OneVoice Movement

Adva Vilchinski talks about time on New England tour

Youth Leadership Program Director Adva Vilchinski during the New England tour in September.

New York, September 27, 2012 – The International Engagement Program (IEP) just concluded the first tour of this academic year. From Sept. 10-13, over 800 individuals throughout New England engaged with OneVoice youth activists, listening to their memorable experiences working on the ground and heeding the call for Americans to help them achieve a viable two-state solution.

Youth Leadership Program Director Adva Vilchinski of OneVoice Israel was one of these activists. We talked to Adva on her way back home about her time on tour.

OneVoice: From start to finish, how do you think this tour went?

Adva: It was great. People were very interested in what we had to say and the audience members were eager to act and sign the petition. We also had many different, diverse audiences, which was a great part of the tour…we talked with little children and older people, and that is very important for spreading OneVoice’s message.

OneVoice: Why is the International Engagement Program important to the mission of Israelis and Palestinians seeking a viable two-state solution? And why is it important to Americans?

Adva: IEP is another way to get the word out and a way that people worldwide can pressure their leaders because they, too, are important actors. It is important to Americans because if they can put enough pressure on their leaders, it will be on the president’s agenda and then he could compel our leaders into acting. And it is important for Americans to know about the region, to know that their money isn’t wasted.

OneVoice: What were the most commonly asked questions? Were there any that particularly challenged you? How do you approach questions like these?

Adva: Many asked why Israelis appear less concerned about the Palestinians than they are with Iran, while others wondered why our programs are parallels and not combined. I thought [the latter] was a very important question, and the answer is we are parallel to show that we are partners in this effort for a two-state solution [while working in our communities]. The hardest questions were from the children – for instance, some asked, “Why is there a conflict?” Those really made me think because children keep it simple. In the end, we’re not doing a blame game, we’re trying to solve it.

OneVoice: What experiences resonated with your audiences and why do you think this happened?

Adva: We shared much of our work with the participants and by far the ones that interested them the most were the creative campaigns. For instance, we partnered with the #J14 Movement and created an ice wall to show how settlement expansion and the freeze in negotiations affects Israel’s economy, and audiences really liked it. I believe they enjoyed such campaigns because of this creativity.

Ahmad Omeir reflects on New England tour

OneVoice Palestine's Ahmad Omeir during the New England IEP tour in September.

New York, September 27, 2012 – The International Engagement Program (IEP) wrapped up its first tour of the fall semester, visiting schools, houses of worship, and social justice groups throughout New England from September 10-13.

IEP Director Ahmad Omeir of OneVoice Palestine shared with over 800 participants his most memorable experiences working on the ground and called on Americans to help him achieve a viable two-state solution.

We recently spoke Ahmad over the phone and asked him about his tour.

OneVoice: What was your most memorable part of the tour?

Ahmad: I think the event at Eitz Chayim Synagogue was the most memorable for me because I knew going in that I would receive most of the questions, and I wanted to let them see a sense of hope from the Palestinian side. Many of the participants said this was an eye-opening experience and it allowed them to see a new face of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

OneVoice: What can average Americans do to help you on the ground?

Ahmad: There are two things Americans can do. First, have an open mind in how they see the conflict and not be biased based on what is in the media. Second, they need to realize that to answer their interests they need to see the conflict in a balanced way. Therefore, Americans need to urge their leadership to be balanced in its moderation of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations; saying what needs to be said and taking the necessary steps that will permanently end the conflict.

OneVoice: Did this tour reinforce your belief in the two-state solution and how will it motivate you to continue your work?

Ahmad: There is a very high sense of skepticism and despair [surrounding the resolution of the conflict], and I have my own stories that reflect these feelings. But my experiences with the occupation push me and keep me going forward and I shared that with the audiences. For instance, as we spoke to the school-aged children, I noticed they were asking very good questions, which shows that on the educational level there is an important, positive step taken in regards to teaching them about the conflict. And in the end, this helps us on the ground.

OneVoice: What do audiences have to look forward to in the final tours of this academic semester?

Ahmad: They can expect to see more devoted youth leaders committed to ending the conflict. They will see it is a personal responsibility and comes out of a sense of urgency. I hope that the new audiences can see the two-state solution as in the international community’s interest to resolve ASAP.

IEP’s New England tour kicks-off U.S. election-themed semester, Part 2

Ahmad Omeir, center, of OneVoice Palestine, tells a student group about his work on the ground.

New York, September 25, 2012 – When Carl Hobert told a group of 50 students to stand if they’d ever lost a friend or family member to gun violence, nearly all of them stood.

Also standing were OneVoice staff members Israeli Adva Vilchinski and Palestinian Ahmad Omeir.

Hobert, of Axis of Hope Center for International Conflict Prevention, looked around at the students of Fenway High School. “Take how you relate,” Hobert told the students, “and build a bridge to how they relate.”

The time spent with Hobert and the students was just one of many impactful events of the International Engagement Program’s (IEP) New England tour. Over 200 people heard Adva’s and Ahmad’s message earlier in the week, and IEP continued to emphasize the parallel programs of their respective offices, as well as IEP’s “call to action” campaign, targeted at the next American president.

Day three of the tour saw the youth leaders at the Educating Global Citizens class at Boston University, the Harvard College Interfaith Council, and finally Tufts University’s J Street U group event.

“We have a common goal but we need to achieve it in different ways,” Adva said of OneVoice Israel and (OVI) and OneVoice Palestine (OVP) during the Tufts event. “What I see as the most important thing about our partnership is not that we need to do things together...but that we can separately do pragmatic things that will put more positive steps on the ground. I'm not trying to do dialogue. I'm trying to show there's a partner on both sides.”

The fourth and final day reached over 560 people, and included stops at Beaver Country Day School, Brandeis University, Brookline Workmen’s Circle, and the aforementioned Fenway High School. The dominant discussion was what Americans can do to help promote the two-state solution.

One comment from a Brandeis participant challenged American involvement in spearheading efforts to push parties to the table. IEP associate Shaina Low, in response to such criticism, reaffirmed America’s role in resolving the conflict.

“The American government has…a lot of influence,” Shaina said. “At OneVoice, we can say that all of our calls for the American public are coming directly from Israelis and Palestinians, who are in the majority of their societies. Maybe it’s not a vocal majority, maybe it’s a silent majority, but it is the majority.”

Ahmad jumped on this theme when he addressed the Workmen’s Circle later that day. “You [as Americans] do have a role,” he said. “Help the American leadership say what needs to be said, and to support Israelis and Palestinians with our work on the ground.”

IEP’s New England tour kicks-off U.S. election-themed semester, Part 1

Adva Vilchinski (far right) of OneVoice Israel explains to Middlebury College students her role in ending the conflict.

New York, September 25, 2012 – Professor Tamar Mayer believes that the world lives in the “seventh day” of the 1967 or Six-Day War, and will continue to unless something is done to change the dynamic.

“The majority of the population on each side [of the conflict] has been born into this unacceptable status quo,” said Mayer, director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs at Middlebury College. “And it is wholly appropriate that those who were born during the “seventh day” of the 1967 War lead [the change]. Our guests today fit this bill.”

Middlebury was just one of the many stops in the first tour of the International Engagement Program’s(IEP) fall semester. Staff members Adva Vilchinski of OneVoice Israel (OVI) and Ahmad Omeir of OneVoice Palestine (OVP) told over 800 New England participants – from schools to community members – that Americans can support their efforts on the ground while helping impact American foreign policy and help achieve Middle East peace.

From Sept. 10-13, Adva and Ahmad explained that Americans can play an important role in solving this conflict by participating in IEP’s “call to action,” which pressures the presidential candidates to put the conflict high on the agenda when one of them is elected.

The tour started with a visit to Middlebury and then Dartmouth College on the first day, followed by a Middle East Politics class at UMass-Lowell and a J Street event at Eitz Chayim Synagogue on day two.

“We believe at OneVoice Israel that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not something which belongs to the left or right,” Adva said when asked about partisanship during the Dartmouth event. “It's something for all the people because ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is good for all Israelis no matter how you vote.”

Ahmad told audience members that the US has a continued role to play in reviving the two-state solution.

“When you try to work with change, and try to bring change into [Palestinian] society, it’s a long and difficult process,” said Ahmad. “You need to mobilize people. You’re shocking people out of their apathy, out of their despair and skepticism…by trying to show them that by creating positive facts, by getting them invested personally, that there is chance to actually achieve that solution. [And] what we need from the moderator [the US] is to be honest and neutral and help us have the right environment to move forward with the negotiations in a limited timeframe.”

Throughout the events, Adva offered her experiences in activist mobilization, outreach, and countering the pro-settlement expansion agenda, while Ahmad spoke about what a successful two-state solution needs: an end to the occupation and of all final status issues based on international resolutions, along with the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Adva and Ahmad’s message was not lost on the days’ participants, but rather echoed and enhanced early and often.

Professor Mayer told the Middlebury audience that Adva, Ahmad, and their OneVoice peers “are engaged in peace and consensus-building efforts, working within their national communities to end the conflict.”

“They are committed to a two-state solution based on the June 4th, 1967 lines that will guarantee an end to the occupation,” she said. “They are Israeli and Palestinian activists who have dedicated themselves to working towards change and a better future for their societies.”

Christians, Muslims, Samaritans on their role promoting civil peace

Youths from the Christian, Muslim and Samaritan faiths on a field visit to the West Bank city of Bethlehem, part of a pilot program initiated by OneVoice Palestine titled The Role of Religion in Promoting Civil Peace.

New York, September 12, 2012—On a Wednesday evening in early July, the conference room at the historic Al-Yasmeen Hotel in the Old City of Nablus was bustling with chatter. A mixed group of 45 youths from the Christian, Muslim and Samaritan faiths had convened for a discussion on Islam’s role in promoting civil peace.

Mayor and Imam Omar Ishtayeh of nearby Tal village kicked off the conversation by briefly introducing some of Islam’s major precepts, before delving into comparisons to Christianity and Samaritanism in fostering interfaith understanding. After more than two hours of discussion, the event concluded with the young participants highly anticipating their next meeting. This was the third session of its kind under a pilot program titled The Role of Religion in Promoting Civil Peace, which OneVoice Palestine initiated in partnership with Generations For Peace to promote the co-existence of the three religions in Nablus.

One Voice Palestine has been developing a relationship with Generations For Peace for over three years, but this year has expanded the scope of their joint programs greatly, bringing events to five West Bank communities. The programs are tailored to address the needs of each specific community – from initiatives addressing gender issues and empowerment of women in Qalqilya, to social programming with disadvantaged children in Jenin, and interfaith dialogue in Nablus.

“Nablus is a melting pot with three religions mixed together, each promoting tolerance and acceptance of the other,” said Samer Makhlouf, executive director of OneVoice Palestine. “We wanted to shine a spotlight on the civil peace that residents enjoy, while also emphasizing that Palestinian national identity should prevail regardless of any religious background.”

African novelist Chinua Achebe first coined the term “civil peace” in 1971, which he used to title one of his short stories on life after the Nigerian Civil War.  The concept of civil peace and the necessary conditions to achieve it have since become central to conflict resolution and peace-building. In Nablus, the unique co-existence among the three religions has become a model of civil peace. While the majority of residents are Muslim, there are several hundreds of Christians and Samaritans living there today.

Samaritans consider themselves the true Israelites, with strict religious observances closely related to Judaism. Their total population stands around 750, roughly split between Mount Gerizim, near Nablus city, and Holon, south of Tel Aviv in Israel. It is believed that many Muslim families in Nablus are descendents of Samaritans.

To further the experience for the participants, OneVoice Palestine organized field visits in the city to the Greek Orthodox Saint Photina Church at Jacob’s Well, the Samaritan synagogue in the Old City, and the Great Mosque of Nablus, among others. The high attendance and enthusiasm shown by the youth motivated OneVoice Palestine to expand the field trips to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity and Hebron’s Old City and Ibrahimi Mosque. The sites join the Samaritan synagogue as casualties of the conflict, sustaining at times extensive damage.

Two members of OneVoice’s local chapter in Hebron joined the group during their tour of the Old City to highlight the unique political situation they face, with a few hundred Jewish settlers occupying the city center and making life for its quarter of a million Palestinian residents unbearable. “It was very important to show our youth the urgency and need for creating political solutions to solve the current problems before we devolve from a political conflict to a religious one,” said Mohammad Asideh, OneVoice Palestine’s outreach coordinator.

The group, which grew to more than 50 by late July, also enjoyed an iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast during the holy month of Ramadan, together and used the opportunity to evaluate the program and plan future activities. “Watching youth from different religious backgrounds come together and celebrate an iftar proved to me the importance of programs that emphasize religious tolerance and understanding,” said Asideh, who planned the evening. “Equally important, we engaged a large mixed group of youth eager for further involvement with OneVoice.”

As the peace process remains deadlocked, keeping the two-state solution alive across the occupied Palestinian territories has required an infusion of creative initiatives by OneVoice Palestine. By combining social and cultural activities with their political work, they have been able to grow in reach. With 18 active chapters, from Bethlehem to Qalqilya, OneVoice Palestine's Youth Leadership Program has expanded by more than 120 members in the first six months, with a total of nearly 600 youth leaders working across the West Bank. The 50 plus youths who participated in the civil peace program are ripe to join OneVoice Palestine’s two chapters in Nablus.

Youths from the Christian, Muslim and Samaritan faiths on a field visit to Hebron's Old City, part of a pilot program initiated by OneVoice Palestine titled The Role of Religion in Promoting Civil Peace.

Abdullah Hamarsheh, director of OneVoice Palestine's Youth Leadership Program, introduces the pilot program titled The Role of Religion in Promoting Civil Peace to youths from the Christian, Muslim and Samaritan faiths.

The group from Nablus, which grew to more than 50 by late July, enjoy an iftar, the evening meal during the holy month of Ramadan, together and use the opportunity to plan future activities.