There is indeed an organization comprised of women, Palestinian and Israeli working together for peace -- Tova, perhaps you know them. It is actually the collaborative work of two agencies for women. The collaborative entity is called The Jerusalem Link.
- - - - http://www.batshalom.org/ [excerpt] The Jerusalem Link is the coordinating body of two independent women's centers: Bat Shalom - The Jerusalem Women's Action Center, located in West Jerusalem, and Marcaz al-Quds la l-Nissah - the Jerusalem Center for Women, located in East Jerusalem. Each organization is autonomous and takes its own national constituency as its primary responsibility - but together we run programs promoting peace, democracy, human rights, and women's leadership. Mandated to advocate for peace and justice between Israel and Palestine, we believe a viable solution of the conflict between our two peoples must be based on recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and independent state, Jerusalem as the capital of both states, and a final settlement of all relevant issues based on international law. [excerpt] Bat Shalom is a feminist peace organization of Israeli women. We work toward a just peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors that includes recognition of a Palestinian state side-by-side with Israel and Jerusalem as the capital of both. Within Israel, Bat Shalom works toward a more just and democratic society shaped equally by men and women. Bat Shalom, together with The Jerusalem Center for Women, a Palestinian women's peace organization, comprise The Jerusalem Link. As Israeli and Palestinian women of The Jerusalem Link, we work together toward a real peace not merely a treaty of mutual deterrence, but a culture of peace and cooperation between our peoples. We call on women and men in the region and elsewhere to join in making our vision of peace a reality. - - - - I had the honor of hosting in my home Terry Greenblatt, the Executive Director of Bat Shalom. She came to the Bay Area some weeks ago to raise money for the efforts of these linked agencies. Her Palestinian counterpart was, at the last minute, unable to join her. The Israeli government decided to detain the Palestinian woman 'for her own safety'. It was very hard for her even to get the message out to Terry that she could not join Terry, as the perimeter to her village was currently being bulldozed and back hoed, and all telephone lines (therefore internet use) was cut. She used the last 20 minutes of battery time on her cell phone to dictate a speech to a volunteer sitting in the Israeli office. A speech explaining the poignant reality of her circumstances as well as her total trust in Terry to represent them both, Palestinian and Israeli. So everywhere Terry spoke, she began by reading that speech. Everywhere she spoke, she represented both the oppressor and the oppressed, the partnership and the prevention of partnership. And everywhere she spoke, well-meaning people asked her, 'please tell us -- what is your message? what would you like us to do? what would be most helpful?'. And she said [my words to paraphrase], 'I am telling you what is happening in my world. I am answering your questions with as unprotected an honesty I can, in order to respond to you in ways that may not be comfortable for you or me but so that you can hear what is really going on. But I cannot tell you what to do. I cannot be your leader. We are doing all we can to tell the truth, and for many, such as my Palestinian colleague, at great personal and physical risk. And look under what circumstances. You have no such circumstances, no such oppression, no such risk. So all I ask you is that you not continue asking the same questions of each other and of us, but ask the deeper questions, the scary ones, the ones nobody will name. And then act as your heart tells you to. We are waiting for *you* to lead as well.' She did say that both sister agencies of Bat Shalom feel that [my words] as everybody argues and rages and defines and fights and makes venomous statements and shouts about action regarding returning to the land / staying where they are -- people are dying. Little children are being killed by stray bullets streaking into their homes as they play 'safely' inside, for example. Lack of work is slowly starving families and wellness. Bulldozers are destroying communities, and food and water resources, and incomes. So they jointly say that the very first step to a *just* peace is to stop occupation and action regarding occupation. That peace and talk about peace cannot begin until the actions regarding occupation stop. [excerpt from Jerusalem Link press release:] Published in Haaretz on Jerusalem Day 1999: The Time Has Come to Share Jerusalem We, Palestinian and Israeli women, united in a joint effort to end the conflict between our two peoples, re-affirm our commitment to end the occupation and share Jerusalem: two capitals for two sovereign states. We condemn the unilateral actions of the Israeli government that forestall a shared Jerusalem: * Ongoing threats to close down the Orient House and other Palestinian institutions * The revocation of residency rights of Palestinian Jerusalemites * The demolition of homes of Palestinian Jerusalemites * Confiscation of Palestinian lands To achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, our leaders must speak out courageously: The time has come to share Jerusalem. - - - - Terry says that maybe what was decided some years ago was a good decision, for the time. But maybe it is time now for two states. I do know that it is time to stop pulling and tearing and bleeding and shrieking about that image built in the past, and to stop hurting and yelling long enough to breathe and say maybe now is a different time. Now requires different thinking. We all know that different thinking is the magic that comes out of Open Space. Maybe a way that we in other countries can help is to open space in our own communities and our own peacemaking organizations for the deeper truths and the intuition and the good hard work that leads to action. Rather than talk about something and learn about something, maybe it is time to be something. I do know that opening space is a way to create space for leaders to emerge. Lisa Heft Berkeley, California, USA * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html =========================================================== osl...@egroups.com To subscribe, 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, and choose a login ID and password 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions To unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign in and Proceed
