle of Health International (COHI) -- http://www.cohintl.org/05news/beit_jala_meeting.php -- since 2004 the midwives have worked with women throughout Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
     They cooperate to (1) reduce the use of anesthetics during birth and (2) enable women to safely and naturally give birth without a doctor, assisted only by a midwife, if they so choose.
     The Palestinian town of Mithaloon, is home to the only West Bank birthing center where women can deliver their babies assisted only by a midwife.
     Aisha Saifi ( SaifiAisha@yahoo.com ) the Palestinian coordinator, holds a B.S. in Nursing as well as a Diploma in Midwifery from Bethlehem University in Palestine.
     Israeli project coordinator Gomer Ben Moshe( GBenMoshe@cohintl.org ) worked in a hospital delivery room midwife for many years after earning her B.A. in Nursing and midwifery diploma.
     Ben Moshe and Saifi  agree that the unforgettable experience of childbirth creates a bonding environment for the midwives, who discover, as they work together, that they share much more in common than they thought.
     SEE VIDEO at:

 

Midwives for Peace

Israel21c  (3-1/2 min. video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mDIxTpGSew

 

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     Muslim Hanan Gaffaly ( Believe11@walla.co.il ) is an extra-ordinary relationship builder in the Holy Land.
     The Jaffa resident is preoccupied with building youth into the spiritual leaders and bridge builders of today and tomorrow.
     She invests most days working with KIDS FOR PEACE -- http://www.kcpeace.org/ .
     Hanan works with other Palestinians and Jews of  SULHA-- http://www.sulha.com/ -- and especially their SULHA bringing Israeli, West Bank, and Gazan youth across borders to engage and grow together.

 

For one Israeli Arab woman, peace begins within 

Palestinian Arab Israeli Hanan Gaffaly experienced

a spiritual and professional metamorphosis

on the road to becoming a peacemaker.

by Karin Kloosterman

Israel21c -- 13 January 2010

http://israel21c.org/people/for-one-israeli-arab-woman-peace-begins-within

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     Niveen Rasheed, is the Palestinian-American shooting guard.
     Lauren Polansky, the Jewish point guard.
     They need one another -- depend on each other -- to succeed.
     Together, they are a winning combination for Princeton University's freshman basketball team.

     Polansky was the first to commit to Princeton, and her decision was among the reasons Rasheed decided to attend.
     On Polanskys Facebook page, the featured picture is one of her and Rasheed in a friendly embrace.

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=lauren+polansky%3B&init=quick#/profile.php?id=690080699&ref=search&sid=818910013.3797776552..1

     We are always hanging out together, Rasheed said.
     Thats the way this entire team is.
     "On and off the court, we cant get enough of each other.
     All the freshmen are close, and L. P. is one of my best friends here.

     It is Polanskys job to get the ball to Rasheed and Rasheeds job to score.
     Rasheed leads the team in rebounding, assists, and scoring.
     She is second in the Ivy League at 16.8 points a game.
     Polansky is tied for second on the team in assists.
     Rasheed and Polansky are among the reasons Princeton is off to its best-ever start at 12-2.

     The Tigers have won seven straight.
     Princeton was 14-14 last season.

     The Tigers have never played in an N.C.A.A. tournament game
     That could change this year.
     Polansky and Rasheed intend to help that happen. . .together.

     READ more about them:

 

Princeton Players Are Divided by Heritage,

United by Basketball

New York Times - 07 January 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08princeton.html