CB Magazine Vol. 7 Ed. 34 by Crossing Borders

A bi-monthly regional magazine Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Local Problems Global Solutions • Lebanon a Year Later • Getting into RAM FM Radio • What Americans Know

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Who We Are For Learning to live together on equal terms

What is Crossing Borders Crossing Borders is a non profit, non goverment organization that provides youth and educators from the Middle East and Europe with dialogue space and media, communication and conflict management skills training. CB is hosted by The International People’s College in Elsinore, Denmark. CB’s mission is to facilitate meaningful dialogue among youth and educators across conflict divides. The aim of CB is to increase the possibilities for world peace with special focus on the Middle East. ISSN: 1563-28365 www.crossingborder.org

CB Advisory Board Prof. Munther Dajani (chairperson), Mr. Herbert Pundik, Ms. Else Hammerich, Ms. Lotte Lund, Mr. Hanna Siniora, Mr. Jakob Erle, Mr. Mossi Raz, Mr. Greg Newbold and Prof. Najeeb Nabwani. Executive Board Ms. Anja Gustavsen (Chairperson), Ms. Rosa Dich (vice Chairperson), Ms. Britha Mikkelsen, Mr. Jorn Faurschou, Ms. Louise Breum Brekke, Ms. Anne Gyrithe Bonne, Ms. Mette Juel Madsen and Mr.Andreas Bredsdorff, Mr. Asbjoern Petersen and Ms. Rikke Mikkelsen. Executive Secretariat Mr. Garba Diallo, Director Mrs. Christina Lund, Chief Financial Officer Ms. Lara D’Argento, CB Intern, Assistant Director. Contact US Headquarters, Crossing Borders C/O International People’s College, Denmark Tel:0045-49213371 Fax:0045-49212128 e-mail:cb@crossingborder.org Crossing Borders partner organizations Givat Haviva- Israel Peace and Democracy Forum - Palestine Masar Centre - Jordan Dialogue Lab - Germany The Finnish institute in the Middle East - Finland Regional Coordination

CONTENTS Politics

Society

CB experience in Denmark

New CB Club in Jerusalem

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Crossing Borders and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation.

Palestinian Coordinator Ms. Suheir Hashimeh Tel: 00972-2-2404413 Fax: 00972-2-2404513 Ramallah e-mail: suheir@crossingborder.org Jordanian Coordinator Mr. Khaled Shorman, Masar Tel: 00962-6-5858748,5815740 Fax: 00962-6-5815740 e-mail: kshorman@nets.com.jo Israeli Coordinator Ms. Dorit Maor Telephone: 00972544901415 E-mail: maor.dorit@gmail.com / dorit@crossingborder.org Arabs in Israel Coordinator Ms. Angham Sakar Telephone: 00972506897689 E-mail: angham@crossingborder.org German Coordinator Mr. Johannes Frische Telephone: +49 1736 155656 E-mail: johannes@dialogue-lab.org Language Editing: Mr. Greg Newbold Photos: Mr. Juan Carlos Alberquerque and Mr. Garba Diallo. Graphic Design & Press Production Orientation Ltd. Tel: 00972-2-5818183 Fax: 00972-2-5818203 E-mail: office@orientation.co.il

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Editorial

By Jihan Abdalla

rossing Borders aspires to promote peace journalism. The term peace journalism, however can seem at first weak and unrealistic. It can be envisaged as a distanced form of journalism where the journalist cannot provide a solid standpoint, use certain terminology or be frank about the “reality” at hand. Peace journalism is quite the opposite. It should be best thought of as an empowered and empowering way of looking at news coverage. For it recognizes the very central aspects of journalism - that every journalist, every reporter, every newspaper, every magazine is powerful. Each either continues a trend, re-inscribes the norm that has clearly manifested itself to be insufficient and detrimental, or understands the power one possesses and seeks to do things differently. Peace journalism recognizes that newspapers, news and opinions do not occur naturally; they are made as a result of human will, history, social circumstances, institutions, and the conventions of one’s profession. It aims to understand those circumstances under which media culture emerges, and seeks to address their consequences and possibly come up with bright and fresh ideas on how to advance a journalism that promotes peace. Peace journalism is not idealistic, it is certainly attainable. It is has the ability to understand that terms such objectivity, factuality and accuracy are

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

a highly relative terms and can be redefined within the framework of promoting peace. CB hopes to raise youth journalists who understand that what the media produce is neither spontaneous nor completely “free”. “News” does not just happen, pictures and ideas do not merely spring form reality into our eyes and minds, truth is not directly available. CB aims to cross the boundaries and limitations already established and imposed by media culture. It is also important to note that it is not a matter of simply eliminating certain terms that have now become considered inflammatory, politically incorrect or just offend “others”. It is framing stories in a way that encourages conflict analysis and ultimately nonviolent responses. CB youth aim to frame their conflict region not as a simple dichotomy, but as conflicts consisting of many parties. Traditional journalism in its coverage of the PalestinianIsraeli conflict has emphasized, even dramatized events. CB youth have all witnessed first hand how that form of media coverage has played an integral role in shaping the course of events in times of war and conflict. CB, through this magazine, seminars and workshops aims to further study what peace journalism entails. This way we can consciously adopt an agenda for peace.

Politics

Lebanon a year later

By Jihan Abdalla

T Sources: Palestinians in Lebanon: Towards Integration or Conflict by Simon Haddad. BBC and New York times archived articles.

he 2006 Lebanon-Israel war was not the first time in recent history that Lebanon has been mired in violence. Between 1975 and the early 1990s a civil war between the country’s Christian, Sunni and Shiite population killed up to 100,000 people and left much of the country and its economy in ruins. The civil war ‘ended’ only with a peace imposed by Syria’s army. The period of peace and rebuilding that followed was shattered on July 12, 2006 when Israel launched a major land, sea and air offensive after Hezbollah, the country’s powerful Shiite militia, seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. Israel’s bombing campaign killed over one thousand Lebanese and crippled the country. The airport was bombed making it unusable and all main highways and bridges leading to Beirut were bombed making them impassable. Hezbollah responded with rocket attacks on northern Israel, killing at least 43 civilians. A UN-brokered ceasefire came into force on 14 August, 2006 with Israeli troops still in position in south Lebanon. The war devastated Lebanon. News sources recorded about 1,100 civilian deaths, thousands of others left homeless and about 900,000 forced to flee their homes. According to government figures, the total cost of rebuilding infrastructure and compensating those who have lost their houses is estimated at $1.75 billion. Though largely on the sidelines of the Hezbollah-Israel war, Palestinians have not been spared. Lebanon hosts an estimated 400,000 Palestinian refugees, descendants of those who left what is now Israel, plus a dwindling population of refugees who fled or were forced from their homes in 1948-49. These make up a minority of the global Palestinian population, but their predicament has perhaps been the harshest of the whole Diaspora. Since their arrival in Lebanon nearly 50 years ago, the experience of Palestinian refugees has been one of marginalization, suffering, repression and armed violence. They were considered a threat to the Lebanese people and were treated as foreigners. Unlike Palestinian refugees elsewhere, Palestinians in Lebanon have been denied basic social and economic rights for a substantial portion of their 52 years in exile. Palestinians still are kept apart from the Lebanese population and not allowed to assimilate even if they want to. It thus came as no particular surprise to Palestinians when violence erupted in the Nahr-el bared camp in southern Lebanon in May 20. The ghosts of 1975-90 and those of 1948-49 have most likely risen again. The fighting between the Lebanese army and the Fateh al-Islam Palestinian militant group at the besieged refugee camp has claimed at least 88 Lebanese soldiers, 60 militants and 40 civilians.

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Politics

Eternal optimism

or a fool’s daydream

By Elias Hawila

he current situation in Palestine and Israel is a mess. A recent poll in the Palestinian territories conducted by the New York Times found that 92% of Palestinians suffer from depression, double the percentage from a similar poll conducted last year. While life in Israel seems normal and serene, talk of a coming war with Syria can be heard on the streets, in the malls, and on radio and TV. In their work places and in their neighborhoods, Israelis can be heard saying they are dreading the upcoming summer fearing that it will be like the previous one when there was a war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Can there be a place for optimism and hope in the hearts of Palestinian and Israeli youth? A check with a selection of Israelis, Palestinians and Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Palestinian Israelis at the CB course in Denmark showed that the general feeling on both sides is that the end of this conflict is no where near the horizon. Peace is like a distant dream from a past age. The childlike view of peace with white doves flying over a sky spattered with bright clouds stands against the painful peace process that is filled with hardships and tough concessions as many politicians have said. The most important question remains: can we afford the price of living as optimists in such a reality or are we being naive fools blinded by past hopes and long forgotten dreams? As one young Israeli participant in the CB program stated, “If I was asked that question five years ago, my answer would have been that I believe in peace and we can achieve it. However these days I find it hard to believe that peace is a part of the near future.”

Politics What

Americans

Know

By Mariana Khoury

he events of September 11th and the war in Iraq have made Americans more interested in the Middle East. Marianna Khoury conducted a survey of fellow students at her International Relations course in the US, to test their knowledge of Middle East Issues. Twenty people from different ethnic backgrounds and ages were surveyed. Most of the questions were multiple-choice and two were open-answer style.

Of those surveyed 100% knew that Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq 65% knew Hizbollah is in Lebanon 75% answered that Hebrew is the official language in Israel 53% knew Arabic is the official language in Syria 53% answered that Judaism is the main religion in Israel. However 30% thought that Hamas was a type of food 25% answered that Syrian was the official language in Syria 35% said Islam was the main religion in Israel. When asked about the main religion in Iran 20% did not know the answer 20% said Christianity 60% knew it was Islam. When asked to name one terrorist group 15% could not think of one 40% said Al-Qaeda, some referring to it as “Bin Laden’s group”, The rest mentioned different groups from all around the world. While the results are encouraging, Marianna points out that her survey of 20 people is not enough to represent the views of all 300 million Americans.

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Politics

Druze the IDF

By Sanad Barakat

t the age of 16-17, 11th grade students receive letters from the IDF (Israel Defense Force) which ask them to go to the military recruitment office that they belong to. This is the first step towards becoming a soldier. Arabs in Israel are not obliged to join the army. Druze (Arabs who belong to the Druze religion) are. Back in 1948 when the State of Israel was first established, Druze leaders didn’t want their minority to be annihilated because of the Jewish- Arab war, and to achieve that they agreed with the Jewish leaders that every young Druze guy has to serve in the IDF after

finishing high school. For some years the Druze soldiers weren’t given high ranks at the army and were mostly combat fighters. That caused some to shirk and not serve. How do Druze soldiers feel about the fact that they are serving in an army that doesn’t represent them? One Druze soldier said: “We actually serve in the Israeli army because we have to. In addition, if we don’t serve, a lot of career opportunities won’t be reachable since they ask for three years army service. In many cases we feel differences in treatment within the army itself between us and the Jewish soldiers. Another said: “We serve in the Israeli army and not in the Jewish army and we serve to defend the country we live in.” Most of those interviewed felt there should be a choice for youth whether to join the army or not.

The Road to Bethlehem By Baha Samara

ine kilometers is a short distance relatively, and would normally take a car no more than 15 minutes from Jerusalem. However, if you are trying to cross the nine kilometers between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, you have to think again. “Everyday I wake up at six o’clock, two hours before my classes start and take the bus to Bethlehem,” says Saeed, a fourth year student at Bethlehem University. “In no more than five minutes, the bus reaches Talpiot Hill our first stop, where there’s always a reception of Israeli soldiers waiting for Arab buses heading to Bethlehem. All the passengers are ordered to evacuate the bus while the soldiers check it for suspicious objects.” Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

“After this, the soldiers collect and check passengers’ ID cards. Then we can get in the bus again to resume our journey.” “Not long after we start feeling comfortable in our seats, we find out that the road has come to an end! Not to worry. It is just the ‘Separating Wall’.” Here, Saeed, and his fellow passengers, are subjected to body checks by infrared and X-ray machines. They stand in long queues waiting to be checked. The searching angers Saeed’s friend, Mohammed: “I believe that everyone has the right to live freely with no boundaries, and when this right is taken and replaced with hatred and humiliation, life gradually loses its meaning, and people gradually turn into wild monsters searching for freedom.”

Politics A Matter of ID By Walaa Shmali

he Israeli-Palestinian conflict takes the main part of local media coverage and naturally grabs people’s attention. But sitting between these two groups are the Arabs in Israel. They are Arabs but hold an Israeli ID. Their position leaves them caught between the two sides, within the country and in the region in general. Rami Sawaed describes his double life: “My Israeli ID doesn’t affect me or my life. I don’t see it as more than just a card that identifies me in governmental places. My roots, my nationality, my culture will always remain Palestinian whatever ID I hold.” On the other hand Maysa Shahen says: “Where I live

the ID I hold is an Unsupportable part of the formation of my personality. Our situation forces us to blind ourselves as much as possible to continue our lives as inhabitants not as insiders.” No absolute answer from Hosam Khatib: “I’ve never really defined myself as something certain or definite, I have a mixed culture of both Palestinian and Israeli.” Many of those interviewed gave answers full of ambiguity and showed the mixed feelings this sector is experiencing. Sohad Saleh simply said that she’s just trying to live peacefully as far as possible from politics and its complications, adding that she never tried to belong somewhere that was contrary to her principles. She believes in just feeding the natural instinct of belonging.

Youth Activism for Peace &Coexistence By Serene Najdi

hile violence and injustice tear apart the Middle East, there are still young people in Palestine and Israel who are taking powerful steps towards peace and coexistence. Publications like this Crossing Borders magazine are an example of young people’s efforts. While the magazine focuses on the conflict, its main aim is to produce a magazine covering everything teenagers are interested in such as politics, society, culture, literature, and sports. Despite the attacks on civilians, rocket attacks, and blowing

up homes and public places, there are still young Palestinians and Israelis who are looking at the bright side in all of this and are willing to cooperate with youth from the ‘other side’ who think in the same way. Organizations like CB are places where youth can not only to express their opinions and share them with the other side but also to see how the other side thinks regarding the same issues. In the end, we can hope that this generation is more mature and more willing to accept the other than previous generations, and that this will soon lead us towards peace which used to be only a dream in the past.

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CancerGirl

Society

By Areej Mawasi

ancer kills a lot of people and it does not care how old or young you are. Rasha Hamadi is a Lebanese teenager who survived the Cancer monster. She took part at a TV show called “Siry wenfatahet - Ana alaan” (An open story - Me now) telling her story. After the show Areej Mawasi contacted her by e-mail and asked her some questions. Areej: Rasha, I watched you on “Ana Alaan” talking about your own experience with cancer, how do you define or describe cancer? Rasha: Cancer seems to be imagined by people as death. To me it’s a challenge that God gives in order to get us to be more satisfied with what we have. A: What is it like to be sick with cancer? R: If people stopped gazing at you in sympathy and stopped looking at you in a strange way, it would have been easier. A: How old were you when you knew you had cancer? R: I was 16 years old. It was December 15th 2005 when I first knew about it. On that day, I didn’t have school, as the well-known Lebanese journalist Jubran Twaini had died. I headed to my hair stylist and planned to visit the city of Saida. On that day everyone in the salon was impressed by my long hair. But also on that day, I had my first xray that showed the presence of a large tumor in my lungs. I also got so dizzy and I fainted when I was having my x-ray and also had a severe pain in my stomach. I remember this very clearly. I remember sharing a room with an old sick woman at the hospital, who had trouble breathing. I remember how cute and nice all the nursing staff were with me. I felt like a princess. I remember how was the first time they wanted to hang the needle for me. And I remember how mom was standing on the balcony looking up to the sky with her eyes drowning with tears. A: How did it feel to find out you had cancer? R: I laughed and I felt that “Hey, I have to beat this thing”, it’s just something new that I have to cooperate with. A: What about your parents? R: My parents were depressed but they were there for me, especially Mom who was so supportive and kept the smile on my face all the time. A: Did cancer affect your life in an emotional way? R: One lies if she says that it doesn’t affect her, but you have to learn how to deal with being the “Cancer Girl”. A: How did you feel when your hair fell off? R: At first I felt horrible and didn’t want to go out of my house. But the very next day I was ok with that and I knew that there will be harder stuff that I’ll have to handle. The first time I felt my hair falling I went to the bathroom, full of power and energy, carried the scissors and cut my hair. A: Do you feel uncertainty regarding your future? R: I don’t see a reason for that. Right now my Moto is to live my day as if it were my last day. I think that cancer made me focus. I want to live my life more that ever before. A: What is hope for you? R: Hope is the secret of ultimate happiness. A: Last thing to say? R: Hey I did it! I won the challenge! (Editor’s note: Areej’s sister also had cancer. She didn’t survive it.)

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Economy

Economics as a Tool for Peace By Carmen Godeanu

here diplomacy has failed, economics has arisen as a new method to bring peace. This idea underpins the “Economic Peace Corridor” project initiated by the Peres Peace Center. The project aims to foster cooperation between Israel, Jordan and the Palestine Authority on the basis of economic needs. Israel has recently approved it as a “national project”, giving it legal status and showing clear Israeli government support for it. Among the project’s initiatives is a 160-kilometer Red Sea-to-Dead Sea channel, aiming to prevent the drying out of the Dead Sea. Other projects include building an Israeli-Jordanian airport in the Aqaba region; an

Israeli-Palestinian industrial park in the northern West Bank, water desalination and electricity generation in the Arava region of the Negev; building an agriculture industry region in the Jordan Valley and building a rail link between Israel and Jordan. The project is financed by private investments and supported by countries such as Germany and Japan. Attempts are also being made to receive funding from the World Bank. The project brings hope that the economic cooperation will in turn boost diplomatic ties between the Palestine Authority and Israel. The project also aims to generate more cooperation between Israel and Jordan who signed a peace treaty in 1994.

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Economy

What is

the price? On the shelves of Israeli supermarkets you can see products that have a ‘Fair Trade’ label. You can buy coffee, sugar, tea, and even T shirts and jeans that have this special label. Neta Moshe explains what lies behind it. By Neta Moshe

ords like fair trade, workers rights and child abuse, are not familiar to shoppers but the world fair trade movement is trying to create equal rights and fair trade conditions for workers all over the world. This movement is a reaction to the negative impact of Globalisation. The free trade policies that Globalisation supports are now part of most western countries’ economies. Due to this, many products have become more available, with more variety, and easier to notice - and much cheaper. However, for this to happen, many people, among them children, are working in inhumane conditions. Workers are often forced to work long hours, without proper equipment, no right to join to workers unions, and for salaries that are not enough to cover their most simple needs. The Fair trade movement is an organized social movement that was established in the early days following Second World War. Nowadays, it promotes standards for international labor, environmental protection, and social policy in relation to the production of fair-trade labeled and unlabelled goods. The movement focuses particularly on exports from Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

developing countries. Key fair trade principles: • Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers • Paying a fair price • Building producers’ capacity • Safe and healthy working conditions • Environmental protection • Gender equally In 1988 the first fair-trade labeling was initiated. This independent certification allowed the goods to be sold into mainstream markets, reaching a larger consumer public, and increasing fair trade sales significantly. The labeling also allowed customers and distributors alike to track the origin of the goods to confirm that the products were really benefiting the producers at the start of the supply chain. Though Fair trade products usually cost more than those which are not labeled, it seems that there is an increase in the amount of people who are willing to pay the higher price in order to let others live properly. In 2006 Fair Trade sales amounted to approximately Û1.6 billion worldwide, a 41 % year-to-year increase. As of December 2006, 569 producer organizations in 58 developing countries were Fair Trade certified.

Things we did

nothing at all to emailing every day, every student employs a media bias of sorts in what they communicate. Many students use the same tactic as Claudia MŸllauer does, “telling only good things, because I want [my parents] to be as excited as I am”, and “putting everything in a very good light.” Like Sorina Codrea, some would rather not worry their parents with anything but good news. Marisa Edmonds even admits to telling her parents she didn’t miss them at all! However, both Constantin Marquadt and Emma Ambrose say that they haven’t lied to their parents-Emma because she’s omitted everything scandalous, and Constantin because he hasn’t talked to them at all. What parents receive from their child is also different from that which the child’s friends get. For example, Brennan Macdonald’s parent are simply informed that he’s alive, while his friends get almost everything he’s experienced and observed throughout the trip, even things he hasn’t liked. However, some students insist on their complete honesty. Bar Shamir claims she’s left nothing out in talking to her parents, including unpleasant details along with what she’s enjoyed. Alex Pavloff says, tongue firmly in cheek, “I don’t lie. Ever.” Finally, a few (more honest?) students revealed the lies they’ve told to their parents, strictly on condition of anonymity. One girl has reported European prices as much higher than they really are in order to ask her parents for money and buy items for herself on false pretenses. Another student, though legally old enough to drink, suggested that her parents thought she was only having a little red wine with dinner, which was eminently not the case. Raymond Ingram sums up these students’ attitude toward full disclosure, repeating that “what happens in Europe, stays in Europe.” Students like these at IPC know the power they wield over what others receive about their experiences, and they harness it to their advantage. To quote another anonymous student, sometimes they “gloss over the not-so-scheduled parts of the trip”- but only because they’re having too much fun.

last summer... By Jenny Goldleaf “

ear Mom and Dad: Gee, Denmark is great! I am learning so much and making lots of nice friends. Things are going wonderfully- except everything is really expensive. Could you possibly send me a little cash? Thanks! Miss you!” “dear joey and Jane: Denmark is crazy! I am so freaking tired from these long classes during the day and intense partying at night. some of the people here really know how to have fun-count me in! the weather sucks though, and we have no free time, but whatever. I’ll tell you more when i get home, if i get through customs. ha ha!” “Dear diary: Today was pretty decent. I bought some stuff in town (but it was so expensive I don’t think I’ll have enough money until when I get home! Aieee!) Speaking of home, I’m kind of lonely and homesick, even though everyone’s friendly-but no one’s like Joey or Jane. I felt so dumb in class, and I almost fell asleep, because I stayed up until 3 am, doing @#$%^ and $%^&*((&% (Censored). After the party, though, I had this conversation with one of my friends here, and it really made me think. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, but not to how much coffee I’m going to have to drink...” Sound familiar? Crossing Borders and ISSAC students at the Peace and Conflict Program at the International People’s College (IPC) in Elsinore, have a lot to write home about - and almost as much to hide. Though the amount of information they send differs drastically, from

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Perspectives Jerusalem Through Someone Else’s Eyes By Maher Zaghloul

ant to know more about three major religions in a very short time? Visit Jerusalem. We did. We started our journey by visiting Yam in Moshe, a synagogue located near the YMCA hotel in western Jerusalem. Our guide Omri, an expert in Jewish religion, talked to us about the synagogue and Bar Mitzvah and other Jewish traditions. After that we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter of the Old City. This holy place

is divided into small sections and each section has a church for a different religious group. On our way to the Old City we passed by a mosque. Niels, a Danish colleague was reminded of the only mosque in Denmark near the place where he lives. We passed through the Muslim Quarter, witnessing the hectic market atmosphere full of people, music and colorful shops selling everything from clothing to music, sweets, and meat. What made our exploration successful that at each point we looked at Jerusalem through someone else eyes.

Free Hugs all over the world By Tal Gruper

n the past three years there has been a movement around the world of people going to the street and hugging others for no reason. The founder of this movement is Juan Mann, an Australian who started it after his wife passed away and there was nobody at her funeral. So he wrote a sign saying “Hug Me!” and people did. Tal Gruper has imported the idea into Israel. In this article, he interviews himself. Tal: Hello Tal, how are you? TAL: Better every day. Tal: How did you get the idea of hugging people? Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

TAL: Telling the truth, I was bored! I had this Passover vacation and my friends and I were bored so we made signs and started walking in the street. I got the inspiration from a video on Youtube, the video of Juan Mann and now my own video is on youtube. Tal: What was it felt like? TAL: Oh it felt so great! You make people a little bit happier and they are smile at you and thank you and now their day is a little bit better just because you hug them! It’s so simple and so powerful. Tal: So, is there anything more you want to say to the public? TAL: Yes. Get out and hug a stranger! It will make you feel good!

Outsider’s View peoples inhabiting it. We also know the Palestinian and Israeli perspectives on this matter. What we rarely get is a view from the outside. Wintana Wesenyelelew, 24, a student teacher from Eritrea in East Africa says that before she attended the CB seminar at IPC she knew very little about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. She had never met anybody from Israel or Palestine before attending this seminar, and all she knew about the conflict was through the media.

Wintana

Now, after meeting people from these places, she has a different view. “They are just 2 people trying to co-exist,” she says. Furthermore she says that they are normal human beings like you and me who are fed up with war and violence. “This conflict is due to a lack of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians,” she says. “They feel hopeless and their reactions are unfortunately often negative.”

he Middle East is not all bombs, violence and fanaticism. Actually wonderful people live here, people with dreams and hopes about democracy, peace and decency.

In addition Wintana was surprised in a very positive way that Palestinians and Israelis were able to speak to each other. “I thought they would never speak to each other, I thought it was impossible. But they were doing a lot of things together, and many of them became friends.”

We all know that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing dispute between two peoples who both claim the right to sovereignty over the Land of Israel/Palestine in whole or in part. Throughout history, there have been many conflicts in this area between

She added that she sympathized with both sides. “I think it’s possible to live together, and behind all the hate and fight I actually think they do care for each other. It makes me sad to see two beautiful peoples live the way they live.”

By Arooj Bent Bashri

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Perspectives By Phillipp Dehne

CB Participant Phillipp Dehne from Germany met Elias Hawila at the CB seminar in Denmark in June and conducted this interview.

family in the West Bank or Gaza, but in Jordan, Cyprus, and Canada. It would be very difficult in every aspect to move to the West Bank. I have a mixed identity. I can travel, I get an education. I don’t feel like my basic human rights are violated. I demand my full rights as a first-class Israeli citizen. This is my aim, alongside with the rights for my people in their country. This can mean Palestine in the borders of 1967 or sharing one country for both the Jewish people and the Palestinians. Are you part of one side? I cannot be part of one side. I don’t think I will ever be part of one single side. Being part of one side means losing the other side. I don’t see myself losing my Palestinian heritage and claim to myself I am fully Israeli - nor the other way around. I don’t experience all the suffering that the Palestinians do as a result of occupation. I experience a more subtle occupation and control by the Israeli government which tries to abolish my Palestinian identity. I would not be fully accepted in a Palestinian society. I wouldn’t be able to look them in the eyes and say I am the same like them.

Elias

My Name is

Who are you? y name is Elias Hawila. I am a Palestinian Israeli. I live in Haifa and am 19 years old. Hopefully, I will study medicine next year. I have two sisters. I enjoy reading novels, interacting with different kinds of people, and hanging out with my friends.

How do you feel as a Palestinian Israeli? What is life like for you? Generally, life is good. I do all the stuff any other teenager in the world does. But I am part of a minority, against whose people the Israeli government fights. I have a different nationality. I am a Palestinian living under Israeli rule. My home is Haifa. I do not want to move to the West Bank, Gaza or some Arab country. My mother was born in Nazareth, my father in Haifa. My father’s family has been living in Haifa for some generations. I do not have Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

What do Palestinians think about you in your opinion? Sometimes they might think that I am too neutral. You have so many different people one both sides. They feel being neutral might be used as a weapon against them in the conflict. The Palestinian Israeli population can be like a bridge between the two people because we can find in our hearts to sympathize with and understand both. The sad part, in the process we might get stepped on or simply ignored. What do Israelis think about you? I get really confused about this subject. Sometimes I feel they just want to get us out of the country and get rid of this ‘demographic threat’. At other times, people are willing

Perspectives to see us more as a part of the country if we forget who we are and forget our Palestinian identity. Do you sometimes feel forced to take sides? I do feel that a lot, especially when I deal with both at the same time. For example, when you say something that does not show full support to one side (Palestinian or Israeli) you get the feeling that you betray one side in favor of the other. I believe I am always trying to think of the bigger picture. I see my role as a kind of inner, not outer third party. This is the role I try to play in my life. Especially, when I meet with Palestinians I get the feeling that I have done something wrong. I don’t know where this is based. It is maybe just a wrong picture I have in my head. Why do ‘your’ people do not want you to take sides? You always sweep things under the rug. I don’t know if this is just a part of Arab cultures. I think this is part of many cultures. I believe that everything must be said and not be kept quiet for the reason of solidarity. People want to know that we are different and want to know who we are. People from the outside should see the reality. I don’t want to show them a picture that doesn’t reflect the situation. Through truth you can achieve anything. Do you feel understood? From the inside, from the outside? I feel that there are always misunderstandings. When you talk about the inside, it is often that the Israelis misunderstand actions or even the reason why we want to live under Israeli rule. The Palestinians might think of us like someone who generally relates to the Jews. From the outside, I know that most people don’t even know we exist. They think there are just two sides. They might not know the full picture. How do you view people who are not involved in the conflict? I don’t think it is common that people from outside a certain conflict can feel and relate to people involved in a conflict because they do not go through the same experiences. However they might have a different view of the conflict as a result of being affected by two narratives and not only one. I really encourage and appreciate people who are not involved in the conflict and have a good life and maybe don’t even have to see a picture of the conflict but who decide to get involved. Do you have a lot of discussions in which you are ‘caught in the middle’? In life in general, I don’t get to talk with Palestinians and Israelis about these things because Palestinians might not see any Israelis other than those they deal with at

checkpoints and vice versa. Sometimes they won’t even see a Palestinian Israeli that might be living 15 minutes from their house. Most Israelis are content to lead their life without having to realize and accept that Palestinian Israelis as their fellow citizens. I don’t have day to day Jewish friends except from one I got to know at work. Otherwise, I just get to know them through peace programs. I don’t get to meet Palestinians either. Most of my close friends are Palestinian Israelis. Now that I will go to university, I am sure I’m going to get to know Israeli people. Do you search for discussions with Palestinians/ Israelis? That’s why I am here in Denmark. That’s why I keep on doing these things. I want to listen to people and to know what they go through. Do you try to avoid discussions about politics? I try to avoid discussions about politics when I meet people who are not ready to have them. When I see that it can lead into the sphere of my personal well-being... for example, if I could lose my work place I would not be the one to start the discussion but I would state my opinion when necessary. Do you get tired of these discussions? I still have hope that the discussion will finally get somewhere. How did your attitude toward ‘being caught in the middle’ change in the last years? Since I started to deal with the conflict resolution topic at the age of 15, I have tried to say my opinion as openly as I could without hurting others intentionally. Maybe before I would not have been doing that because I maybe didn’t have such a brought-together personality. But now I become surer and surer of the road I should take. I feel the need to express myself and to let the Israelis know I exist. And I feel the need to get to know Palestinian teenagers whom I only know from the news. Do you have a medium to express yourself? There are Palestinian Israeli newspapers. You can join a Palestinian Israeli party that has seats in the parliament. At home, we do discuss politics, also in bigger family circles. And you can always just talk to someone and use yourself as a medium. Would you like to add anything? A word? A feeling? A Vision? I hope that as a minority we could live comfortably and feel that we are not doing anything wrong by leading a normal life and that we could have the ease of mind knowing that our people also lead a happy life where they are safe. Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

DK Seminar Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Profiles

Netta Moshe, 22 “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Elias Hawila, 19 “Seize the day”

Walaa Shmali, 18 “Every thing goes back to you”

Alex Pavloff, 19 “Aim High”

Melody Soto, 17 “What doesn’t kill me will make me stronger”

Martin Yu, 17 “3 steps to success: do your best, never give up and wait for a chance”

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Philipp Dehne, 23 “Open the door and try to find the rainbow”

Sorina Codrea, 18 “I won’t be a common person as long as I have the right to be extra-ordinary”

Tal Gruper, 17 “A program solve a problem you don’t know about in a way you don’t understand”

Razan Wazwaz, 18 “I miss the winter.. A world of fragile things ... look for me in the white forest hiding in a hollow tree I know u hear me .. I can taste it in your tears....”

Lareen Tibi, 17 “To be or not to be”

Megan Sypher, 17 “If you are not laughing, you are not living”

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Profiles

Rola Salman, 20 “It’s never too late, better late that never”

Ahmad Jabr , 19 “It will never be too late, you will always have the chance to get what you want”

Orjowan Khartabil, 24 “The more you laugh, the more you live”

Tagreed Briq, 20 “Helping others is the way for peaceful feelings”

Alberto Drake, 17 “Treat others as you would like to be treated”

Brennan MacDonald, 18 “May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.”

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Baha Samara, 22 “Failure is the first step towards success”

Haya Abdeen , 20 “To Be Or Not To Be”

Hoang Tran, 18 “But high he shoots through air and light, above all low delay, where nothing earthly bounds his flight, nor shadow dims his way.”

Carmen Godeanu, 23 “Smile, it might be worse..”

Arooj Bint Bashri, 20 Live each day as it was going to be your last””

Bar Shamir, 17 “Smile to the world and the world will smile at you”

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Profiles

Maoz Nagauker,18 “Life is beautiful that way”

Maral Abed, 19 Time passes and challenges you in life to prove that you exist!””

Yana Galfrin,18 “Listen to your heart”

Elad Kolnik,17 “Every problem has a solution”

Claudia Muellauer, 23 “This is the poet - who asks naught of Humanity but a smile”

Wintana, 24 Everything in life happens for a good reason!””

Gabriel Plata, 17 “The man first obligation is to live happy, the second is makes others happy”

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

A New CB club in Jerusalem By Shlomit Atzaba

B clubs have been discussed in many CB seminars and meetings. During the past five months students from the Hebrew university have cut through all the red tape and will launch a CB club at the university in October 2007. The long effort to get permission from the head of the university is over. The club will be a part of the public relations department of the Student Union in the Hebrew University. Activities will include meetings, movies, lectures, travels and many other opportunities of getting together among Arabs and Israelis who would like to cross borders and get to know each other. The meetings will take place in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;BAR ATONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - the student lounge of the Student Union in Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem. This club has become possible because of the efforts of students who are part of the CB family: Shlomit Atzaba, Carmen Godeanu, Nikita Paderin, Guy Haran, Wafa Elsheaikh, Bakria Mawasi. If you would like to contribute in any way you can contact your local coordinator or your friends in the club. Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

Media Getting into Ram FM

An interview with News Director Andrew Bolton By Razan Wazwaz

am Fm Radio provides a unique combination of the new and old English hits and with up-to-date news. Razan Wazwaz caught up with News Director Andrew Bolton. Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and about Ram Fm? I studied journalism in South Africa about 20 years ago and I’ve been working in the media ever since. I was pleased when I was asked to be News Director at Ram. Ram Fm is funded by a South African millionaire. He wanted the South Africans to be involved in setting it up because this is the same experience we had in South Africa. We were the first to build bridges and talk between the divided community there. We hope to build bridges between the Israelis and the Palestinians and get them to talk together in a useful way that will benefit their future together. Q: So what does Ram stand for? Ram doesn’t stand for anything. You can make it stand for anything you wish and want, but it definitely doesn’t stand for a male goat! Q: In what way do you think Ram FM is different from other radio stations? I think what makes Ram different is that we only broadcast in English. We only play English music hits. I mean some stations do that but they usually mix it with Arabic or Hebrew music. We don’t do that. We believe English is a neutral language. It’s the language of negotiation, of dialogue, the language of peace! Q: What can you tell me about the basis of Ram FM? We are committed to tell both sides of the story. We make sure we give balanced news about both sides.

We have a special list of words we don’t use to make sure we don’t defend any side in any way. Words like terrorist and martyr we don’t use in Ram’s news Q: Ram has only started broadcasting recently. How do you promote yourselves? We have a 120 square meter billboard in Tel Aviv that will let the people know about the station. We will also do some advertising in the West Bank. People in

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Media

Problems Facing Palestinian Media By Serene Najdi “

Ramallah will see billboards for the station. We are also on various media websites and we have stickers, T-shirts and other ways of promoting. Q: People can access Ram’s website and listen live. How do you feel about radio stations broadcasting over the internet? It is very essential. We believe our message is not only local but global message. It’s also for people who don’t live here. They can listen to the radio through the website anytime and anywhere and listen live. Q: Did you face any obstacles while establishing the radio station? Well not me personally, but the man behind this project faced many problems in getting people to accept his philosophy and ideas. We also faced troubles in getting the radio station licensed. Ram FM is licensed by the Palestinian Authority. Israel takes so long to give a license and its very difficult to get a license when the station doesn’t broadcast in Hebrew. Ram broadcasts in in English so we headed for the Palestinian Authority. But I think getting a Palestinian license was accompanied with obstacles as well. We had difficulties getting the equipment into Ramallah. It got delayed and stuck at the checkpoints. Mostly all the obstacles were logistical.

he press is not meeting the needs of its readers considering local issues and concerns. As a result, people are turning their backs on written press and started to rely on satellite news channels or radio.” said Hani Al-Masri, a journalist and the director of “AlBadael” Center for research and information. During recent meetings of the Palestinian Central Council, some differences in views between the gathered Palestinian political parties emerged. However, local Palestinian newspapers didn’t mention these differences or analyze them. Not surprising then that there are low rates of distribution for the three main Palestinian newspapers, which do not exceed 40 thousand copies daily. Meanwhile, the three main Israeli newspapers are distributed in amounts reaching 800 thousand copies daily and even more sometimes. Another cause for low distribution rates is the tendency of the local media to politicize everything, whether it is cultural, social, or even humanitarian. As well, some journalists are paid only 20 dollars for each article they write for local agencies while they receive 200 dollars for the same article from international agencies. So financially, all qualified journalists have been tempted to work in Arab or foreign media agencies abroad. The absence of specialists also affects the Palestinian press. Many of them are abandoning their media and are serving the international media because as they say that their media has abandoned them first.

Q: Are you satisfied with what Ram has done so far? I think we have made a few steps forward with the great combination of music and independent news. Our listenership is growing steadily and our listeners are pleased with us. Locals in Israel/Palestine can listen to Ram FM on 93.6 FM and those who are not can zoom to our website and listen live at www.ramfm.net.

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007