New Reconciliation Stories
Transforming Our Future
08 August 2016
"History teaches us that
enmities between nations, as between individuals,
do not last forever.
However fixed our likes and dislikes may seem,
the tide of time and events will often bring
surprising changes in the
relations between nations and neighbors.
So let us persevere.
Peace need not be impractical.
And war need not be inevitable."
~
President John F. Kennedy
American University - June 10, 1963
"To lead into re-humanization while living
in the midst of fragmentation
we must envision the life school of wholeness
that permits us to be fully human with each other (not apart),
even with those we fear, while we seek the
creative strategies that
transcend division and violence found in our
shared journey and future."
~ John Paul Lederach
TODAY
1. First, Curiosity and Wonder
2. Stories
3. Two New Films
4. Videos
= = 1 = =
First, CURIOSITY and
WONDER
PEOPLE ASK: "In what do you have faith, when despair and crises
seem unsolvable?"
WE REPLY: Yes, We are surrounded by what and whom we do not see and do
not yet understand.
Yet we are born into this supremely intelligent creation with discoverable
answers and people simply waiting to be understood.
THIS VIDEO reminds us.
Hidden miracles of the world
7-min video
http://www.youtube.com/embed/FiZqn6fV-4Y
Cultivating gratitude helps, too.
AppreciatING that we have this lifetime to discover
solutions together -- always together.
Gratitude
10-min video
= = 2 = =
STORIES
"Stories transform the future!
They go ahead of societal change in order
to open space for new attitudes to take root and
grow."
~
Paulette Stevens
250 Israelis and 250
Palestinians
Meet Thoughtfully in Tel Aviv
Friday, 22 July 2016, about 500
Israelis & Palestinians sat facing one another, negotiating peace in
a central open public place in Tel Aviv amidst many more public observers.
The creative, citizen-driven day was a bold, responsible initiative of Minds
of Peace -- http://mindsofpeace.org
Hundreds of young Palestinians -- with increasing numbers of Muslim women
-- traveled from the West Bank to Tel Aviv to meet diverse Jews to carry on
negotiations about their shared future.
Under open-air tents on Rothschild Boulevard, the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian
women and men respectfully sat heart-to-heart around tables.
For many, it was a first-time for meeting the "other," as they
created and deepened relationships.
By Fall 2016, a bigger "Public Negotiating Congress" is
envisioned for 1000 Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate mind-to-mind,
heart-to-heart.
The citizen-initiators envision "a major Israeli-Palestinian Public
Negotiating Congress with political power the Congress off the People.
SEE VIDEOS and REPORTS:
Minds of Peace
https://www.facebook.com/Minds-of-Peace-186081194106
500 Israelis and Palestians Gather
to Consider Their Common Future
TV News Broadcast (Hebrew)
Friday, 28 July 2016 - 5-1/2 min video
https://youtu.be/VThmf_UJtlg
Arabic
Chinese
http://big5.cctv.com/gate/big5/tv.cctv.com/2016/07/24/VIDEUPmqPrKvpXGGYfXGExwh160724.shtml
Israeli-Palestinian Civilian Peace Initiatives
Mideast Focus (English)
28 July 2016 -- 16-min video
Palestinians and Israelis
Who
Work Together in Hospitals
In a world of conflict,
confrontation, deadlocks, and dead ends, few crises are as protracted as the
Israeli-Palestinian impasse.
But however inauspicious a situation, pockets of humanity can always be found.
The Israelis and Palestinians who work together in peace
In hospitals, schools and businesses, Israeli Arabs, Jews
and Palestinians are working side by side to forge a better future
The Guardian -- 11 July 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/11/israel-jews-arabs-palestinians-work-together-peace
Jerusalem Jews, Muslims,
Christians
Constructing Shared House of Prayer
In an attempt to turn away from
polarization and politics, a group of Jews, Muslims, and Christians will be
setting up a joint house of worship in Jerusalem.
The prayer hall will be open to the public between September 5th to the 11th.
Jews, Muslims and Christians to build a joint house of
worship in Jerusalem
The Media Line and YNet News -- 28
June 2016
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4821236,00.html
= = 3 = =
TWO NEW FILMS of
Listening, Humanizing, and
Understanding A Whole Story
DISTURBING THE PEACE (2016) -- http://disturbingthepeacefilm.com
-- is about transcending alienation modeled in real life by Combatants for
Peace.
They are Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who are choosing
reject violent means and build strong relationships.
They meet and listen to the narratives of "enemies," thus
humanizing one another then expanding their circle -- creating a new story for
a cooperating world.
Producer-director Stephen Apkon's realizes that
"if you were born where they were born and you were taught what they were
taught, you'd believe what they believe."
He pleads to not respond to hate with hate, but by engaging and exploring the
other human being.
Human relationships are disarming
Traverse City Film Festival Awards
30 July 2016
4-min video
https://www.facebook.com/dtpfilm/videos/277183415988127/
WRESTLING JERUSALEM (2016) -- http://www.wrestlingjerusalem.com
-- is a film, play, and book with the transcript.
From the mouth of one person -- actor-writer Aaron Davidman
-- emerge the powerful narratives of 17 different Jews and Palestinians
locally and in the Middle East into whose skin Davidman
places himself to give voice and dignity to their many, sometimes seriously
conflicting life experiences and world views
What further distinguishes Davidmans notability is
his own courage and dedication to launch his life of Dialogue to seek out,
engage and listen to learn from the lips of the real, diverse women and men he
then portrays.
Davidmans life is a living example of citizens
everywhere can get out, work externally, engage and connect.
Listening and hearing, not humiliating and negating one another, external
relationship building can be the antidote, providing opportunities to unite
with others about our shared vision of an improved future that works for all.
= = 4 = =
VIDEOS
Celebrating the humanizing, unifying
power of arts and music education, this music video was premiered at the White
House as a signature program of the President's Committee on the Arts and
Humanities.
EVERYDAY PEOPLE: Playing For Change
3-min video - May 2016
https://playingforchange.com/videos/everyday-people-song-across-america-artsforchange/
To love a nation is to love all the
people.
Professional wrestler champion John Cena takes a break between dropping body slams to drop some
truth that patriotism is more than pride of country or a few kinds of people.
It's love beyond labels.
The Love Has No Labels campaign -- http://lovehasnolabels.com -- challenges
us to open our eyes to our implicit, or unconscious biases and correct it in
ourselves, our families, our friends, and our colleagues.
Wherever we live on Earth, let us rethink our biases.
Consider our allegiance to one another, to Earth.
LOVE HAS NO LABELS
John Cena - Professional Wrestler
July 4th, 2016
3-1/2 min video
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This message is on the Web at http://traubman.igc.org/messages/698.htm
Hundreds of other success stories are preserved at http://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm