Perspectives: Israelis and Palestinians – Generation 2.0 by Reem Al-Shareef and Nira Lamay

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Perspectives: Israelis and Palestinians – Generation 2.0

by Reem Al-Shareef and Nira Lamay

24 March 2009

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Teach non-violent responses to anger by Reem Al-Shareef

Hebron, West Bank - "Use your mind to hold yourself together." "Express your anger in a sensible way." "Think."

These are words that Qurtuba school staff in Hebron, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, repeatedly tell our Palestinian students.

Especially after the recent war in Gaza, non-violent face-to-face interaction can be a difficult task. But working with Qurtuba School students, I believe I can help create a safe and peaceful future for the next generation of Palestinians and Israelis alike, from the ground up.

Walking around Hebron, especially on Al-Shuhada Street where the Israeli settlement of Bait Hadassah is located, is like stepping onto a minefield.

Do the Arab children going to school here really know how to handle themselves in these surroundings, where settlers might throw stones at children who step into the wrong area? Not always. So, we teach our students that responding with violence will only result in more violence. It is a never-ending cycle.

And it is because of this that I implemented the school's non-violence policy.

First, children are taught their civil rights. They now know that if settlers attack them they should call the Israeli police for help. Our school is in the H2 area of Hebron, which is under Israeli control (the H1 area of Hebron falls in the Palestinian Authority's jurisdiction). In H2, it is the responsibility of the Israeli government to provide security for civilians.

When an incident occurs on school property we call the Israeli police, demonstrating to the children that it is better to get the authorities involved than to respond with violence. The police usually respond quickly, and if there is a delay we call organisations like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the Temporary International Presence in the City of Hebron (TIPH), and then the media.

The children monitor our actions and learn.

Second, teenagers are given the chance to express their anger and frustration on paper or through play, effective vehicles through which we can help them understand and focus their feelings.

Third, we are careful never to use our students as pawns in the conflict. Our school believes that children shouldn't take part in demonstrations against the occupation since they are easy targets. They should enjoy their childhood and choose their political beliefs themselves when the time is right.

I hope that these approaches will teach this next generation of Palestinian leaders to use their minds and stand up for their rights non-violently, creating a peaceful future for themselves and their neighbours.

Turn fear into trust by Nira Lamay

Jerusalem - "The present generations should spare future generations the scourge of war. To that end, they should avoid exposing future generations to the harmful consequences of armed conflicts as well as all other forms of aggression and use of weapons, contrary to humanitarian principles."

These words of UNESCO's 1997 declaration on the responsibilities we have to future generations are simple and clear. They formed the basis for the Israeli Parliament's Commission for Future Generations, a professional, non-political organ of the Knesset that advised parliament on the impact of legislation on future generations.

I worked on this Commission, which existed between 2001 and 2006. My time there was inspirational, and today these words shape my own work to promote a future of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.

The commission's mandate did not cover political issues, foreign affairs, military or defence issues. We focused on preserving resources for future generations. Our motto was that while the political world was busy with issues of defence and war, we would prepare for the "day after" peace, when future generations would have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

Sometimes I wonder if there will be a "day after". The recent war in Gaza made me realise that we still don't have the luxuries that most nations enjoy – where preserving resources and the environment are a primary task. We are still stuck in a more basic state of survival.

It also made me realise that professional employees who have experience in our political system should use their knowledge to change it. So, while we have our work on the ground cut out for us, we cannot give up on politics. The political mission of promoting peace is much too precious to leave to politicians.

Let us – Israelis and Palestinians alike – reclaim the right to change and to create our own future. For example, I recently had the opportunity to work to build peace on the ground through a magical book called 60 Years, 60 Voices, organised by the non-profit organisation Peace x Peace, which connects women around the world for the purpose of dialogue, understanding and collaboration. The project brought together 30 Israeli and 30 Palestinian women to highlight their beliefs for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians. I was fortunate to be one of these women.

We still have a long way to go at the "ground level", but we must continue to work to turn fear and paranoia into trust, not only between two governments but, more importantly, between two peoples.

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*Nira Lamay is a legal advisor to parliamentary committees on the rights of children, and science and technology. Reem Al Shareef is principal of the Qurtuba School in Hebron. Both authors contributed to Peace x Peace's book, 60 Years, 60 Voices. This article first appeared in Washington Post/Newsweek's On Faith and was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 24 March 2009, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.


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