OneVoice Movement

OneVoice Occidental’s president reflects on “Two States 2013” campaign

By Dina Yazdani

Kizoa slideshow: Two States 2013 Campaign! - Slideshow

We at OneVoice Occidental (Oxy), the local OneVoice chapter at a Los Angeles college, felt the need to revitalize the two-state solution discussion on our campus. As president of the chapter, I have seen first-hand that students are losing hope in the peace process…and the discourse around the conflict is discouraging.

Students and professors speak as if they give up on the two-state solution in favor of other outcomes that would not allow the nationalistic rights and aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis to be realized. With Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian civil war, and the transition the other Arab Spring states were and are undergoing, it is understandable why students are losing sight of the peace process. However, if Americans begin to forget, become discouraged, or stop caring about the Israeli and Palestinian conflict altogether, then President Obama will also be less motivated to work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resolve the conflict. 

We knew we needed to do something unique and eye-catching to rekindle hope for a two-state solution in the students, and we saw President Obama’s visit to the Middle East as the perfect opportunity to make our voices heard.

On March 20, the same day that the president landed in Israel, we launched a “Two States 2013” campaign to revive support for the two-state solution on our campus. The night before, we plastered stickers with Israeli and a Palestinian flags with the words “Two States 2013” around our entire campus, and hung a large banner replicating the sticker at the front entrance of our cafeteria. We wanted to make it clear the next morning when students would make their way to class that the demand for a two-state solution is very much alive at Oxy.

That afternoon, we set up a table in our quad to hand out stickers and collect signatures for a OneVoice petition, which called for the president to prioritize a two-state solution during his second-term in office. We also hung an Israeli and a Palestinian flag on a branch of the tree behind the table, which coincidently, became the location of de facto photo-op sessions for students to display their support for a two-state solution. We were amazed and humbled by the amount of support students showed.

Everest Law, a sophomore member of OneVoice Oxy and international student from Hong Kong, explained to passersby the significance of doing this campaign on March 20 and the urgency of achieving a two-state solution.

"We chose our event date such that it coincided with Obama's visit to the Middle East, and one of our frustrations is that there is not enough conversation about [the conflict] in American society,” Everest said. “Therefore, we wanted to make use of the publicity of Obama's visit and remind people that there is still a conflict going on. If not now, then when?"

When, indeed? We need Americans to know now that despite a decade of frozen peace talks, activists on the ground at OneVoice Palestine and OneVoice Israel have worked and continue to work hard for two states, an end to the occupation, and an end to the conflict. It’s time that we in the United States work equally as hard to help end this conflict. Americans can help keep the peace process alive by urging their leaders to take constructive steps to revive the peace process. In addition, Americans can help educate their communities on the conflict and spread the message of a two-state solution.

My hope for the “Two States 2013” campaign was to amplify the Israeli and Palestinian activists’ voices and shed some light on the need to keep the discussion alive. I believe we did. Walking around campus, I still see some of the “Two States 2013” stickers stuck on light poles, buildings, and students’ laptops. Earlier this week, I saw one student wearing the sticker in the middle of his t-shirt. 

While the stickers may be small, the message is big. President Obama’s new Secretary of State John Kerry has announced that Israel/Palestine peace will be a priority, and has already visited the region multiple times since stepping into office only a few months ago. We’re confident that this year will be a milestone for the peace-process. After witnessing the excitement the “Two States 2013” campaign generated on campus, we’re ready to make sure that happens.  

 

"Two States 2013" sticker on the Occidental Campus.

OneVoice Hosts Building Bridges for Peace

Dr. Patrick Magee and Jo Berry of Building Bridges for Peace met students at OneVoice Israel event at the University of Haifa. They travelled to Ramallah the next day to meet with OneVoice Palestine activists. 

On March 13, Dr. Patrick Magee, a former IRA member, and the daughter of one of Magee’s victims, Jo Berry, spoke about the role of forgiveness and conflict resolution at an event co-sponsored by OneVoice Israel and Haifa University.

The event enabled Pat and Jo, founders of Building Bridges for Peace, to share their unique story and relay back to the students the importance that understanding and dialogue played in their reconciliation. Indeed, a key theme throughout the talk was empathy, for it is only through understanding of where someone else comes from that we are able to learn of the circumstances which shaped the views and opinions of others. 

This point was emphasized by Jo when she said, given a change of circumstances, she could have easily grown up to be a member of the IRA. She stressed that actions are determined by circumstances, not by any innate characteristics within us. It was only through knowing Pat, and the struggles and injustices he faced growing up in the Northern Ireland conflict, that she could understand how and why he turned to violence, and in turn why her father lost his life. 

Pat and Jo have traveled to many countries to share their story, but this was their first visit to Israel and Palestine.

“Everybody wants peace, every conversation we’ve had here has been about that,” Pat observed. “There’s a solution already there, it’s just creating the conditions for people to come around the table and thrash it out. There’s so much fear. Fear drives people to apathy and drives people to extremes.”

Some students present in Haifa found the idea of Pat's and Jo’s reconciliation incomprehensible, even wrong, though many others wanted to better understand. As such, some frank exchanges between the students and the speakers took place.

Pat was also keen to emphasize that one must not lose hope.

“There’s a list of seemingly endless problems, no solutions in sight, and then this miracle happens,” Pat said after a question about seemingly intractable conflicts.

The students asked Pat and Jo a variety of questions, ranging from how their families received the partnership, to how their experiences and what they have learned could be applied to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In response, the message was clear, in that it emphasized the need to be open, patient, and to empathize – to imagine one’s self in the place of the other.

Jo also had some practical advice to end on: “I recommend you get involved with OneVoice, they do fantastic work.”

***

Pat and Jo with OVP activists in Ramallah.

The next day, OneVoice Palestine youth leaders met with Pat and Jo in Ramallah.

Pat and Jo had a chance to discuss the conflict, occupation, and suffering, as well as see the impact of the settlements and separation wall. They shared their stories with youth leaders in an event OVP’s activists described as “inspiring” and “a powerful example of reconciliation.”

Within the duration of this visit, Jo spoke of her commitment to peaceful resolution, mediation of conflict, and about Building Bridges for Peace. She was inspired by the youth leaders’ work in the West Bank and Gaza and their commitment to non-violent activism. Pat spoke about his journey, his 14 years in prison, and Jo’s efforts for achieving reconciliation with him.

OVP youth leaders shared observations about the need for justice, an end to the occupation, and solving all final status issues in line with international resolutions as pre-requisites to real reconciliation with Israel in a meaningful sense.

The youth leaders listened intently to Pat’s story, and then explained how there is another internal reconciliation that Palestinians are concerned about: the schism between the West Bank and Gaza, and how important healing this divide will be in order to achieve a sustainable peace agreement with the Israelis that will end the occupation, build the Palestinian state, and bring peace to the region.

Over the course of two hours, Pat and Jo shared with the youth leaders the concept of creating a legitimate partnership in times of conflict. They also answered questions by the youth on peace building and the obstacles generated by mistrust and frustration on both sides of the conflict.

“I can only imagine their journey for reconciliation,” said OVP activist and Project Manager Malaka Samara. “In times of conflict, it is important to hear the other side and give an opportunity to create a legitimate partner to end the conflict for the benefits of both sides.”

OneVoice Palestine continues outreach to Gazans

OVP Gaza Director Ezzeldeen Masri leads an introductory session for university students in Gaza City on March 12, 2013.

In a Gaza City conference room covered with OneVoice messaging, 30 university students from around the Gaza Strip gathered around the table to hear why they—as citizens— must play an active role in securing a Palestinian state.

OneVoice Palestine-Gaza Director Ezzeldeen Masri introduced OneVoice to the students and briefed them on the historical reasons why the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) made the landmark decision to accept and pursue the two-state solution, how it could secure their rights and independence, and what they could do as Palestinian youth and the inheritors of this legacy, to help bring it about.

Ezzeldeen recounted the decades of bloodshed that people had already suffered through, and emphasized a critical point, that violence between the two sides will not achieve what Palestinians truly want: an independent state living in peace and security.  

“After the 1982 war, the PLO decided to focus more on the political and diplomatic front in order to end the occupation and establish the independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders,” Ezz explained.

An audience member raised a question about armed resistance to the Israeli military occupation, and Ezz focused on the need for Palestinians to focus their energies on nonviolent resistance.

“At OneVoice Palestine, we honor the martyrs who have suffered or died in the cause of Palestinian justice and statehood. Now, in our struggle toward liberation and independence, we support the vision of our President, Mahmoud Abbas, in ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution and through popular nonviolent resistance and other diplomatic and legal measures,” Ezz responded.

OneVoice Palestine was glad to be able to facilitate a genuine debate on what steps the Palestinians needed to take to begin building a future free of occupation. Recent history provided an important touchstone to many of the young people in attendance.

Yasser Arafat's vision of the Peace of the Brave, and the historic Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, provided the framing for a lively debate, as the young Gazans present discussed what could be done to break the impasse.

“For me”, said Ezz, “one of the most important things we’re doing here in Gaza is giving these young people the tools and grounding necessary to take ownership over their fate and play an active role in ending this occupation and building the two-state solution. Nobody else here is doing this sort of work-- nobody.”

Some of OVP’s longest serving Gazan activists - Mahmoud Daoud, Hasan Skaik, and Islam Shalah - spoke about their experience and the skills they gained from participating in the youth leadership training program (YLP), encouraging participants to join and become OVP volunteers. The activists also introduced the town hall meeting program (THM) and the various initiatives that OVP conducted in the past, as well as brainstorming about future activities.

“The OVP leadership training program helped us develop the skills needed to become politically active and capable of contributing to the march toward liberation and independence,” Mahmood explained to the group. 

Mr. Salem Hindi, director of the Palestinian Peace Coalition, and Mr. Ibrahim Kishta, councillor in the Palestinian Diplomatic Corps and an OVP supporter, both addressed the session’s attendees. They spoke about the need to adopt nonviolent popular resistance in order to put pressure on Israeli society and for the international community to demand an end for the occupation and the establishment of the Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

"We must have a clear objective: liberation, independence, and popular nonviolent resistance combined with diplomacy are the best methods to reach our goal," said Mr. Kishta.

Mr. Hindi concurred. “Nonviolent resistance proved its effectiveness in the West Bank towns of Bodress, Nalien, and Nabi Salah,” and therefore should be used elsewhere in Palestine.

“At this stage in our struggle toward liberation and independence, we need to adopt the popular nonviolent resistance model," activist Islam Shalah told the group.

By the end of the intro session, 23 of the 30 attendees signed up for the youth training program with OVP-Gaza, helping Ezz and his team further increase their impact and non-violent agenda in this most challenging of environments.

The introductory session was done in cooperation with the Adam Center for Dialogue of Civilizations in Gaza City.

Mahmood Daoud, OVP activist (right) explains the youth leadership training program to the group. 

OVP Gaza youth leader Islam Shalah told the group that nonviolent resistance must be the model in Palestine.

Participants, including Mr. Kishta (far left) and Mr. Hindi (center, speaking), discuss the role of nonviolent resistance in bringing about a Palestinian state.

With Israel’s coalition government formed, Maya Peretz reflects on OVI campaign

Jerusalem Coordinator Maya Peretz hangs posters near the Knesset and the entrance to Jerusalem. The campaign called for Yair Lapid to keep his promise to promote the peace process and not go into a coalition with Habayit Hayehudi.

The Israeli government’s coalition formation period is over, leaving surprise winner Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid with Habayit Hayehudi’s Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, and Tzipi Livni of HaTnua to officially lead Israel’s 33^rd government.

While the outcome is not what OneVoice Israel would have wanted, it is important to understand and acknowledge the effort OVI’s youth leaders dedicated to their campaign and how much work is still needed to bring the two-state solution and an end to the conflict to the forefront of Israeli policy.

Maya Peretz, the Jerusalem regional coordinator, was caught by surprise after the election and during the run-up to this announcement.

“[Yesh Atid] was supposed to be the biggest party representing the moderates in Israeli society and [Habayit Hayehudi] has very nationalistic views, which among other things calls for no compromises when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Maya explained. “I think that because of this surprising move it is also very difficult to predict what direction this government will go.”

For two months, OVI engaged in a vigorous social and traditional media campaign to keep the pressure on Lapid during the coalition process. They particularly targeted his promise to restart negotiations with the Palestinians as a condition for his joining a coalition, as well as his call to take the money from the settlements – putting a partial freeze on construction – and investing the money in Israel’s middle class.

OVI postered messages all over Israeli streets criticizing Lapid’s alliance with Bennett and submitted op-eds, letters to the editor, and ads to national media. Youth leaders canvassed outside the Knesset and Lapid’s house. They even danced the Harlem Shake in a satirical video aimed at the Lapid-Bennett alliance.

Key highlights included an opportunity to meet with Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, to discuss the immediate need for a two-state solution, as well as Dr. Patrick Magee and Jo Berry, founders of Building Bridges for Peace.

During this campaign period, OVI also inspired a wider online conversation on several pages.

Maya believes that Lapid’s alliance with Bennett deserved every ounce of creativity emanated by OVI’s campaign.

“Sometimes it’s very hard to find activities that can really change reality and promote the two-state solution,” Maya said. “These actives felt like we were doing something with this issue and that we were responding to the current political reality. We wanted to make sure that he stood behind these statements, but we found that the bond with Bennett is causing him to betray exactly that.”

Maya suggests that the mood on the Israeli street is that Lapid’s coalition with Bennett resulted in support because its unexpected nature, as well as refusing to give in to initial pressures from Netanyahu.

Although the two claim they differ on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lapid and Bennett share the same ideas in other areas of Israeli society, including drafting the Ultra-Orthodox into the military and the status of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

This is yet another challenge for Maya. As the Jerusalem coordinator, she is a vocal advocate for the sharing of Jerusalem between Israel (West Jerusalem) and a future Palestinian state (East Jerusalem), something that isn’t an easy task sans election years.

“The fact that the Knesset is placed in Jerusalem makes it very relevant to these [unique] activities,” she said. “Jerusalem is one of the core issues of the conflict and has its own symbolic significance, which makes it a lot more important and meaningful to be active there in general.”

So what’s next for OVI in the coming months?

“I think we should focus on empowering the moderate voices in the government and reestablish our Two-State Solution Caucus,” Maya suggested. “We need to use it to pressure the policymakers of Yesh Atid from inside the government, all while ramping-up the pressure from outside the Knesset with our youth activists from all over Israel.”

Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, speaks about the need to act now for the two-state solution with audience members at Tel Aviv University. Serry criticized the potential policy of the new coalition of enhancing settlement construction, thereby adding to OVI’s momentum toward combating the potential consequences of Bennett's party membership in the new government.

  

OneVoice activists make the case for peace in Washington and deliver petition to key decision makers

From left to right: OneVoice Palestine’s Wasim Almasri, IEP Director Rachel Steinberg, and OneVoice Israel’s Tom Bar-Gal before meetings in Washington. Wasim holds the OneVoice petition. Tom displays an informational packet for D.C. policymakers.

Just a few weeks before President Barack Obama’s first trip in office to Israel and Palestine, OneVoice activists Wasim Almasri and Tom Bar-Gal set out to leave an impression on Washington’s policy community.

From March 3-8, Tom of OneVoice Israel and Wasim of OneVoice Palestine had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the U.S. Department of State, Congress, and members of the Obama administration; with prominent intellectuals and influencers at international think-tanks, and future leaders at some of the D.C.-area’s top universities.

In connecting the U.S. policymaking community with the voices of Israeli and Palestinian civil society, Tom and Wasim sought to achieve two goals: present OneVoice’s petition asking President Obama to support the two-state solution, end the occupation and a return to serious negotiations with a limited and clear time frame and references, and share with the policy community why supporting grassroots peacebuilding efforts on the ground in Israel and Palestine in addition to working to secure negotiations at the diplomatic level are a critical combination for breaking the status quo.

During the American election season and through Inauguration Day, OneVoice called on President Obama to leverage his leadership role to facilitate a return to serious and meaningful negotiations for the Israeli and Palestinian leadership and to prioritize ending the occupation and achieving the two-state solution in his second term. Over 1,600 people signed on to this call online and on paper, and during the Washington tour, Tom and Wasim delivered the petition to American policymakers.

On the collegiate level, the tour stopped at American University and the University of Maryland – College Park, as well as included a networking event with the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. Questions about outreach and bringing skeptical people into the fold of OneVoice’s nonviolent resistance work and message were top on the agenda at these events.

“We cannot change everybody’s minds,” Tom told students at American. “We know there are people who are hard-headed [and] for a long time, the two-state solution was not part of the discourse [in Israel]. It wasn’t even relevant. And for some it isn’t achievable. But as long as we keep putting this message out there, it slowly becomes part of the narrative.”

“Through [OVP’s] youth leadership program, we talk to the people about the occupation, the two-state solution, and about what needs to be done,” added Wasim. “We start creating a human infrastructure that actually wants to work toward ending the occupation through actively participating in non-violent resistance activities and positive engagement. Also, our town hall meeting program addresses a lot of social and economic issues and connects the average person with the decision makers. This is how we try to create a ripe environment for conflict resolution and peacebuilding.”

At the Wilson Center for International Scholars and the New America Foundation, two internationally renowned think-tanks, Tom was asked for his thoughts on the relationship between the make-up of the Knesset and Israeli public opinion, as well as the generational gap regarding support for the two-state solution.

“My view is that the majority of the Israeli people are not represented in the Knesset because they are silent [on this issue],” Tom explained. “I think people, and this goes for about every person I talked to, are willing to give up more than they are willing to say...[L]ess people might be talking about this [and] people are less vocal about expressing their opinions, that is true. But, I think more people [young and old] actually support the two-state solution.

“For instance, last year we had a big social justice movement [#J14 Movement] that took place in Tel Aviv,” Tom continued. “We held an event of our own, connecting the social justice that so many Israelis wanted to the two-state solution and the costs of propping up the occupation. We showed them why we needed the two-state solution to achieve what they wanted and found it very successful.”

On Capitol Hill, Wasim contended that the structure of OneVoice is the only possible methodology for introducing the two-state solution to each side’s public.

“We believe that working in parallel is in the best interest of the people,” Wasim told Congressional staffers. “For [OVP], it addresses the national self-interest of the Palestinians and we [OVP and OVI] have different ways we interact with each society. So we try to address the conflict in a way that the Palestinians will have an interest in it…and our colleagues in Israel do the same thing [in their own community].” 

He paused, and looked at the staffers in the room. All work directly with prominent members of the U.S. House and Senate with varying interests in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wasim had a direct comment for them all.

“In OneVoice’s message, there’s a sentence that states that the work we do is empowering the people to push their elected representatives toward establishing a two-state solution and end to the conflict.

“You are the people,” he said. “Start pushing your elected representatives toward it.”

Tom and Wasim before meetings at the State Department on March 8.

Interfaith communities discuss religion and politics with OneVoice activists

Members of Beth Chaverim Reform Synagogue and ADAMS-Ashburn Mosque listen to OVI's Tom Bar-Gal and OVP's Wasim Almasri speak about their work on the ground.

“How do we make those who make the decisions that derail the peace process understand that by doing so, Palestinians and Israelis are metaphorically sinking together in the River of Life?”

Rabbi Linda Joseph of Beth Chaverim Reform Synagogue posed this question to her congregants and interfaith partners at ADAMS-Ashburn Mosque. Luckily, the answer was right in front of the 78 attendees on the evening of March 3.

Tom Bar-Gal of OneVoice Israel and Wasim Almasri of OneVoice Palestine started out their Washington, D.C. speaking tour at this interfaith event, talking about the parallel grassroots work they do to push their leaders toward the two-state solution and an end to the occupation and the conflict.

As Israeli and Palestinian, Tom and Wasim can be thought of as “neighbors” due to their geographic relation to one another. So, too, are the members of Beth Chaverim and ADAMS. Quite literally.

Ray Daffner, Tikva Committee chair and member of Beth Chaverim, said that about a decade ago, the congregation had the opportunity – through a generous donation – to participate in interfaith cooperation. Loudoun Cares, a non-profit in the area, assisted with the outreach to others in the faith community. The idea was to build a vast network of the faithful in order to foster educational and spiritual growth, understanding, and respect between all participating members.

Not too long after their work began, Beth Chaverim was in need of a new space. They did find a building, and had some room to spare for a fellow interfaith partner.

“When we [at ADAMS] were looking for a place in Ashburn to establish a mosque, there was a synagogue in a new building that had a space to rent out,” said Syed Alam, chair of ADAMS-Ashburn. “They were very welcoming, the leadership and the congregation. I wanted to form an ADAMS branch to allow the community to come together. This was a history-making opportunity for me.”

The night’s event was also an historic one for the community. It marked the first time a discussion about the conflict took place between Beth Chaverim and ADAMS-Ashburn, overcoming any apprehension and signifying that the community is ready for the next step in their interfaith journey.

During the event, congregants asked the activists about the American media’s portrayal of the conflict, as well as factions in Israel and Palestine that are harming the opportunities for peace. Tom and Wasim had answers that were understandably familiar to the audience members.

“Most people are misinformed, but moderates,” said Tom. “It is our job to help break the myths from the realities on each side.”

Wasim concurred. “OneVoice represents the majorities. The other voices [extremists] will continue to be there no matter what happens, but we need to keep working toward our goals.”

Bumps in the road are bound to happen before sustainable peace can flourish, explained Mr. Daffner.

“There was some resistance from families in Beth Chaverim and ADAMS-Ashburn – stereotypes and fears on both sides,” he said. “The ADAMS Center’s move into our open space took about a year to go through. But as long as our kids go to the same schools, as long as we live down the street from each other, this type of cooperation must happen.”

While movie nights, Torah/Koran study sessions, potluck dinners, and teen programming work well for these partners, it’s not that simple for Tom, Wasim, and their respective communities.

Wasim spoke of his time growing up on the move. He was born in Lebanon and lived in refugee camps in Syria before moving to Gaza and then the West Bank, the latter of which has been home since the 2008 war in Gaza. Despite his hardships, he finds consolation in what he and his fellow youth leaders do at OVP.

“OneVoice gave me the tools, something to work with on the ground,” he said. “This is what’s great about the Movement: you see all these small ideas, small thoughts by the youth leaders that translate into actual activities to mobilize the people, empowering them to do something about the status quo.”

Tom spoke about living in Haifa, which he said feels untouched by the conflict. However, little by little, the long arms of violence crept into Tom’s life and he believed that he needed to challenge the problematic core of Israelis’ attitude toward the conflict – apathy.

“During my time at OVI, I’ve found there are certain types of Israelis,” Tom explained. “There are skeptics that say, ‘yes, I support the two-state solution, but Palestinians will never accept it and want a return to violence. Then there are the hopeless types that support it, too, but fail to speak up. We also have a problem with unmotivated political leadership. But we must address the needs of the people [by changing the status quo].”

While religion may be one ideology driving the conflict for some factions, who represent a minority of Israelis and Palestinians, there are also many other issues to be addressed in the conflict. This is why OneVoice focuses on pragmatic steps that can be taken to achieve a peace agreement and two-state solution. Nonetheless, religious leadership can play an important role in mobilizing their communities to take an active role in working to end the conflict.

During a stop in Philadelphia for another interfaith event on March 10, this time at the invitation of Media Presbyterian Church, who partnered with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JCRC), it was made clear that the prominent communal role of religion in the region can be used in a positive way.

“Although we are a political movement working on establishing a political agreement [between Israelis and Palestinians], the role of religious leaders and of the religious community in Israel and Palestine can be enormously transformative in terms of building a base of support for conflict resolution,” said IEP Director Rachel Steinberg.

The work that Wasim and Tom do in their respective communities is also a transformative one. Their efforts did not go unrecognized by the people they spoke to while on tour.

“Those of us who deal with the public policy side of the issue are used to hearing talk that the peace process is stalled, and that certainly is the case,” said Rev. Bill Borror, senior pastor at Media Presbyterian. “[But] OneVoice members represent not hundreds, but thousands of young adults who want a different world…there are people who are working for hope in the region.”

An audience member at Media Presbyterian asks the youth leaders about the role of religion in the conflict.

Tom Bar-Gal: OVI regional coordinator talks IEP tour

From March 3-11, OneVoice Israel regional coordinator and activist Tom Bar-Gal took part in the International Engagement Program's Washington, D.C. tour. Tom had the opportunity to speak to political and religious communities during his stay and told us about his experience.

OneVoice: What was it like going on your first IEP tour?

Tom: I was expecting it to be a more general discussion with a more general audience and a lot more opposition than I actually faced.  I was waiting for someone to attack me for my views, but everyone we met was very supportive and engaged. There was hardly ever any disagreement to the two-state solution. It’s interesting, the only people who tried to challenge the two-state solution also wanted to regain their own faith in it and the peace process.  I can see that people feel exhausted here in America – they only see bad things on the news, problems, and difficulties. This is what’s mainly covered. When they see activists like me, they see a representative of the future. The change will have an impact. I would definitely go on a tour again.

OneVoice: As an Israeli, why do you think it was important to speak to the Washington, D.C. community at this moment in time?

Tom: The time is now, and the two-state solution should be a priority for Obama. We can’t be sure what the future of American leadership has in store. Obama might not be motivated to make a move now because he has other things on his mind, like the budget. However, he can play a role in changing the reality on the ground by supporting the grassroots work that we are doing. Issuing statements that acknowledge our work will help to regain the hope of restarting negotiations. This is crucial.

It’s also important to understand the gap in public opinion and the makeup of the Knesset. The Knesset does not represent what the public thinks and wants on the issue of the two-state solution. It represents trends of fear and mistrust, not ideals and aspirations. It’s important that the American public and policymakers have faith that the Israeli public will support a solution when it comes.

OneVoice: What were the most common questions you received? Any difficult or challenging questions?

Tom: I was asked how the changes in the region affect our work, what I think about the new government, how supportive will it be toward the two-state solution. I was also asked about importance of the holy sites to the Jewish people, and about Jerusalem and how can we split something that is important for both religions.

My answer to the holy sites question was that we advocate for freedom of access and worship for all faiths, and there will be no solution if this won’t be a part of it. On Jerusalem, I talked about the difference between Jerusalem in the mind of public (a romanticized vision), the reality of what Jerusalem actually is, and what it should be: shared, with West Jerusalem the capital of Israel and East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine. It’s separating the myth from reality. The responses were very widely accepted and appreciated.

OneVoice: Did you learn anything from the American audiences you spoke to that you didn’t know before?

Tom: I learned that Americans are supportive of the two-state solution, but there isn’t a lot of awareness of the grassroots work that is going on and the public opinion in Israel. It seems Americans rely too much on just the media as their main source, even though they know media doesn’t represent all of reality. With this in mind, they are taking the opportunity to learn more by coming to our events.

Wasim Almasri: OVP communications officer talks IEP tour

From March 3-11, OneVoice Palestine communications officer and activist Wasim Almasri took part in the International Engagement Program's Washington, D.C. tour. Wasim had the opportunity to speak to political and religious communities during his stay and told us about his experience.

OneVoice: You studied in the U.S. for several years. What was it like to be back after living in Palestine for so long?

Wasim: I haven't been back since I left Truman College (Chicago) with my computer science degree in 2006. It's nice to travel outside of Palestine for a change; I haven't been granted a pass to leave the West Bank by the Israelis for a long time. It's nice to see the outside world, but now I see it with different lenses on. When I was in Chicago, I wasn't very involved in politics. Now, I am a father and improving quality of life for my daughters and my people is very important to me, so it increases my involvement in politics.

As a student, I saw the U.S. as the land of opportunity. As a politically active Palestinian, I see the U.S. as the mediator that should be an honest and sincere broker for the peace process. It's good to be here, but I can't wait to be back home and share my experience.

OneVoice: What was the reception like in Washington? How did the government officials and community members you met with greet you and what you had to say to them?

Wasim: I believe some people were surprised to hear a narrative they never heard before [the Palestinian narrative], but open to listening to what I had to say. The meetings were informative very valuable in terms of what the American public's vision is of the conflict and how they see a final agreement to the conflict and it ending. The government officials were very, very anxious to hear from the grassroots.

I think I had the most impact on the interfaith groups. They come from a community that is already doing peace building on their own. It motivates them to see us doing our work on the ground, and it motivates us to see them doing the same in the U.S. I know that the majority of Americans don't know the Palestinian narrative; the media shows certain things on the subject or moves on to other topics they think is more important. However, we must continue to do so in the face of such silence.

OneVoice: Why is it important for President Obama and Secretary Kerry to visit the region now, and how can that impact a potential return to the peace process? What should Palestinians say to the president when he arrives in the region?

Wasim: First, the people need a spark of hope, especially with mistrust between Israel and Palestine. The status quo is not making it easier for the Palestinians, particularly socially and economically. After the Israeli elections, we are thinking about a future Palestinian presidential election. The timing is important for Obama. He needs to leave a legacy for the next president, and Kerry has been working on this issue for a while and is passionate about it.

While in Palestine, Obama should acknowledge the work of civil society and their role in peace building, but there is no doubt that these organizations will continue their work even if conflict is not solved. The youth leaders want a push by the Americans so they can give them extra motivation to do their work.

OneVoice: Can you take what you already know and what you learned about these American audiences and use it in ways to push for peace in the occupied Palestinian territories? Does what you learned give you additional momentum to do what you do every day in Ramallah?

Wasim: Coming into this tour, I was unsure what the reception would be from the audiences here in the U.S. I was expecting ignorance, but the reception was great and the tour went really well. I was always going to come home and do the work I was going to do, but it's nice to see we have civil society supporters in America working within their role in peace building and using their position to influence policy. I enjoyed hearing everyone's perspectives and having the opportunity to deliver a personal experience to Americans, putting a face to the numbers or statistics that they don't normally see.

OneVoice Palestine’s “Women of Influence” project to nurture new leaders

Malaka Samara, center, meets with Sahar Qawasmeh, head of the Adwar Organization for Development, and senior OneVoice activist Ibrahim Mubarak to discuss her “Women of Influence” project.

On International Women’s Day – a day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness and commemorate the advances women made in their societies – a new initiative takes hold in Palestinian communities looking to do the same.

Led by OneVoice Palestine’s Malaka Samara, the new Women of Influence (WOI) project aims to emphasize the importance of Palestinian women and their essential social, economic, and political role in community-building to end occupation and the conflict.

Clearly, one cannot build peace by leaving half of a society out, and women have been sidelined in peace building for too long. Only 2.5% of signatories to peace agreements since 1992 have been women. Since 2000, 16 peace processes had minimal involvement of women, and in five cases, no women were involved at all.

The WOI project seeks to train, empower, inspire, and energize Palestinian women to be active, to contribute to the improvement of their communities, and to ensure that women are involved in Palestinian state building, and the peace process, at all levels.

The UN has acknowledged the vital importance of women’s involvement. Women’s participation in conflict resolution and building peace is called for in Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), but its real impact is yet to be felt by women in conflict zones such as Palestine.  

“We are living under occupation, having daily challenges in our life at all levels,” said Malaka. “Women are mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, so it is very important that they raise their voices and be part of the development of their communities and help end the occupation by delivering their messages to national and international decision makers.”

The WOI is the brainchild of Malaka’s prolonged efforts and interest in Palestinian women’s issues and her time spent volunteering with OneVoice Palestine as a youth leader. The project has several phases, the first of which concluded last month. Six introductory meetings in Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Hebron, and Jericho – the WOI target cities – occurred with women leaders and heads of local organizations. These meetings sought to introduce the project and establish a network of partners for future women’s initiatives through the WOI project.

Upcoming phases, spread out over the year, include introducing the project to small groups and discussing the challenges of Palestinian women in positions of influence, with emphasis on women in political life. Women from each target city will receive six months of training before implementing the project. Prominent and influential female leaders from across Palestinian society will serve as guest speakers in public meetings, sharing their personal stories and advice on topics such as family, community, traditions, religion, and politics.

Malaka envisions that each candidate will have the desire to make a change in life, believing that women have a vital role in changing their communities, and can be critically important actors in ending occupation and building a Palestinian state that values the role of women.

Malaka also hopes to be able to channel the young leaders in the program toward opportunities in partner organizations and in the private sector.

“Ultimately, we want these women’s experiences to be transferable – from theoretical to practical,” Malaka explained. “This way, they can be part of the change in themselves and their communities.”

Invisible Giants: OneVoice Supporter Highlighting Global Leadership

This Tuesday, I was lucky enough to attend the launch of a very special book by Lindsay Levin, Honorary Board Member, and former Chair of both OneVoice Europe and the movement’s International Steering Committee.

Lindsay is one of the most important figures in the growth and vitality of OneVoice Europe, and has facilitated countless discussions between Israelis, Palestinians and internationals, often at times when the conflict in the Middle East has taken some of its darker turns, and help is needed to forge consensus.

Lindsay is also the founder and managing partner of Leaders’ Quest, a social enterprise that brings together a diverse global community of 6,000 leaders – from CEOs of multinational companies to grassroots activists working in some of the poorest communities on the planet. All of them share a commitment to using their unique influence to create positive change.

In her book, Invisible Giants: changing the world one step at a time, Lindsay tells the stories of some extraordinary people who, whatever their background and status, are stepping up to overcome obstacles and change the world around them.  

One such leader in the book is Abdullah Hamarsheh, OneVoice Palestine’s Youth Leadership Director and a central figure within the movement’s history, having trained, inspired and recruited thousands of young Palestinians.

In a powerful chapter about Lindsay’s work with OneVoice in the Middle East, Abdullah speaks about his own experience of finding his voice as a leader. He quit his job in an Israeli settlement as a young man —taking a massive pay cut—and sought instead to help build a Palestinian state, eventually finding himself working amidst the PA leadership. 

In the book, Abdullah tells how he “learned how hard it is for a leader to take a decision that people don’t like, and yet which he knows to be the right choice. I learned that being responsible is more important than emotion. That sometimes the street might not approve, yet you must still take the right decision.”

On Tuesday evening, at the launch event for Invisible Giants, Lindsay asked an important question: “how much is enough?” Working for an organisation like OneVoice can sometimes make you feel like you’re at the bottom of a very big mountain—in our case, the resolution of a seemingly intractable conflict— and the inclination can sometimes be to race ahead as fast and hard as one can toward the top.

That approach will leave most mortals exhausted, demoralised, defeated, and alone. Lindsay’s book is full of sage advice and lessons drawn from unlikely leaders around the world who have climbed some enormous mountains, one step at a time. They’ve done so by realising what their role and personal capacity is, and understanding how they fit into a bigger, broader story of change.

They’re people like Anwari Khan, who lives with her children next to one of the biggest rubbish dumps in Asia. A self-taught leader who never learned to read or write, she now heads a network of hundreds of women, and runs training courses for the police on responding to domestic violence.

“That’s why I wrote this book,” says Lindsay, “to explore some of the tough questions and choices that affect us all. It’s a story about seeing the world through new eyes, and understanding how we’re all part of something much bigger than ourselves.”

• WATCH Lindsay talk about Invisible Giants.
• Buy the book here (all profits go to the Leaders’ Quest Foundation).

 

- John Lyndon, executive director of OneVoice Europe