Here are some of my photo albums on facebook with a select few (out of many, many) pictures from the delegation.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20967&id=1013829573&l=50ca19596a
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20971&id=1013829573&l=2387624bfb
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
You're Invited
A presentation on my experiences in Jerusalem and the West Bank:
Thursday, April 30
7:00 pm
College Church of the Nazarene, Room 100
200 University Ave, Bourbonnais IL
Thursday, April 30
7:00 pm
College Church of the Nazarene, Room 100
200 University Ave, Bourbonnais IL
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Hearing Israeli Perspectives
While we didn't meet with very many Israeli groups on our trip, our team recognizes the importance of listening to both "sides". My team member Karen, who stayed a few days after the delegation (and visited the village of Sderot in Israel), was able to speak with some Israeli citizens. She shares what she heard from them:
"I spoke with quite a few people, from a moderate point of view to a very religious point of view. All were fascinating and honest. This is a little of what I heard. To respect their privacy, I am referring to each as person 1, 2 etc.
Person 1: Person 1 explained to me that Israel was God's land, promised to His people, the Jews. This land was prayed for day and night to be returned to them, and now that is has been returned, it is theirs to care for. Person 1 was very honest in saying that they did not really recognize Palestine, because it was only 100 or so years old. Israel, as a land, has belonged to the Jews for thousands of years, and they have been displaced time and time again. Person 1 also did not recognize the terms "settlements," or "outposts," viewing them more as neighborhoods that rightfully belong to the Jewish people. In Person One's eyes, Palestinians are tribes that have come together, have worked the land for centuries, but are not part of the promised people, so, in turn, are not part of what God has promised to the Jewish people. Person 1 very much respected the Palestinians work of the land, but at the same time pointed out to me that in the Jewish tradition, life is held at the highest level-it is revered and it is most holy. What Person 1 struggles with and the view coming from the Palestinians, is that a suicide bomber or any Palestinian who commits an act of violence against an Israeli, and is supported by their people, does not hold life with such high value. This seemed to be one of the most important aspects to Person 1 and their view. When referring to the security wall, Person 1 actually found it to be a good thing in terms of protection, but also understood that it has caused great suffering among many Palestinians and was thoughtful in the sense of that realization.
Person 2: On the more, "moderate" view, Person 2 called the settlers in Hebron, "Crazy," and although Person 2 knows that most settlers are not extreme in their views, Person 2 understands that many have an ideological mind set that is detrimental to the religion of Judaism. This was also made clear to me when I met a man from the UK who was working with the organization called Sabeel and he told me that his Jewish friends were touring Hebron and the settlers in Hebron were calling his friends, "Nazi Jews." Yes, the settlers who are Jewish are calling their fellow Jews, "Nazis." There is much more to this, but in general, you can get the sense from this that again, some settlements have radical people, and some don't. Person 2 also believed that Israel was the promised land, but greatly disagreed with many things that the Israeli govt does to the Palestinians. Person 2 feels that the Palestinians have a right to the land, but Person 2 also questioned a lot of what the people, such as Arafat, have done for their people. Person 2 questioned about all the money given to Arafat and why that didn't go to the people, as well as why Arafat walked away from a peace deal that gave him 90% of what he was asking for. Person 2 does not agree nor like that Palestinians are made to drive on different roads than Israelis, however, agreed that the security wall was working since suicide bombings have dropped dramatically since the wall went up."
"I spoke with quite a few people, from a moderate point of view to a very religious point of view. All were fascinating and honest. This is a little of what I heard. To respect their privacy, I am referring to each as person 1, 2 etc.
Person 1: Person 1 explained to me that Israel was God's land, promised to His people, the Jews. This land was prayed for day and night to be returned to them, and now that is has been returned, it is theirs to care for. Person 1 was very honest in saying that they did not really recognize Palestine, because it was only 100 or so years old. Israel, as a land, has belonged to the Jews for thousands of years, and they have been displaced time and time again. Person 1 also did not recognize the terms "settlements," or "outposts," viewing them more as neighborhoods that rightfully belong to the Jewish people. In Person One's eyes, Palestinians are tribes that have come together, have worked the land for centuries, but are not part of the promised people, so, in turn, are not part of what God has promised to the Jewish people. Person 1 very much respected the Palestinians work of the land, but at the same time pointed out to me that in the Jewish tradition, life is held at the highest level-it is revered and it is most holy. What Person 1 struggles with and the view coming from the Palestinians, is that a suicide bomber or any Palestinian who commits an act of violence against an Israeli, and is supported by their people, does not hold life with such high value. This seemed to be one of the most important aspects to Person 1 and their view. When referring to the security wall, Person 1 actually found it to be a good thing in terms of protection, but also understood that it has caused great suffering among many Palestinians and was thoughtful in the sense of that realization.
Person 2: On the more, "moderate" view, Person 2 called the settlers in Hebron, "Crazy," and although Person 2 knows that most settlers are not extreme in their views, Person 2 understands that many have an ideological mind set that is detrimental to the religion of Judaism. This was also made clear to me when I met a man from the UK who was working with the organization called Sabeel and he told me that his Jewish friends were touring Hebron and the settlers in Hebron were calling his friends, "Nazi Jews." Yes, the settlers who are Jewish are calling their fellow Jews, "Nazis." There is much more to this, but in general, you can get the sense from this that again, some settlements have radical people, and some don't. Person 2 also believed that Israel was the promised land, but greatly disagreed with many things that the Israeli govt does to the Palestinians. Person 2 feels that the Palestinians have a right to the land, but Person 2 also questioned a lot of what the people, such as Arafat, have done for their people. Person 2 questioned about all the money given to Arafat and why that didn't go to the people, as well as why Arafat walked away from a peace deal that gave him 90% of what he was asking for. Person 2 does not agree nor like that Palestinians are made to drive on different roads than Israelis, however, agreed that the security wall was working since suicide bombings have dropped dramatically since the wall went up."
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
March 25, 4p.m. (9a.m. CST)
This morning after breakfast and team worship time, we went upstairs (from the CPT apartment) to where Zleeka (a long time friend of CPT Hebron) has a kindergarten. She told us about how she started her work:
During the second Intifada, when curfew was imposed about 3 or 4 out of every five days (which means the Palestinian residents could not leave their homes), the children could no longer go to school. But they could go up on the rooftops (which are mostly flat, and often connect from house to house), and Zleeka, who had been a teacher, would gather with them and try to organize and teach them and give them useful things to do. For example, she had them bring old refridgerators up onto the roofs, and fill them with soil to make gardens. She encouraged each child to plant a tomato plant or something, and water it and take care of it... in order to have hope and imagine that things would be different someday, that things would get better. (I am telling this as closely as possible to the way she told it.)
Then some of the parents asked her to start a kindergarten, which she currently runs for about 35 children (approximately 5 of whom come for free because their parents cannot afford it). They are ages 3 to 5 1/2, and learn basics like the English and Arabic alphabets, to prepare them for school. The goal of her school is not only for the children's education, but also for their social well-being - encouraging them not to be afraid of the soldiers, and doing social-work with them and their families to help overcome the problems of daily life under the Occupation. Zleeka also hopes to encourage families to stay and live in the Old City of Hebron, which they are much more willing to do if their children can safely attend school within the Old City (living here is difficult because of the nearby Israeli settlements and, therefore, the extra military presence and checkpoints).
We also met today with the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, which is doing amazing work at restoring old buildings in the Old City. (The building which houses their office is considered "new" - it is only 200 years old.) This really is a beautiful area. (You may be able to find pictures on the HRC website? www.hebronrc.org) This afternoon we had free time to walk around and shop. Sarah and Cat and I visited various little shops, and had falafil, fresh-squeezed pomegranate and grapefruit juice, dessert and tea... all for 10 shekels or less per person.
Everyone is so hospitable here... when we bought tea at the Freedom Coffee Shop, the man brought out fruit for us to eat (and later, little cups of coffee), and sat and talked with us (his English was fairly good, and also Sarah was able to use her Arabic). One of the shops we visited sold items made by the area women's cooperative. Another was full of silver jewelry handmade in Hebron, as well as other jewelry made by Bedouin people. We are glad to be able to shop here and support the local economy - which has struggled much since the military closed over 500 shops in the area, and the main market street, Shuhada street, is entirely closed to Palestinians. And I can't get over how cheap food is - when David and I had to shop and cook dinner for the team yesterday, we spent less than $1 per person for a great meal of vegetables, lentils, bread and hummus.
Tonight the team is split into two groups to go spend the night with families in nearby villages. Tomorrow we will head back to Bethlehem.
Salaam!
During the second Intifada, when curfew was imposed about 3 or 4 out of every five days (which means the Palestinian residents could not leave their homes), the children could no longer go to school. But they could go up on the rooftops (which are mostly flat, and often connect from house to house), and Zleeka, who had been a teacher, would gather with them and try to organize and teach them and give them useful things to do. For example, she had them bring old refridgerators up onto the roofs, and fill them with soil to make gardens. She encouraged each child to plant a tomato plant or something, and water it and take care of it... in order to have hope and imagine that things would be different someday, that things would get better. (I am telling this as closely as possible to the way she told it.)
Then some of the parents asked her to start a kindergarten, which she currently runs for about 35 children (approximately 5 of whom come for free because their parents cannot afford it). They are ages 3 to 5 1/2, and learn basics like the English and Arabic alphabets, to prepare them for school. The goal of her school is not only for the children's education, but also for their social well-being - encouraging them not to be afraid of the soldiers, and doing social-work with them and their families to help overcome the problems of daily life under the Occupation. Zleeka also hopes to encourage families to stay and live in the Old City of Hebron, which they are much more willing to do if their children can safely attend school within the Old City (living here is difficult because of the nearby Israeli settlements and, therefore, the extra military presence and checkpoints).
We also met today with the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, which is doing amazing work at restoring old buildings in the Old City. (The building which houses their office is considered "new" - it is only 200 years old.) This really is a beautiful area. (You may be able to find pictures on the HRC website? www.hebronrc.org) This afternoon we had free time to walk around and shop. Sarah and Cat and I visited various little shops, and had falafil, fresh-squeezed pomegranate and grapefruit juice, dessert and tea... all for 10 shekels or less per person.
Everyone is so hospitable here... when we bought tea at the Freedom Coffee Shop, the man brought out fruit for us to eat (and later, little cups of coffee), and sat and talked with us (his English was fairly good, and also Sarah was able to use her Arabic). One of the shops we visited sold items made by the area women's cooperative. Another was full of silver jewelry handmade in Hebron, as well as other jewelry made by Bedouin people. We are glad to be able to shop here and support the local economy - which has struggled much since the military closed over 500 shops in the area, and the main market street, Shuhada street, is entirely closed to Palestinians. And I can't get over how cheap food is - when David and I had to shop and cook dinner for the team yesterday, we spent less than $1 per person for a great meal of vegetables, lentils, bread and hummus.
Tonight the team is split into two groups to go spend the night with families in nearby villages. Tomorrow we will head back to Bethlehem.
Salaam!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Delegates Visit Villages and More... March 24,9 p.m. ( 2p.m. CST)
For the past two days, delegates from the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation in Israel/Palestine visited the village of At-Tuwani, where CPT has a permanent delegation. There, delegation members learned first hand from villagers how the people made their village completely non-violent and how they exemplify this way of life every day. This means that when villagers are attacked from nearby Jewish Settlers, they respond with non-violence and resist fighting back. Non-violence is also practiced when crops are damaged or stolen, and live stalk is threatened as well.
CPT members also witnessed the conditions of Palestinian school children by participating in school patrol, as well as going out with the shepherds as their sheep graze. This is to discourage any kind of violence perpetrated by the Jewish Settlers on the children and shepherds, (which has occurred in the past). Time was also spent learning about the village Co-op, which sells various artisan's crafts, clothing and accessories from local women in the village, as well as from women from the surrounding villages.
Six delegation members also had the amazing opportunity to go to two different villages near At-Tuwani, called Tuba and Magher Alabeed, where the villagers live in cave houses. After walking for more than an hour over beautiful terrain, members arrived at their camps. Besides sharing a meal, delegation members also shared about their lives and learned about the lives of the villagers. It can be easily said that members had a once in a lifetime chance to learn and grow from these intriguing families. One delegation member, who went to Tuba, says of the experience, "It was amazing to see the mother of the family that we stayed with baking fresh bread in the morning, the children milking goats, and sharing time with the family. The cave was cozy, warm and dark, and I felt like a hibernating bear...it was hard to wake up in the morning."
Members arrived back in Hebron on Tuesday, visited a hospital in the city, and tomorrow head to the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee in the morning. They will also have some free time to shop, and then will head to two different villages to spend the night with two families in surrounding villages. On Thursday, members head back to Bethlehem for two nights, and then to Jerusalem for the last leg of their trip.
Members have truly gained an experience they soon will not forget and have many plans to bring the information home to share in many different ways to help people understand the situation here on the ground.
CPT members also witnessed the conditions of Palestinian school children by participating in school patrol, as well as going out with the shepherds as their sheep graze. This is to discourage any kind of violence perpetrated by the Jewish Settlers on the children and shepherds, (which has occurred in the past). Time was also spent learning about the village Co-op, which sells various artisan's crafts, clothing and accessories from local women in the village, as well as from women from the surrounding villages.
Six delegation members also had the amazing opportunity to go to two different villages near At-Tuwani, called Tuba and Magher Alabeed, where the villagers live in cave houses. After walking for more than an hour over beautiful terrain, members arrived at their camps. Besides sharing a meal, delegation members also shared about their lives and learned about the lives of the villagers. It can be easily said that members had a once in a lifetime chance to learn and grow from these intriguing families. One delegation member, who went to Tuba, says of the experience, "It was amazing to see the mother of the family that we stayed with baking fresh bread in the morning, the children milking goats, and sharing time with the family. The cave was cozy, warm and dark, and I felt like a hibernating bear...it was hard to wake up in the morning."
Members arrived back in Hebron on Tuesday, visited a hospital in the city, and tomorrow head to the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee in the morning. They will also have some free time to shop, and then will head to two different villages to spend the night with two families in surrounding villages. On Thursday, members head back to Bethlehem for two nights, and then to Jerusalem for the last leg of their trip.
Members have truly gained an experience they soon will not forget and have many plans to bring the information home to share in many different ways to help people understand the situation here on the ground.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Update from Chicago Office
Twelve members of the Israel/Palestine Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation arrived safely in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 18, meeting with several organizations as well as participating in an action outside of Bethlehem against the impending building of the apartheid wall. Their first few nights were spent in Beit Sahour, just outside Bethlehem, at a Greek Melkite Orthodox Pilgrim Guest House.
The team's first stop on Thursday was at Wi'am, then off to Holy Land Trust. At both of these organizations, the delegation learned about the many efforts on the ground to end the occupation. Both Wi'am and Holy Land Trust have very strong programs including a youth program where they teach non-violent reaction and techniques to thwart the ongoing conflict. On Thursday afternoon, the team traveled to Deheishe Refugee Camp. There, they toured the camp, ate dinner and heard stories of refugees raised in the camp. They also spent the night in the camp to get a better perspective of what it is like for the people who live there, many since the partition in 1947.
On Friday, the team visited the Reproachment Center, as well as took part in a march against the impending wall with several people, including many women. Palestinian Women were honored with red roses at the march, in front of Israeli soldiers at the blockade, because Mother's Day in Palestine is Saturday, March 21. The march was very short, and the team witnessed the frustration of the Palestinians first hand. The team felt very happy about the action, especially because there were no incidents of violence. The day ended with some free time, dinner, worship and the life stories of two delegation members.
Saturday, the team visited the school connected with Pilgrim House, and then drove to the apartment in Hebron. After settling in, the team had an amazing tour of the city of Hebron, seeing and learning first hand about the division between Palestinians and Israeli settlers. The town is literally divided, with walls, fences and checkpoints. To the delight of delegation members, they also visited Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as Tomb of the Patriarchs, where Abraham, Sarah and Joseph are all buried in a cave underneath the mosque. This mosque is also used as a synagogue and is a source of great contention among the people of Hebron. The delegation finished their day with a homemade dinner made by long time friend and neighbor of CPT, Zleekha.
It seems the most important aspect of the experience so far is hearing the personal stories of Palestinians, and the unending racism and oppression they face on a daily basis. The team heads to the other CPT place of peacemaking work on Sunday, in At Tuwani, a small village outside Hebron where members conduct school patrol and accompany the shepherds in the fields for protection. They will also visit the Bedouin who live in the area, and spend the night with village families.
Claire Evans
Delegation Coordinator
Christian Peacemaker Teams
The team's first stop on Thursday was at Wi'am, then off to Holy Land Trust. At both of these organizations, the delegation learned about the many efforts on the ground to end the occupation. Both Wi'am and Holy Land Trust have very strong programs including a youth program where they teach non-violent reaction and techniques to thwart the ongoing conflict. On Thursday afternoon, the team traveled to Deheishe Refugee Camp. There, they toured the camp, ate dinner and heard stories of refugees raised in the camp. They also spent the night in the camp to get a better perspective of what it is like for the people who live there, many since the partition in 1947.
On Friday, the team visited the Reproachment Center, as well as took part in a march against the impending wall with several people, including many women. Palestinian Women were honored with red roses at the march, in front of Israeli soldiers at the blockade, because Mother's Day in Palestine is Saturday, March 21. The march was very short, and the team witnessed the frustration of the Palestinians first hand. The team felt very happy about the action, especially because there were no incidents of violence. The day ended with some free time, dinner, worship and the life stories of two delegation members.
Saturday, the team visited the school connected with Pilgrim House, and then drove to the apartment in Hebron. After settling in, the team had an amazing tour of the city of Hebron, seeing and learning first hand about the division between Palestinians and Israeli settlers. The town is literally divided, with walls, fences and checkpoints. To the delight of delegation members, they also visited Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as Tomb of the Patriarchs, where Abraham, Sarah and Joseph are all buried in a cave underneath the mosque. This mosque is also used as a synagogue and is a source of great contention among the people of Hebron. The delegation finished their day with a homemade dinner made by long time friend and neighbor of CPT, Zleekha.
It seems the most important aspect of the experience so far is hearing the personal stories of Palestinians, and the unending racism and oppression they face on a daily basis. The team heads to the other CPT place of peacemaking work on Sunday, in At Tuwani, a small village outside Hebron where members conduct school patrol and accompany the shepherds in the fields for protection. They will also visit the Bedouin who live in the area, and spend the night with village families.
Claire Evans
Delegation Coordinator
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 12:30 pm (5:30am CST)
Today we visited the school (Greek Orthodox, grades K-12) next door to the guest house where we stayed. They were having a Mother's Day celebration. While some kids were performing for the audience, there were a bunch of young ones (6-9 years), mostly boys, who kept wandering off and playing... well, and a lot of play fighting. It was kind of astonishing to watch how aggressive they could be. I spoke with one of the teachers from the school, and she said it is a serious problem that the teachers cannot handle in the classroom. All they have learned - from TV and from what's hapening around them - is violence. Another trauma that these little children are growing up with. However, the kids were also really sweet - I tried to convince some of them to go sit with their moms, but they said "no" and starting talking with me (all of the kids here tend to say three things: "hello!' "how are you!" "what's your name!"), and next thing I knew I was surrounded by about 10 little boys all demanding my attention at once. The celebration was neat... puts me to shame, since all I usually do is give my mom a card for mother's day. It is interesting to me that in this culture, amidst so much oppression and struggle, the people maintain such a strong and important emphasis on celebration. It must be essential for enduring life. Oh, and we also met the (Orthodox) Bishop of the Jerusalem diocese. I tell you - we internationals are pretty popular just about everywhere we go! The people really appreciate our presence, such as at the march yesterday.
Now we are in Hebron at the CPT apartment. We had a tour of Hebron - the divided city - including Old Hebron (which is where the apartment is)... it is amazing, with a very dramatic history. We went to the Il-Ibrahimi mosque and saw the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, etc... and bullet marks on the wall from the 1994 (I think) massacre of 29 Muslims. We saw a few (Israeli) settlers, and had some interactions with a few IDF soldiers (including the 3 checkpoints we had to go through in order to enter the mosque).
CPT is very beloved here in Hebron. A similar organization (but they do more documentation-type stuff) here is TIPH - Temporary Internatonal Presence in Hebron, and we saw them driving and walking around a bit today.
Tomorrow we head to Tuwani!
Now we are in Hebron at the CPT apartment. We had a tour of Hebron - the divided city - including Old Hebron (which is where the apartment is)... it is amazing, with a very dramatic history. We went to the Il-Ibrahimi mosque and saw the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, etc... and bullet marks on the wall from the 1994 (I think) massacre of 29 Muslims. We saw a few (Israeli) settlers, and had some interactions with a few IDF soldiers (including the 3 checkpoints we had to go through in order to enter the mosque).
CPT is very beloved here in Hebron. A similar organization (but they do more documentation-type stuff) here is TIPH - Temporary Internatonal Presence in Hebron, and we saw them driving and walking around a bit today.
Tomorrow we head to Tuwani!
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