RE: [Futurework] Middle East bilateral peace plan

[Karen Watters Cole]

Bill wrote: If I had sent you a slide showing the state of the Israeli economy, it would have pretty much been an upside down version of the numbers of deaths. Israelis are suffering, Israeli Arabs even more, and the Palestinian Arabs still more.   The link below is from the BBC: *Political rows blast Israeli economy* <http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/business/2380255.stm>  High profile political battles are overshadowing efforts to put the recession-hit Israeli economy back on the path of growth. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> RE: changing habits after many years, with hopes for a better future, some good news from Afghanistan:  It’s just a pilot program, but it’s the right sort of beginning.  With a ceasefire, perhaps economic development plans for Palestine and Gaza can also begin, as proposed last year before Congress by a wealthy Israeli businessman practicing what he preaches in Aqaba.  See Statement by Stef Wertheimer; jobs opportunity and economic stability bring better hopes for peace than empty talk by those who have nothing more than more violence to offer.   KWC Also see Give Peace a Chance, a Wertheimer profile @  http://www.fastcompany.com/fast50_02/people/rewards/wertheimer.html.  Excerpts: Afghans Trade Guns for Shot at a New Life: Disarmament Project in Province Serves as Test for Country [In] the northern province of Kunduz, Afghan and U.N. officials launched a long-awaited national program to disarm tens of thousands of factional fighters, demobilize them from their militia units and reintegrate them into civilian life. … In return, each fighter was handed a plastic ID card that entitled him to $200, a change of civilian clothes, a box of food and vocational training and employment counseling in such fields as land mine clearance, road construction and factory work. "I feel like I've been let out of prison after a long time," exulted Nizamuddin, 35, a hulking man who had just turned in an enormous mortar tube. "I have been carrying a gun since I was 20, and I never learned to do anything else. People in my village blame every crime on me. Now maybe I can finally get a job and get married." …The start of the program was delayed for months while reforms were carried out at the Defense Ministry, giving its leadership -- once dominated by former militia commanders from a single faction -- a more ethnically balanced and professional nature. Now, in theory, no ethnic militia should object to handing over its weapons or decreasing its forces for fear that a rival group will exploit this weakness …The crucial support for disarmament, however, comes from Gen. Daud Khan, a former militia leader who is regional commander of the Afghan Defense Forces. He is viewed as loyal to the Karzai government, and he faces no threat from factional rivals that would justify clinging to his weapons and troops.  "I am ready to demobilize 30,000 men in three provinces if the authorities ask me," said Khan, 33, in an interview at his headquarters, where hundreds of fighters were registering to disarm. "There are rumors that we mujaheddin [Islamic holy warriors] still want to rule by the gun. We want to prove we have a place in civilian society, and we want to set an example for the rest of the country." To ensure that the fighters do not return to their former way of life, the United Nations has set up the Afghan New Beginnings Program, which will offer free job training and placement for all demobilized forces. Unskilled men can learn how to operate road repair equipment; officers with some education may receive help opening small businesses. A few are expected to enlist in the new Afghan army. "These people have had enough of war. You can see the elation and excitement on their faces," said James Grimshaw, a British manager at the New Beginnings office, which is scheduled to open other branches in half a dozen provinces where the disarmament program will begin in the coming months. "This is not just about collecting weapons. It is about turning people into permanently employable individuals."  (end of excerpts) *********************************************************************** On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 07:58:36 -0700 "Karen Watters Cole" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Thanks, Bill.   For others who didn’t explore the rest of the CSM report, here’s more, which gives a bigger picture of the current debate about the ineffectiveness of current policies.  Even if the “People’s Peace Plan” does not do anything more than gather more signatures, it raises the level of awareness that the people most affected are losing faith in their elected leadership to genuinely address peace negotiations.  Personally, I find a grassroots initiative a very positive, if desperate, sign for which to be hopeful.  If they collect enough signatures showing willingness to compromise on right of return and border/settlement issues, it could encourage leadership to move forward, abandoning failed policies.  Let us be hopeful.   “The UN News Center reports that the text of the resolution, which had been introduced by Italy, on behalf of the European Union, expressed the Assembly's "particular concern that the route marked out for the wall under construction by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, could prejudice future negotiations and make the two-state solution physically impossible to implement and would cause further humanitarian hardship to the Palestinians." The CBC reports that Israel says it will continue with construction of the fence, regardless of the UN vote. Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the fence is needed to keep out Palestinian attackers.   NPR reports that the lack of progress on peace talks, and the continuing violence, mean that more Palestinians are willing to look at the idea of a "one-state" solution. The proposal causes fear among Israelis determined to protect their country's Jewish majority, but supporters of the idea argue that current Israeli policies of "reoccupation" in the West Bank are making it more likely. The idea of one-state for both Israelis and Palestinians was most recently championed by the late Edward Said, a professor at Columbia University and perhaps the best known supporter of the Palestinian cause.”   Also noted was a “Hollywood peace initiative” where actors had signed up to tour Israel on behalf of peace negotiations, sponsored by OneVoice Israel.  - KWC   Bill wrote: I have added a power point slide that looks at deaths since Sharon. What is of interest is that Israeli deaths are way up to. He had gotten Israelis to believe that he came in to protect Israelis but the awful truth is that he initiated the crises to dump Barak and to secure his future through increased terror. Please see the Christian Science Monitor’s Daily Update, October 22, 2003 for the rest of this: links are live Israeli strikes launch debate about civilian casualties  @ http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/sept11/dailyUpdate.html