Thursday, January 15, 2009

a wonderful word from Gershon Baskin

It was like he took the words right out of my mouth... I'm reprinting the whole article here:

Gaza needs a peace stimulus

History shows the power of people-to-people contact.

By Daniel Noah Moses and Aaron Shneyer
from the January 14, 2009 edition (Christian Science Monitor - www.csmonitor.com/2009/0114/p09s02-coop.html )

Jerusalem - "We have failed, haven't we?" our colleague from Gaza said over the phone, amid the sound of explosions.

For those of us engaged in "people to people" peace building, the latest violent chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is both tragic and surreal. All around us, people remain convinced that the solution to the conflict depends on military fatigues, armored tanks, Qassam rockets, suicide bombers, stones, and F-16s. But violence will only prolong the conflict and inflict deeper wounds.

Israelis and Palestinians have a choice. They can continue business as usual: violence, separation, hatred, and fear. Or they can recognize that they must look for mutually beneficial ways to share their small corner of the world.

People-to-people diplomacy works on the assumption that if Israelis and Palestinians connect at a human level, they will build compassion and trust. They will change public opinion. Painfully, slowly, they will create cross-border movements to transform the cultural and political reality on the ground.

Many question the impact of people-to-people diplomacy. But it has hardly been tried. Researchers estimate that perhaps 5 percent of the Palestinian and Israeli populations have engaged in an organized "dialogue" or "encounter" program of any kind. Since the beginning of the second intifada in 2000, an estimated 1 percent or less of Palestinian and Israeli youth have had such an opportunity. It's unreasonable to dismiss people-to-people programs based on such a meager attempt.

When the conflict between Israel and Hamas took its latest ugly turn, Israeli and Palestinian graduates of the Seeds of Peace summer camp in Maine were at a citywide interfaith celebration in Haifa. While Hamas and the Israeli government communicated through violence, the "Seeds" communicated with words and affirmed their commitment to finding nonviolent ways to build a better future.

Participants of all ages in reconciliation programs such as Seeds of Peace go through profound personal transformations. They do not melt into soft consensus and sing "Kumbaya." They struggle – intensely. They disagree radically about fundamental issues.

At the same time, they come to terms with the existence and the perspectives of the "other side." They form deep, life-long relationships. They build trust.
But it is difficult for seeds to flourish when the ground is toxic. To cultivate a culture of peace, we need a critical mass. Leading up to the Good Friday agreements in Northern Ireland in 1998, at least $650 million in mostly government funds was spent over five years to bring Catholics and Protestants together. This people-to-people diplomacy touched at least one-sixth of the population (250,000 people).

There are nearly 12 million people within the borders of Israel and the Palestinian territories. To reach roughly the same proportion of people there as in Northern Ireland, let's assume we need to spend at least the same amount per capita. This would be about $5 billion over the course of five years – $1 billion a year.

This is pocket change. The war in Iraq has cost the American government almost $600 billion so far. The United States gives more than $2 billion annually to Israel for military aid. Why not invest close to that amount in peace – $2 billion a year over the course of five years, just $10 billion for the first phase of a peace-building initiative worth its salt.

For such a "peace stimulus" to succeed:

1. The United States must lead an international campaign to bring together millions of Israelis and Palestinians for sustained people-to-people diplomacy.

2. The Israeli and Palestinian governments must make people-to-people diplomacy a public and vocal priority.

3. Programs need to be flexible. They must provide space for local initiative and local needs.

4. Resources must be devoted to programs that focus on community building, on dialogue within communities – on getting one's own house in order.

5. Programs must be coordinated and sustained: Follow-up is essential. Individual organizations need to work together, to share resources, to have maximum impact. The Alliance For Middle East Peace is taking critical steps in this direction.

First, we have to navigate the geography of conflict: the enforced separation, through military and legal means; the emotional and psychological barriers, just as strong. We urge the international community to construct a chain of secure centers, safe havens, at the separation barriers, where Israelis, Palestinians and internationals can meet safely and interact as equals.

With war raging, with people dying, with pain, anger, and hatred intensifying, world citizens of conscience must take responsibility and realize our power to help transform this conflict. A well-coordinated people-to-people initiative would do more than perhaps anything to ease the tensions in the greater Middle East and on the world scene.

6 comments:

Thatdudeyouknow said...

I copied this to my blog. This was great, it's exactly what we need.

I was thinking of something - an idea if you like. I think it could be done as a private initiative, but you would need to somehow fundraise all the million of dollars it would take. Wouldn't it be great to found the first ever "co-existance-settlement" in the West Bank? A town with palestinians and israelis living together in co-existance under one municipality, showing Israel and the world that it's possible? I'd move tomorrow.

Unknown said...

Dude, you are right on. I've been thinking of a co-existence settlement for years and years and years. I was even thinking that the E1 area should be made into such a place. Each apartment complex or housing block, for example, would have a mini community center where dialogues, lectures, interfaith celebrations can be held as well as going away on retreats together. This has been a dream of mine for years. I have always thought that I'd never move from the place I just bought. But should this dream ever come true this is one place to which I would definitely consider moving.

Thatdudeyouknow said...

E1 would be a very controversial place to put it. I'd rather put it someplace less debated. But if only one organisation started floating this idea wherever they go, don't you think they'd eventually get the needed fundraising to start to actually do it? I think there are enough billionaires in the world who would be interested in investing in Middle East peace.

Unknown said...

Yes, because it is controversial when it becomes just part of Maaleh Adumim. When it becomes a "mixed" community - it will be less controversial. It will be a place of sharing rather than dividing. I've stated my Big Dream to a number of people for about 2 years now in the hopes that some wealthy peace-loving person would/could do something about it. I leave it up to God - to do the rest.

Bhupathi said...

JEWS HAVE UNWITTILY BECOME THE CAUSE SO MUSH MISERY IN THE WORLD BY TYING UP THE FUTURE OF MANY MILLIONS AROUND THE GLOBE TO THE DRAMA OF JUDAISM VS ISLAM.I HAVE HAD A POSITIVE OPINION ABOUT JEWS FOR SO LONG BUT NOW I HAVE STARTED TO SEE REASONS FOR THE CONFLICT IN RIGHT PERSPECTIVE WHICH HAS PUSHED ME TO THINK OF ANNIHILATION OF ISRAEL ITSELF IF THAT WILL ENSURE A PEACEFUL WORLD.
I AM SORRY TO SAY THIS.
BUT ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN I AM SURE.

Unknown said...

Bhupathi have you gone mad? You mean we had a peaceful world before Israel came into existance, and the only reason we don't is because of Israel? Hmmmm. Which means, of course, that WW1, WWII,countless numbers of wars in Africa and throughout the centuries is only because Israel exists? Well it didn't exist then - so please tell me why we didn't have a peaceful world beforehand.