BEING
CLEAR: Human relationships enable treaty-making
03 March 2018
"No one should be
fooled by (politicians') empty rhetoric, because
peace will not be reached
without their publics support and engagement."
~ Professor Alon Ben-Meir (Senior
Fellow, NYU Center for Global Affairs, and World Policy Forum)
in Overcoming The Israeli-Palestinian Psychosocial Barrier
http://alonben-meir.com/writing/overcoming-the-israeli-palestinian-psychosocial-barrier/
" I am convinced that
men hate each other because they fear each other.
They fear each other because
they don't know each other, and
they don't know each other
because they don't communicate with each other, and
they don't communicate with
each other because they are separated from each other."
~ Rev. Martin Luther King
Jr.
King Chapel, Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa -- 15 October 1962
"The best way to change
mindsets
and to foster ideas of
self-determination,
ending the occupation, and
peace is through dialogue,
cross-border activities, and
physical interactions."
~ Ron Pundak
(1955-2014)
in More Relevant Than Ever:
People-to-People Peacebuilding Efforts in Israel and Palestine
Palestine-Israel Journal -
Vol. 18 - 2012
http://www.pij.org/details.php?id=1442
The Citizens' Century of these 2000s increasingly clarifies
that evolution toward life-giving choices for excelling together on Earth
will be primarily citizen-initiated.
This "trickle up" change defies the divisive forces and
momentum of old-thinking, dependency on "leaders," and limited
identification with only one's own tribe or nation.
See how we humans grow closer -- more trusting and creative -- after facing one
another, beginning through our he(arts).
Today
1. The Art of Music Being Together in the Holy Land
2. The Art of Story Sharing Bringing Us Together
Everywhere
3. The Art of Humor with Education Appreciating Traditions and Bringing
Jews and Muslims
Closer
4. The Art of Poetry Healing a Split
Society
5. Enrichment -- "Together We
Can"
= = 1 = =
The Art of Music
Being Together
in the Holy Land
February 14, 2018, in Haifa, 3,000
diverse citizens who hadn't met
before gathered in to sing in perfect harmony -- in English, Arabic, and Hebrew
-- during their very first Social Involvement Week.
It was a shared experience of great meaning -- of "singing is
believing."
The event was created by Koolulam -- https://www.facebook.com/koolulam/
-- newly founded in 2016 to begin gathering diverse people for a few-hour
musical, social experience -- to simply sing, together.
Co-initiators and technical producers were
the creative staff of the Beit HaGefen Arab-Jewish Cultural Center -- https://www.beit-hagefen.com/?lang=2
The shared moment of community allowed otherwise-separated people to take
part in co-creating and feeling the sounds of their cooperative chorus --
of living and being as one, strengthening trust, awakening optimism.
Koolulam receives e-mail at Koolulam@gmail.com
Communicate with Beit Hagefen through Asaf@Beit-Hagefen.com
SEE and HEAR what happens:
One Day
By Matisyahu
22 February 2018
5-min video
LYRICS at
http://www.songtexte.com/songtext/matisyahu/one-day-23f9145f.html
- - - - -
RANA: Arab-Jewish Women's Choir
-- https://www.facebook.com/ranachoir/
and http://www.ranachoir.com -- is
Jaffa-based and made up of twenty Muslim, Jewish and Christian women.
Created in 2016, they have been called "the embodiment of co-existence,
friendship, peace and the spirit of the Jaffa community."
RANA is described at http://www.iataskforce.org/entities/view/1294
and receives e-mail at RanaChoir@gmail.com
I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier
Rana Arab-Jewish Women's Choir -
January 2017
2-min video
= = 2 = =
The Art of Story Sharing,
Bringing Us Together
Everywhere
Noa Baum -- http://noabaum.com
-- was born and raised in Jerusalem.
Then as an adult she unexpectedly formed a friendship with a Palestinian woman
for the first time.
Within their relationships, she realized the importance and power of
listening to the story of the "other" -- even if that other is
the enemy.
Noa discovered that storytelling transforms
perceptions and heals relationships.
Beyond Labels:
Bridging Differences Through Storytelling
Noa Baum
TEDxWilmingtonSalon: Fireside -- December 2017
17-min video
= = 3 = =
The Art of Humor with
Education
Appreciating Traditions and
Bringing Jews and Muslims Closer
Halal and Kosher Food
in humor and fact
to bring us closer
30 November 2017
2-1/2 min video
Prayer in Judaism and Islam
in humor and in fact
to bring us closer
14 December 2017
2-1/2 min video
= = 4 = =
The Art of Poetry
Healing a Split Society
IN JERUSALEM during Summer 2017 diverse women and
men gathered in public poetry reading and dialogue, in English, Hebrew and Arabic.
Poems were from the anthology "Before There is Nowhere to Stand" by
Palestinian and Israeli poets seeking to awaken the peoples.
Poetry was divided into three parts: what unites us, what divides us, and to
what we aspire.
Each poem was read in English, Arabic and Hebrew, with pauses for participants
to write and assimilate what touched them, what had meaning for them.
To conclude, attendees divided into small circles to share experiences.
Hosts were the Jerusalem YMCA -- http://ymca.org.il
-- and the Interfaith Encounter Association -- http://interfaith-encounter.org --
which oversees 68 different interfaith circles of engagement.
PHOTOS and the STORY in Arabic, Hebrew, and English are at http://interfaith-encounter.org/Poetry.pdf
- - - - -
IN CHICAGO, Poetry Pals -- http://poetrypals.org
-- is part of the Olive Tree Arts Network.
They have brought together over 2,500 youth from diverse faith communities
for partnership, expression, and familiarity through poetry, spoken word,
rhythm, music and art.
Their public service together is building bridges and relationships among
participating schools, parents, and communities through dialogue, education,
performance and outreach.
To find much MORE, search for "peace poetry" and "peace poetry
projects".
= = 5 = =
Enrichment
Together We Can
Produced by Mama Jan Smith
with 108 diverse singers
4-1/2 min video - Atlanta, Georgia USA
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This message is on the Web at https://traubman.igc.org/messages/711.htm
Hundreds of other success stories are preserved at https://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm