With images of war so widely available, it’s important not to forget the people still working to build peace & understanding, to support their efforts. “Continue reading” to access a list of resources and opportunities to contribute to such work.
Collection of links for peace-building efforts in the Middle East, written by Jan Slakov:
Sometimes it seems that when Britain “gave” Palestine to Zionists to establish a Jewish homeland, that was a poisoned gift, leading inevitably to violence and destruction.
From another perspective, Jews, Israelis, Palestinians have so much in common. If we were to embrace a new version of “strength”, grounded in understanding, respect, love and let go of feeding the brittle, destructive “strength” that’s anchored in violence & the potential for wreaking havoc, things could change quickly, for the better.
The world we create is determined by our thinking, which is so much influenced by media (all communications). I learned there’s such a thing as peace journalism: https://www.transcend.org/tms/about-peace-journalism/1-what-is-peace-journalism/.
And I’m discovering there are beautiful movements bringing Palestinians and Israelis, Jews, Arabs, and so many people of good will together. These are initiatives we need to know more about!
How women in Israel & Palestine are pushing for peace – together, by Alberta professor Siobhan Byrne: https://theconversation.com/how-women-in-israel-and-palestine-are-pushing-for-peace-together-215783
This article, by Linda Solomon Wood, dates from 2016, but offers an overview of some inspiring efforts: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/02/16/news/can-israelis-and-palestinians-ever-make-peace.
When it can seem that Israeli politics is dominated by the desire for revenge, weaponizing trauma and hate, it’s so heartening to learn that this Standing Together group is organizing with the kind of success and competence I wish for our efforts here (They’re not just focused on Jewish/Palestinian conflict resolution but also on fundamental social justice.):
Standing Together – Omdim Beyachad – Naqif Ma’an https://www.standing-together.org/en
Here’s a video of co-directors Sally Abed & Alon-Lee Green, speaking in the US: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZcnjzi3QeA
I also loved this talk with the Jewish and Palestinian co-authors of The Wall Between (what Jews and Palestinians don’t want to know about each other) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQE280EpKrY.
Hats off to Conscience Canada board member Charles Small, who’s been involved in Independent Jewish Voices for a long time. They arranged, months ago, to have a showing of the Israelism film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bondvm3hvGM (This trailer is insightful & moving in itself.) Now their local theatre has decided not to show it! https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/israelism-westdale-theatre-1.7043897 (Dec. 3 update – The theatre reversed their decision! https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/israelism-westdale-theatre-1.7046127. It seems efforts to silence the voices of peace & caring may help wake people up. (E.g. Meir Baruchin: https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/22/meir_baruchin.)
Hats off also to the many others who have worked towards this vision of a politics based on love & understanding for so long, sometimes with a lack of support: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2017892/pacifistes-juifs-palestiniens-canada-israel-gaza , Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta, who wrote Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation, Izzeldin Abuelaish, who wrote I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace & Human Dignity…)
I hope these stories can nourish a collective awakening to the power of nonviolence. May we humans create a world beyond war!
Since I sent my initial message out, people have shared other great links to add to the list.
ALLMEP, the Alliance for Middle East Peace, is a coalition of over 160 organizations, including hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis working for cooperation, justice, equality, peace: https://www.allmep.org/about-us-allmep/.
The American Friends of the Parents Circle (linked to Palestinian & Israeli Bereaved Families for Peace) hosted a great webinar with the author and inspirations of the award-winning book Apeirogon. You can find that discussion here: https://parentscirclefriends.org/voices/.
The Palestinian group Taghyeer (change) is one of many groups supported by the above-mentioned ALLMEP: https://www.taghyeerpal.ps/
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PS Here is a link to a relevant poem by Rabbi Irwin Keller: https://www.irwinkeller.com/itzikswell/taking-sides