Jewish,
Arab youth lead — Next Step: Africa
09 October 2010
"But peace
does not rest in the charters and covenants alone.
It lies in the
hearts and minds of all people.
And if it is cast
out there, then no act, no pact,
no treaty, no
organization can hope to preserve it...
So let us not rest
all our hopes on parchment and on paper,
let us strive to
build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness
to work for peace
in the hearts and minds of all of our people."
-John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
"Perhaps
everything terrible is, in its deepest being,
something that
needs our love."
--Rainer Maria
Rilke (1875-1926)
Give me a place to
stand
and a lever long
enough
and I will move
the world.
-- Archimedes
Face-to-face engagement, listening-to-learn, and resulting shared creativity
are among the great acts of love.
Thus four examples below define the "long
lever" available to every human being to "move the world."
Step by step, patiently.
-
L&L
WINDOWS TO EACH OTHER
Palestinian, Jewish youth publish
giving voice to one another
WINDOWS - Channels for Communication -- http://www.win-peace.org/
- since 1991 brings together Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel and
in Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Young women and men of excellence create
media-related educational programs to involve Jewish and Palestinian youth
more deeply in the experience of acquaintance with the other, and to
communicate with each other about the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.
Foremost among their Youth Media Projects is the
production and distribution of Windows Hebrew-Arabic Youth Magazine -- http://www.win-peace.org/?page_id=16
The unique bi-lingual publication is written by and
for Palestinian and Jewish youth ages 12-16.
Since 1995, Windows Youth Editorial Boards have
produced 30 issues of the Magazine, with current distribution at 15,000-20,000
copies per issue.
Graduates of the Magazine program can continue on in
our Through the Lens: Video Program (9th and 10th grade) and Youth Leadership
Program (11th and 12th grade).
Approximately 200 young journalists have taken part in
a long-term process of producing the magazine reaching a large, diverse
readership.
SEE VIDEO of Windows young journalists from
Bethlehem, Jaffa and Tel Aviv talking about their experiences working in the
Windows Youth Media Program.
Israelis
and Palestinians Using Video
Windows youth- In
their own words
3-1/2 min youth-created video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsxLrfzyAIo
and
http://www.mepeace.org/profiles/blogs/israelis-and-palestinians
FLYING TOGETHER
Arab-Jewish
Youth Circus
Summer 2010 in the Holy Land, the JEWISH ARAB GALILEE CIRCUS -- http://eng.makom-bagalil.org.il/galileecircus/
-- reconnected with the ST. LOUIS ARCHES YOUTH CIRCUS -- http://www.circusflora.org/people/bio/the_st._louis_arches/
.
United as the GALILEE ARCHES CIRCUS, they
traveled to Jewish and Arab communities modelling for
the world what is possible and spectacular when diverse citizens contribute
their talents and practice cooperation.
Every show ends with performers teaching young
spectators some secrets of a circus artist.
"We want to promote social change through
circus," says Eliana, a Jewish circus
participant all her
childhood.
"Circus is something you can do
non-verbally."
"It's great for people who don't all speak the same
language. . .and it also builds trust, responsibility, and persistence."
The Galilee Circus was founded in 2003 by the Galilee
Foundation for Value Education -- http://eng.makom-bagalil.org.il/
In December 2003, a dozen Arabs and a dozen Jews, ages
10-15, began weekly circus school classes coached in juggling, acrobatics, and
clowning by a multi-cultural professional faculty.
Rapidly both performers and staff became part of a
cohesive community -- a close-knit circus family.
The multi-cultural venture cotinues
for children of ages 6-18 from Arab and Jewish towns and villages in the
Galilee.
Jewish and Palestinian Israeli children meet as
equals to share cultures, learn and grow together, and send an important
message of trust and cooperation to their families, communities, and audiences.
"We offer workshops every week for Jewish and
Arab families," says Palestinian participant Maysa.
"They welcome us as if we were one family."
"We're just trying to bring everybody together,
pretty much," adds Eliana.
Maysa: We wish to continue
with this circus and we want to send. . .a message of peace between Arabs
and our Jewish brothers -- we are all as one."
VIEW more at:
FLYING
TOGETHER
4 min video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WKGRUiAK4E
Recently the larger, multi-cultural Galilee community has created its bilingual
Internet newspaper, DugriNET -- http://www.dugrinet.co.il/
Dugri means
"straight talk" in both Hebrew and Arabic.
DugriNET provides news,
information, and opinions to all the residents of the Galilee
The Galilean mosaic includes over 1,000,000
citizens, in addition to another million in the Haifa metropolitan area,
evenly divided between Jews and Arabs.
The DugriNET Web platform
gives voices and dignity to constituent groups and communities, each has its
own traditions, beliefs, language, cultural landmarks, national consciousness,
and historical memories.
DugriNET -- in
Hebrew and Arabic -- publicly recognizes the unique identity and social and
spiritual strength of each community, and is a uniting framework of shared
interests, dreams, culture, and social action.
For more information, write to hmakom@netvision.net.il
.
ABOVE FEAR AND WALLS
Young Middle East leaders meet
Tuesday, March 16th 2010 they were ready to meet after months of preparations.
Fifty young peace leaders from Jordan, Palestine
and Israel planned to meet the following day for a five day leadership
gathering in the Negev deserts Mitzpe Ramon.
But they were challenged.
Weeks of mutual violence in Jerusalem had increased
tension between Israel and Palestine.
Violence flared in the Old City of Jerusalem the heart
of the Holy City.
Yet not to be denied was this new breed of highly
motivated, young leaders -- mature in spiritopen and
curious about the other, inspired and wonderfully cooperative.
This leadership seminar was lead by the youth.
They planned and facilitated most of the
activities.
The youth took responsibility in all the common tasks
cleaning toilets, calling listening circles, facilitating workshops.
On the last day, the youth organized groups around
compelling ideas of common activities -- a listening tent in Jerusalem;
lectures to school children; creating common music, planning continuity and
keeping in touch.
For more information, contact Elad Vazana --
EladVazana@gmail.com and explore http://www.havayati.co.il/
READ and SEE PHOTOS at:
Leadership
Training Seminar for Youth
Israel Palestine Jordan
March 17 - 21 2010
http://www.sulha.com/UserFiles/File/Leadership_seminar_March_2010.doc
and
http://www.sulha.com/UserFiles/File/Leadership_seminar_March_2010.pdf
NEXT STEP: AFRICA
200 Muslim & Christian youth
choose to engage in Nigeria
Best-practices from Jewish-Palestinian successes will soon be experienced in Jos, central Nigeria by 200 courageous Muslim and Christian youth leaders.
The 2nd International Conference on Youth and
Interfaith Communication will sponsored by Jos's New
Era Educational and Charitable Support Foundation -- http://needcsi.org/
Facilitators will be contributed from the
18-year-old Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue of San Mateo, California
USA.
"Building Bridges Through Interfaith Dialogue
and Youth Participation" will be the theme for youth choosing to
create their shared destiny even in the midst of this years
heartbreaking death all around them.
Their days together will not be unlike past successful
Palestinian-Jewish Peacemakers Camps -- http://traubman.igc.org/camp2007.htm
Many of the best-practices are preserved to freely
use worldwide at http://traubman.igc.org/campacts.pdf
Much is to be learned from the qualities of our
Nigerian colleagues -- their sophistication, eagerness, cooperativeness,
spirituality, and effectiveness.
2010
International Conference on
Youth
and Interfaith Communication
October 22-24,
2010 Jos,
Nigeria
http://www.youthinterfaithconference.org/conference_speakers.html
The conference coordinator is Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba ( eivorgba@gmail.com )
This week, Emmanuel is one of four Nigerians selected
by his Ministry of Education to represent Civil Society Groups in a 3-day
Roundtable on Education in Africa.
- - - - -
These and hundreds of other success stories are preserved at http://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm