OneVoice Movement

Images of Israel: To Yuval Bar, ‘Rocking’ the Casbah’ a good idea

Students at Ben Gurion University listen to an introduction to the Israeli film, "Rock the Casbah," on December 16.

Movies are meant to be an escape, allowing the audience to forget about the harsh realities from which they come.

But there are a few that take reality to the silver screen in the most unapologetic form of art imitating life.

“Rock the Casbah” is one such film screened to about 160 people in Ben Gurion University’s cinema on December 16. This was the first screening inside Israel, and OneVoice Israel combined a lecture by a retired military officer with the film to bring to light the similarities and differences between life and violence in Israel during the first Intifada and today.

Yuval Bar, 30, an OVI youth leader and student at BGU, describes the film as “unique” because of its attempt to show the Israeli-Palestinian conflict not only through the eyes of Israeli soldiers, but through their interactions with those around them.

“The movie reveals one of the hardest things about the military,” Yuval said. “It exposes the daily routine that grinds you. It shows the soldiers just going through the motions, being oblivious and not thinking, and the hostility between members of the company because of the high-stress situation.”

According to Yuval, the fictional film “followed” a company during the beginning of the first Intifada. The soldiers capture a building, use the roof as a lookout, and interact with those around them, including Palestinians whose house they occupy.

But what is truly unique about this film in the greater scope of Israeli cinema, Yuval said, is while it was created by Israelis for Israelis, it expands the role of the Palestinian characters.

“What you see is that the Palestinians have names and lines; they are participants in the film,” he explained. “They aren’t just there to be there…the Palestinian characters react to the soldiers.  And in Israeli media this is a rare thing.”

“You can be sympathetic with all the groups in this movie,” Yuval continued. “The only characters you can’t associate with are the top-ranking officers. They are the enemies of both sides because they construct the situation.”

As a long-time peace advocate, Yuval thinks films like “Rock the Casbah” channels his energy in the right direction. Active since 1996 and a member of several peace organizations and political parties, Yuval found OVI after enrolling in BGU three years ago as a political science major. He has been involved in various social media campaigns, the newspaper headline contest, and the Two-State Solution Caucus in the Israeli Knesset while at OVI.

“I’ve been in the peace scene for a while, so I feel the conflict is a part of me,” Yuval said. “I see first-hand that Israeli society is less interested in the conflict when it should be the #1 issue on the agenda, and the film helps bring this to light.”

“Seeing the crowded cinema at my university and the positive reactions from the audience members on this thought-provoking film makes me reaffirm that I am doing the right thing – that I am on the side that fights for peace.”

Portraits of Palestine: OneVoice youth leader finds inspiration in Leadership Development Program

Above: Alaa Salous, upper right, with the students of Rosary Sisters School in Nablus. Below: Alaa in an advanced training workshop in Ramallah.

It was graduation time for the first and only Student's Council in Palestine. Proud parents beamed at their children. OneVoice Palestine Executive Director Samer Makhlouf handed out certificates to the new graduates while extending his congratulations to OVP's ever-growing Youth Leadership Program membership.

And surrounded by the 16 graduates from the Rosary Sisters School in Nablus, Alaa Salous, a OneVoice Palestine trainer, recalls his very own first basic training session.

"I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect," said Alaa, 23. "Having my friends around did help."

Alaa was among the first OneVoice Palestine activists to participate in a basic training session in Nablus. He has come a long way since then.

OVP launched the Youth Leader Training Program in 2008. Hundreds of young people in the West Bank and Gaza join the program every year, taking advantage of OVP's character building advanced courses and meeting new people who share the same interest in ending the conflict and building the independent Palestinian state.

"We have launched the program with the intention of making a difference," said Abdallah Hamarsheh, OVP's Youth Leadership Program director. "Along the way we've made modifications to the program, based on what we are looking to achieve and the feedback we've received from our youth leaders."

OVP's training program starts with introductory sessions for all new recruits, explaining OneVoice's message and goals for ending the conflict and achieving a sustainable peace agreement based on the two-state solution and the 1967 borders.

The introductory sessions are followed by basic training workshops. The youth leaders can vote for the subject of training based on what interests them on their personal and professional levels. Basic training courses can vary from teambuilding activities to communication and leadership skills.

Once OVP's youth leaders start to develop a sense of commitment to the program, they are introduced to some of the advanced workshops. Subjects in these workshops are usually more focused and oriented in terms of skill development and self-awareness, and include public speaking, media, and negotiation skills training. Highly trained professionals with immense experience in their respective fields develop the workshops.

Alaa was among the select few senior youth leaders in the West Bank to participate in OVP's recent project with Generations For Peace (GFP). This "training the trainers" program builds a small team of highly trained youth leaders capable of providing a successful training experience.

"OneVoice and GFP provided me with the tools to build a basic training project," said Alaa. "I have been working closely with members from my community in Nablus to implement some of the ideas I've learned and deliver a better understanding of the conflict and the two-state solution."

Alaa and fellow youth leader Rameh Mesmar worked on a series of basic training workshops for the students of Rosary Sisters School in Nablus. According to Alaa, they were developing "an original training experience involving the students in the conflict in a positive way."

This training consisted of character-building exercises based on his training with GFP. The students were also responsible for organizing the entire graduation ceremony, sending out invites, setting up the hall, and more. This was their "final test."

Alaa is currently working with OVP's chapter in Nablus, delivering OneVoice's message and goals within Alnajjah University's campus and providing new recruits with basic training based on OVP's youth leadership and development training program.

OneVoice Europe: Double Your Donation this December!

You can help fund a tour in Europe and bring youth leaders like Leeba Gilad, center, to your area.

As 2012 draws to a close, OneVoice Europe is gearing up for an ambitious new year of projects to push for a two-state solution.  For a limited time only, your support can be doubled through the Big Give Christmas Challenge starting on December 6 at 10am (GMT) with funds released on a first-come, first-served basis.

The past month alone has seen moments of mixed emotions among Palestinian, Israeli, and international supporters of two states. But the U.N. General Assembly vote, the bluster of politicians, and November’s outbreak of violence have done little to change the status quo. The conflict and the occupation remain; Israelis and Palestinians remain in insecurity.

"With the situation in the region as difficult as it is, and the window of opportunity for two states closing, there really has never been a more important time for OneVoice to have an impact,” said John Lyndon, executive director of OneVoice Europe.

Beginning December 6, online donations to OneVoice Europe will be doubled by a combination of pledges from the Movement’s major donors and the Big Give’s Philanthropist Fund. There's a limited pot of matched funding that we're competing for, with a good chance that it will all be exhausted by Friday, December 7, so the best way to be sure that your donation is doubled is to log in on Thursday morning.

Donors can now make a big difference for much less money.  When GiftAid is factored in, each donation is worth an extra 125% of its original value. To put that into context, a £5,000 donation (increased to £11,250) will fund two youth chapters – one in Israel, one in Palestine – and all of their activities, costs, campaigns and initiatives for one year.

Before your donation is doubled:

£5000 funds one chapter

£3000 funds one tour in Europe with an Israeli and Palestinian youth leader

£2,500 trains 100 Youth Leaders

£1000 funds 5 Town Hall meetings

£500 engages 500 new members

£250 covers the cost of 200hrs of volunteer activism

There never has been a better way of ensuring that each donation goes as far as possible toward achieving the goal of two states, thanks to the Big Give Christmas Challenge.