By Rachel Steinberg
I was thrilled to assist in coordinating a visit to Washington, DC for OneVoice Entertainment Council Member Jason Alexander and two of our most senior youth leaders, Arwa AbdelRahman and Guy Lupo.
Youth Leaders Guy Lupo (left) and Arwa AbdelRahman, and Jason Alexander
Our goal was to bring the voices of Israeli and Palestinian civil society to US policymakers and decision makers – demonstrating firsthand the importance of civic engagement in the peace process.
The day began with meetings on Capitol Hill. We met with Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In May, the senator cited the movement’s poll during a Senate hearing on the Middle East, saying, “There is substantial support within Israeli and Palestinian societies for a resolution to the conflict.”
The youth leaders wasted no time in highlighting the impact of our Town Hall Meetings on ordinary Israeli and Palestinian citizens, who largely accept a two-state solution. We were inspired by Senator Lugar’s commitment to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Our second meeting was a briefing for staff in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Hearing the voices and opinions of our youth leaders -- in person, during an engaging conversation -- served as a stark contrast to reading about the conflict, or watching it play out on the evening news. In 2010, we will continue to bridge the information gap by presenting the growing popular support for the two-state solution and the strong consensus on both sides for US involvement.
At the House of Representatives, we met with staff in the Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs. They heard Arwa’s frustrations over spending hours at Israeli checkpoints on her way to university and how the OneVoice Movement provided her with a positive way of expressing these feelings. Guy shared how he felt out of touch from the conflict until he did his military service and realized the impact it had on the daily lives of both Israelis and Palestinians. Since then, he has felt a need to work tirelessly to end the conflict.
Our final engagement was with existing and new supporters and friends from the OneVoice Washington Leadership Committee. As Jason spoke about trying to imagine his children having no future, as so many parents living through this conflict feel, he moved the room to tears.
Our two youth leaders left the audience energized when they shared how the OneVoice Movement’s 2006-2007 campaign -- “What Are You Willing to Do to End the Conflict?” -- compelled and drove them to act and to take personal responsibility to build peace.
During our celebratory dinner, I sat back and looked around the table at all of the faces: young and older, familiar and new, all excited and motivated by what they had just heard. I felt encouraged that the OneVoice Movement could reach out to so many people from so many different walks of life, all united in their desire to see peace in the Middle East.
In the end, there was nothing to worry about: All of the advance planning paid off -- with special thanks to all of our Host Committee members (especially our hosts Karen and Fred Schaufeld), and Arwa, Guy, and Jason.
Please help us to continue the work of OneVoice Washington by considering a substantial year-end gift to the OneVoice Movement.
Rachel Steinberg is completing her master’s degree in conflict resolution at Georgetown University. She joined the OneVoice Movement as government relations fellow in June 2009.
Congratulations and well done. It is encouraging to see our youth work toward conflict resolution. Conflict will always happen, but knowing how to deal with conflict and disruptive situations means the difference between success and failure on all levels, personally through globally.
Posted by: Paul Endress | July 27, 2010 at 11:44 AM