Stop the Wall

Our first stop this morning was at Wi'am where we met the Executive Director, Zoughbi Zoughbi at Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center.  He discussed their programs of Ministry and Reconciliation for resolving conflict working with men, women and children.  They use numerous mediums of training, panel discussions, seminars, camps, theatre, art and drama.  He said that 80% of the children have been traumatized. 

They also work on women empowerment and advocacy programs.  Their teaching and training focuses on not dwelling on victimhood in which they do not blame or judge anyone.  He said that those thoughts and feelings are toxic to oneself.  He said it is a collective responsibility of all involved .  Furthermore, he said that "peace is a holistic approach".

I personally could resonate with his insight and wisdom that there needs to be responsibility from all involved by seeking to understand each others narrative.  This is exactly what I believe and how I feel a shift can occur for peace and reconciliation.

Next we visited Bethlehem Bible College and had an amazing lecture by Reverend Alex Awad who is from the US and is the Dean of Student.  His lecture was about Christian Zionism with the use of visual aids and his personal story that brought a clearer understanding to me about the history of events of how we are at this place today.  It was excellent!

The rest of the afternoon we met with Stop the Wall and Mennonite Central Committee advocate.  We traveled around the outside of the walls and were given personal stories of how the wall has affected Palestinians.  Can you imagine having an authority coming to your home and taking it away from you with no compensation and being displaced from your own land?  Can you imagine needing to get a permit in order to have family come visit you and visits have to be at certain times?  Can you imagine being told when and how many times you can go to your farm land to work it?  Can you imagine being told when and if you can go to your worship service?

This is exactly the oppression that the Palestinians are experiencing.  They are being controlled and persecuted by the Israeli Occupation.  I am still as I write this trying to articulate my thoughts and emotions about this strangulation on the Palestinians.  It is heartbreaking from so many realms.  At one part of the wall today, we found an empty tear gas canister with the initials of CTS on it that is produced in Pennsylvania and sold by the US.  A quote that I saw on the wall today was "A country is not only what it does it is also what it tolerates."  (Kurt Tucholsky, 1933).  How can the US and other countries stand by and watch this form of violence and injustice take place?  When I return, I am going to write letters to my congressmen and the President and share with them my personal observations and experiences! In the meantime, pray for peace, seek justice and love mercifully!