Hi all,
We left Camp Valaqua on Friday evening and took the participants to the FCJ Centre, where they welcomed the running water, electricity and warm beds with open arms. We were all tired from the week, but along with the fatigue was an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the experience and involvement with Valaqua staff and campers. The Planting Peace participants went out of their way to get to know and spend time with some difficult campers during camp activities, and provided a much needed distraction and support for the staff. Their involvement, spirit, kindness, enthusiasm and stories during the week was infectious. We were worried that the presence of 10 international people would be more of a distraction than it would be helpful. But that was not the case. We are very grateful for the partnership with Camp Valaqua, and excited that they are interested in doing this again next year!
Tonight we began round two of Planting Peace at the FCJ Centre in Calgary. Along with the 10 international participants, there are 20 Alberta participants, 3 folks from Saskatchewan and 2 from Manitoba, along with 6 MCCA staff. It was a good evening, beginning with welcomes and registration at 8:00pm, and moving into introductions, games, walking through the schedule for the next three days. Gopar and Sani led us through a helpful introduction of what to expect from the sessions, and to close the evening Sani led us in a song about peace, and Gopar closed with prayer. We have three days left together. It is too short. We are getting to know amazing individuals whose experiences and lives offer us rich and difficult glimpses into their lives and the conflicts and barriers that they are confronted with daily.
Some snapshots from the past week and this evening:
-two young women, one from Jordan, one from Colombia, who do not speak the same language, walk arm in arm on day one, and communicate acceptance and understanding that transcends culture and language
-a young woman who had never in her life encountered a "pure Israeli", as she put it, was visibly upset and unsettled by the presence of the Israeli's
-the same young woman, two days later, was laughing and enjoying spending time with the two Israeli participants
-an Israeli young man, a vegan, who was having difficulty watching the consumption of animal foods at Camp Valaqua, admits that he is also finding it difficult to confront this issue because he is being treated with so much kindness and acceptance
-two Palestinian participants whose lives and experiences are very different in terms of access to basic resources....health, education, travel, safety. One lives in East Jerusalem, the other in Bethlehem (West Bank). They share a common history of oppression, but live in two very different worlds. One week before coming to Calgary, Usama, who lives in the West Bank, was in danger of being arrested for his work at Wi'am. At 2:00 AM, Israeli military banged on the door of his family home and demanded to see him. His father, a human rights lawyer, met them at the door and challenged their presence. It took some convincing and a phone call to their superior before the officers left the house without Usama.
-on Friday, I left camp with five international visitors in a separate vehicle from my husband; before leaving I asked him to pick up some groceries on the way home. An hour and a bit later, when we arrive in Calgary, Usama asks me why my husband has not called me to make sure that I am ok. I do not know how to answer his question. He said that in the West Bank, if he were married, he would call his wife every few minutes on her cell phone to make sure that she was safe. The assumption of safety, basic safety, is something that I totally take for granted.
-watching the international participants interact with the Canadian participants...what a very rich evening. There was so much laughter and visiting and mixing. Peace building is relational. What a blessing it is to be a part of this.
Kim
.GIF)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Come here to be friends.
Hello all ...
Yesterday, Friday, marked the end of the week at Camp Valaqua with the Planting Peace International Guests. Today, they had the day off. This evening, Diego, our translator, was taking most of them on an evening excursion in Calgary. Gopar is visiting some friends. Tomorrow, they have most of the day off, but by about 6 pm, we will be setting up for the evening opening event, which will have all 12 international guests, (Uganda, Nigeria, Palestine/West Bank, Colombia, Israel, plus one IVEPer from each of the Dom Republic and Jordon) present, along with 2 people from MCC Canada in Wpg, 4 from MCC in Sask, and about 20 from Alberta, including MCC staff. We will work together (we hope) for 3 days, including also one public event hosted at First Menn Church in the evening.
The theme continues to be "How do we stop killing each other", with sub themes for each of 6 sessions. Monday, "Listening, and "Speaking/Intervention". Tuesday, "Cross Cultural Dynamics" both sessions. Wednesday, "Understanding", and "Forgiveness". We are proposing that each of the first 4 sessions be shortened by 30 minutes, and that 30 minutes will be taken up by each of the "Planting Peace" Countries to tell us Canadians and each other about the situation in their countries. Uganda, Colombia, Paletine/West Bank, Israel. During this past week, each evening, at campfire, we would interview several of the guests, and, in about 5 minutes, they would all do a really good job of introducing the campers to the situations from which they have come. The last day fireside, (which I missed) introduced Nicolas from East Jerusalem, Usama from West Bank/Bethlehem, and Diego (our translator, originally from Colombia). At the end of their 20-minute interview, the campers, a bunch of tired, often unruly older teenagers with all kinds of dysfunctioning issues, cheered and clapped. (Kim will summarize those interviews when she gets a chance and we will send them to you as well.)
The camp director told us yesterday that the impact of this group of visitors, led in the sessions by Gopar and Sani from Nigeria, has been very significant. There has never been, she said, such a marked improvement in behaviour of some campers, at Valaqua, over such a short and intense period of time. As I mentioned earlier, we have a strong invitation to repeat this next year. Would we do it the same way? Would we bring as many guests? Would we bring them a week earlier so they could get to know each other and be more adequately introduced to the Camp Agenda and the Camp personnel? Perhaps all of those.
A few of us visited for an hour or so with Usama and Nicolas last night, after returning to Calgary, where the group is now, in the cold of Calgary (down to 15 degrees today, and colder tomorrow) snuggled into normal beds at the FCJ (Faithful Companions of Jesus) Center. Usama lives in Bethlehem and works with Wi'am, a social organization working with young people. He cannot travel freely, and has not, he said, in about 22 years. He is 25. A Palestinian living in East Jerusalem has privileges and can travel quite easily. Nicolas can travel to see Usama, but Usama can not ever get permission to leave the West Bank to go anywhere. And yet, when someone asked if he could get permit to move away permanently, he said that in that case, the Israeli Government would go out of its way to get him that permit quickly. The relentless pressure that Israel puts on Palestinians living in the West Bank, the always increasing Settlements that take up all the hilltops and are populated with subsidized Jewish mostly brought in from Europe and the United States, the road system that now makes sure they never meet each other as people .. (.the only Israeli the average Palestinian ever sees these days, is a young man or woman at the end of a big gun, at any of the 600 checkpoints that keep Palestinians from going to their jobs on time, from visiting their families, from running their businesses) ... that pressure, which changes forms all the time as the Israelis invent new and subtle ways to create frustration, seems clearly designed to provoke, to mock, to humiliate, and in the end, to drive them out.
At huge risk of misrepresenting entire and very complicated Conflicts, Colombia has a kind of violence that seems to be almost randomly indiscriminate. People with any property are victims of extortion, kidnapping, murder, all the time. And if you are living in a community where either the army, or the Paramilitary or the Guerrillas occupy, then the others assume that all citizens living in that place, have become sypmathizers, and they become targets of the other two armed groups. Uganda ... the LRA and the violence to children and that long-term trauma suffered by the entire country comes quickly to the center of that story along with immense poverty, the presence of a military and neighboring militaries, and a long history and capacity for brutality. Israel/Palestine ... so very complicated with Zionism, Christian Zionism, the immense power and self assured "righteousness" of the Israelis, who seem wiling to oppress, humiliate, persecute relentlessly, as they have themselves been victims and who have a zealousness that comes from a profound understanding of their own "being chosen" status. And, as Aylam says, from their capacity to keep reminding themselves and the entire world, that they are victims. And that that history justifies a lot of oppressive and brutal violence to other people now. Rob Baerg, our Board member, after visiting the West Bank 3 years ago, said that they seem now to be willing to do to the Palestinians what the Germans did to them. Aylam and Sharon say that some of the Peace Searching people in Israel don' t even use the word peace anymore, It is a search for Justice. They are not sure that just bringing people together to meet each other as human beings and then learning to talk together, will resolve anything. But many others, experienced leaders, say that that basic principle is the one that will, in the end, lead to any kind of peace in the Middle East, and anywhere else. Nigeria ... the north, being mostly Muslim, and the South, with its advantaged history of English schooling ... from which comes a constant imbalance of power, that looks, or can look like a religious war, but which often degenerates (as if war can degenerate any further) into mobs running through the towns and killing the"other" people. And then we have Canada, where we throw more young people into jail than any other country in the world, per capita, as if somehow, we are going to eliminate unruly behaviour by locking them up. I wonder what the other countries would say to us about that. In every case, people are suffering, and in every case, peace making work, and peace seeking people ... are needed ... to live lives that bless rather than curse their neighbors. Elias Chacour, the Bishop in Haifa said to us, sternly last year ... don't come here to pick sides. Come here to be friends. That is our hope, he said. He is a Palestinian.
Yesterday, Friday, marked the end of the week at Camp Valaqua with the Planting Peace International Guests. Today, they had the day off. This evening, Diego, our translator, was taking most of them on an evening excursion in Calgary. Gopar is visiting some friends. Tomorrow, they have most of the day off, but by about 6 pm, we will be setting up for the evening opening event, which will have all 12 international guests, (Uganda, Nigeria, Palestine/West Bank, Colombia, Israel, plus one IVEPer from each of the Dom Republic and Jordon) present, along with 2 people from MCC Canada in Wpg, 4 from MCC in Sask, and about 20 from Alberta, including MCC staff. We will work together (we hope) for 3 days, including also one public event hosted at First Menn Church in the evening.
The theme continues to be "How do we stop killing each other", with sub themes for each of 6 sessions. Monday, "Listening, and "Speaking/Intervention". Tuesday, "Cross Cultural Dynamics" both sessions. Wednesday, "Understanding", and "Forgiveness". We are proposing that each of the first 4 sessions be shortened by 30 minutes, and that 30 minutes will be taken up by each of the "Planting Peace" Countries to tell us Canadians and each other about the situation in their countries. Uganda, Colombia, Paletine/West Bank, Israel. During this past week, each evening, at campfire, we would interview several of the guests, and, in about 5 minutes, they would all do a really good job of introducing the campers to the situations from which they have come. The last day fireside, (which I missed) introduced Nicolas from East Jerusalem, Usama from West Bank/Bethlehem, and Diego (our translator, originally from Colombia). At the end of their 20-minute interview, the campers, a bunch of tired, often unruly older teenagers with all kinds of dysfunctioning issues, cheered and clapped. (Kim will summarize those interviews when she gets a chance and we will send them to you as well.)
The camp director told us yesterday that the impact of this group of visitors, led in the sessions by Gopar and Sani from Nigeria, has been very significant. There has never been, she said, such a marked improvement in behaviour of some campers, at Valaqua, over such a short and intense period of time. As I mentioned earlier, we have a strong invitation to repeat this next year. Would we do it the same way? Would we bring as many guests? Would we bring them a week earlier so they could get to know each other and be more adequately introduced to the Camp Agenda and the Camp personnel? Perhaps all of those.
A few of us visited for an hour or so with Usama and Nicolas last night, after returning to Calgary, where the group is now, in the cold of Calgary (down to 15 degrees today, and colder tomorrow) snuggled into normal beds at the FCJ (Faithful Companions of Jesus) Center. Usama lives in Bethlehem and works with Wi'am, a social organization working with young people. He cannot travel freely, and has not, he said, in about 22 years. He is 25. A Palestinian living in East Jerusalem has privileges and can travel quite easily. Nicolas can travel to see Usama, but Usama can not ever get permission to leave the West Bank to go anywhere. And yet, when someone asked if he could get permit to move away permanently, he said that in that case, the Israeli Government would go out of its way to get him that permit quickly. The relentless pressure that Israel puts on Palestinians living in the West Bank, the always increasing Settlements that take up all the hilltops and are populated with subsidized Jewish mostly brought in from Europe and the United States, the road system that now makes sure they never meet each other as people .. (.the only Israeli the average Palestinian ever sees these days, is a young man or woman at the end of a big gun, at any of the 600 checkpoints that keep Palestinians from going to their jobs on time, from visiting their families, from running their businesses) ... that pressure, which changes forms all the time as the Israelis invent new and subtle ways to create frustration, seems clearly designed to provoke, to mock, to humiliate, and in the end, to drive them out.
At huge risk of misrepresenting entire and very complicated Conflicts, Colombia has a kind of violence that seems to be almost randomly indiscriminate. People with any property are victims of extortion, kidnapping, murder, all the time. And if you are living in a community where either the army, or the Paramilitary or the Guerrillas occupy, then the others assume that all citizens living in that place, have become sypmathizers, and they become targets of the other two armed groups. Uganda ... the LRA and the violence to children and that long-term trauma suffered by the entire country comes quickly to the center of that story along with immense poverty, the presence of a military and neighboring militaries, and a long history and capacity for brutality. Israel/Palestine ... so very complicated with Zionism, Christian Zionism, the immense power and self assured "righteousness" of the Israelis, who seem wiling to oppress, humiliate, persecute relentlessly, as they have themselves been victims and who have a zealousness that comes from a profound understanding of their own "being chosen" status. And, as Aylam says, from their capacity to keep reminding themselves and the entire world, that they are victims. And that that history justifies a lot of oppressive and brutal violence to other people now. Rob Baerg, our Board member, after visiting the West Bank 3 years ago, said that they seem now to be willing to do to the Palestinians what the Germans did to them. Aylam and Sharon say that some of the Peace Searching people in Israel don' t even use the word peace anymore, It is a search for Justice. They are not sure that just bringing people together to meet each other as human beings and then learning to talk together, will resolve anything. But many others, experienced leaders, say that that basic principle is the one that will, in the end, lead to any kind of peace in the Middle East, and anywhere else. Nigeria ... the north, being mostly Muslim, and the South, with its advantaged history of English schooling ... from which comes a constant imbalance of power, that looks, or can look like a religious war, but which often degenerates (as if war can degenerate any further) into mobs running through the towns and killing the"other" people. And then we have Canada, where we throw more young people into jail than any other country in the world, per capita, as if somehow, we are going to eliminate unruly behaviour by locking them up. I wonder what the other countries would say to us about that. In every case, people are suffering, and in every case, peace making work, and peace seeking people ... are needed ... to live lives that bless rather than curse their neighbors. Elias Chacour, the Bishop in Haifa said to us, sternly last year ... don't come here to pick sides. Come here to be friends. That is our hope, he said. He is a Palestinian.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Planting Peacer Profile: Sharon Casper
Sharon Casper is a human rights activist in Israel and is one of our Planting Peace participants. We are very excited and lucky to have her with us for the few weeks.
This is the link to the interview i did with Tommy Sands, an Irish musician and peace activist, who performed in Sheikh Jarrah. the interview was done in the context of his show in SJ. it begins in hebrew but changes very fast to english and the whole hour is in english.
thanx, sharon
http://2nd-ops.com/editors/?p=5028
This is the link to the interview i did with Tommy Sands, an Irish musician and peace activist, who performed in Sheikh Jarrah. the interview was done in the context of his show in SJ. it begins in hebrew but changes very fast to english and the whole hour is in english.
thanx, sharon
http://2nd-ops.com/editors/?p=5028
Thursday August 26 - Vegetable Soup and Hebrew Rap
Hello all...
A number of you are reading these updates, so we will keep sending them as there is time to do this. The primary reason for sending them is that we think that peace comes, from at the very least, getting people into the same room together. Around the same pot of soup together. Into the same discussion together. And emailing as many people as might be interested in thinking about this as "Planting Peace" takes its various courses here in Alberta, is our way, an effort to "bring us into the same discussion". Messy as it all is. Tomorrow, the campers, including our international guests, are climbing a small mountain. A 5 to 6 hour walk, up and down. The camp itself is, as any camp near the end of summer, delightful, and also filled with tensions, some conflicts, volunteers and counselors who are tired, senior teens who are pushing some limits. Two troubled teens needed some attention yesterday, which was only our second day actually at camp. After meeting with Camp Leaders it was suggested that Aylam, from Israel, become a big brother, for this week, to a young, troubled boy. And that Diana from Uganda do the same with another boy, whom she had befriended,, who had brought with him from Liberia, his own trauma. So, now, two our our 10 guests make sure they are at every activity in which those young teens are involved, to provide encouragement, coaching, and also some guidance as necessary to camp counsellors. Odd surprize, but I suspect that most good things that we plan for, bring with them some elements of surprize ... some presence of the Holy Spirit. (We have been hearing from the staff and director of the camp, that the presence of our group, messy and a bit tense as it has been, and the presentations of Gopar and Sani (a wise muslim man), and the interviews we do with the other international guests each night ... has had a completely positive impact on the campers. They are more attentive. They are more respectful. There is less violence. One counselor, when we asked yesterday if this was working, said, without hesitation ..."this is great. We have to do this again". These are young adults, with full workloads dealing with often unruly campers, now working with the surprizing presence of young adults whose first language is not English, from 5 different countries ... and after 4 days, they are saying... "we have to do this again". Whatever peace work is ... I think this is at least a small part of it. )
Gopar and Sani did the morning chapel again, this time with the theme of "valleys and views". In all our situations and countries, we approach valleys with perhaps some trepidation and maybe fear. But around those situations there is always a possibility of a changed view, a different perspective that begins, in that moment, to heal and rehabilitate relationships. Gopar told the story of Amina, the Muslim woman who, in Jos, Nigeria, lost her brother and her uncle and her home to the mobbing Christians in 2001. She organized a group of fundamentalists, to fight back. They trained to kill. But somehow she ended up in a workshop that Gopar was implementing. She hid her gun inside the folds of her skirt assuming that Gopar, a Christian, would mess up and offend her or the Muslims in general, and then she would shoot him. He didn't, and to her credit, she gave up the gun, went home, and began a second group ... of Muslims working for peace. She was accused of being bribed by the Christians, and her life was not easy after that. A sudden surprize, a new view, and a whole world is a little bit changed.
This evening, we heard the stories of Alejandra, a social worker from Colombia, who works at peace education with children, ages 5 to 17. A little boy, she said, recently had his bike stolen. He and his friends decided quickly to find the other boy who did this, and then to kill him. But a little girl, whom Alejandra works with, intervened and told him that the boy who took the bike is worth more than the bike, and it stopped what might have been a tragic story, from happening.
Daniel, also from Colombia, told the larger group at campfire this evening, a litttle of his life. At 10 years of age, he already was conscious of the daily and horrible violence in Colombia. Violence which he saw routinely. And he decided that his life was going to be devoted to finding ways to make peace. He is now about 23 or 24 He talked about a group of volunteers who, in a town, not far from Bogota, decided to honor women on mothers day. They walked around to all the grocery stores and asked for eggs, and vegetables, and anything else needed to make a good soup. And the paramilitary and the soldiers threatened to interfere. They invited them to come and help them make the soup, but they had to leave their guns aside to do this. Some did, and in the end, they fed over 400 people, made flowers for a over 200 women ... and with this some of the fear has subsided. Not all the soldiers nor paramilitary personnel turned in their guns. But some did.
Sharon, one of two Israelis, performed at the Wed pm folk festival yesterday, at camp. She did two rap numbers. That is what she thrives on. She is a peace activist in Israel, who worries and frets about the injustice that is run over the Palestinians. When we asked what had been difficult yesterday, she said that she has a hard time being at camp, where little that is really tragic, happens. Her life is surrounded by death, by destruction, as, relentlessly, the Israeli army and leadership continues to demolish Palestinian villages, homes, trees. It has not stopped since 1948. She says that is why her rap songs are "rage songs", sung in Hebrew. She is very talented, and her songs are entirely improvised.
All for now. This morning, Thursday, Kim, Kari and I met with Gopar and Sani, to review our plans for the FCJ Center event, which begins Sunday evening here in Calgary, when 20 young adults from SK and AB and MB will join our 12 guests, under leadership of Gopar and Sani ... for 3.5 days of discussion and, "being in the same room" together.
-Abe Janzen
A number of you are reading these updates, so we will keep sending them as there is time to do this. The primary reason for sending them is that we think that peace comes, from at the very least, getting people into the same room together. Around the same pot of soup together. Into the same discussion together. And emailing as many people as might be interested in thinking about this as "Planting Peace" takes its various courses here in Alberta, is our way, an effort to "bring us into the same discussion". Messy as it all is. Tomorrow, the campers, including our international guests, are climbing a small mountain. A 5 to 6 hour walk, up and down. The camp itself is, as any camp near the end of summer, delightful, and also filled with tensions, some conflicts, volunteers and counselors who are tired, senior teens who are pushing some limits. Two troubled teens needed some attention yesterday, which was only our second day actually at camp. After meeting with Camp Leaders it was suggested that Aylam, from Israel, become a big brother, for this week, to a young, troubled boy. And that Diana from Uganda do the same with another boy, whom she had befriended,, who had brought with him from Liberia, his own trauma. So, now, two our our 10 guests make sure they are at every activity in which those young teens are involved, to provide encouragement, coaching, and also some guidance as necessary to camp counsellors. Odd surprize, but I suspect that most good things that we plan for, bring with them some elements of surprize ... some presence of the Holy Spirit. (We have been hearing from the staff and director of the camp, that the presence of our group, messy and a bit tense as it has been, and the presentations of Gopar and Sani (a wise muslim man), and the interviews we do with the other international guests each night ... has had a completely positive impact on the campers. They are more attentive. They are more respectful. There is less violence. One counselor, when we asked yesterday if this was working, said, without hesitation ..."this is great. We have to do this again". These are young adults, with full workloads dealing with often unruly campers, now working with the surprizing presence of young adults whose first language is not English, from 5 different countries ... and after 4 days, they are saying... "we have to do this again". Whatever peace work is ... I think this is at least a small part of it. )
Gopar and Sani did the morning chapel again, this time with the theme of "valleys and views". In all our situations and countries, we approach valleys with perhaps some trepidation and maybe fear. But around those situations there is always a possibility of a changed view, a different perspective that begins, in that moment, to heal and rehabilitate relationships. Gopar told the story of Amina, the Muslim woman who, in Jos, Nigeria, lost her brother and her uncle and her home to the mobbing Christians in 2001. She organized a group of fundamentalists, to fight back. They trained to kill. But somehow she ended up in a workshop that Gopar was implementing. She hid her gun inside the folds of her skirt assuming that Gopar, a Christian, would mess up and offend her or the Muslims in general, and then she would shoot him. He didn't, and to her credit, she gave up the gun, went home, and began a second group ... of Muslims working for peace. She was accused of being bribed by the Christians, and her life was not easy after that. A sudden surprize, a new view, and a whole world is a little bit changed.
This evening, we heard the stories of Alejandra, a social worker from Colombia, who works at peace education with children, ages 5 to 17. A little boy, she said, recently had his bike stolen. He and his friends decided quickly to find the other boy who did this, and then to kill him. But a little girl, whom Alejandra works with, intervened and told him that the boy who took the bike is worth more than the bike, and it stopped what might have been a tragic story, from happening.
Daniel, also from Colombia, told the larger group at campfire this evening, a litttle of his life. At 10 years of age, he already was conscious of the daily and horrible violence in Colombia. Violence which he saw routinely. And he decided that his life was going to be devoted to finding ways to make peace. He is now about 23 or 24 He talked about a group of volunteers who, in a town, not far from Bogota, decided to honor women on mothers day. They walked around to all the grocery stores and asked for eggs, and vegetables, and anything else needed to make a good soup. And the paramilitary and the soldiers threatened to interfere. They invited them to come and help them make the soup, but they had to leave their guns aside to do this. Some did, and in the end, they fed over 400 people, made flowers for a over 200 women ... and with this some of the fear has subsided. Not all the soldiers nor paramilitary personnel turned in their guns. But some did.
Sharon, one of two Israelis, performed at the Wed pm folk festival yesterday, at camp. She did two rap numbers. That is what she thrives on. She is a peace activist in Israel, who worries and frets about the injustice that is run over the Palestinians. When we asked what had been difficult yesterday, she said that she has a hard time being at camp, where little that is really tragic, happens. Her life is surrounded by death, by destruction, as, relentlessly, the Israeli army and leadership continues to demolish Palestinian villages, homes, trees. It has not stopped since 1948. She says that is why her rap songs are "rage songs", sung in Hebrew. She is very talented, and her songs are entirely improvised.
All for now. This morning, Thursday, Kim, Kari and I met with Gopar and Sani, to review our plans for the FCJ Center event, which begins Sunday evening here in Calgary, when 20 young adults from SK and AB and MB will join our 12 guests, under leadership of Gopar and Sani ... for 3.5 days of discussion and, "being in the same room" together.
-Abe Janzen
Wednesday August 25th - Camp Midweek
There are 40 Alberta campers and 12 people from various countries ... Uganda, Colombia, Nigeria, Palestine, Israel, Dominican Republic, Jordan. And some campers that were not born in Alberta but in Brazil, and some in Liberia. Amazingly, they are all finding ways to talk, to do activities, like crafts, climbing walls, sing, eat, canoe, swim ... together. As one of the guests said the end of day 1, this is a microcosm of the world, in a very small place an hour north of Calgary.
Camp Valaqua is running its normal, last-week-of-summer camp for high school teens. Forty or so. And MCC has brought in 12 guests from the various countries, as named. Ten with Planting Peace, and 2, who are early arrivals with IVEP. We arrived at Camp Valaqua, all 12 of them and some MCCA staff, on Sunday at 4 pm. None of us really knew each other. All 10, pretty much selected by Country reps of MCC. All, except one, working with MCC Partners. All, in one way or another, Peace workers, peace activists. Passionate, creative people. A journalist from Palestine. A young woman working with young adults who have survived the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, having been abducted as children. Rosemary is a gifted, articulate, pastoral person who helps these young adults by teaching and encouraging them to become useful to themselves, making things as ordinary at cupcakes. Aylam, of Israel, has witnessed the repeated demolition of Bedouin Villages by the Israeli Army who come with bulldozers and SWAT Teams, by the hundreds, to demolish a village, "in seconds". He and others, not wanting violence, are left to watch, as this happens, though they protest, advocate, do what they can to stop this. And then they help the Bedouins rebuild that village, reerecting their tents and other makeshift homes. And then, the Israelis come again, and demolish it again. Diana, from Uganda, works as a volunteer with Living With Shalom, where, she says, the young adults, in a peace learning process that lasts for weeks, each year, begin to live and think, she says, at another level, as they learn, simply, to acknowledge the rightful existence of other tribes, other people groups, and to find ways to "be together", live together, work together. These stories, both informally and more formally are being presented to Alberta's teenagers and young adults. What is fascinating is that this group of visitors, in the middle of working with our Albertans, have bonded, including Diego, the translator for Alejandra, from Colombia, who speaks little English. Aylam, yesterday, said that "I have a human thirst; I know I could spend years with each of you, every one of you", and that, he said, is unusual for him. He, as most of us, enter a group situation and may seek out 2 or 3 people. In this case, he said, it has become the entire group.
Camp has its normal routine. But that routine of meals, sleep, activities and teaching sessions now includes a multicultural learning aspect. Today, when Kim and I met with the counselor and administrative staff, they said this is a hugely good opportunity for them, as staff and campers to learn, to be stretched, by this presence of this group of strangers from all over the world, who are passionate, who represent conflicts and pain that is immense, and who have come here, to this Camp Valaqua, to get to know the 40 Alberta Campers, to live, eat, play, interact with them. Gopar from the Nigerian Christian Community, and Sani, from the Muslim Community prepare and present the morning chapel with help from the rest of us in skits, organization, theme planning. All about our need to work together, to be together. Yesterday, Gopar told the story of a man, among many, carrying his cross through life, then having it cut shorter, to be lighter, apparently because he asked God for permission to do this. Sadly, near the end of the journey, the man was not able to cross an abyss, because he had too little cross left, to lay across it, while those who had carried their fuller burdens, crossed easily. Rosemary then asked why God would have allowed this man to cut short his burden, knowing all the while that this would prevent him reaching his assigned goal. He was "set up", she wondered, by God himself? This was discussed by other comments, until Sani, twice got up and offered his own explanation, based on their work as Muslims together with Christians in Nigeria. Gopar and Sani have written, in fact, a small book called "My Brother's Keeper" which talks about Muslims, hiding Christians as mobbing Muslim groups massacre the Christians. It also talks about Christians, hiding Muslims, as mobbing Christian groups massacre Muslims, a long conflict which began to erupt in 2001 and keeps repeating itself.
At the evening campfire, we interviewed two guests from Israel and two from Uganda, with questions placed so that they would be able to tell small portions of their stories, of the work they do, of the lives of their families. This morning, at the outside, hillside, in-the- forest Chapel, Sani talked about the Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, and finished with a song, asking "Camp Valaqua, what do you want" ... and it's "Peace" in the end, that everyone wants. Peace, at all levels of living. But as he sang it again, with us, he named a young, troubled teenage, 14, whom everyone knows already as a serious trouble making boy, and asked him what he wanted. And then he walked towards the boy, and pulled him onto the stage, and had him sing the song together wtih him. It was a lovely moment of redemption. The boy is quite violent, having survived serious trauma in Liberia, but later in the day, a Counsellor told us that that young teenage seemed to be having an improved and more positive and more participatory approach to things than he had had for some time at camp. While the risk is somewhat real here, of having a Muslim person talking to a large group of Alberta Christian (or not) young people, in the sense that their parents might have some concerns, this, among the campers, is being very, very well received. And among the leaders here too. They are seeing a person as a person, and hearing about how Christians and Muslims can actually solve problems.... working together.
By the way, on Monday, at 12:30, Sani and Gopar will be on CBC Radio, all over Alberta, for 30 Minutes, talking, being interviewed, and taking calls from the public. Very cool.
-Abe Janzen
Camp Valaqua is running its normal, last-week-of-summer camp for high school teens. Forty or so. And MCC has brought in 12 guests from the various countries, as named. Ten with Planting Peace, and 2, who are early arrivals with IVEP. We arrived at Camp Valaqua, all 12 of them and some MCCA staff, on Sunday at 4 pm. None of us really knew each other. All 10, pretty much selected by Country reps of MCC. All, except one, working with MCC Partners. All, in one way or another, Peace workers, peace activists. Passionate, creative people. A journalist from Palestine. A young woman working with young adults who have survived the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, having been abducted as children. Rosemary is a gifted, articulate, pastoral person who helps these young adults by teaching and encouraging them to become useful to themselves, making things as ordinary at cupcakes. Aylam, of Israel, has witnessed the repeated demolition of Bedouin Villages by the Israeli Army who come with bulldozers and SWAT Teams, by the hundreds, to demolish a village, "in seconds". He and others, not wanting violence, are left to watch, as this happens, though they protest, advocate, do what they can to stop this. And then they help the Bedouins rebuild that village, reerecting their tents and other makeshift homes. And then, the Israelis come again, and demolish it again. Diana, from Uganda, works as a volunteer with Living With Shalom, where, she says, the young adults, in a peace learning process that lasts for weeks, each year, begin to live and think, she says, at another level, as they learn, simply, to acknowledge the rightful existence of other tribes, other people groups, and to find ways to "be together", live together, work together. These stories, both informally and more formally are being presented to Alberta's teenagers and young adults. What is fascinating is that this group of visitors, in the middle of working with our Albertans, have bonded, including Diego, the translator for Alejandra, from Colombia, who speaks little English. Aylam, yesterday, said that "I have a human thirst; I know I could spend years with each of you, every one of you", and that, he said, is unusual for him. He, as most of us, enter a group situation and may seek out 2 or 3 people. In this case, he said, it has become the entire group.
Camp has its normal routine. But that routine of meals, sleep, activities and teaching sessions now includes a multicultural learning aspect. Today, when Kim and I met with the counselor and administrative staff, they said this is a hugely good opportunity for them, as staff and campers to learn, to be stretched, by this presence of this group of strangers from all over the world, who are passionate, who represent conflicts and pain that is immense, and who have come here, to this Camp Valaqua, to get to know the 40 Alberta Campers, to live, eat, play, interact with them. Gopar from the Nigerian Christian Community, and Sani, from the Muslim Community prepare and present the morning chapel with help from the rest of us in skits, organization, theme planning. All about our need to work together, to be together. Yesterday, Gopar told the story of a man, among many, carrying his cross through life, then having it cut shorter, to be lighter, apparently because he asked God for permission to do this. Sadly, near the end of the journey, the man was not able to cross an abyss, because he had too little cross left, to lay across it, while those who had carried their fuller burdens, crossed easily. Rosemary then asked why God would have allowed this man to cut short his burden, knowing all the while that this would prevent him reaching his assigned goal. He was "set up", she wondered, by God himself? This was discussed by other comments, until Sani, twice got up and offered his own explanation, based on their work as Muslims together with Christians in Nigeria. Gopar and Sani have written, in fact, a small book called "My Brother's Keeper" which talks about Muslims, hiding Christians as mobbing Muslim groups massacre the Christians. It also talks about Christians, hiding Muslims, as mobbing Christian groups massacre Muslims, a long conflict which began to erupt in 2001 and keeps repeating itself.
At the evening campfire, we interviewed two guests from Israel and two from Uganda, with questions placed so that they would be able to tell small portions of their stories, of the work they do, of the lives of their families. This morning, at the outside, hillside, in-the- forest Chapel, Sani talked about the Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, and finished with a song, asking "Camp Valaqua, what do you want" ... and it's "Peace" in the end, that everyone wants. Peace, at all levels of living. But as he sang it again, with us, he named a young, troubled teenage, 14, whom everyone knows already as a serious trouble making boy, and asked him what he wanted. And then he walked towards the boy, and pulled him onto the stage, and had him sing the song together wtih him. It was a lovely moment of redemption. The boy is quite violent, having survived serious trauma in Liberia, but later in the day, a Counsellor told us that that young teenage seemed to be having an improved and more positive and more participatory approach to things than he had had for some time at camp. While the risk is somewhat real here, of having a Muslim person talking to a large group of Alberta Christian (or not) young people, in the sense that their parents might have some concerns, this, among the campers, is being very, very well received. And among the leaders here too. They are seeing a person as a person, and hearing about how Christians and Muslims can actually solve problems.... working together.
By the way, on Monday, at 12:30, Sani and Gopar will be on CBC Radio, all over Alberta, for 30 Minutes, talking, being interviewed, and taking calls from the public. Very cool.
-Abe Janzen
Monday, August 23, 2010
Planting Peace Profile: Aylam Bar-Shalom
Out of interest, I googled Aylam Bar-Shalom (one of the Israeli Planting Peace participants) and found this article he wrote about witnessing the demolition of El Arakib, a Palestinian village. Devastating stuff. Quite a courageous young man.
Kim
By Aylam Bar-Shalom, submitted by Anonymous on רביעי, 28/07/2010 - 09:53
Yesterday I witnessed an entire village being demolished by the Israeli police force and Kakal.
It was four o'clock this morning. A few members of the Negev Co-existence forum, me included met in Be'er Sheva and rode off to El-Arakib, a Bedouin village just north of the city, fearing we were already too late. We rode off the main road to the rocky track that leads to the entrance of the desert village. We were temporarily pleased to find, that the huge expected police forces which were sighted in the nearby junctions were not there, yet.
We reached the village and parked the car near the cemetery, where we were told there would be less of a chance it would be towed away. In the village itself we met weary men in a state of restrained panic. Several tens of young boys came down to help during the next dreadful hours. Some twenty left wing activist, shook themselves awake from the blankets and mats that were laid down for them earlier at midnight when they arrived from Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv.
For a little while it wasn't clear what we were needed to do. Some men that we spoke with told us there was no plan made, no strategy, and that as far as they're concerned, every person or group should do what they think is right. At some point, however, one of the men had us gather round in a group and asked us to split up in to pairs and small groups and go sit in the different houses, holding on to the foundations when the cops arrive. Our Be'er Sheva team coincidently was asked to remain in the main Shig (a tent where the men gather and meet), which was to be the last of the evicted structures.
Around the tent, there were young planted olive trees and I think what was going to grow in to a fig tree. I went over to look at the trees, so timid and pretty in the cold desert air of dawn, unaware of the injustice they were about to be done. I touched the fig tree lightly and hoped, it would to survive this morning.
I went back inside the Shig and one of my companions suggested we prepare ourselves for a non-violent protest. We held our hands and feet tied together and decided how to respond if one of us is in pain and needs to be released of our grip. We then chatted in the strained relaxation, while the sun began painting the sky a lighter shade of blue, and showing its first rays. Many times did one of us go over to the entrance to see what was happening outside. Meanwhile, as was expected, police vans by the hundreds, Kakal Jeeps, buses filled with armed units, Bulldozers, Trailers and other vehicles came streaming to the entrance of the Village. A seemingly endless convoy of government law enforcers.
Hundreds of Cops and Yasam (special squat units used frequently to dispose of demonstrations), some of them riding horses, at standby, awaiting their orders. Quite swiftly the order to start evicting was given and the Yasam teams spread out through the small village like a black wave of uniformed robots, carrying hard rubber clubs and fortified plastic shields, they looked like they were prepared for a war zone. Swiftly they entered each of the tents and tin buildings, pulling out people of all ages with force. Screams could be heard from all over while we awaited in the main Shig for our turn to be washed out by the tide of black violence, like an angry wave may throw you back on the shore at storm, or carry you back with it.
There soon came the point when we were the last activist to remain holding on to a building. All the rest of them and a great number of the village men and boys were gathered together, against there will, trying to yell reason at the black still wall of cops that towered over them on the little hill. I came out for a moment, for it seemed rather ridiculous to remain inside the tent while all the other people seemed to be facing the cops outside. I asked one of the activist if she thinks there is any point of us staying in the tent and she said there is no point. That the rest of the village was already cleared out. That they are just too many. In the confusion of the moment, with a squat team rushing in the tent suddenly, we left without protest. It was a frustrating decision and hours later I went around with a feeling of worthlessness. In truth, what difference would it make if we'd put up a fight and would have been pulled out a few minutes later, like some others? But I still felt lousy for missing the only real opportunity to resist the terrible injustice that has been done to the villagers of El-Arakib.
About twenty impatient, violent Yasam cops pushed the last of the activist, down a steep gravel slide at the fringes of the village about to be destroyed. One of the activist tripped over a rusty metal container and cut his cheek. The Yasam pushed him on, regardless of his state. Another activist shouted at them that they have no right to be so violent and careless, to no avail. The class of black fish swam on with the current, riding over us.
The eviction was over, the Yasam units retreated and were replaced immediately by a circle of cops in blue. The diligent ushers of the El-Arakib horror show, stood like proud sentinels, securing the stage from the angry crowd's attempts to get back on it. Like a dark age ritual, the fruits of the poor villagers sweat, were to be sacrificed to the gods of politics, and squashed under cold metal shoes.
Now, there seemed nothing left for us to do, but watch. So we watched, helpless as homes, public tents, trees, animal shelters and so on, were crushed to dust and gravel under the bulldozers steel palms, heroes of the second act in this tragedy. I watched the young olive and fig trees fall, my wish no match for such indifferent cruelty. The whole show lasted about two hours. Expert's efficiency.
There was a terrible rumor, that later on was found to be true, that several farm animals (mostly chickens), which remained in the deconstruction site were crushed under the falling buildings. Others, chickens and geese, could be seen wondering around, too close to the bulldozers, searching for shelter and peace between the piles of wreckage. A goat, who seemed to have harmed her leg, was limping inside her broken mess of a pen.
One of my friends and I turned to a few of the guard cops, asking them permission to go up to the village and try to lead the miserable animals to safety. One said, we can't go in. Another suggested we talk to the commander. He didn't seem to know where his commander was, though. A third cop told us they had been ordered to scare all the animals away from the tents before destroying them, an order they obviously took half seriously.
The situation was so frustrating, but I couldn't think of anything more I could do. My hands were already numb from despair.
Calls of rage and anger from the Bedouin Villagers, uprooted from their rightful land, attracted the a Yasam unit to surround a large group of them. For several minutes it seemed as if they were all going to be arrested or detained, but finally they were left be. Waste of energy, they must have thought, their entire village was already being destroyed and left in rubble, a severe enough punishment for these Bedouin scum. I noticed an activist yelling at a cop who had apparently cursed her, insisting that he shows her his officer badge and give her his full name. By Israeli law, cops in duty are obligated to show their badges to civilians wishing to report them later. But now the demolishing warrants were done with, law finished his duty early and left home to have a coffee and a bagel.
A few minuted later the show was over. The little village, seemed now to be made out of shattered bowls of stew. The blue and black units retreated to their air conditioned vehicles, to their steady houses.vThe young broken trees kissed the earth, too close to her, bowing towards their shamed masters, begging for forgiveness. The scattered geese and chickens continued walking around, in a desperate attempt to find water and shelter from the blazing sun. The people of El-Arakib returned to their village. What was left for them was like a thousand piece puzzle, broken apart again, most of the pieces torn.
A few more news reporters and a TV van arrived to document the aftermath. Children and mothers siting in the little shade provided by a folded house, with no doors, no windows, no privacy. Tired, strained men walking here and there, trying to figure out how where to begin again, to start repairing their lives, with no time to bandage their broken hearts. Groups of young boys, that so far held themselves back from casting stones upon their enemy, left with the stones and unsatisfied anger, but with no one to target the stones their guilt at.
One of the young photographers, that visits the village regularly, said to me that up to now, whenever the state came and destroyed a single house or two, it wasn't so bad. Hard times make good neighbors, and a family whose house was destroyed will be taken in by another and helped out to rebuild their tent. But how will a family, whose house was destroyed, manage when all the neighbors houses were wreaked too? What choice to they have?
Sheich Sayach, the head of the village seemed ever more desperate. Half an hour ago he ran to take his tractor and came back to try and save a large generator which powered the village. I could see him and a bunch of men securing the generator to a chain and to the tractors spoon but the little tractor could not stand the weight and almost fell over. The generator was left on the gravel, a short distance away from its post, left for the state to claim it instead. They had much bigger towing machines.
About an hour after the destruction, breakfast arrived. A few boxes of dusty tomatoes, cucumbers, pita bread and closed plastic cups of white cheese, that someone must have picked up in Be'er Sheva had been laid out on the bare soil. Me and about two other activist who still remained on the site to see if any aid will be needed from us, were welcomed to share the food. I had not much of an appetite but convinced myself to swallow down a few vegetables. In the end, I left with the person who gave me a lift there earlier that morning, before the disaster. I fell asleep in the air conditioned car, aware of the privilege of being out of the sun and on my way back to my safe home in Be'er Sheva, leaving behind a broken stage, with broken actors in a scene they did not dream they would have to act in.
For information on how to help write to mail@dukium.org
Kim
By Aylam Bar-Shalom, submitted by Anonymous on רביעי, 28/07/2010 - 09:53
Yesterday I witnessed an entire village being demolished by the Israeli police force and Kakal.
It was four o'clock this morning. A few members of the Negev Co-existence forum, me included met in Be'er Sheva and rode off to El-Arakib, a Bedouin village just north of the city, fearing we were already too late. We rode off the main road to the rocky track that leads to the entrance of the desert village. We were temporarily pleased to find, that the huge expected police forces which were sighted in the nearby junctions were not there, yet.
We reached the village and parked the car near the cemetery, where we were told there would be less of a chance it would be towed away. In the village itself we met weary men in a state of restrained panic. Several tens of young boys came down to help during the next dreadful hours. Some twenty left wing activist, shook themselves awake from the blankets and mats that were laid down for them earlier at midnight when they arrived from Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv.
For a little while it wasn't clear what we were needed to do. Some men that we spoke with told us there was no plan made, no strategy, and that as far as they're concerned, every person or group should do what they think is right. At some point, however, one of the men had us gather round in a group and asked us to split up in to pairs and small groups and go sit in the different houses, holding on to the foundations when the cops arrive. Our Be'er Sheva team coincidently was asked to remain in the main Shig (a tent where the men gather and meet), which was to be the last of the evicted structures.
Around the tent, there were young planted olive trees and I think what was going to grow in to a fig tree. I went over to look at the trees, so timid and pretty in the cold desert air of dawn, unaware of the injustice they were about to be done. I touched the fig tree lightly and hoped, it would to survive this morning.
I went back inside the Shig and one of my companions suggested we prepare ourselves for a non-violent protest. We held our hands and feet tied together and decided how to respond if one of us is in pain and needs to be released of our grip. We then chatted in the strained relaxation, while the sun began painting the sky a lighter shade of blue, and showing its first rays. Many times did one of us go over to the entrance to see what was happening outside. Meanwhile, as was expected, police vans by the hundreds, Kakal Jeeps, buses filled with armed units, Bulldozers, Trailers and other vehicles came streaming to the entrance of the Village. A seemingly endless convoy of government law enforcers.
Hundreds of Cops and Yasam (special squat units used frequently to dispose of demonstrations), some of them riding horses, at standby, awaiting their orders. Quite swiftly the order to start evicting was given and the Yasam teams spread out through the small village like a black wave of uniformed robots, carrying hard rubber clubs and fortified plastic shields, they looked like they were prepared for a war zone. Swiftly they entered each of the tents and tin buildings, pulling out people of all ages with force. Screams could be heard from all over while we awaited in the main Shig for our turn to be washed out by the tide of black violence, like an angry wave may throw you back on the shore at storm, or carry you back with it.
There soon came the point when we were the last activist to remain holding on to a building. All the rest of them and a great number of the village men and boys were gathered together, against there will, trying to yell reason at the black still wall of cops that towered over them on the little hill. I came out for a moment, for it seemed rather ridiculous to remain inside the tent while all the other people seemed to be facing the cops outside. I asked one of the activist if she thinks there is any point of us staying in the tent and she said there is no point. That the rest of the village was already cleared out. That they are just too many. In the confusion of the moment, with a squat team rushing in the tent suddenly, we left without protest. It was a frustrating decision and hours later I went around with a feeling of worthlessness. In truth, what difference would it make if we'd put up a fight and would have been pulled out a few minutes later, like some others? But I still felt lousy for missing the only real opportunity to resist the terrible injustice that has been done to the villagers of El-Arakib.
About twenty impatient, violent Yasam cops pushed the last of the activist, down a steep gravel slide at the fringes of the village about to be destroyed. One of the activist tripped over a rusty metal container and cut his cheek. The Yasam pushed him on, regardless of his state. Another activist shouted at them that they have no right to be so violent and careless, to no avail. The class of black fish swam on with the current, riding over us.
The eviction was over, the Yasam units retreated and were replaced immediately by a circle of cops in blue. The diligent ushers of the El-Arakib horror show, stood like proud sentinels, securing the stage from the angry crowd's attempts to get back on it. Like a dark age ritual, the fruits of the poor villagers sweat, were to be sacrificed to the gods of politics, and squashed under cold metal shoes.
Now, there seemed nothing left for us to do, but watch. So we watched, helpless as homes, public tents, trees, animal shelters and so on, were crushed to dust and gravel under the bulldozers steel palms, heroes of the second act in this tragedy. I watched the young olive and fig trees fall, my wish no match for such indifferent cruelty. The whole show lasted about two hours. Expert's efficiency.
There was a terrible rumor, that later on was found to be true, that several farm animals (mostly chickens), which remained in the deconstruction site were crushed under the falling buildings. Others, chickens and geese, could be seen wondering around, too close to the bulldozers, searching for shelter and peace between the piles of wreckage. A goat, who seemed to have harmed her leg, was limping inside her broken mess of a pen.
One of my friends and I turned to a few of the guard cops, asking them permission to go up to the village and try to lead the miserable animals to safety. One said, we can't go in. Another suggested we talk to the commander. He didn't seem to know where his commander was, though. A third cop told us they had been ordered to scare all the animals away from the tents before destroying them, an order they obviously took half seriously.
The situation was so frustrating, but I couldn't think of anything more I could do. My hands were already numb from despair.
Calls of rage and anger from the Bedouin Villagers, uprooted from their rightful land, attracted the a Yasam unit to surround a large group of them. For several minutes it seemed as if they were all going to be arrested or detained, but finally they were left be. Waste of energy, they must have thought, their entire village was already being destroyed and left in rubble, a severe enough punishment for these Bedouin scum. I noticed an activist yelling at a cop who had apparently cursed her, insisting that he shows her his officer badge and give her his full name. By Israeli law, cops in duty are obligated to show their badges to civilians wishing to report them later. But now the demolishing warrants were done with, law finished his duty early and left home to have a coffee and a bagel.
A few minuted later the show was over. The little village, seemed now to be made out of shattered bowls of stew. The blue and black units retreated to their air conditioned vehicles, to their steady houses.vThe young broken trees kissed the earth, too close to her, bowing towards their shamed masters, begging for forgiveness. The scattered geese and chickens continued walking around, in a desperate attempt to find water and shelter from the blazing sun. The people of El-Arakib returned to their village. What was left for them was like a thousand piece puzzle, broken apart again, most of the pieces torn.
A few more news reporters and a TV van arrived to document the aftermath. Children and mothers siting in the little shade provided by a folded house, with no doors, no windows, no privacy. Tired, strained men walking here and there, trying to figure out how where to begin again, to start repairing their lives, with no time to bandage their broken hearts. Groups of young boys, that so far held themselves back from casting stones upon their enemy, left with the stones and unsatisfied anger, but with no one to target the stones their guilt at.
One of the young photographers, that visits the village regularly, said to me that up to now, whenever the state came and destroyed a single house or two, it wasn't so bad. Hard times make good neighbors, and a family whose house was destroyed will be taken in by another and helped out to rebuild their tent. But how will a family, whose house was destroyed, manage when all the neighbors houses were wreaked too? What choice to they have?
Sheich Sayach, the head of the village seemed ever more desperate. Half an hour ago he ran to take his tractor and came back to try and save a large generator which powered the village. I could see him and a bunch of men securing the generator to a chain and to the tractors spoon but the little tractor could not stand the weight and almost fell over. The generator was left on the gravel, a short distance away from its post, left for the state to claim it instead. They had much bigger towing machines.
About an hour after the destruction, breakfast arrived. A few boxes of dusty tomatoes, cucumbers, pita bread and closed plastic cups of white cheese, that someone must have picked up in Be'er Sheva had been laid out on the bare soil. Me and about two other activist who still remained on the site to see if any aid will be needed from us, were welcomed to share the food. I had not much of an appetite but convinced myself to swallow down a few vegetables. In the end, I left with the person who gave me a lift there earlier that morning, before the disaster. I fell asleep in the air conditioned car, aware of the privilege of being out of the sun and on my way back to my safe home in Be'er Sheva, leaving behind a broken stage, with broken actors in a scene they did not dream they would have to act in.
For information on how to help write to mail@dukium.org
Planting Peace Begins - Saturday August 21
Hello folks... I don't know how to start a blog, but I know how to send an email. (See the MCC Alberta Facebook for Michaels daily update on Planting Peace.) I am sending this because of the set of 3 events, called Planting Peace, How do we stop Killing Each Other? that began to happen yesterday in Alberta. As the next days evolve, you may see some more of these emails from us. The reason is to be consistent with the events themselves, which have one purpose ... to bring people together from some countries and from some provinces, to talk with each other about many things, and about how we can become, all of us, better equipped as practical peace makers. I hope that by sending an email to you folks, this bringing people together, even inside of MCC, , is broadened. MCC people support and build amazing Peace work, all over the world. We hope that PP in Alberta contributes to that broad and creative and God-given work.
I am attaching an article that Kim pulled off the internet last night, after the day at the airport, written by one of our guests, a young Israeli man named Aylam, who is a peace maker activist in that on-going tragedy between two peoples and two (sort of) countries in the Middle East. (See below) Every guest who is here, brings some conflict and some life and energy to Alberta this next two weeks. Ryan Hauck and two other Albertans recently traveled to Jordan to attend a Peace Seminar with many other young adults. Ryan made a comment that interested me. He said that it appeared that one of the main reasons they were brought together to this MCC-Sponsored Seminar was to "be together". To get to know each other as people. Too simple maybe for some, but is there any other way that the people of the world will stop needlessly killing each other than to find ordinary and extraordinary ways to be together? Our hope in Alberta is that the young adults, ( some from Alberta that are not so young anymore), will find ways to be together, to plan together, to talk about each others' conflict areas, to find the good in each other and in that way, to be able to return to each of their home communities, better equipped and more encouraged to think and act as if Peace Making is in fact a really urgent way of living that applies to Mennonites, and Presbyterians ... Christians, Jews, and Muslims and to every human being that participates in any way in a community, in a family, in a country, in a culture, in a relationship.
Yesterday, they began to arrive. Daniel and Alejandra from Colombia, Rosemary and Dianna from Uganda. Diana had missed her flight early on, and they arrived separately. But after thinking we had lost Rosemary in Brussels or in Montreal, she found us in the airport. We had walked past each other at least 3 or 4 times. (First lesson in any Peace Seminar maybe... figure out how to make contact. But don't go home if it doesn't happen right away. ) Usama from Palestine. Sharon and Aylam from Israel. Nicolas from East Jerusalem. (These three were supposed to be on a 9:40 pm flight, but weren't. Some anxiety there. They arrived one hour later on another flight. Luckily, we were still there, hoping they were somewhere in the airport.) And this morning, we hope that Gopar and Sani (our facilitators) will arrive from Nigeria. At the last minute, yesterday, we had to buy them tickets from Calgary back to Nigeria, because they were not granted visas to the USA after all; without a complete return tickert that they most likely would not have been allowed onto the flight in Nigeria to come here. (Expensive to buy one-way tickets at the last minute. Thank you Bruce for your quick encouragement to move ahead and "just do it".)
During week one, the group will interact with 40 campers and the counsellors and staff from all over Alberta, at Camp Valaqua, an hour north of Calgary. Next weekend, a public event in Calgary, and then we move into the FCJ Center here in Calgary for 3 and a half days where we will be joined about 20 young adults from Alberta and Saskatchewan, plus Daniel and Esther from MB, and some other local Alberta people including a number of MCC Alberta Peace Team and other staff, and two IVEPers, from Jordan and the Dominican Republic. Thank you, Claire for sending us some SK folks.
As they began to arrive yesterday, amidst the confusion and tension of hoping everyone will arrive, it became more and more obvious that having people who in every case, do not actually know the other person from their own country even, nor anyone else who has come, is going to turn into a challenging and delightful (we hope) learning experience of "being together". The first to arrive were Daniel and Alejandra from Colombia, joining Dina from Jordan and Elimer from the Dominican Republic. These four had lunch with the MCC Alberta staff yesterday. Afterwards, they all went shopping at the Thrift Shop. These strangers to each other, and in a strange land. Daniel and Alejandra were cold. And when Kim and Michael dropped them off at the FCJ Center, where everyone is spending their first two nights, they saw Alejandra and Dina (Alejandra speaks almost no English .... less than 1% she says) already walking down the hallway, arm in arm .. "talking" with each other. Peace in this world and in our communities is possible. It is God's wish. It is our need. It always leads to the possibilities of rebuilding. It always has the participation of the Holy Spirit in his "accidental ways". And it seems to have so much to do with finding ways, and pursuing them, as Dina and Alejandra did in less than two hours, of communicating, and being together.
See the article below. Also, Michael Harms will be updating the MCC Alberta Facebook as daily as he has time to do. Please have a look if you have time.
Thank you, Country Reps from Uganda, Colombia, Nigeria, Jordan, and your Area Directos in Akron, for helping to bring this group of people to Alberta and for wanting to help us carry out this pretty complicated set of Peace Events. Thank you to the Alberta Board for supporting and encouraging this kind of work. Thank you to our Peace Team Staff for putting in the endless hours of coordinating and leading to get to now, the starting point. Well, it started yesterday, and in many ways, long before that, when we learned about "Living With Shalom" that creative and so simple Peace Program in Uganda. Say a prayer for us all. The wheels can come off events like this, or they can become wonderful builders.
(For your information, the MCC Canada Public Engagement Funds from CIDA are paying for this set of events, pretty much. Thank you, Deo, Aaron, and Monica. Not sure yet how we are paying for the two last minute return to Nigeria flights yet.)
I am attaching an article that Kim pulled off the internet last night, after the day at the airport, written by one of our guests, a young Israeli man named Aylam, who is a peace maker activist in that on-going tragedy between two peoples and two (sort of) countries in the Middle East. (See below) Every guest who is here, brings some conflict and some life and energy to Alberta this next two weeks. Ryan Hauck and two other Albertans recently traveled to Jordan to attend a Peace Seminar with many other young adults. Ryan made a comment that interested me. He said that it appeared that one of the main reasons they were brought together to this MCC-Sponsored Seminar was to "be together". To get to know each other as people. Too simple maybe for some, but is there any other way that the people of the world will stop needlessly killing each other than to find ordinary and extraordinary ways to be together? Our hope in Alberta is that the young adults, ( some from Alberta that are not so young anymore), will find ways to be together, to plan together, to talk about each others' conflict areas, to find the good in each other and in that way, to be able to return to each of their home communities, better equipped and more encouraged to think and act as if Peace Making is in fact a really urgent way of living that applies to Mennonites, and Presbyterians ... Christians, Jews, and Muslims and to every human being that participates in any way in a community, in a family, in a country, in a culture, in a relationship.
Yesterday, they began to arrive. Daniel and Alejandra from Colombia, Rosemary and Dianna from Uganda. Diana had missed her flight early on, and they arrived separately. But after thinking we had lost Rosemary in Brussels or in Montreal, she found us in the airport. We had walked past each other at least 3 or 4 times. (First lesson in any Peace Seminar maybe... figure out how to make contact. But don't go home if it doesn't happen right away. ) Usama from Palestine. Sharon and Aylam from Israel. Nicolas from East Jerusalem. (These three were supposed to be on a 9:40 pm flight, but weren't. Some anxiety there. They arrived one hour later on another flight. Luckily, we were still there, hoping they were somewhere in the airport.) And this morning, we hope that Gopar and Sani (our facilitators) will arrive from Nigeria. At the last minute, yesterday, we had to buy them tickets from Calgary back to Nigeria, because they were not granted visas to the USA after all; without a complete return tickert that they most likely would not have been allowed onto the flight in Nigeria to come here. (Expensive to buy one-way tickets at the last minute. Thank you Bruce for your quick encouragement to move ahead and "just do it".)
During week one, the group will interact with 40 campers and the counsellors and staff from all over Alberta, at Camp Valaqua, an hour north of Calgary. Next weekend, a public event in Calgary, and then we move into the FCJ Center here in Calgary for 3 and a half days where we will be joined about 20 young adults from Alberta and Saskatchewan, plus Daniel and Esther from MB, and some other local Alberta people including a number of MCC Alberta Peace Team and other staff, and two IVEPers, from Jordan and the Dominican Republic. Thank you, Claire for sending us some SK folks.
As they began to arrive yesterday, amidst the confusion and tension of hoping everyone will arrive, it became more and more obvious that having people who in every case, do not actually know the other person from their own country even, nor anyone else who has come, is going to turn into a challenging and delightful (we hope) learning experience of "being together". The first to arrive were Daniel and Alejandra from Colombia, joining Dina from Jordan and Elimer from the Dominican Republic. These four had lunch with the MCC Alberta staff yesterday. Afterwards, they all went shopping at the Thrift Shop. These strangers to each other, and in a strange land. Daniel and Alejandra were cold. And when Kim and Michael dropped them off at the FCJ Center, where everyone is spending their first two nights, they saw Alejandra and Dina (Alejandra speaks almost no English .... less than 1% she says) already walking down the hallway, arm in arm .. "talking" with each other. Peace in this world and in our communities is possible. It is God's wish. It is our need. It always leads to the possibilities of rebuilding. It always has the participation of the Holy Spirit in his "accidental ways". And it seems to have so much to do with finding ways, and pursuing them, as Dina and Alejandra did in less than two hours, of communicating, and being together.
See the article below. Also, Michael Harms will be updating the MCC Alberta Facebook as daily as he has time to do. Please have a look if you have time.
Thank you, Country Reps from Uganda, Colombia, Nigeria, Jordan, and your Area Directos in Akron, for helping to bring this group of people to Alberta and for wanting to help us carry out this pretty complicated set of Peace Events. Thank you to the Alberta Board for supporting and encouraging this kind of work. Thank you to our Peace Team Staff for putting in the endless hours of coordinating and leading to get to now, the starting point. Well, it started yesterday, and in many ways, long before that, when we learned about "Living With Shalom" that creative and so simple Peace Program in Uganda. Say a prayer for us all. The wheels can come off events like this, or they can become wonderful builders.
(For your information, the MCC Canada Public Engagement Funds from CIDA are paying for this set of events, pretty much. Thank you, Deo, Aaron, and Monica. Not sure yet how we are paying for the two last minute return to Nigeria flights yet.)
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