A bi-monthly regional magazine Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Other People’s Pain • Nasser’s Journey • His name is Zolo • A Conversation 1 with Isabel • Peace by Peacful Means Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Who We Are 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.
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 and Mr. Greg Newbold. Executive Board Ms. Anja Gustavsen (Chairperson), Ms. Rosa Dich (vice Chairperson), Ms. Britha Mikkelsen, Mr. Jorn Faurschou, Ms. Louise Breum Brekke, Ms. Anne Gyrithe Bonne, Ms. Mette Juel Madsen and Mr. Peter Andreas Bredsdorff, Mr. Asbjoern Petersen, Ms. Rikke Mikkelsen, and Gitte Young. Executive Secretariat Mr. Garba Diallo, Director Mrs. Christina Lund, Chief 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
ISSN: 1563-28365 www.crossingborder.org
Regional Coordination Palestinian Coordinator Ms. Suheir Hashimeh Tel: 00972-2-2404413 Fax: 00972-2-2404513 e-mail: suheir@crossingborder.org
CONTENTS Other Peopl’s Pain
Jordanian Coordinator Mr. Khaled Shorman, Masar Tel: 00962-6-5858748,5815740 Fax: 00962-6-5815740 e-mail: kshorman@nets.com.jo
Cultural Events Fashion Gig
Israeli Coordinator Ms. Dorit Maor Telephone: 00972544901415 E-mail: maor.dorit@gmail.com / dorit@crossingborder.org
Poetry Capacity Building Seminar in Elsinor, Denmark
Arabs in Israel Youth Coordinator Ms. Angham Sakar Telephone: 00972506897689 E-mail: angham@crossingborder.org
This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Crossing Borders and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation.
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German Coordinator Johannes Frische Telephone: +49 1736 155656 E-mail: johannes@dialogue-lab.org Photos: Garba Diallo. Graphic Design & Press Production Orientation Ltd. Tel: 00972-2-5818183 Fax: 00972-2-5818203 E-mail: office@orientation.co.il
Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Editorial In this edition of Crossing Borders we have other people’s pain as our cover theme. At first glance you might think this is not a nice subject to discuss in a youth magazine. But there is a point to it. If we, as human beings, are ever going to overcome the forces of ignorance, fear, division and blaming that too often paralyse our thinking and cripple our souls, then we must learn to reach out and understand that suffering is equal. Often in dialogue sessions little competitions start up in which we start comparing our pain and try to argue that ‘my side has suffered more than your side’ or ‘you have done worse to me than I have done to you’. These arguments, which come equally from the mouths of mature adults as they do from young people, are pointless and ultimately do nothing more than prolong everybody’s misery.
That is why we are looking at other people’s pain; we are recognising that we all hurt and when we hurt, well, we really hurt. You will notice as you read the articles that pain is almost always personal and mostly involves the people we love. In the midst of the mess and turmoil of Israel and Palestine, people are still way more important than politics. And that is a lesson for us all. The stories in this magazine are the work of 35 dedicated young people from Palestine, Israel, Germany and Denmark. They are honest stories created in a search for the truth, created in an attempt to reach across the conflict divide and all the inner anger and fear and simply report events and opinions of other people. This magazine is a tool for learning both for the people who have written it and the people who will read it. Read on.
From CB Director, Garba Diallo
We have been busy as usual organising seminars, sending applications and generally making every effort to keep CB moving in a positive and contructive direction.
The March Capacity Building Seminar in Denmark contained a lot of interaction with both IPC students and with Danish students from a number of schools.
Our most recent Workshop, ‘Demystifying the Media’ took place on May 4-5 in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, local CB sectors are in the process of registering CB Associations to run the clubs and local activities in Israel and Palestine. The CB clubs in Aqaba and Copenhagen are proceeding well and serve as positive models.
The next Capacity Building Seminar will be held in Denmark from June 22 to July 2 and will include a group of young Americans to add yet another perspective and another set of voices to the dialogue As usual, there are applications ‘in the pipeline’ to get funds to support the CB Clubs and for the seminars and the publication of this magazine. I will keep you posted!
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Pain
Other People’s Pain I hurt, you hurt, we hurt, they hurt. Pain is universal. It is part of being human, part of living. And pain is equal. Looking back you can see that some pain is worse than others but at the time, it simply hurts. Pain does not discriminate. Whether we are white, black or brown, Jew, Muslim, Christian or Hindu, we are all subject to its rule. Here are a few examples of what CB members say when asked about their pain.
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Nasser, 19: “Seeing my family not able to afford my college education, and seeing myself applying for loans every semester makes me feel painful.” Nikolaj, 27: “Coming to realize that many of the world’s problems would be fairly easy to solve if we had a genuine desire and the political will.”
Fadi, 18: “Seven years ago when I lived in the USA for one year, my grandmother became sick and died, and we couldn’t go back home and see her for the last time.”
Nikita, 20: “Although I studied very hard and got excellent marks at school I was not accepted to the faculty of law only because of the psychometric exam. I really wanted to study there. This in my opinion is very unfair.”
Judith, 21: “I consider my biggest pain arriving to Germany from Guatemala just two hours after my grandfather had died in the hospital. I could not see him alive for the last time.”
Karin 22: “The most painful moment in my life was when my grandmother died since it was the first big loss of a family member who was very close to me.”
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Pain
Nivine, 24: “I feel pain when I know that a beautiful country cannot be shared by both people peacefully and some people are deprived from enjoying this heaven.”
away, but I tried to stop the fight while the other dog strangled my dog to death. I was shocked to see it, and I’m still sad when I remember that moment.’’
Pini, 24: “When I think about this seminar, I feel disappointed in the people, because there was a lot of manipulation. What makes me sad is to feel that most of the people are not willing to go one step aside from their opinions.”
Rula, 17: “I miss all the people I have lost. So far I have lost six people.”
Asaad, 18: “The feeling of captivity and the inability to move freely in my own space, which is too small anyway, makes me feel pain.” Nadeen, 16: ‘’Three years ago my dog, Lucky, was killed by our neighbor’s dog. I was standing far
Dilay, 18: “For me pain is to lose a very good friend. Sometimes friends mean more than anything. They help you and stay by your side when you most need it. It is friends who tell the truth even though it hurts. But if you lose a friend, you lose a part of your self. A life without friendship is a life without substance.”
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Pain
Traumatizing
By Judith Jording
One of the biggest human atrocities is to expose children and youth to the fear of terror and violence. According to a UNICEF report, 670 children were killed in Israel and Palestine from September 2000 until May 2004. Over 12,000 children were injured. However, this physical violence is not the only misery in the Middle East. There is also psychological violence. UNICEF says children and young people cannot cope with hate and violence they are daily confronted with in the news, neighbourhood, family and school. On both sides of the conflict, children are encased in their houses. They cannot meet their friends or relatives or go to school regularly due to the danger of suicide bombs, blockades,
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rockets, curfews, raids, bulldozers, walls and checkpoints.
Even when they are at home, they are not safe. Pictures of terror are there on the TV and in the newspaper. Psychologists report that in the southern Gaza Strip over 70 per cent of children are traumatized. Other surveys by UNICEF show that the indications of stress increased in children and youths in Israel during the period of 2000 until 2004. The studies show that children can suffer from nightmares, fear and claustrophobia. Other effects noted include being overly distrustful towards people or having revenge fantasies, Often the traumatizing becomes evident a long time after the initial Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
experience. There can be long periods of depression and inner numbness. Apathy and depression grow in young people when they see neither any sense in their lives, nor ‘a light at the end of the tunnel’. Such suffering breaks down the difference between children in Israel and Palestine. People’s pain is somehow equal in the consequences it brings. If a childhood is shaped by violence, hate and fear, it is hard to have the will to speak with the ‘other’ who represents the group who did the harm. Fortunately, there are ways to work for a better outcome for the children of violence. Dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians can play an important role to support more respect, understanding and social responsibility. The work of Crossing Borders is an example of what can be done.
Pain
Immigrants in their own Land By Wafa El-Sheikh Jerusalem and Copenhagen are two cities far away from each other, but surprisingly they have something in common. According to Gitte Young, a journalist at the Slotsbyerne newspaper, the immigrants issue in Denmark is becoming very problematic. Most Danes do not tolerate the immigrants, and the immigrants feel like unwelcome strangers. “I belong nowhere”, says Dilay Fener, a young Muslim Kurdish woman, who was born in Denmark and is a CB member. Ahnur ÿzer, a Muslim Turkish, also born in Denmark, feels that she belongs neither in Turkey nor
Denmark. “I feel this because the people in both countries treat me as a stranger,” she says. Both young women have Danish citizenship, but still they are treated as immigrants. The same feelings may be encountered in Jerusalem. Since the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, a Palestinian Jerusalemite holds the status of “permanent resident” of the State of Israel. This is the same status granted to foreign citizens who have freely chosen to come to Israel and want to live there. The government treats Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem as immigrants, who live in their homes at the beneficence of the authorities and not by right. At any Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
time this government can revoke residency and social benefits for these people, as was reported by B’tselem - the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. “I’m a Palestinian, born in East Jerusalem, and I live there, but despite this fact, I’m treated as a stranger in my own land,” says Suheir Hashimeh, a Palestinian coordinator in CB. Ayman Sandouka, a Jerusalemite and CB member, feels that he lives in a city that is not his. “I’m a Palestinian Jerusalemite,” he says. “Treating me and my people as foreigners is astonishing, since it was Israel that entered East Jerusalem in 1967, so they are supposed to be the strangers, not me.”
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Controversy
IPC talent show By Ayman Sandouka, Fadi Issawi and Jenia Shtib On March 20, a talent show took place at the International People’s College. It ended with a huge misunderstanding, when a Palestinian woman stood up and spoke about how it felt to be a Palestinian living in Palestine. She said: “I wanted to show my talent, which is in writing and speaking, focusing on how Palestinians are suffering from the Israeli government.” There were stinging answers in reply to what she said. “The whole dilemma would have not have happened if the things were spoken at the right time,” said one of the Israelis who was at the show. Audience members said they were expecting an entertaining talent show where they could enjoy watching other people’s abilities. However, they had to listen to facts which they didn’t like to hear at that moment, facts which hurt others. Some Israelis said that it was offending for them and the story was biased in that it only talked about one
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side of the conflict. Jenia Shtib reports: At the start of the evening, Stefanie played her flute. After Stefanie, Nivine from the Palestinian group, Read what she wrote about the influence of the conflict on Palestinian youth. She wrote about her feelings and her opinion about the conflict and she described how the Israeli soldiers are treating the Palestinian people. When Nivine read her speech, the Israeli group went out of the room.
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They felt that they had been hurt, and had been attacked in a place and at a time that was supposed to be just for fun and talent. After Nivine finished her speech, the Israeli group came back to the room and the evening continued. But the atmosphere was tense and everyone could feel it. The evening was surprising because it was full of tension, but also full of people enjoying talented performances.
Other Places
The Small World of IPC By Nasser Barakat While the world is getting smaller, just like a small village, cultural gaps still exist between people and sometimes they get wider. Institutions are needed to help us all get along better. The International People’s College (IPC) is one place where many cultures meet and learn about tolerance, dialogue and living together. Eva, a Hungarian student at IPC described it as a special island and a small world. She thinks it’s not
easy for the students to deal with each other in the beginning of their stay at the college. Yet, after they learn about each other’s backgrounds and live together in one place, they turn more towards respecting each other and becoming friends. She added that it’s a good place because students learn about global and regional politics and other important issues. IPC also has many activities like Cultural Evenings where students present their different cultures and what they’re known for. There are
also movies and intense discussions about issues. One project to come out of IPC is Crossing Borders, which focuses on the Middle East conflict and acts to promote dialogue between people and groups in conflict. IPC is open to interested students from anywhere in the world. You just have to be 18 years of over to apply. The college terms usually last for 20 weeks. If you think you would like to attend IPC and learn more about how to live with the world’s many cultures, then surf along to www.ipc.dk.
Cultural Evening at LO School By Nikita Paderin On March 23, a cultural evening took place at LO school, near Elsinore. This school is an educational institution under the Danish labor movement’s patronage where about 25 students from all over Denmark gain professional skills. Both CB and IPC participants were invited to this cultural evening. At the beginning, the participants were
divided into four mixed groups and then rotated through four presentational workshops. Katja, an IPC student from Slovenia, described the most successful workshop for her: “It was about Danish society. The Danish students presented their country in a Powerpoint presentation with views and pictures. They also answered our questions about Danish society. I was inspired to visit some places of which Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
I had never of heard before.” Judith and Stephanie, CB participants from Germany, agreed that the workshop on the famous Danes was excellent. “It was a great combination of theatre, entertainment, useful information, and interesting facts,” said Judith. Stephanie added: “Now I know that Queen Margarethe drinks and smokes a lot. The LO students prepared it very carefully.”
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Other Places Shopping across borders By Stefanie Lang, Fadi Issawi, and Nasser Barakat “To buy beer,” Swedish people say with a smile when asked why they go often to Helsing¯r in Denmark. It takes just 20 minutes by ferry from Helsingborg in Sweden to Helsing¯r. And at the port of Helsing¯r you see many advertisements for beer and wine and many shops offering all kinds alcoholic drinks. Swedish people say they like going to Denmark. They like the atmosphere, sitting in cafÈs, going
for walks. They say Danish people are very friendly. “They enjoy life more than we do in Sweden,” one man said. Two young women said the Danes were more relaxed, less conservative. Swedish people from Helsingborg area feel more connected to Denmark than to Stockholm, the Swedish capital. The women felt that integration between Helsing¯r and Helsingborg will grow stronger. Swedish are looking for work in Denmark because of the better situation on the job
market. Meanwhile, Danes are looking at southern Sweden as a place to live because house costs are cheaper there. Helsingborg belonged to the Danish kingdom for about 600 years until it became Swedish in 1658. Helsingborg’s Swedes say that for them, it’s normal to take the ferry to Denmark to buy beer and other food items that are cheaper than in Sweden. The Danes in Helsing¯r go in the other direction to buy cheaper electronic goods and household appliances, even cars.
Modern Art-icle
By Shlomit Atzaba In Denmark, if you have two or three hours to yourself, think about visiting Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It is a 40 minute train ride north of Copenhagen plus a 10-minute walk from Helsing¯r station. Louisiana is set in a spacious park
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with a fine view across the sound to Sweden. The first building of the museum was built in 1958 and today contains mostly Danish works. The other buildings offer a taste of modern art from all over the world. You can find pieces by Francis Bacon, Calder, Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Sam Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Francis, Giacometti, Kiefer, Henry Moore, Picasso, Rauschenberg and Warhol. Even if you don’t like art, you can enjoy the beauty of the ocean views from every window. The newest exhibition called “Made in China” shows the struggle of Chinese modern artists.
Other Places Berlin Wall Recalled By Karin Kutter Until 1989 a wall 3.6 meter high divided the city of Berlin into West and East. Today, one could almost forget that it had ever existed. ”One, two, three! Cheeeeese!” You can hear the camera click. Another tourist takes photos of his friends in front of the remains of the Berlin Wall at “Potsdamer Platz”. The Wall was built in 1961 to divide East and West Berlin. After World War Two, Berlin, along with the rest of Germany had been divided into four sectors. While the French, American and British sectors were united together into West Germany and West Berlin, the Soviet Union sector turned into the German Democratic Republique (GDR). So West Berlin became a small island in the GDR. Lea, who grew up in the West of Berlin, remembers especially the start of the school holidays, because then they sometimes would travel to West Germany through the Eastern part.
“We would never say goodbye, but say ‘we meet again at the border’,” she says. “When passing from East Germany to West Germany, it would take hours waiting at the border, since the East Germans would always check the car, the documents, etc. “We would only leave Berlin for big holidays, not for a weekend trip.” But the wall was frightening as well. Henrike, who grew up in West Berlin, remembers the situation well: “The border strip was always scary for us children. Border guards were always patrolling with their dogs. When we had visits, we always climbed up one of the observation decks to have a look at East Berlin. One only saw windows that were walled. Being a small child at that time, I could not imagine people living there. It looked more like a ghost city.” Official figures say that 239 people died trying to escape from the East to the West and there were more than 5,000 other escape attempts
between 1961 and 1989. Then, following mass demonstrations, the Wall fell on November 9, 1989. “That night, my parents all of a sudden told me that we would go out, because something extraordinary was happening”, Lea recalls. “We went to the Brandenburg Gate where people were dancing like crazy. My parents gave my sister and me to some people who were up on the Wall. They said, ‘you will remember this’.” On October 3, 1990, Germany officially reunited. “Today, not even twenty years later, one could almost forget the existence of the wall,” says David, a student who grew up in Berlin. “A big border has been eliminated and at the same time the human right to liberty has been rebuilt,” says Daniela who moved to Berlin to study there. “But one must accept the Wall as a part of history from which we are able to learn.”
e the me tim a s e h t la who and at s Danie he Wall as inated y m a li s e ,” n t il as bee ccept t n rebu must a order h as bee b e h n y ig o t b r t e “A lib n.” . “Bu to lear right to y there human Berlin to stud h we are able ic to om wh moved tory fr is h f o a part Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
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Perspectives Other People’s Pain By Shlomit Atzaba Other people’s PAIN (Prejudice And Inclusion) Causes pain. It would be nice if Other people’s PAIN (Politeness And Interest ) would bring some real PAIN (Palestine And Israel Negotiation)
Nasser’s Journey By Rula Abuhussein “I waited for three days at the Rafah border crossing in order to enter Egypt and then to take a plane to Denmark to participate in this CB seminar,” says Nasser Barakat a 20 year old from Gaza. Nasser has been writing for the CB magazine for three years and he is considered a veteran member of CB, even though it’s his first time to participate in a seminar. He has tried three times to come but he couldn’t because of the closure of Gaza’s borders. The first time he tried to come, he
got a visa and a ticket but the borders closed. And it happened on a second occasion as well. When Nasser talks about his journey, tears mix with determination in his eyes. “This is the first time in three years that I could get out of Gaza,” he says. “I was really lucky to be able to cross the border since it’s open just twice a week for a few hours. I still don’t know when I will be able to get back to into Gaza again.” In the next edition of Crossing Borders, we hope to bring you a report on how Nasser managed to get back into Gaza.
Run Away By Wafa El Sheikh Although I suffer each day, in some way I resist. Although I’m seen as a strong person, sometimes I doubt that I exist. Although I say a word that I regret, I repeat it and I insist. But each time I run away, and now I admit. When I feel bad, I run away. When I feel mad, I run away. When I see the sadness in my eyes, I run away. When I notice that everyone lies, I run away. With so many memories I run away, No one guides me through my way. I raise my hands to God everyday To erase my pain I pray, To help me live my life day by day.
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Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Perspectives
His Name is Zolo He is sitting in a high watchtower. It is dark outside and the fog is covering his field of vision. He has a short M16, body armour and with his night vision gear, he can see Gaza. He is a soldier. Old memories rise up. He decides to write. He rips a few pages from his soldier’s notepad to write about how a boy, who once met with Arabs and Palestinians, made friends with them in magical places and wrote his first article about his soldier brother, has now become one. It starts on August 7, 2006, his recruitment day. Waking up from his party the night before, he is anxious
to begin his life as a soldier. He drives with his family to the “House of the soldier”, where all his friends are waiting for him and also the bus which will lead him to the beginning of his service. The bus has arrived. He hugs everyone. He can see his parents’ eyes sparkling with tears as he drives away not knowing what will happen next. The first day in the army is frightening: he is photographed, gets a personal number which will become his second name, a dog tag, shots that paralyze his arm for about three days, a medical check and then the classification officer tells him in
“Old memories rise up. He decides to write. He rips a few pages from his soldier’s notepad to write about how a boy, who once met with Arabs and Palestinians, made friends with them in magical places and wrote his first article about his soldier brother, has now become one.”
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which corp he is going to serve. His dream is to be in an army band, but the army has other plans. He is chosen to be a warrior in the field intelligence corp. Finally, he receives his military equipment and uniform. He looks in the mirror and realizes he is no longer a civilian. He is sent to do training. There, he faces a world that is so different from what he has known so far. His civilian status is forgotten. He has to follow orders, reply to his commanders in a certain way. He runs most of day, practices shooting for weeks (He is very good.) and does many cleaning tasks. He sleeps in tents with the other recruits. He makes friends who become his family. They make sure there’s food for him, help him keep up with the “time clocks” and give him strength when needed. The first Shabbat out of the base is dreamy. When he sees Beer Sheva on the horizon, he is filled with happiness he can’t explain. He feels like it’s been a year since being there. He takes a cab home and surprises his mom (who barely recognizes him). She hugs him, then the whole family hugs him. He discovers how much he misses home. The return to the base is hard. He loses all motivation. He feels he doesn’t belong there and even breaks down in tears. He is not the only one. Finally, his platoon commander decides to send him away from the course. Two months later, he is sent to a battalion near Gaza - but not as a warrior. Six months later he has been through different military experiences which have toughened him towards the world outside. His dream to sing is still burning inside, but for the next 2.5 years, he is obliged to serve Israel. He is a role model for little boys. He is a soldier.
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Perspectives
“The unsuitable atmosphere for education affects the motivation of the students negatively, It leads to having less educated Palestinians, which in turn forms an obstacle in the way of the development of the Palestinian Jerusalemites.”
Classroom Differences By Wafa El Sheikh Although the Israeli government pays for public education in both East and West Jerusalem, there is a difference in the educational services between the two sides of the city. The Palestinians Human Rights Monitor (PHRMG) and the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights (JCSER) report that the education sector in East Jerusalem suffers from a weak curriculum, administration that can be incompetent, a teaching staff that is not always adequately trained for its
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specific student population, lack of extracurricular programs, and an inability to monitor the attendance of students. Moreover, in East Jerusalem there is not enough classroom space resulting in overcrowding – sometimes three children to a disk. The classrooms of Al-Essawya Elementary School for example, are overcrowded, poorly ventilated and dilapidated, and lack proper lighting and visual aids. According to 2004 statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), 16.5% of Arab Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
schools in East Jerusalem are equipped with computers, compared to 83.5% in the Jewish sector. There are 36 major sports facilities within the Jewish sector, none in the Arab. There are 36 public libraries in the Jewish sector and just three in the Arab sector. “This unsuitable atmosphere for education affects the motivation of the students negatively,” said one school principal in East Jerusalem. “It leads to having less educated Palestinians, which in turn forms an obstacle in the way of the development of the Palestinian Jerusalemites.”
Perspectives A Conversation with Isabel By Pini Marcu Isabel, 30, is training to become a teacher. She looks different in Denmark. She wears a headscarf so you can only see her face. She has light skin and eyes. She’s a religious Muslim woman and she speaks Arabic fluently. Isabel was born in Denmark and has strong roots here. She was born into a Christian family. Her parents are native Danes. She spoke to Pini Marcu, an Israeli Jew, sharing with him her beliefs about becoming a Muslim, being in Denmark and about the Israel-Palestine conflict. For Pini, it was a matter of sitting and listening, even when the words spoken were not what an Israeli Jew likes to hear or even believes is true. Pini Marcu: How is it to be a Muslim in Denmark? Isabel: It’s hard. There are a lot of comments on the street. People are not so nice about it. I feel like a foreigner in my home country. People can only see my face, so they tell me to go back to Turkey. :PM How did you become a Muslim? I: My husband came to Denmark 12 years ago. I met him and we decided to get married. A group of people talked with me about the Koran so I went to a library and studied there. I liked what I had learned so I decided to accept Islam. PM: As far as you can feel it, what is the Danish authorities’ policy about Islam in Denmark? I: There is some kind of phobia about Islam in Denmark. There isn’t even one mosque in Denmark. It’s forbidden. PM: Why is it forbidden? I: It‘s fear. And everything which is bad in this country, the Muslims are blamed for it. Of course, there are synagogues in Denmark. They let the Jews build their prayer houses. PM: Jews have been living in Denmark for centuries. I: They let them do what they want. They look the same as the local population. You can’t look at a Jewish girl and see that she is Jewish. She dresses the same. But at least they don’t hurt us Muslims. Not like in Palestine. (PM: Isabel strongly believes the conflict in the Middle East is a matter of religions clashing.) PM: Do you think that the Jews should have a country in the holy land? I: They can come and take Denmark. (PM: When asked where she would like to live her
life with her husband she named Denmark. Still, you could feel from her answers that she felt like a foreigner there, and that her home was in the Middle East.) PM: What do you feel about people being sent to bomb themselves in the name of the Koran? I: They are being brainwashed. I think it’s wrong. I’m against terror, hurting innocent people. But it’s bigger than Israel-Palestine. It’s a global campaign against the Islamic countries, like in the summer when they attacked Lebanon for no reason. PM: Do you mean that the attack on Israeli soldiers in Israel territory wasn’t a sufficient reason? I: People are getting killed every day. You don’t start a war over two people. It’s the official reason but the truth is different. They don’t tell the real background for wars. PM: What is the true background? I: Israel and Turkey had a contract for bringing water from Turkey to Israel. The contract was about the end in 2007 and Israel had nowhere to bring water from. So Israel decided to invade to Lebanon in order to suck all the water from a lake inside Lebanon. PM: What do you feel about the whole situation, as a Muslim here in Denmark? I: It’s hard to hear about all these things happening there while i’m sitting in a foreign country and not being able to help in any way.
“I’m against terror, hurting innocent people. But it’s bigger than Israel-Palestine. It’s a global campaign against the Islamic countries, like in the summer when they attacked Lebanon for no reason”.
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Perspectives
Highlights from the CB CapacityBuilding Seminar
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Elsinore, Denmark March 16-28 2007.
Perspectives
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17.3
Our two facilitators try to harmonise
Tai Chi in the morning
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20.3
Conflict Resolution Day
IPC Talent Show
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22.3
CB Chairman and Newspaper Editor Anja set for the Media Day
Media Day
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Perspectives
23.3
24.3
Avedore Gymnasium visit
Cultural Evening
25.3
26.3
Raising awarness of others
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Digging into the issues
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28.3
Discussion, discussion, discussion
Heading home
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Perspectives
Denmark Study Shows Dialogue Works Young Palestinians and Israelis were able to break down stereotypes and develop positive images of each other during a 12-day dialogue and capacity-building seminar held in Elsinore, Denmark in March. Japanese undergraduate researcher, Maya Nakagawa and Seminar facilitator Greg Newbold surveyed the participants at the Crossing Borders seminar. Participants were asked to give a word and a mental picture to describe the other side. They were surveyed at the beginning of the course, in the middle and just before leaving. “Negative words and images were strong on both sides at the start of the seminar,” says Maya Nakagawa. “64% had negative words and 68% had negative mental pictures.” The figures got worse in the middle of the course as the participants started to dig into the hard issues that have divided Palestinians and Israelis since the formation of Israel in 1948. Following one intense evening where dialogue broke down completely, the percentage of negative words rose to 95%. Negative images peaked at 78%. “This is normal,” says Course Director Garba Diallo. “In all the seminars I’ve conducted with young Palestinians and Israelis over almost a decade,
everyone starts out being cautious and mistrustful and then we have a crisis where the pain and anger created by the conflict come to the surface and trust disappears.” However, seven days after the crisis point, the participants showed far higher levels of
positivity towards each other. There were more positive images reported than negative ones (57% versus 29%), and positive words increased to 43% compared to 48% negative and 9% neutral. “What gets built after the crisis, is more the true image of ‘the other’,” says Garba Diallo. “They come to see each other in a way that encompasses
both the pain of the conflict and the essential humanity of real individuals with eyes and ears and hopes and fears.” The participants worked through a range of trust- and skills-building activities during the course, including practice in journalism writing for the Crossing Borders magazine, which is published bi-monthly. “The data indicates that the workshops, the training and the informal contacts made after hours have a cumulative effect that breaks down stereotypical enemy images and replaces them with real images of the ‘other side’,” says Maya Nakagawa. Garba Diallo says the important aspect of the Crossing Borders dialogue method is the short followup seminars which take place back in Israel and which help to cement the positive images developed during the longer courses. Crossing Borders receives funding support from the European Union, the Anna Lindh Foundation and the International People’s College.
For further information, contact Garba Diallo on +45 2163 9432 or garba@crossingborder.org Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
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Perspectives
Religions Connecting or separating people By Judith Jording Religions serve as a means of personal identification. They give people consolation and help. A faithful community is – at the same time – a social community. People find support, stability, a higher sense of life and orientation there. However, the picture of religion is clouded by violence. There are competing religious communities, competition about the true faith and fanatics using religion as an excuse for violence. Nearly all big faiths have used violence and also been victims of religious motivated violence. This is despite many religions having a common morality of non-violence. The Chinese religious person says: “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to other human beings.” “Treat other people the way that you
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wish to be treated by them,” says the Christian. According to the Hindu, “You should not behave towards others in a way that would be unpleasant for yourself; that is the essence of ethics.” The Muslim says: “None of you is a believer as long as you do not wish those things to your brother that you wish to yourself.” “A condition that is neither pleasant nor comfortable for me – how can I expect someone else to put up with it?” asks the Buddhist. Faith is a powerful force which can connect people across cultures and borders. The sad thing is to witness how this force is so often turned towards evil deeds and used to separate people.
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Media Issues
Questions to a Chief-Editor By Nikita Paderin Martin Laursen is the chief-editor of the foreign news desk at Danmarks Radio, the public Danish Media corporation. It has its own radio stations and TV channels. Nikita Paderin interviewed Mr. Laursen during a visit by CB participants. Nikita P: Mr. Laursen, can you describe your main responsibility? Martin Laursen: My main duty is to plan the way major international news and events will be presented in the Danish Radio and TV. Many think that the chief-editor’s main task is to read all the reports received from our correspondents abroad and approve them, but actually this is done by my sub-editors.
NP: There are many international events taking place on a daily basis. When do you start to plan their broadcasting for the Danish audience? ML: Actually, there is a distinction between sudden and planned international events. For instance, in 10 minutes’ time I have a big meeting with my sub-editors about the way we are going to present the French presidential campaign next year. We will discuss questions such as “on which candidates will we concentrate?”; “how often will we show live broadcasts from France?”, etc. We have already started to plan our reports about one of the biggest international events in Denmark, which is dedicated to the Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
environmental problems, although it will take place in 2009. NP: I have been always curious about the selection criteria for the reporters abroad. Is it based on knowing the language of the target country, for example? ML: First of all, I would like to say that we have 6 correspondents in 5 regions. We have two in Europe, and one in Beijing, Moscow, Washington, and the Middle East region. Since it is very difficult, and in fact, impossible, to find a qualified and skilled journalist who speaks Chinese, we do not take the language criteria as the most important. However, we do require our journalists to have a good level in at least two European languages like French, English, and German.
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Media Issues Danish Media Independent-yet controlled? By Nivine Sandouka Is the right to freedom of speech and press an absolute right? TV2 Lorry in Copenhagen sets an example of a media outlet that strives to deliver the message while remaining neutral and not intervening in other people’s rights. In Denmark, television is dominated by the Danish broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR), TV2, Kinnevik-owned TV3 and 3+, and TvDanmark. TV2 is a partly government-owned. It started broadcasting on October 1, 1988, breaking the previous monopoly of DR. TV2 has some regional channels as well, and TV2 Lorry, which is located in Copenhagen, is one of those. Nevertheless, it is 100% independent of TV2. Even though the building of TV2 Lorry seems relatively small, the number of viewers is almost two million. Daily programs include traditional talk shows, TV series, movies, and five news broadcasts. As a regional TV station, its news does not include events that are taking place in other parts of the world. The coverage is mainly about happenings in that local area, such as social issues, crime, trends, and regional politics. TV2 Lorry operates under a government contract which raises a question about its independence as a media outlet. Apparently it is not a problem. ‘There are no limits on political reporting,’ says Sebastyan, a reporter in TV2 Lorry. He adds that the audience, as tax payers, expects to
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“even though there are rights concerning the freedom of speech, and press, there are clear restrictions or limits to what can be said. Those limits are there to protect others’ rights” hear the truth. All media content is subject to Danish Media Liability laws. A person who feels that the content which was broadcast was harmful, can put a case to the Press Council, which is an independent, public tribunal dealing with complaints about mass media. Unlike privately-owned TV stations, TV2 Lorry is considered neutral and is forbidden to advertise a specific product or to call for a mass action. Sebastyan says that private TV Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
stations can be biased as they are controlled by the interests of the owners. Thus, even though there are rights concerning the freedom of speech, and press, there are clear restrictions or limits to what can be said. Those limits are there to protect others’ rights, especially when dealing with sensitive political issues. This is how some Danish media outlets manage to ‘maintain quality, balance and diversity’.
Media Issues
The Politiken Perspective By Karin Kutter We are inside the daily newspaper ‘Politiken’ in a big hall, where the desks are arranged in circles. “It was once the hall where the newspapers were packed,” says Dorit Saitz, who shows us around. Silver and black are the dominant colours used for furniture and decoration. The only old item is an antique golden bell, which is rung by Dorit to announce the second editors’ meeting of the day. The sub-sections editors discuss the layout and content of tomorrow’s paper. The front page is of particular importance. “Shall we put the story of the fifty years anniversary of the Treaty of Rome or the article about the windmill company as our headline?” asks Dorit. People cannot agree so the decision is postponed till the afternoon meeting. Afterwards, we speak to Anders
Jerichow, who is Politiken’s foreign news editor and columnist. His main focus is on the Middle East. In his opinion there are three major problems concerning media reports about the Middle East: “I remember the time when I first came to Israel in 1972. I was having a picnic with my friends in Hebron. Can you imagine that? Today, even under the press angle, the situation has become more
difficult. Correspondents cannot move around freely in all parts, but depend on other people’s reports. That distorts their reports on the conflict.”
Andres Jerichow, Journalist at Politiken:
But the major problem for Anders Jerichow is that readers get used to the reports about the conflict. “People in Denmark turn their backs on the conflict in Israel and Palestine. We are getting spoiled,” he says. Shiran and Ayman who are visiting with me agree: “The headlines of tomorrow’s edition are really boring. In our newspapers the headlines are more exiting. When you read them you are scared to death. In Denmark you discuss if an article about a windmill company should be put on the front page of the newspaper.”
“the major problem for Anders Jerichow is that readers get used to the reports about the conflict. “People in Denmark turn their backs on the conflict in Israel and Palestine”he says.. Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
The lack of reporting on human rights violations is the second big problem for Mr Jerichow: “People are occupied with human rights, but never in the Arab World. People know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but they don’t know what is going on in the other Arab states.”
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Faces
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Name: Nikolaj
Name: Tomomi
Name: Wafaa
Age: 27 Ocupation: Between jobs Interests: Art and meeting new people from different countries Body of water: Mississippi River Favorite PC-program: Apleton live Domestic appliance: Electric warming blanket Future dreams: Get a satisfying job and a Master degree Value: Freedom
Age: 30 Ocupation: University student of pshychology Interests: Learning valuable things Body of water: Narrow rivers in Japan’s forests Favorite PC-program: Excel Domestic appliance: Washing machine Future dreams: Aprimary school teacher or an art teacher Value: Love
Age: 24 Ocupation: Works as a facilitator with youth groups and as a social guide Interests: Watching TV, Latin dance and Belly dance Body of water: Palestinian water springs Favorite PC-program: Google Domestic appliance: TV or camera Future dreams: To be useful, help my people and make a change in my country Value: Dignity
Name: Jenia
Name: Ahunur
Name: Patrick
Age: 19 Ocupation: Studying electricity and also make-up art Interests: Shopping, make-up, reading Body of water: Dead Sea Favorite PC-program: ICQ and MSN Domestic appliance: TV Future dreams: To be a good makeup artist Value: Patience
Age: 18 Ocupation: High school student Interests: Hanging out with friends, play football Body of water: Atlantic Ocean Favorite PC-program: MS Word Domestic appliance: Oven Future dreams: To study engineering Value: Truth
Age: 20 Ocupation: Student at Munich university Interests: Traveling and learning about history Body of water: A plastic bottle of water Favorite PC-program: MSN, Word Domestic appliance: Computer Future dreams: Visiting at least 50 countries, personal and professional success Value: Freedom
Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Faces
Name: Nivine
Name: Stefanie
Name: Karen
Age: 24 Ocupation: Project manager at Oxfam GB in Jerusalem with West Bank NGO’s Interests: Travelling, public relations and languages Body of water: Mediterranean Sea Favorite PC-program: Internet Explorer Domestic appliance: Vacuum cleaner Future dreams: Being a president of something or an ambassador Value: Justice
Age: 23 Ocupation: Math and music student Interests: Music Body of water: Mediterranean Sea Favorite PC-program: Latex, Internet Explorer Domestic appliance: telephone Future dreams: Speaking Arabic fluently, visting sites in the MidEast Value: Respect
Age: 22 Ocupation: Political science student Interests: Dancing and listening to music Body of water: Bosphorus Favorite PC-program: MSN Domestic appliance: Couch Future dreams: To have a nice family and to live in a peacful world Value: Truth and Faith
Name: Judith
Name: Yorai
Name:Rulla
Age: 20 Ocupation: Works in a Kindergarten and in an Egyptian restaurant Interests: Travelling, art and reading Body of water: Iguaçu Falls, Sth America Favorite PC-program: ICQ, Google Domestic appliance: Toaster Future dreams: Study in Berlin and work in various countries Value: Freedom
Age: 20 Ocupation: Soldier in the IDF Interests: Music, philosophy, interacting with people , theatre and reading Body of water: Kinneret Lake Favorite PC-program: Pandora Domestic appliance: CD player Future dreams: Physician Value: Harmony
Age: 17 Ocupation: High school student Interests: Music, sports, dancing, acting and painting Body of water: Atlantic Ocean Favorite PC-program: MS Word Domestic appliance: Fridge Future dreams: To live in peace, comfort, health and love Value: Belief
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Comix
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Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Sweet Stuff
Honey is Good By Shiran Zehavi Honey is a unique natural product – yummy and healthy. But are you really aware of its special qualities? Did you know that you can use it to bandage a wound or build muscles after a workout or as a facial mask?␣ Health authorities say honey is a recommended sweetener for its nutritional values: its calorie value is three quarters of sugar and yet it is one and a half times sweeter! As a medicine, honey prevents and takes care of our breathing paths (lungs and bronchial tubes) and sanitizes the mouth and throat. It strengthens the brain and the nerves and is suitable for treating diseases and other interruptions to our digestion system. Honey contains anti-oxidants just like fruits and vegetables, and may help to reduce
bad cholesterol and prevent heart conditions. Honey is a concentrated food for the muscles. Studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin in the United States showed that honey is equivalent or better than commerciali products for supplying energy before and during athletic training and endurance work, and for a quick recovery afterwards.␣ ␣ If that’s not enough, you can even bandage a wound or a cut with a patch drenched in honey. Thanks to the honey’s thick, sticky qualities, a protective partition is formed on top of the wound that stops infections and inflammation. A moist environment is created around the injured area, which prevents scars and makes sure the formation of a scab will be even. It doesn’t attach to the sore’s tissue so there is no fear Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
of peeling off the scab. Honey has ingredients that act as bacteria exterminators and anti-oxidants. The sugars found in honey absorb the fluids from the wound, which prevents the development of infections and speeds up the healing. On your face Honey is good for your skin. You can use in on your body and on your face. It nourishes your skin, keeps it moist, sooths irritations and as such is ideal for treating sensitive skins particularly those of babies. And now, a recipe for a homemade facial mask: Mix 1 spoon of honey, 2 spoons of ground almonds and 1/2 a teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply gently to the face, avoiding the eyes and mouth, and rinse after 20 minutes in warm water. Try it and see for yourselves.␣ ␣ ␣ ␣ ␣ ␣
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Sweet Stuff
Music during wartime By Stefanie Lang “Violins and Ouds! You are not playing together – again from the beginning!” Wisam instructed his musicians. The violin and oud players are part of the Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra (JAYO) in Israel, led by Wisam Gibran from Nazareth. This orchestra brings Jewish and Arab Israelis together on one stage playing Classical music, traditional Arabic music and Jewish songs. To play music together means feeling together, no matter who is playing or where they are from. It means
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listening carefully to your neighbour and being aware of everyone in the orchestra. In summer 2006 the JAYO took part in an ethno-music workshop in Limassol, Cyprus. They joined young people from Belgium, Lebanon, Jordan, Ireland, Slovakia, Israel and Cyprus to play folk music from their respective countries. Suddenly, in one of the rehearsals someone announced that two soldiers had been kidnapped by Hezbollah on the Lebanese border. “Go on playing,” ordered Wisam.
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“We don’t talk about politics, we do it.” Two days later we were all talking about the war, mainly inside our country groups. The Israeli coordinator refused to talk to the Arabs from outside Israel. The Arab Israelis were struggling with their dilemma of identity. The Lebanese musicians couldn’t go home due to the closure of the airport. Both Israelis and Palestinians were afraid to go home, while at the same time worrying about families and friends. But as musicians we did what we were trained to do: we kept on playing.
What you Wear
Fashion Gig By Asaad Malshy
A week prior to the launch of the Madonna clothing collection, Copenhagen and many other cities were displaying huge posters of Madonna wearing her new gear. Now it is 9.52 on a Copenhagen morning, eight minutes before the working day starts. But not for Kathrin, and certainly not for her friends. They are ready to shop. The echoing sound of Copenhagen’s town bell chiming 10am is like a trigger for the pretty young ladies who begin competitively emptying the shop’s hangers of dresses, pants, jackets and more. A fellow reporter at the fashion launch remarked that chasing and racing for new trends and fashions, especially clothes, is the weekly sport of Danish women and teens. By 10.30 some designs are starting to run out which simply increases the havoc. “I have to be one of the first to wear this dress,” says one anxious beautiful lady while racing for the changing rooms. Despite all the mayhem of ladies rushing around trying on the Madonna outfits, the shop remains intact. Fashion it seems, is never out of fashion. Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
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What you Wear Germany ponders teachers’ headscarves By Stefanie Lang One can see many women wearing the hijab in German cities but not in some of their schools.
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religious clothing if it would influence children.
According to German constitutional law, all religions are treated equally. Under this law, a group of young Muslim teachers went to court because they were forced to take off their headscarves while teaching. This rule is particularly strong under conservative governments in the Southern states of Germany.
Some German politicians say that the hijab is a symbol of cultural division and part of the history of oppression of women. Ultra-conservative politicians see the headscarf in schools as a political symbol incompatible with Democracy. On the other hand, there is no protest about Catholic nuns wearing their robes when teaching in public schools and that in every classroom a crucifix is seen on the wall.
The Constitutional Court decided that Germany’s 16 federal states could legislate independently to ban
For that reason the former German president Johannes Rau appealed for Islamic headscarves to receive equal
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treatment with symbols of other faiths. If headscarves are banned in German schools, then other religious symbols should get the same treatment. So far, only Berlin, a federal state with a left-wing coalition, has passed a law forbidding all kinds of religious signs in all public service buildings. The German Muslim League has protested against the move. German law does not stop women wearing their hijab in their private life. And Muslim students can wear it in school. It is only when you are a Muslim teacher that there is a problem.
Vision
Peace by Peaceful Means By Else Hammerich Centre for Conflict Resolution, Copenhagen CB is working for nonviolence in a practical and promising way and I would like to add five ideas about how peaceful means can be approached in international conflicts. I do so while recognising that the IsraeliPalestinian conflict is extremely serious, complicated, and longlasting. 1. Stick to international law and order. The Geneva Convention, for instance, bans attacks on civil populations and prohibits an occupier from transferring its own population to the occupied territories. The idea of peace by peaceful means is grounded in the UN charter, Article 33. This principle is something that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) can use to challenge their government when it seems ready to use military intervention to solve a political problem, Have all the peaceful means of Article 33 been tried out? How seriously? With what effort? 2. Realize the fact of power. In an asymmetric conflict, one of the parties has much more power, money, international backup, weapons and control of media. That makes dialogue extremely difficult. How can dialogue be possible given the unequal power relations like in the Israel-Palestine conflict? What methods can be used to promote an equal dialogue? 3. Various levels of dialogue needed. Dialogue is possible and the efforts of groups like CB are useful when we distinguish between the top leadership, the middle level and the
grassroots. The top comprises governments and national leaders who can make binding agreements. However, the top is often influenced by external powers and institutions. The grassroots level is the place of people-to-people dialogue. Sometimes it is difficult even for the people to meet but when the meetings take place they often prove to be necessary, useful and hopeful. These grassroots efforts can be even more useful if they can reach the middle level: media, religious and ethnic leaders, respected, well known personalities, leaders of mass organisations. 4. The third response. When an aggressive act happens there are two common responses to it. Either fight, which means retaliation, violence, hostile actions, or flight, which means to evade, do nothing, surrender. Many politicians and the mass media put forward only these two possibilities. CSOs and peace builders can do something very enlightening by pointing out that this is a limited choice and there is always a third possibility, namely to meet the aggression carefully and thoughtfully. Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007
Get a grip on the strong feelings that the aggression provokes. Get a wider perspective. Look into the problems behind the attack. Consider various responses. Grassroots groups can call on politicians and the media to react intelligently and with responsibility and not to feed the spiral of violence. 5. Maintain contact. When a conflict escalates, contact and dialogue is given up at a certain point. If that happens we enter a dangerous phase. When there is no more contact we get rumours, misunderstandings, lies, enemy images, dehumanization of the enemy, hostile actions, violence. It is not easy to advocate contact with the ‘enemy’ in tense situations. You might be called naïve or even traitors. Nonviolence takes a lot of courage. Keeping and creating new contacts is one of the most important peaceful means available to CSOs. To construct networks of human contact cannot be overestimated even if it does not solve the conflict or bring immediate results. Rather, it gives hope and fertilizes the soil for peace building. This is exactly what CB and other groups are doing and I wish you lots of success with your work.
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From the C0-existence exhibition - Museum On The Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
P D F
Peace & Democracy Forum
The International People’s College in Elsinore, Denmark
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Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.33 April/May 2007