Crossing Borders issue 31

CB Jerusalem Workshop Report

Page 26

A bi-monthly regional magazine Volume 7 No.31 December 2006 / January 2007

MY NEIGHBOURS, MY WORLD & MYSELF CB Experience in Jerusalem & Wishes for 2007

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

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Who Are We For Learning to live together on equal terms

What is Crossing Borders Crossing Borders is a non profit, non govermental organization that provides youth and educators from the Middle East and Europe with dialogue space and media, communication and conflict management skills tranings. CB is hosted by The International People’s College in Elsinore, Denmark. CB mission is to facilitate meaningful dialouge 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, Prof. Najeeb Nabwani and Prof. Eric Markusen.

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. Christine Binzel, Ms. Mette Juel Madsen and Mr.Andreas Bredsdorff.

Executive Secretariat Mr. Garba Diallo, Director Mr. Peter Fitzboger, Cheif of Financial Officer Ms. Nina Maria Klok, 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 Dialouge Lab - Germany The Finnish institute in the Middle East - Finland Regional Coordination

contents Editorial+CB news

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The Wall

6-7

Identity Matters

8-9

My World, My Neighbour & Myself

10-13

Wishes for 2007

14-15

Comix

25

Letters to the Editor

29

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 EuroMediterranean Foundation.

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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 Arabs in Israel Coordinator Ms. Angham Sakar Telephone: 00972506897689 E-mail: angham@crossingborder.org German Coordinator Ms. karen Lange Telephone: +49 1736 155656 E-mail: karen@dialogue-lab.org Editor in Chief for this edition: Ms. Angham Sakar Language Editing: Mr. Greg Newbold Photos: Garba Diallo and Angham Sakar.

Graphic Design & Press Production Orientation Ltd. Tel: 00972-2-5818183 Fax: 00972-2-5818203 CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007 E-mail: office@orientation.co.il

EDITORIAL By : Stephan Schmid & Qamar Daher “My neighbors, my world and myself” was the title of the first local Crossing Borders workshop in Jerusalem with Arab, Jewish, German and Danish CB members.

Walid Salem’s (Panorama Center) lecture about the definitions of “dialogue” and “identity”, Arnon Rosmarin’s (Giva’at Haviva) activity “the miracle pill” and of course, Garba’s discussion about citizenship and inclusive society have engraved a deep awareness regarding how important the terms “citizenship” and “dialogue” are in order to understand and identify with one another.

New friendships arose during the workshop and new ideas too. Our next step is to stay in touch and keep the spirit of CB alive and spread it out by activating more local clubs.

Both in Haifa and in Jerusalem, CB members are working

CB CLUB IN DENMARK The first meeting of the CB Club in Denmark took place on 29 Nov. 06, at Avedore gymnasium near Copenhagen. The meeting was organized and facilitated by Dilay Fener, one of the participants of the Jerusalem workshop in October. In addition to about 18 youth with Danish and immigrant background, three teachers participated in the meeting. Asbjorn Petersen and Malene Friis of the CB teacher group were among them.

GETTING TO KNOW THE OTHER: IS IT TOO EARLY TO START IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? By :Keren Shachar-Goren A few years ago I had a chance to take part, as a teacher, in a meeting between Arab and Jewish children from two elementary schools in Jerusalem and Abu-Gosh. The contact that was made between the children was heartwarming and special. It made me believe that getting to know the other can be very efficient already in this early age. However, a random search for similar projects in Israeli elementary schools leaves me almost empty-handed. Such projects are rare at this age-group, and are usually targeting only junior-high or high-school pupils.

This is not by chance. There is a common belief in the education system that elementary school is too early for such doings. The most common argument is that of the language barrier - children at these ages do not have yet sufficient knowledge in each other’s languages, or in English. Moreover, the encounter with the other is often seen as too sensitive an issue for children so young.

Educators prefer to postpone such endeavors until the children are more grown-up. Another major argument, although not always openly-declared, is more political - educators are sometimes reluctant to confront parents who object to such meetings, and sometimes the educators themselves find such projects unnecessary.

Although many of these arguments are also valid for older-aged children, they seem to have a much larger impact in elementary schools. Thus, it can be understood why there are so few joint Jewish-Arab projects at this significant age.

This reality can and should be changed. It can never be too early to start educating children about their neighbors and about values of peace and tolerance. The elementary school years are CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

to get the local clubs in motion. Meetings are planned and will soon be held.

This Jerusalem seminar has enlightened the European participants of the need to accompany the Israelis and Palestinians to mutual understanding, while grasping the bottom line: we are all human beings, and Europeans, Arabs and Israelis have a lot in common.

The theme of the seminar which you’ll find in this magazine’s edition, covered different aspects of the words: citizenship, inclusive society, the other is me and a newly invented CB expression “human beingship”.

We came to the conclusion that - quoting Mr. Salem - “If you want to transform yourself, start with the other in you.

He is the most problematic one”. In most cases, the fact that we lack listening skills and tend to blame the so-called “other side”, keeps us from getting to the basic problem within ourselves.

critical in shaping the child’s personality and values. Projects conducted at this age can have a very big influence.

The language barrier and the practical difficulties can definitely be overcome. Children are able to communicate without words, through games and universal gestures. Furthermore, in elementary schools teachers have more flexibility in deciding what to teach their children. This does not happen in later classes; where there is more pressure to complete the curriculum. Educators should also have the courage to face objections by parents to such activities, emphasizing that are promoting basic values which are important to acquire regardless of political belief.

In the future more joint projects aimed at elementary school pupils should be developed. If such projects will be accompanied with learning in the school-system of the other’s language, culture, history and geography - then we will be giving children the tools which will enable them to form a better and peaceful future for their societies.

Keren Shachar-Goren is a teacher at an elementary school in Rosh Ha’ayin. In September 2006, she participated in the Crossing Borders Teachers’ Workshop, Istanbul 2006.

CB PARTICIPATES IN ANNA LINDH COURSE Rosa Dich, Vice Chair of Crossing Borders participated in the teacher-training course on Religious Diversity and Gender in an Intercultural Perspective, in Alexandria, Egypt, from 20-24 November. The Anna Lindh Foundation, together with the Swedish Institute in Alexandria, and the Council of Europe, organised the course. The subtitle of the course was “How to deal with religious diversity in the classroom”, and although discussions centred very much on Islam in the European societies, participants were very interested to hear about CB as an example of how to deal with diversity in practice. Rosa showed the Teachers’ Manual and distributed the latest CB magazine. CB received many compliments for the articles, the fresh lay-out, the manual, and the general idea.

The course is meant to provide recommendations for production of teaching material, and will continue with a series of follow up courses on the issues of intercultural learning.

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CB Members talks

CB Experience By: Heba Shmali Spending ten days of hot August in a Danish small quit town, and enjoying the European summer rain, turned to be a unique experience that I’ll carry on to the next generation and tell my children about.

Those incredible ten days helped me, first, to know my self better, before knowing, meeting or understanding the “other”. The “other” that came miles to hear what I have to say, to know me as I am, and to mainly cross the borders that the modern media and the tough reality built.

Staying in Elsinore gave me the feeling of freedom, being my self, and being able to express my thoughts and opinions as me, and not representing any

Dear Editor, By : Omer Chakim I was excited when I read the last issue of CB magazine. The fact that the magazine is published is in itself a great success, even before considering the content.

A joint project of Jewish and Arab adolescents is not to be taken for granted, especially at times when both the children of Sderot and Beit Hanun can’t sleep peacefully.

I have recently started my academic school year at Haifa University which does a lot for co-existence.

Unfortunately, there is a feeling of tension in the air. Moreover, we can feel the despair on both sides. This despair may lead to the loss of all hope for the achievement of any 4

political party from back home .Me, the Arab girl that came to the outsider world to talk about her self and her feelings, being independent from others.

Drinking coffee with Palestinian Ayman , discussing issues with African Garba, hanging out in Copenhagen with Jewish Itamar, and Dancing to the very mixed - European Oriental Orchestra , convinced me of the fact that there is nothing impossible when people talk, dialogue and conversation are the ultimate ways to end the hatred and the war, these are the recipes to healthy Peace.

I felt that during those ten days, we were able to cross all the artificial borders that were built by the political situation, by focusing on building our own world of happiness and peace far from all the politicians boring game. This totally proved to me that a world where differences is not an issue is possible and realistic with the proper inviroment.

peace process in the area.

The CB magazine will probably not bring peace but its existence brings hope. The writers’ desire not only to voice their opinions, but also to listen to the other side’s narrative is the first step to end this conflict.

Deep inside I believe that one day each Israeli or Palestinian citizen will have a friend on the other side. When this day comes, our leaders will no longer find partners for destructive, dangerous ideas of war.

I believe that despite the difficult days we experience, there is no other choice but to continue hoping and writing.

I’d like to encourage all those who devote so much time and efforts to the ongoing process of CB meetings and magazines.

May we all live in peace, good health and happiness.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Politics

New Imperial Hotel By: Mutaz Qawwas One of the oldest hotels in Palestine is the “New Imperial Hotel” which is attractively located in front of the Citadel as you enter the Old city of Jerusalem from its northern Jaffa Gate.

The Greek Orthodox Church owns the building, and the Palestinian Dajani family, who runs the hotel, are protected tenants of the property.

In March 2005 the front page of the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv declared, “Omar Bin Khattab Square is ours”. In the months following, it was revealed that the tenancy rights to the New Imperial Hotel were leased to a company called “Richards Investment Corp.” by a former accountant to the Greek Orthodox Patriarch using a Power of Attorney issued by the Patriarch.

The tenancy rights of the New Imperial Hotel have profound political implications. The Old City is occupied territory under the terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the international community has rejected Israel’s right to annex Jerusalem. The status of Jerusalem as a capital for two nations and a Holy City for three religions is a fundamental issue to be determined by any final peace agreement in the Israel-Palestine context. The Status Quo of Jerusalem cannot be changed without international supervision and approval.

The Imperial hotel lies not only at what is the most popular entry-point, but also at the junction of the Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters. Under the “Clinton pa-

rameters”, laid down at Camp David in 2000, the Christian and Muslim sectors were to fall within Palestinian control, on the principle that what was Arab would be Palestinian, part of a new Palestinian capital of East Jerusalem. Any peace deal would have to ensure secure access for Jews seeking to enter the Jewish quarter and to pray at the Wailing Wall.

But a Jewish foothold on the northern, indisputably Arab, side of the square would create a new and dramatic Jewish “fact on the ground”, calling into question the Arab character of the quarter and torpedoing Bill Clinton’s stipulation for “maximum contiguity” in the then existing sectors in Jerusalem.

Daniel Seidemann, the Israeli lawyer who has been monitoring, and opposing, such settlement activity in Jerusalem for years says any peace plan would now have to apply “microsurgery” to guarantee secure passage for Jews through the Armenian quarter to the south of the square, and through to the Jewish quarter and the holy Wailing Wall.

He adds: “All of a sudden the border becomes mobile.

You have a settler presence. The people [who acquired the properties] here were not making a random hit.”

The square which has always symbolized the ancient vision of Jerusalem as a city of peace open to all, a city that respects all religions and nationalities, may become THE major obstacle to peace in the city.

A Step towards Recognition?

By: Yara Sa’di On the 24th of October 2006, Haaretz newspaper published an article concerning the Kufr-Quassim massacre* Remembrance Day. It stated that professor Uli Tamir, the Israeli Minister of Education had given instructions to recognise the 50th anniversary of the massacre in Israeli schools. Tamir’s instruction is considered an achievement for the Arabs in Israel, who have been asking for a long time to commemorate their national days.

As I grew up in a school where Arab remembrance days were rarely mentioned and any reference to them was usually avoided, I used to believe that my school was similar to other Arab schools and had to follow the instructions of the Ministry of Education.

Reading the article, I felt relieved, finally, that the “massacre” will be rememberd, and it might be a first step toward honoring more national days for Arabs, hoping that eventually, it will form part of the general education curriculum.

Now I have finished school. However, talking to students from my school, I realize that this year Kufr Quassim wasn’t remembered or mentioned, not only in my old school, but in many other Arab schools too.

This fact makes me wonder, why do our schools insist on ignoring national commemoration days? Do they really

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

believe that by doing so they protect their pupils from the hazards of politics? Aren’t schools supposed to educate for democratic principles and active citizenship? How can they possibly do so when they insist on disregarding meaningful days from its people’s history? *Kufr Quassim is an Israeli Arab village, located in the Little Triangle bordering the West Bank. On the 29th of October 1956, 47 villagers, among them seven children, returning from work were killed for breaking a curfew. However, at court, Colonel Yishishkar Shedmi, who reportedly gave his soldiers the green light to go ahead with the massacre, was found guilty of exceeding his authority when he moved the curfew hour. The rest were sentenced to between seven and 17 years imprisonment, but all were released before the end of the third year of their penalty.

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The Wall

Another brick in the wall By : Ofir Mitrani “The Security Fence”, “The Anti-terrorist Fence”, “The Separation Wall”. You can even call it “The Apartheid Wall” or “The Barrier”. It still doesn’t change the fact that the wall (as I call it) is one of the most extremist and fundamentalist ideas that someone in the defense office in Israel ever thought of.

Despite this, there are some facts that some people choose to notice and others choose to ignore. Since the creation of the wall, the number of suicide bombers has decreased by more than 70 per cent. Yet, there is no proof that the wall is the real reason for this statistic. One can argue that we have already witnessed a few breaks in the dynamic conflict of the Middle East. Therefore, as much as the idea of the wall looks warm and fuzzy in the short run, it is looking awfully cloudy in the long run. The wall does not ensure that in the future, when the conflict will get a bit warmer, to put it mildly, Israel will be a safe place to live in. My mother always told me that you cannot hide from your problems, problems won’t go away until you work them out. It is the same thing with the wall, The problem will not go away and it will overcome the wall.

Then we will have to work it out.

But for now the wall is a fact and as long as the wall is there it is a must for the Israeli Government to understand that there is a way to build a wall and there is a way to introduce the idea of a wall to the world and especially to the Palestinian society. Building the wall doesn’t contradict justice as long as you are being thoughtful towards the Palestinian people and the Palestinian lands. Israel should show the world that for now, despite all, the wall is the best solution for both nations and that it is temporary. Israel should present to the world its own rulings (state court rulings) that defends the Palestinians lands and promotes equality.

It is a bit ironic that the global pressure, criticism and reactions to the construction of the wall were much more radical than the attitude towards the wall now being built along the U.S and Mexico border. The purposes of both walls are surely the same - using it as a defense line. In the American case, the Bush government used huge scary reasons such as “illegal immigration” and “drug problems” It may sound too optimistic, but as far as I can see, the day

My mother always told me that you cannot hide from your problems, problems won’t go away until you work them out

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when the Berlin wall fell, at the start of the 90s is a symbol that will repeat itself here in the Middle East. I believe is not so far from now, not so far from our mind.

As long as there is hope and willingness from people from both sides to change, the day will come when we will see people from both sides of the wall coming to take it down.

It happened in Germany. There is no reason why it will not happen here in the holy land.

Separation Wall By: Ayman Sandouka Most of the path of the wall is on Palestinian land inside the West Bank, surrounding Palestinian towns and villages and cutting off communities and families from each other, separating farmers from their land and Palestinians from their places of work and education and health care facilities and other essential services. Furthermore the wall didn’t solve any problem instead its creating more, not from one side but from both, Israelis and Palestinians.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

The Wall

About the Wall and Such By: Nadeen Nashef Saturday 28th of October during a CB workshop in Jerusalem, we went to visit the wall in Abu Dis. It was my second visit to the wall there. Looking at it again made me feel exactly the same way I felt just one year ago and I hated it even more. And to think that only six years ago I lived on the other side.

Six years ago, in a different lifetime, I had a home on the other side; somewhere behind this wall is Bethany (Ezarieh),the home where I spent nearly all my childhood.

Six year ago we packed our stuff and left for a new life. A few months later the Intifada started and the border was closed. We could never go back, and it hit me only when I saw the wall again built in the middle of the streets I used to pass everyday.

We moved to Neve Shalom (Wahat Al-Salam) or in English Oasis of Peace, an Arab-Jew village located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is a village of about 50 families, half Jews and half Arabs.

The village was founded in the early 1970s by Bruno Hussar. The land was given to him by the Latrun Monastery to realize his dream of building a village

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

The mystery WALL By: Dilay Fener The CB team sat down in the bus. We were on our way to the wall. The famous wall I had heard about on TV. I didn’t know what to expect. In Denmark we had learned about the Berlin-wall. But was this the same? Was this wall just the modern version of the Berlin-wall? Well, while the bus was driving and I was enjoying the view, an enormous wall became visible. It wasn’t supposed to be there. It didn’t look right. Like a thick line in a painting. This was a sign which told me that this area was not like it was supposed to be. Something was wrong. The wall was the first evidence to me that this area is having a war.

like this. When Bruno and the people who were with him arrived at the hillside that was given to them, there was nothing. It was just them and the bushes around them under the sky. They lived in trailers and had to go searching for water everyday. They shared what little they had with each other and little by little they started building the village they all dreamed of.

Slowly the village started to develop, houses and roads were built, a swimming pool, a primary school and a hostel for guests. More and more people started hearing about these people who dared make their dream come true, who dared show everyone that it is possible to live together. They set an example to everyone else.

Their children grew up together, not caring who was Arab and who was Jew. They learned to look at each other as human beings. When the school opened for children outside the village, they were able to share their way of life with other people.

Today there are still about 50 families in the village, and when it is completed there will be about 140.

The waiting list for people who want to be accepted and live here is over 200.

Maybe there still is hope, even in times like these.

After all I believe we all want the same thing, a bright and peaceful future, something to look forward to.This village offers a faint glimmer of hope.

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Identity Matters

Identity By: Jazbo von Magius Gross Identity, or the question; “who am I?” has been written about and discussed countless times throughout the history of mankind. After Descartes writes Meditations on First Philosophy in 1641, thereby founding modern philosophy, we start asking ourselves who we are. When I try to define identity in general, there is one thing that I find truly fascinating: Every person in this world has their very own identity; no two people are alike. And this is the very reason that identity is so difficult to study. We can’t predict the identities of others, but we can observe and try to see some general tendencies. To do this I have written a questionaire which has been filled out by 35 young Danes, aged 17-25. Through my questionaire I see a tendency in people to use the material things of our world to define themselves. Are they important to our identity? I will now present two of my observations from my questionaire concerning this question.

Everyone who filled out the questionaire was born in Denmark. Some have parents from other countries, some only a mother or a father.

90% of the people who filled out my questionaire answered “yes” to the question “are you Danish?” (not as in “are you a Danish citizen?”, but referring to their self-image/identity), and in the next question, when asked to rate themselves on a scale from one to ten (“How Danish are you?”), 70% rated themselves above a seven. Now here is the interesting part:

When asked what they found particularly Danish, 75% mentioned Danish food - flæskesteg (a special Danish way of making pork) in particular - as one of the main things.

In a different question I asked what part of yourself you would keep if you could only keep one part. There were different options: nationality, name, appearances, something of personal value, and one option was to fill in something else.

Only 15% filled in an inner value. Only one person said religion. Only one person wrote morality.

My research, of course, is not extensive but it gives an idea that a lot of Danes consider external things part of their identity. In my opinion this presents a problem: People tend to want to protect their identity, which is not strange, it’s like self-defence (protecting one’s body from physical harm), only you’re protecting yourself from mental harm - nobody wants their identity damaged. But by making things that are not part of oneself, part of one’s identity it would seem that we make ourselves quite vulnerable. What if one day we are forced to live in a situation where there is no flæskesteg? (fried pork) Should that really degrade our identity? I believe we should learn to find the strengths and qualities within ourselves - in reason, in spirituality, in morality etc. - not outside ourselves in things that we can’t control.

Palestinians Living in Jordan, and the Palestinian state issue By: Omar Hadidi To find out what it is like being a Palestinian living in Jordan, students at the University of Jordan-Amman, were asked to fill in a questionnaire.

Some factors affected the ability to get a larger sample of students. Those factors included fear of going through such a sensitive topic which is considered to be a taboo in Jordan. Here are the questions.

1) How do you feel about being a Palestinian in Jordan (in general)?

Think about you social life, jobs, economic issues, security, etc.

2) Do you think that Palestinians in Jordan suffer a lack of some rights? If your answer is yes, can you mention some?

3) Do you believe in the right of return and do you think that Palestinian immigrants are going to be able to return some time?

4) Do you think that there is going to be a country called “the Palestinian state” in Gaza and the west bank?

5) Would you think of leaving Jordan sometime in order to live in the “Palestinian state” if it was declared?

“Its okay for me to live in Jordan, I have a fine social life here as well as the chance of education and social status afterwards, although sometimes there is a problem of discrimination between people themselves. I don’t know why,” Aseel the Italian language student said.

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Regarding the last three questions Aseel added: “Of course there is going to be a country called Palestine some time, and the right of return is a legal right for all immigrants no matter where they are originally from. But for Palestinians I think this issue needs a long time and hard work to get over with. For myself, I’m used to Jordan and I have my friends and social life. I can’t sacrifice all that to start from the beginning.”

Ramzi the engineering student said: “Many times I feel the discrimination between Jordanians and Palestinians, especially in taking the leading jobs in the army and most civil institutes.”

Relating to the Palestinian state Ramzi added: “The affairs between the Israeli and the Palestinian governments do not show a progress in the peace process. Also the West Bank includes many occupied areas and the discriminating racist wall.”

Three more students mentioned almost the same points, being supportive for the Palestinian state declaration and the right of return for the Palestinian immigrants living not only in Jordan but in Syria, Lebanon and other countries.

As a conclusion I noticed that some of the Palestinians in Jordan feel some discrimination in civil society, others do not feel the same, but are optimistic about their future in Jordan. The majority of Palestinians in Jordan and even the local Jordanians are supportive for the declaration of the Palestinian state.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Identity Matters

An interview with Theis Kongsbak, a Danish student By: Dilay Fener The Danish population consist of about 10% immigrants.

There is a big debate about integration. Most of the immigrants come from uneducated environments and because of that it is hard for them to find jobs in Denmark and to get accepted into Danish society. A lot of money has been invested in integration programmes to help the immigrants become assimilated and educated. Another problem is that most of the immigrants still try to keep their culture alive and don’t want to be a part of the Danish culture but with time the culture changes even though they don’t wish it.

The process of assimilating immigrants into the Danish society is a long and hard one.

Theis Kongsbak is an 18-year-old student at Avedøre Gymnasium. Avedøre Gymnasium is a multicultural gymnasium so it is interesting to hear what Theis has to say about different cultures living side by side and his view about the Danish society.

What do you like about Denmark?

Democracy and what it provides - liberty, justice and a voice for all. In Denmark there is free medical care and free education for every citizen. It promotes a healthy base for people to develop.

What is integration to you?

I don’t see integration of immigrants as giving up yourself.

On the contrary, it is about being yourself, and standing for your beliefs within the boundaries set by law. I don’t care if an immigrant is Hindu, Muslim, Jew, or Christian. It is a personal matter. To be integrated, as I see it, is to ac-

cept that one is part of a new society and contribute to it in a constructive way.

How do you feel about different cultures living side by side?

I am very positive towards it. I don’t believe that just because people don’t share the same culture they can’t get along. It even develops you as human being, as it promotes the understanding of others, which I believe is the first step towards understanding yourself.

Do you think the integration in Denmark could be a model to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?

To a certain degree. While integration in Denmark could be a lot better, we are working to get there. What I find important about integration in Denmark is that it does not group people. You don’t put the Muslims here, the Christians there and so forth. It’s about people accepting that they are neighbours and that they have to live with each other.

Any other thoughts?

I’m glad that Denmark is a country that has such a large surplus, not only monetarily but also morally. That’s why we can look beyond ourselves and help others.

Defining Jordan By: Zena Qubain Jordan is not an easy country to define. It is a place where people from different origins and backgrounds have come to call their home - from Jordanians, Palestinians, Iraqis, Carcasians, Armenians, Kurds, Syrians, Lebanese both Christian and Muslim. The conflicts of the regions surrounding Jordan have made various people seek shelter and safety in our little haven.

I am a Christian of Jordanian origin, part of a minority that has lived in the area for several centuries. Living in modern Amman I don’t feel any real difference between me and people from other ethnic backgrounds or religions. This might be because of the cosmopolitan way of life which has caused people to interact more and live within the same neighborhoods and communities. Also inter-faith and inter-ethnic marriages have merged the communities together and faded their differences. However there is still some discrimination from people who choose to be racists. Fortunately this is not the common practice.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Not everyone living in Jordan chooses to call themselves Jordanian. Some cling more to their family’s origins and this often causes an identity crisis among the youth. These crises also occur with the youngsters of multi-ethnic or multi-religious parents. The Jordanian government has tried to unify and create a stronger sense of nationality and harmony amongst the population through several efforts including the notorious “Jordan First” campaign. This brought mixed emotions and feedback from Jordanians. Some people, like me, saw it as deepening the sense of national identity among citizens where everyone acts as partners in building and developing our country. However it was also interpreted not as a noble message, but as one that called on people to ignor their ancestry and the calls of the country of their origin.

The campaign failed because a useful message was ignored, a message that people could have benefited from if not for their pessimistic views - a message of unity in a culture of respect, tolerancPAGEMAKER DEMO PAGEMAK

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Me, My Neighbour and My World

Who are my neighbours?

By: Annira busch If you want to know who your neighbours are, you do not have to go to the border of your country. You do not need to take an airplane or travel for a long time. If you just step outside of your door, you will find them. People who are not far away in space, but who might still be miles away from your own life.

I wanted to find out who my neighbours actually are so I took a stroll around my neighbourhood in Osnabrück, a middle-sized German city.

Around the corner of my street, the “Multicultural sector” starts. This is an area where a lot of foreign people live and have their shops. Most of the stores are Turkish kebab stores, like the “Erstes Osnabrücker Kebab-Haus” (First Osnabrück Kebab House), but there are also two African shops, an Italian pizzeria, a Chinese takeaway and the “Club Europa” for recreational activities. The “Café & Bar Multi Kulti” is situated at the beginning of the street, expressing all this multiculturalism.

The Turkish guy in the “Istanbul Grill” confirms that Germans and Turkish people do not seem to have too much contact: “I have little contact with the German people of this street. I rather hang out with Turks or Kurds. I also have one African friend”. He has been living in Germany for eleven years and describes the atmosphere at the area as “pretty good”. His friend told me about a problem of the area: “When I was looking for a flat in Osnabrück, the employment centre told me not to move to this area. It doesn’t seem to have

such a good reputation, but I like it here.”

The guy in the Afro Shop comes from Sierra Leone. The store opened one month ago. “There aren’t only African people who shop in here,” he says. “We have many German and also Turkish customers.” Asked what he thinks of the neighbour, he answers “it’s okay”. His friend adds: “As long as the business works, everything is okay.”

The man and the woman in the Chinese takeaway do not speak good German, but they try very kindly to answer my questions. They have been living in Germany for 15 years and started working in the shop in 1999. The only problem they see with the street is that the cars on the sideways park there for too long, as there are no parking meters. “We have a good relationship with our neighbours. The people here are friendly.

Sometimes we meet and talk about football. Everything is in order.”

This street - Johannis Street - is just a street in a middle-sized German city. But it mirrors all the complexity of our globalised world. This complexity does bring problems with it. But it also opens up new possibilities for cultural enrichment if we are just willing to be open and talk to our neighbours.

My neighbors, my world and myself the idea of inclusive citizenship and identity By : Stephan Schmid Who am I and who are you? This is a philosophical and essential question for which each one of us may find a different answer. But isn’t the following answer inherent in all of us? “I`m a human being just like you.”

This answer means we are equal members of the same community called “Humans”. We live in the same world, divided by political and geographical, ethnic and religious borderlines, just to mention some of them. Being separated and belonging together at the same time, this is one of the paradoxes we have to deal with in our world - to be the same and different, to belong to an “inside-group” and to an “outside-group”.

What about these people who are socially on the outside but live close to us like brothers and sisters? Are they a part of our identity? Or do we have to treat them like a disturbance to our life and keep them out by any means?

What does inclusion mean? To be an included part of a society means having a voice that is heard. Consequently

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nobody needs to throw stones and use bombs anymore to get attention. Being heard means having rights and duties.

A social system doesn’t work without giving duties and rights to each individual. It’s the same everywhere, in the family, in a state and in the so-called world community.

As soon as somebody is living in this system without being connected to it, dissatisfaction and disintegration are the result. In other words, if somebody is excluded from this system of right and duties, this person has no relation, no contact to the people inside. On the contrary, over time an excluded person gets the feeling of being less worthy, of being second class. The next step for this person might be for him to be identified by others as an enemy. Being pushed out by force from a part of his identity, this person has to find a new identity, influenced by the experience of being expelled.

In short we can state that inclusion means to bridge this uprooting force by giving rights and duties, by giving equality.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Me, My Neighbour and My World

Isn’t it me, myself & I?! (Seems more like it) By: Qamar Daher According to Mr. Salem’s lecture “The Other Is Me”, I can see myself in you.I It’s like a mirror image. The fact that we are all human beings is actually the mirror’s glass. It is the base for that reflection.

The other is me contains in it both a manifest and a latent content. At first glance, we find this term to be sort of weird. It emphasizes the similarity between us as if we are identical twins.

Nevertheless, the hidden essence is that though we are diverse and each one of us has his own unique character our foundations are similar and can even be regarded as identical. By that I mean we are all humans. It

is not similarity versus diversity. It is the latter based on the former.

The notion of the “you & I” as part of one society which is in its turn part of the world, depends on the similarity between us two and the contribution of us being diverse.

The burned wire in this electric cycle is that we don’t take the time to look at the human in front of us. We are soaked in self-interest and selfishness that blinds us from seeing the similar base.

Our perspective has become materialistic much more than humanistic. We are busy with our daily life issues, the routine of going to work, paying taxes and getting some rest. We’ve come to a point in which we don’t or can’t allow ourselves to care about the “I” which together with the “neighbor” form a society. Instead, we only care for what benefits us as single individuals. Our so-called “world” is a one-man’s world.

We ask “what can I do to make my life better?” not “what can be done to make our lives better?”.

In a nutshell, the expression “myself, my neighbor & my world” is far less accurate and far from reality. Isn’t it “me, myself & I”?! Seems more like it.

Understanding the Conflict By: Ofir Mitrani Try to dig inside your mind really deep and find out what are the mental obstacles you face in your conflicts through life. Of course it’s not an easy thing to do. Usually we let ourselves accuse the other side for the situation just for solving our cognitive dissonance.

This analyzing is hard to do on the personal level.

Now imagine yourself analyzing it on the society level, surely it is ten times harder. Analyzing collective conciseness reveals a huge range of thoughts and behaviors.

Therefore as we take it to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict level we will reveal few serious mental obstacles. This we did with Mr. Arnon Rozmarin from Givat Haviva during the workshop in Jerusalem , October 2006.

We defined this obstacles with the term “diseases” in order to give it a more physical and personal aspect. Those so called “diseases” reflect the individual level in various ways.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

As an Israeli ,I was at the Israeli society group. We analyzed the Israeli society main problem - ignorance of understanding the conflict. We found that the Israelis misunderstanding the Palestinians people.

This huge misunderstanding is the cause of ethnocentric self centered thinking, lack of knowledge about the other side costumes, holidays, and believes.

Secondly, we found that the historical stereotypes influence the Israeli society. The conflict is going on and on for the last 60 years, and through all this long period of time the Israeli society developed superstitious images of the Palestinian people. Images that led to Kasnofobia (the hate of foreigners) and led to another “disease” we call fear. Fear from the unknown, fear that is growing everyday, the fear from the “evil enemy” that is exists mostly in people’s mind rather than in real life.

The collective mind of the Israeli society is carrying on its back an overweight of fear and hopeless feelings. The individual sense is influenced by politicians, who concur with simple tools as conformism and social pressure not only lands but also virgin minds as well.

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Me, My Neighbour and My World

Dealing with the other inside you By: Serene Najdi When saying that ‘the other is me’, what do we really mean?

The majority thinks that diversity is what makes me different from others, but if you stop for a second you’ll actually see that inside the diversity there is a similarity.

This was the key point made in a lecture by Waleed Salem on 27 October 2006 at the Imperial Hotel to Crossing Borders members. He talked about the dialogue, monologue, reciprocal monologue, the competitive discussion and the differences between them.

The live example for the monologue and reciprocal monologue is what happens in “The Other Side” a show on Aljazeera. Nobody actually hears, everyone talks, it’s only one-way listening. Each one listens to himself not listening to the others. They don’t even hear each other.

Salem explained that a competitive discussion is one that operates on a win-lose or lose-lose formula.

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However, a dialogue is a win-win formula. It’s a listening-learning process. It’s based on conversation, understanding, and empathizing.

A dialogue should have more than one side. It is not necessary that they have the opposite opinions but they should have different opinions to start a conversation.

Waleed added: “In a dialogue, it’s better to show anger but not hatred and above all you should know how to show and express your anger in the right way.”

He also talked about three important principles knowledge, acknowledgement and act-knowledge and how it’s important to move to the last one in order not to sink into a talking box while we do nothing to change the facts on the ground.

He ended with a saying which is the fruit of his 50 years of life experience: “If you want to deal with others you have to deal with the other inside you first.”

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Me, My Neighbour and My World

Does your citizenship define you or do you define yourself?

By:Ofir Mitrani

When I first heard about the topic of the magazine, nationality, citizenship and identity, I tried to figure out what do these three words means. We can find the roots of citizenship in our nationality. Humans are divided into nations and this is where citizenship is evolving. It is the same point from where nationalism starts as well.

In their minds, citizens of the same nation develop a common identity which gives them the sense of being a part of a nation. But this identity lacks the ability to separate their own individual minds from the bigger context of their country’s ideology.

Whether we like it or not, citizenship is part of our identity, like an I.D. card for people around the world.

When I am abroad, thinking of my image as an Israeli, it gives me the sense that I am kind of an ambassador on duty. The moment I reveal my nationality to others I don’t have any choice other than to defend my country’s reputation.

It is not so easy to represent 7 million other minds that think so differently from each other, especially in a small and dynamic place Israel. As one joke says, where there are two Jews there are five different opinions.

If we think of a nation as a big organization, then citizenship will be its club card. Each organization is built on a different system which gives its member its own rights and obligations. The problem arises when obligations collide with ideology.

For example, as an Israeli Jew, part of my obligation as a citizen is to join the army for three years at the age of 18. The only way a young Israeli can avoid this is in the case of severe medical, physical or mental problems, and of course there is the other way which is going to jail for a few months or even years and get an exemption. It does not matter what you think or choose, it does not matter whether you are pacifist or not, you will still do what your country orders you to do. If one does not serve in the army one will not enjoy the same rights as a member that CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

did serve. This means that if one wants to be an equal citizen, one has to fit, or one could say fix, his ideologies and align his mind to the country’s ideology. In other words: “Goodbye own identity, hello Nationalism”.

The example above is only one, but every country has its own systems and methods for keeping its individuals working for it at maximum efficiency.

All countries act very similarly in this field. This is the politician’s real work - to keep their power and their own ideologies alive. Every country is trying to keep its citizens’ faith close to the national ideology.

The nation, as the root of citizenship, is another institution in our life (like school, family, religion, etc) which forces the individual to function according to society’s needs. The nation preserves our faith using strong thought reform tools such as conformism and collective consciousness. Even the education that is given by the country aims to preserve the faith. By the time one is an adult it is too difficult to distinguish between what one has learned about one’s identity and who one really is.

Imagine yourself being born in a different place, a different country.

Would your thoughts, ideas and ideology be the same as they are now?

The problem starts when citizenship shapes one’s thoughts and behavior. Citizenship holds in it the dangerous potential to create nationalism in people’s mind and conquer their real thoughts. This is something we should internalize deep inside and prevent from happening. What about you? Does your citizenship define you or do you define yourself?

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Wishes for 2007 Serene nagdi Lots of wishes cross my mind but one of them is to open Aljazeera News Channel one morning and not see that the latest news is “6 martyrs in Gaza Strip or a massacre in the West Bank.” I also wish that one day I will build a campus where anyone no matter what is his nationality or religion can live in harmony without anxiety and fear.

HAPPY N

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Rula Abu Husen First of all I want to wish you Happiness and Joy...

And Blessings for the New Year.

I ask God for to give me Wisdom to choose priorities For those things that really matter in life.

I wish to have a good Health So I can enjoy each day in comfort. finally I wish that may God give me the Ability to forgive and to love, to live in peaceAnd to have a great moments with whom I love!

Greg Newbold My wish for 2007 is that young people in the Holy Land will have the honesty to admit their hatred of their enemies and the courage to move beyond it.

Sophie Aple Freedom of Iraq, no more wars in the Middle East , equal rights for everybody in Israel/Palestine ,the well for everybody to go on fighting for peace, keeping up the CB spirit and personal growth for everybody

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Anja Gustavsen Personally I wish for a less stressful year, more time with friends and family, a mother freed from her illness and a better talent for saying ‘no’ - even to things that sound interesting and fun. If they are too time consuming they won’t make me smile anyway.

In general I wish for a calmer, healtier and more respectful world, where people have greater tolerance for eachother; constantly thrive to reach a greater understanding of themselves and others; have enough food and water to survive smiling; enough friends and family around them to value the ‘little things’; think more on the environment and the future of this planet; and are willing to offer their help where it is needed.

All of that would make for a great 2007 - even better than 2006 has already been.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

NEW YEAR

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Yara Sadi May 2007 be a year of serenity, understanding, trust and empathy worldwide, a year of humankind achievements, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Qamar Daher I wish you all a year full of love, joy and success. Hope your smiles will remain drawn on your faces through all the 365 days a year.

May all your wishes come true and your entire goals be achieved.

Rosa dich I wish that 2007 will be the year when people and leaders all over the world start waking up from their misunderstandings and realize that violence is rarely the solution, and there are always wiser alternatives.

Heba Shmali Suzzane Shraideh I wish the CB team a happy new year full of cheer and joyous time, and may the supreem power bring inner peace and tranquillity 2 the world and my beloved ones ... even the ones I have forgotten .... and may the coming new year and the next and the next...be joy connected to the other.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

David Kruer “I hope that more people everywhere would learn about, support, and become actively involved with Crossing Borders and similar organizations to help building a better future.”

I wish Palestine and lands under occupation will get their freedom and real peace will spirit in the world, and I ask GOD to bless and protect my family. I wish I can give something useful for humanity with my law degree, to reach high levels in my career life, to extend my education in reading more and more, to meet the most famous Arab singer “Fayrouz”, and to find my soul matte.

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Profiles

My name is Jonas Schwarzlose. I’m 25 years old and I study Politics and English at the university. The intention of my present studies is to become a highschool teacher.

I believe in the power of communication - I believe in the ability to change the world through dialogue.

My name is Jazbo. I am 19 years old in my last year of high school. I am crazy about films. I already make movies myself but I would like to study film at the university once I finish school. I believe in art as a way for people to find a common standpoint in order to coexist.

I am Lareen Tibi from Jerusalem.. I like to read books but I am more interested in reading magazines. I like swimming, dancing, making crafts, listening to music, and traveling since I find it a way to interact and learn from others’ cultures. Life is full of adventures.

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Mutaz Qawwas:I am 18 years old and I’m studying mechanical engineering. I like playing volleyball, swimming and admire cars, motorbikes and racing.

I’ve been participating in CB seminars for almost 2 years now, and I think CB is the greatest programme that brings journalism alongside multicultural dialogue and interaction, and I wish to continue participating in CB and become a remarkable journalist one day.

My name is Nadeen Nashef.

I am a student in Ramleh School. I joined Crossing Borders 3 years ago. I live in Neve Shalom (Wahat AlSalam) a Jewish and Arab neighborhood between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I like to listen to music and read. I spend a lot of my time on the computer. One of my favorite bands is Night Wish.

I am Nasser Barakat from Gaza. I am 19 years old and I study Business Administration. I like learning foreign languages and cultures and hope to travel and meet a lot of people. I look forward to getting my MA & PhD degrees in Political Science and International Relations.

In the future I hope to be an ambassador and to represent my country in many places.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

I am Ninna Lausbak. I am 18 years old, in my last year of school. I’m planning to travel and work for a year before going to university. I joined CB because I’m convinced that the problems of the world concern us all. From my point of view we aren’t responsible for what happened in the past and we aren’t able to go back in time to undo the things. But if the problems and conflicts in the world and especially in the Middle East will stay like this in the future, it would be our fault, and we would be responsible for it.

My name is Qamar Daher from Haifa. I’m 19 years old.

I have been with CB for almost two years. I have been dancing for 10 years.

When I am on stage, it feels like home to me. I love reading books and writing, mainly poems. My motto in life is “If there is a will, there is a way”.

My name is Rula. I am a 17year-old senior student in Haifa. I like listening to rock music, eating Italian food, painting, dancing and I love to write love poems. I want to become a lawyer, and I want to do something important in life, so people will remember me for that. I swim a lot with my friends.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

My name is Sasi Abadian.

I’m an 18-year-old Iranian girl living in Denmark since I was a child. This is my last year at school. I speak four languages and would like to be a dentist. I was attracted to CB by the fact that I like to talk to people from different cultures. I like all kinds of music and I consider myself to be a funny person!

I’m Sella Nevo. I’m 17 years old and live in Tel Aviv where I’m about to finish my last year of High School. Like Elvis, I will join the army next year even though I excel at playing the guitar.

When I finish the army I’m planning to study mathematics, economics and computers at university.

My name is Stephan Schmid., I am 25 years old and I come from Germany. I study political science and the Middle Eastern conflict at university. I enjoy writing and travelling and I’m particularly interested in languages and literature. I’m active in CB since I believe that we have to solve the conflict with the help of young people and not on a political level.

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Profiles

My name is Magnus i’m 19 years old and study at a high school in Avedoere, Denmark. I am interested in politics and organized in a youth movement where I have the opportunity to express my political ideas through action. As I go to school near the “film city” in Avedoere I got into making films and produces films at my school and at a workshop, which I go to every week. Next year I wish to enter the Danish writer’s school - just to know the tools of the trade as I put it. If I am not accepted I will study history and litterature at the university in Roskilde.

My name is Ayman Sandouka, I am 18 years old living in Jerusalem, I finished my high school and I am going to study business and administration and accounting at the university. My dream is to see a country called Palestine on the map.

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My name is Yara Sa’di, I graduated School in Haifa, With electronics & physics as majors as well as major in classic music . I’ve been playing piano for 10 years, & guitar for the last 3 years.

I enjoy reading books, listening to music & playing tennis. I’m interested in world wild politics, but especially in the local Arab Israeli conflict

My name is Dilay Fener ,I’m 18 years old. I’m in my final year of high school and I would like to study medicine after high school.

My hobbies: I like reading and listening to music.

I like to spend my spare time at the gym.

This is my first time participating in CB and I really like the whole idea about it. It’s a very good project which gives the opportunity of dialogue between different cultures.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Closing A Year

A dream for 2007 By: Firas Musleh Each New Year’s Eve, we all make wishes for the coming year, hoping it to be better than the previous ones we have lived. After the clock rings 12 times to mark the end of 2006, I open my window, lift my face to the sky and make a wish for miracles that can change our world into a better one. A new world where the life is fairer than before, the need is rarer than it used to be and love fills all hearts.

Then I close the window to go drowning in my dreams.

My Dream is that I am in Jerusalem, the city I love. I can see neither the wall nor any checkpoint. People are smiling, celebrating together, happy children are all around, feeling the peace, the prosperity and the happiness.

Oh, it’s like the perfect world we are waiting for!

A very loud “Happy Birthday” are the two words that finish this happy dream and I open my eyes to the real life, to my birthday, and to the New Year’s birthday to realize that it was just a dream.

Oh how I long to continue that dream!

Afterwards, I open the window, the sky is grey, the checkpoint is where it used to be and the wall is getting longer and longer. I feel very sad; it’s totally different from where I was in that dream.

Shall I force myself to accept this reality?

Will the hard days last too long?

Will the peace stay just a song?

We want the hard days to pass away like summer clouds, because we are longing to the sunlight that will ease our pain, which will cover us with hope, and above all, with peace.

Hopefully year 2007 will be shining. We will realize our dreams, bring peace and prosperity to the entire world. Love will be our rule, with respect for all humanity and our rights to live in freedom and justice will be secured.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

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Personal Stories

Ameer’s alarm By: Annira busch Most of the stories we hear about the PalestinianIsraeli conflict are very serious. So, it is always a relief to hear that a positive story about the occupation.

The following story is by Ameer, a Palestinian friend.

Ameer was chatting with a friend till late. After some time, she asked him how he was going to wake up the next morning for his classes. Was he going to set the alarm? He then told her about his “Palestinian alarm”.

“The thing is, I love sleeping,” he began. “It’s my favourite thing, after women! So I always suffer when I have to wake up and I often miss my morning classes. Some teachers don’t even know who I am until the final exams.”

Two years ago, the Israeli army built a checkpoint right next to Ameer’s house.

“The soldiers used to close the checkpoint from six to eight am. By half past seven, about 200 cars would be stranded at the checkpoint. Of course they all

started blowing their horns at once, because they were late for work.

Imagine, 200 horns at the same time! They would keep on doing this until the checkpoint finally opened.”

So now, Ameer wakes up at their noise every morning One time, the soldiers decided to open the checkpoint and let the cars in. So of course, Ameer woke up late and missed his class. When his professor saw him later, he asked him why he had not attended. Ameer told him it was because the soldiers had opened the checkpoint.

The professor looked at him and said: “Usually, people miss class, because the checkpoints are closed.” So Ameer told him the story of his Palestinian alarm. The professor responded: “Good thing that the Israelis close the checkpoint so that you will come to class!”

A walk to the library By: Sasi Abadian On a lovely evening I went for a walk with my sister to the library. As usual my sister started to talk like a radio and she usually never stops. Today was not an exception. I wasn’t paying too much attention to her, because my thoughts were elsewhere. I was just hoping not to meet anyone on the way, but that is impossible when you live in a quarter filled with immigrants. However, my sister met some of her friends and they started to tease her about her curly hair. I didn’t interfere because if I did then the problem would only get bigger. I told her not to say anything to them. But to be honest I know how it feels when somebody teases you because you don’t look like them, and back then, my mother would always say that they are only teasing you because they are jealous.

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When you are walking around and you are “forced” to look at things you didn’t noticed before you will automatically become more focused on details. I notice that people are more and more attached to their MP3s or mobiles and they are becoming more isolated. They are becoming colder and I’m becoming like them. That scares me sometimes. I also saw my neighbour. She was walking with a walking-stick and she didn’t have any teeth. Time passes by, people change and most of all I change.

One day I’m going to be like her. In the meantime I could still hear my sister talking about her wonderful classmates. Finally we arrived to the library and she stopped talking, and now she is focused on books and cartoons. What a miracle: the way back was easy - I didn’t bump into any people.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

General

Influence Does By: Hannan Abbas “Leader’s way for a glitter peace to be achieved in the Middle East!”

Everybody agrees that the people of the Middle East have been living a long overactive life. As time passes, crises are multiplied and no one knows when things will change to a brighter fate.

Looking back in history, studying the Mahatma Ghandi autobiographies of great leaders, I discovered the Indian liberation leader Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi devoted his life to India and Indians, and succeeded with his people to free their land without bloodshed.

Gandhi’s first and last creed was ‘no violence, love, and truth’. He never stopped reminding his people with these three values.

Great Britain occupied India for a long time, controlled Indians’ lives, and enforced taxes. However, Gandhi’s hope to free India never left him. “Ahimsa” - nonviolence, and “Satyagraha” - holding in the truth, were not just two words Gandhi was saying. The words were translated into actions so that Indians carried duties of never putting any hate or violence into the conflict, of acting with love, and never forgetting your enemy anywhere, anytime, and under any condition. So what were the

actions that Indians took to make such important social changes? For instance, Gandhi asked them not to trade anything from Britain, to burn British clothes and start making their own clothes themselves. Having Indians going to the beach to make salt from the seawater was Gandhi’s great solution to avoid paying the salt tax to Britain.

When a Hindu father came to Gandhi asking him what to do after an Indian Muslim had killed his son, Gandhi simply told him to look for a Muslim kid who had no parents and raise him up as his son. It may be a strange story but yet the deep meaning was that Gandhi wanted to grow love in Indians’ hearts therefore growing love towards their enemies would come easily.

When Indians were helping Britain in the Boer War in the last 1800s, Gandhi volunteered and recruited an Indian ambulance corps to serve with the British army. Although Britain was his physical enemy, Gandhi used the situation wisely.

Gandhi succeeded to win his homeland back. His wisdom was behind every grand aim.

His way of acting should give us and our leaders the inspiration to work the same way, for a better Middle East.

The democratic media By: Magnus Skovrind Pedersen I find literature interesting because it is a way of expressing yourself that is open to the audience in a different way than film or painting. When you write, you have the opportunity to create something that the reader can interpret very freely compared to other modes of expression. In films you show the action, in paintings you also show the action or the motive. In literature you describe it with words. Words are abstract compared to pictures, thus they can be shaped by those who hear or read them.

Of course you can also use words to create a very narrow picture. This is usually done by using many words, where the abstract words eliminate the different concrete pictures that comes to mind. One by one these words eliminate the opportunities we have to create our own interpretation of the situation. If you use fewer words, the audience has more “democratic” rights, but it is also more easily confused because it might misunderstand the meaning of a sentence or a paragraph.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Hemmingway is a writer who has mastered this imagistic way of writing. That roughly means that generally, he only writes what we would see. This way the reader is better able to understand why the characters act the way they do. Real enthusiasm grasps me when I suddenly find, all by myself, the connection between different occasions in the text. It is when I, as a reader, am activated that I feel like I am really reading. This is of course very challenging and sometimes you might find that you are tired by all this “active reading”.

Hemmingway uses the fact that the human mind always tries to find the connection between different events. Thus he can actually write a complete drama in a few, short sentences. When I think about the way my mind always finds (or tries to find) connections I am fritghtened by the thought that all the connections I, and all others, have found are in fact just imaginations of our minds, created because we need the world to make sense and to be connected.

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General

For the people .. by the people By: Jonas Schwarzlose The collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolises the end of an era. The classical power structure, in which nation states alone decided the course of world politics became history overnight. Since then more and more non-state actors appeared on the stage of politics challenging the former power position of the nation-state. There are controversial developments such as the increasing power of corporations. The fact, that General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler make as much profit per year as 48 countries of the southern Sahara region, is highly questionable. But on the other hand, there are many positive effects of this structure change in world politics. One example is the engagement of more than 2400 NGO’s during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. This Conference led to many declarations, forcing the states to implement policies protecting the environment.

This conference is also a milestone for the increasing significance of non-state actors in international politics. Another example is the increasing importance of NGO’s in the human rights sector. Although Amnesty International seems like a dinosaur among the NGO’s the acceptance of human rights organisations by states has risen in the last decade. The evidence is, that there are several non state organizations checking the performance of governments and reporting it to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The development outlined above has strengthened

the civil society. It has improved the possibility of each citizen to help shaping his future. The globalised world makes it easier to communicate across borders, intensifying the exchange of sorrows, empathy and solutions. The solution for conflicts does not solely lie in the hand of politicians. Now it is the chance for conflict resolution for the people by the people. Let’s give it a go.

Selective Mutism.. Say what?!

By: Qamar Daher We may think she is just shy or that he simply doesn’t want to answer our question. However, in some cases our thoughts are not even close to what is really happening.

Selective Mutism is a newly recognized, not well understood childhood communication disorder. A child who suffers from Selective Mutism is one who speaks regularly at home and plays with any member of his family, but in school or in front of a stranger freezes and refuses to say a word. In other words, in private he is like any normal kid, yet, in public he is plainly mute. Children act as if they are about to speak but then they freeze and strain to respond.

Usually, it is first identified at school where the child starts to experience difficulties since he was used to a more quiet and relaxed environment at home. A child who has grown normally at home but hasn’t spoken in social gatherings or school for at least a 22

month is likely to be diagnosed with Selective Mutism.

In most cases the problem goes back to a severe type of social anxiety or fear. Thus, they need psychotherapy that addresses that social phobia combining speech and language treatment. The child must be provided with a focused communication treatment in the school setting. When working with the mute children, words like “shy” and “nervous” should be used to describe their behavior instead of mute as a means of easing their anxiety and the words “brave” and “daring” when they extend themselves in therapy or social situations. This encourages them.

Children with Selective Mutism comprehend and understand well in class but they will not name the alphabet letters or read texts. That’s why it is important to identify the anxiety and deal with it as early as possible since it can prevent a child from getting promoted from kindergarten to elementary school.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Obituary

. . r e v e n l l i w n a h t a n Jo love, Jonathan, my Arnan.

our beloved,

will never...

av-Raz By: Yeela Lah was killed in ever see us... ars old child, n l ye il 1 . w 2 w a o an n i, h as at an Jon l th Had 006. I read at July 19th 2 a Jonathan more beautifu e as to b -r -a er m n ev o To n o , l d ar il n rM grave. frie We w the battle ove take his girl s, over his open er rd o ev n w l ’s il er w th ro yb Jonathan ese words, m ionship. th p am ch a movie, in y” w see “Maccab no more” He will never e was like a cord of “Faith re ew n e th r best friend. H ea ’s h er er th ev ro n b l y il m He w Jonathan was other will m is r me. h fo d was an u er ro th p ro little b a guitar, and know how d e er ye th ev la r n p o l , il c, ty w si si d mu Jonathan ing the univer Jonathan love ay of graduat d . e th at rt el o fe ent sp sman . A n d lo v e d is g ir lf ri e n d and excell h d , an m ll o To H e. d e eg in v ts coll raised at.

Jo n a th a n lo his grandparen as born and t w si e vi h er tz ev u . n b l b ed He wil s got marri havia, the ki ow if his sister renting Mer ke li s el me. fe it will never kn what Jonathan’s ho l never know il w an h . d at n n Jo as a child. is girlfrie to the kibbutz e t with Tom, h m en ca tm er ar th ap o an ’s m e Christians dparents, wer on Jonathan t an si gr to ’s an ke h li at s n feel el. They Her parents, Jo know what it in love in Isra ll er fe ev o n h l il w w d in ollan Jonathan ur own. built a home that lived in H a child of yo children and ve fi ir h e it w th el d e the grass with ra ra is came to Is y no. w is h . T h e y w. sa o Je er s kn a r ev o n e ia e l v th b il a . w in .. rh He ever ved k ib b u tz M e nathan will n strongly belie Jo d gs an in el th ra f o Is an h ve A lot’s me land. Jonat children to lo played at eople for a ho p e h w is g n w Je so e h th ic wh right of f. l never know love and belie Jonathan wil ew with this gr ll fa , go t his funeral a combat we refuse to le r his home as er know how ve o ev n t l il gh fi w e to h t t for the And Jonathan wen e went to figh H .. y. .. m se ar ap i ll el co Isra in the apart, soldier in the ce and quiet were babies. e ea p w e if av as h y to cr arents How we e, play on his right of his p know. t to come hom er gh ri ev e n l th il r w fo e d H kibbutz, an And now it’s . ve Tom. d o go lt fe guitar, and lo ced and an d e w ay ia calls Yesterd hich the med w s , u ar o w m is fa th ’s if in over. t h is fa th e r side and a bad I do not know , has a good il l n e v e r e a couch e” w e m th n o a h n o r th u n a o n w r o Jo close friend lay d “the fight fo that I lost a d will never is an w s, o er kn rg u o b d ham is friends, hat I my brother, h to side. W g at n ll th yi fu tr w is o s, e u kn h h I d. wit ish for a when which I love ng people, w play the guitar u er yo ev i n el l ra il Is w s re, l of u Jonathan ok for the futu ggae. my friends-al lo re to to h g er is n th w o so e e an W g . turn over th ful, calm life havia is losin see how Mer r left peace ai er ev gh im. n u h l o il m en o w fr e He ’t hav and not fear ause we don ec b t, en . es am tt crying tourn cigare e want to stop W t hole pack of ar g. w n st a ti e g gh n w fi ki e o en wh s old. op th after sm rassed again rever 21 year We want to st ar fo b ay er em st th e l o b il l w ch il ea a nds that No one w nderstanding ents loosing over our frie no reason, u any more par h it e w se g to in t gh an u la We don’t w one. s.... osing a loved lo rs ve without word lo r o , yone child those s, which ever es n d n ki f d it seems that o n l A o ty t. b u ie m u ea sy q b d a is , h eace an Jonathan er know how We seek for p s. erish, will nev ch d cts these day an d ?? ve lo ame rare obje ec much to ask? b to s. d rl re gi tu an e fu im th a h l d al ve an lo ed e I it zl u daz ow much Are peace, q never know h Jonathan will miss him.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

23

Creative

Would you Love me ?

By: Nir Shane Cauzmer Here’s a metaphor for a broken route’s moment I give it to you on a scared paperback So the madness will be inked As I sit on the head And let the excited silence drown In the background The radio screams a crooked melody And visions longing to crack at ease An Incinerated dove from the city’s frost Is sitting down on my window And a wink from the moon tormenting the sea

I’m playing with you, dear readers.

Creating myself in you Along my grey dreams And now, as a broken heart is now mended And the smile that echoes within me is too big to ignore I remove this mask of immortality Bursting out of this page, and entering into your minds Returning lost time, Tying the edges and reaching you a hand.

Would you love me when all this is over?

Can you see the haze stitching my smile?

An artist’s dream wrapped in cellophane A rebellious kid suffocating, sharp and beautiful Stabs the bleeding urges Untie coils, sowing clouds The corpses in this battle field All I have is rusting flowers and porcelain sky Would you love me when all this is over?

Can you see the life released in me?

Night falls from heavens Man pulls himself into pieces And writing noise to a tune When steams from the mouth turns into sound Winter tracks, a tip of your look, paintbrush on the desk Together drawing the horizon from the start Would you love me when all this is left?

Can you stay to see the light of tomorrow?

Writing you poems, displaying to all Finding the words for making me better Between the sheets the muscles melt On your hip a provocative scar of inspiration Days grow long, warmth from within, your smile of a dream Buying the rains and opening the door to visitors Ambitions of undressing, shattering people Marked in a pile of words, burned in others minds

24

What will your hands do?

By: Karen Abu Zant My hands can make war... or they can make peace.

I choose to promote peace.

My hands can be violent... or they can be tender.

I choose tenderness.

My hands can show weakness... or they can show strength.

I choose to be strong.

My hands can destroy... or they can create.

I choose to be creative.

My hands can show hate... or they can show love.

I choose to be loving.

My hands can do harm... or they can heal.

I choose to be healing.

My hands can show sorrow... or they can show joy.

I choose to be joyful.

My hands can be greedy... or they can be giving.

I choose to give.

My hands can show fear... or they can show courage.

I choose to be courageous.

My hands can be idle and lazy... or be busy improving life.

I choose to improve life.

My hands can pollute and poison our land... or they can plant a tree and keep it alive.

I choose to preserve life.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Comix

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

25

CB Matters

CB Youth on Mount of Olives

Crossing Borders Workshop 1 by: Aline Rieder, dialogue lab, Germany - The workshop was co funded by Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures and the Danish Hermod Lannung Foundation -

THURSDAY, 26TH On Thursday morning, the Danish and German participants arrived in Jerusalem. After checking in and getting settled in the New Imperial Hotel which is situated close to Jaffa Gate inside the old city of Jerusalem the youth went to visit the Museum of the Seam in the afternoon (http://www.coexistence.art.museum/eng/ Index.asp). The museum is concerned with difficulties and possibilities of peaceful coexistence in pluralistic societies and offers a lot of interactive artistic materials that challenges the visitors to reflect on their own attitudes and behaviour towards ‘the other’. The Crossing Borders participants from Europe were guided through the exhibition “Equal and Less Equal” that attempts to rise the awareness and social sensitivity so frequently dulled in us, and elucidate questions relating to the labour relations prevailing in our world.

MUSEUM ON THE SEAM, JERUSALEM. Afterwards the participants had a walk in the old city where they got a first impression of what coexistence means in this multicultural city where many religions and cultures are gathered in a small spot. After a short tour through the Muslim, Jewish and Armenian quarter with glimpses at the Wailing Wall, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock the participants arrived at the Christian quarter where they had lunch on a roof top with a great view over the old city.

26

FRIDAY, 27TH On Friday morning the rest of the group arrived. The Danish, German, Israeli and Palestinian youth gathered in the conference room where Mr. Allan Pagh Christensen, Deputy Head of Mission and Counsellor from the Danish Embassy in Tel Aviv, gave the opening remarks. In particular, he emphasized the importance of civil society and young people for finding peaceful solutions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Subsequently, Hanna Siniora from the IPCRI (Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information) gave welcome words. As the previous speaker he stressed that the young people create the future. Furthermore, he supported the establishment of Crossing Borders Clubs, especially in the Westbank and in Gaza. Finally, Garba Diallo welcomed the youth in the name of Crossing Borders and presented the seminar program.

After a short break, participants were asked to sit according to their names in alphabetic order. In this new constellation they attentively participated in Walid Salem’s (Panorama Center) interactive lecture on ‘My neighbours, my world and myself ’. The group brainstormed on the expression ‘the other is me’ and came to the conclusion that oneself is mainly defined by the existence of other people. The young people furthermore thoroughly discussed the concept of dialogue.

They distinguished dialogue from reciprocal monologue or competitive discussion. In a next step, the participants were divided in four groups that worked on: 1) conditions necessary for successful dialogue, 2) the process of dialogue, 3) the outcome of dialogue and 4) selfexperienced stories of successful dialogue. The results CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

were presented in the plenary and greatly contributed to the following discussions during the seminar.

Following, Arnon Rosmarin (Givat Haviva) ran a workshop on ‘miracle pills’. Participants were divided into two groups, one consisting only of Palestinians and Europeans, the other of Israelis and Europeans. Both were asked to identify the worst diseases of their respective societies. Whereas the Palestinian group focused on difficulties in the government, the Israelis highlighted the problem of denying the conflict. In order to cure the diseases, participants were asked to choose 3 pills from a list of 10 miracle pills. Despite the different problems that had been unravelled before, both sides chose the ‘hatred reducer’, the ‘rational thinking developer’ and the ‘extremist factors neutralizer’ as the most appropriate cure for their national “diseases”. Eventually , also the Danish and German participants were asked what the national “diseases” in their societies are and which pills could help.

In the afternoon Garba Diallo gave an introduction to citizenship and identity. In smaller groups, the youth reflected on what citizenship means to them and how citizenship overlaps with the rest of the world. During the presentation it was discussed whether citizenship can only be understood in a technical way or whether

it is also an important part of identity. In a last step, the participants worked on ideas of expanding the national empathy to the global sphere. They came up with different suggestions, especially emphasizing the importance of education.

GROUP PRESENTATION. Full of new ideas and information, the participants had some free time to talk and explore the old city in the late afternoon. In the evening, a final session took place on writing the articles for the next CB magazine. Garba Diallo lectured on different techniques of writing and let the participants practice by writing a story in 1 minute.

SATURDAY, 28TH In the morning, Vera Maeder gave a workshop on building Crossing Borders Clubs in the region. She presented CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

what has been planned by CB veterans so far and encouraged the participants to comment on these ideas.

Furthermore, the youth agreed on concrete actions that could be implemented without too many efforts and resources in the weeks after the workshop. The Israeli

and Palestinian participants gathered and worked on a concept how to realize actions in the youth clubs in the region. The Danish and German group reflected on how they could activate youth in order to promote intercultural dialogue, especially relating to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

In the late morning, the group made a bus tour to East Jerusalem in order to see the wall separating East Jerusalem with the West Bank. Especially German participants were reminded of the Berlin Wall since neighbouring houses are separated by it. The tour continued to the Mount of Olives where participants had a great view over the old city. Afterwards, the bus went to the Wailing Wall where the group started another tour through the old city.

PARTICIPANTS ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. In the afternoon, the workshop of the morning was followed up. Moreover, participants had time to continue writing on their articles and profiles. In the evening, the group enjoyed a big meal with everybody sitting at one long table. On this occasion participants also gave feedback on the seminar. The participants were very satisfied about what they learned and getting to know new Crossing Borders members. In the late evening the Israeli and Palestinian participants left.

SUNDAY, 29TH Since the Danish and German participants stayed another day, they took the chance to visit the Temple Mount and travel to Ramallah.Many of the youth were impressed of how different life is in Jerusalem and Ramallah albeit their proximity to one another.

With all these new impressions in mind, the Danish and German participants returned to Europe in the night.

27

CB Matters

Experience from Crossing Borders Teachers Workshop Istanbul 14 - 17 September 2006 By: Malene Friis, Denmark The workshop was Held in Istanbul and it focused on culture, identity, nation, and media in education, conflict analysis and journalism as a pedagogical tool. The participants were 30 teachers from different kinds of schools and education institutions in Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Finland and Denmark.

Some of the participants from Israel and Palestine had met each other before at previous seminars within Crossing Borders but it was the first time that teachers from Finland and Denmark participated.

On Thursday September the 14, the teachers were introduced to each other through different games. First they had to place themselves in a circle after age, which called for a certain communication between the participants. Other games were introduced such as people finding together in pairs of two, looking intensely at each other for five minutes without speaking and then having to characterize the other person in writing.

Another game was based on choosing from a number of photos and illustrations lying on the floor a picture, which the person felt could describe her or his identity. Afterward the participants would explain to the whole group the reason for choosing that particular picture.

The workshop was Held in Istanbul and it focused on culture, identity, nation, and media in education, conflict analysis and journalism as a pedagogical tool

The following topics were introduced by the facilitators and then discussed in groups by the teachers: Introduction to the notions of culture, identity and nation, the project ideas, objectives, activities and expectations of CB, Media in education using the Finnish Newspaper in School of the Finnish newspapers Association as an example, journalism as a pedagogical tool and writing process and Media Reader Passport Concept.

28

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Letters to the Editor

I wish to comment on “The Culture” article in the previous edition of the CB magazine. I agree with Amjad Shoughry and I also feel proud of my culture and nation.

Palestinian society is full of values that we all respect and I feel sad that people know very little about the Palestinian culture because of the political situation and the negative image that the media gives.

Amir Abdallah

the CB printed version of Finally I got the ppily. I ght to myself ha magazine, I thou before, agazine in PDF had seen the m rable to urse not compa but this is of co it in your hands! actually holding tention. page drew my at At first, the title raphy piece of photog It was an artistic e inside s aspect to it. Th with a humorou aling. looked very appe of the magazine articles by pictures, the d te or pp su g in Be read and d more easily be themselves coul ost of nger message. M ro st a ss ro ac t ge en an d er e w el l w ri tt th e ar ti cl es w of the ed the diversity lik I g. in st re te in Shiran’s ople dealt with. topics which pe th the ial and was wor ec sp as w ic m co ed the magazine. effort! It enliven h were d not like so muc The only thing I di should y opinion, they the profiles. In m oundly f-read more prof have been proo - I’m). ised (e.g. I am and be standard ng seen as that after havi Another thing w the last ure of “Kubi” on this beautiful pict y it . w an te d to tr pa ge , I re al ly cook it was not able to Unfortunately, I t description. with such a shor out to be agazine turned All in all, the m of work interesting piece a wonderful and at I will ry much and th that I enjoyed ve l memory. keep as a specia m ad e a er yo ne w ho Th an ks to ev contribution!

Annira Busch

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

Dear editor, I have read about the survey in Elsinore in which the CB team discovered what people thought about Palestinians and Israelis. I was surprised and disappointed to note that most of the answers indicate that people see Palestinians as Muslims only and don’t realise that there are Palestinians Christians. This makes me think that when the word Palestinian is brought up, it is directly associated with Islam which the world connects to terrorism.

Amir Ajrab

Dear editor, When I was looking into the magazine, the first thing which attracted me to read about was ‘The Summer Game’. I read it and it was talking about the war between Israel and Lebanon and how many people died because of this war. It also talked about a girl who was with her father when she saw a rocket falling down close to them. I just want to comment on the word ‘game’.In my opinion the war isn’t a game, it’s a disaster which killed a lot of people, and destroyed many houses. The only cure for those repeating pictures is Peace.

Lenda Stephan

Dear editor, I read an article in the CB magazine about someone’s experience in 6 days camp. I always liked camps I think it is great idea to participate in such camps because we can meet and talk with people from different cultures and learn something new. Moreover we can do it between the new generation from the Palestinian and the Israeli teenagers to live in a safe land with peace.

Henry Abu Ali

29

Events

The Holiday of the Holidays Festival By: Angham Sakar During the past 13 years , and this year also, Haifa is celebrating the “Holiday of the Holidays Festival” (Eid Al Aa’yad , Ha Hag Shel Ha Hagim).

As a city of coexsistance , and multiculture , every year and before closing the year , Haifa is hosting this unique festival , where Jews and Arabs (both Mualims and Christians) are celebrating there Holidays - Hanuka , Ramadan/Adha (this year was the Adha) and Christmas.

The festival last a whole month , and it’s located in down town Haifa - the old city , in a neighbor called “Wadi Al Nesnas”. This nieghbor is special in its’ old beautiful buildings , and its’ warm and welcoming people. This nieghbor also has one of Haifa’s spirit projects - The Coexsistance Walk.

The Festival program includes music from different places in the world , art - both drawing and theatre , different intertainments like hand made bazar, different kids activities , and of course having the major thing that always makes people smile and get them together peacfully - Food , a various collection of great Jewish and Arab food.

The Festival , and life in Haifa in general are a great example of the possibility of living a different reality.

I wish you all Hanuka Sameh , Adha Mubarak and a Merry Christmas .

For all of you , A Happy New Year.

The Jerusalem Inter-Cultural Center By : Dorit Maor The Jerusalem foundation was founded by Teddy Kolek, the mayor of the city - first elected in 1965. Teddy died last week at the age of 95 but his vision passed to the next generation. Since his time, the foundation mission is creating a worthy capital to Israel, the Jewish people and all citizens of Jerusalem.

The foundation’s goals and assignments are to encourage dialogue between different identities and cultures, focusing on Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem. To promote this goal, it was decided to select 14 participants to attend a training programme for project managers in the city.

This training includes advanced study and a follow up on the participants’ projects. The programme uses the knowledge and tools of professional people and the experienced institutions that developed dialogue tools and approaches to have Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem meet and work toCB 31 January/February 2006 30

wards better society. The participants come from background of dialogues, management and other relevant experiences in human studies and community work.

All these make the course vivid and bring together a lot of sharing and developing ideas for mutual projects and partnerships.

The course was developed in cooperation with the Intercultural Center in Jerusalem. The Centre has great experience and well trained personal to make this one year course of “Projects Managers in Jerusalem” a successful activity.

I feel privileged to represent Crossing Borders in the programme, which will generate mutual benefit and expanded network for both CB and the organizers. Already, the Intercultural Center has opened its doors for the CB Club in Jerusalem.

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007 30

Garba Diallo Talks...

Dear readers...

As 2006 grows into 2007, please let me share with you my reflection on CB activities in this year and wishes for the upcoming one.

dialogue toward mutual understanding and acceptance.

For Crossing Borders, 2006 has been a year full of activities and consolidation with many challenges along the way. The key activities of 2006 include:

In terms of my wishes for 2007, I will be very happy when the following wishes come true: 1. More young people get more chance to cross borders in order to meet, put a face and give a name, to fellow young people from the “other” side of the borders for mutual demystification, exploration and understanding.

2. The needs, rights and opinions of young people and educators are taken more into consideration when decisions are made.

3. Focus is put on young people and educators as key actors in the search for learning to live together in peaceful, respectful and cooperative coexistence in the Holy Land and elsewhere 4. Societies learn to accept that as countries cannot choose their neighbours, learning to live together on equal terms are taken for granted and integrated part of education and lifelong learning for all.

5. More people come to term with the fact that the “other” is not going to disappear, which implies the necessity to find a way to live together in a peaceful neighbourhood. The saying that “if your neighbour is hungry or fearful, you have every reason to worry” could inform that the wellbeing of “other” is in our own interest.

1. The successful organisation of major courses, seminars and workshops in Jerusalem, Denmark and Turkey for CB youth and teachers from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Finland, Germany and Denmark.

2. The establishment of cooperation agreements with new partner institutions in Finland and Denmark.

3. Financial grants from Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, EU Youth Programme, UNESCO Participation Programme and Politiken’s Fund in Denmark.

4. The continued publication and distribution of the CB magazine in schools in Israel/ Palestine and Europe.

5. Participation in international fora and networking at conferences in Alexandria, Paris, Marrakech, Barcelona and Munich.

As for the challenges, the political deadlock in the peace process and ongoing struggle to mobile sufficient funds for the increased demands for CB activities has been main challenge. For CB, increased political tensions and lack of movement on the political level means increased need for more contacts and

With warm thanks to all CB partners and best wishes for 2007 and beyond Garba Diallo CB Director

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007

31

P D F

Peace & Democracy Forum

Under the patronage of

The International People’s 32

CB 31 December 2006 / January 2007 College in Elsinore, Denmark