cb magazine vol. 7 ed. 34

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 2007 1

A bi-monthly regional magazineVolume 7 No.34 August/September 2007

• Lebanon a Year Later• Getting into RAM FM Radio• What Americans Know

Local ProblemsGlobal Solutions

Crossing Borders Volume 7 No.34 August/September 20072

What is Crossing BordersCrossing Borders is a non profit, nongoverment organization that provides youthand educators from the Middle East andEurope with dialogue space and media,communication and conflict management skillstraining. CB is hosted by The InternationalPeople’s College in Elsinore, Denmark. CB’smission is to facilitate meaningful dialogueamong youth and educators across conflictdivides. The aim of CB is to increase thepossibilities for world peace with special focuson the Middle East.

ISSN: 1563-28365www.crossingborder.org

For Learning to live together on equal terms

CONTENTS

This document has been producedwith the financial assistance of theAnna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation.The contents of this document are the sole re-sponsibility of Crossing Borders and can underno circumstances be regarded as reflecting theposition of the Anna Lindh Euro-MediterraneanFoundation.

Who We AreCB Advisory BoardProf. Munther Dajani (chairperson), Mr. Herbert Pundik, Ms. ElseHammerich, Ms. Lotte Lund, Mr. Hanna Siniora, Mr. Jakob Erle, Mr.Mossi Raz, Mr. Greg Newbold and Prof. Najeeb Nabwani.

Executive BoardMs. Anja Gustavsen (Chairperson), Ms. Rosa Dich (vice Chairperson),Ms. Britha Mikkelsen, Mr. Jorn Faurschou, Ms. Louise Breum Brekke,Ms. Anne Gyrithe Bonne, Ms. Mette Juel Madsen and Mr.AndreasBredsdorff, Mr. Asbjoern Petersen and Ms. Rikke Mikkelsen.

Executive SecretariatMr. Garba Diallo, DirectorMrs. Christina Lund, Chief Financial OfficerMs. Lara D’Argento, CB Intern, Assistant Director.

Contact USHeadquarters, Crossing BordersC/O International People’s College, DenmarkTel:0045-49213371 Fax:0045-49212128e-mail:[email protected]

Crossing Borders partner organizationsGivat Haviva- IsraelPeace and Democracy Forum - PalestineMasar Centre - JordanDialogue Lab - GermanyThe Finnish institute in the Middle East - Finland

Regional Coordination

Palestinian CoordinatorMs. Suheir HashimehTel: 00972-2-2404413 Fax: 00972-2-2404513Ramallahe-mail: [email protected]

Jordanian CoordinatorMr. Khaled Shorman, MasarTel: 00962-6-5858748,5815740 Fax: 00962-6-5815740e-mail: [email protected]

Israeli CoordinatorMs. Dorit MaorTelephone: 00972544901415E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

Arabs in Israel CoordinatorMs. Angham SakarTelephone: 00972506897689E-mail: [email protected]

German CoordinatorMr. Johannes FrischeTelephone: +49 1736 155656E-mail: [email protected]

Language Editing: Mr. Greg NewboldPhotos: Mr. Juan Carlos Alberquerque and Mr. Garba Diallo.

Graphic Design & Press ProductionOrientation Ltd. Tel: 00972-2-5818183 Fax: 00972-2-5818203E-mail: [email protected]

2

Politics

Society

CB experience in Denmark

New CB Club in Jerusalem


C rossing Borders aspires to promote peacejournalism. The term peace journalism, however

can seem at first weak and unrealistic. It can beenvisaged as a distanced form of journalism where thejournalist cannot provide a solid standpoint, use certainterminology or be frank about the “reality” at hand.Peace journalism is quite the opposite. It should be bestthought of as an empowered and empowering way oflooking at news coverage. For it recognizes the verycentral aspects of journalism - that every journalist, everyreporter, every newspaper, every magazine is powerful.Each either continues a trend, re-inscribes the normthat has clearly manifested itself to be insufficient anddetrimental, or understands the power one possessesand seeks to do things differently.

Peace journalism recognizes that newspapers, news andopinions do not occur naturally; they are made as aresult of human will, history, social circumstances,institutions, and the conventions of one’s profession. Itaims to understand those circumstances under whichmedia culture emerges, and seeks to address theirconsequences and possibly come up with bright andfresh ideas on how to advance a journalism thatpromotes peace. Peace journalism is not idealistic, it iscertainly attainable. It is has the ability to understandthat terms such objectivity, factuality and accuracy are

a highly relative terms and can be redefined within theframework of promoting peace.

CB hopes to raise youth journalists who understand thatwhat the media produce is neither spontaneous norcompletely “free”. “News” does not just happen, picturesand ideas do not merely spring form reality into our eyesand minds, truth is not directly available. CB aims to crossthe boundaries and limitations already established andimposed by media culture. It is also important to notethat it is not a matter of simply eliminating certain termsthat have now become considered inflammatory,politically incorrect or just offend “others”. It is framingstories in a way that encourages conflict analysis andultimately nonviolent responses. CB youth aim to frametheir conflict region not as a simple dichotomy, but asconflicts consisting of many parties.

Traditional journalism in its coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has emphasized, even dramatized events.CB youth have all witnessed first hand how that formof media coverage has played an integral role in shapingthe course of events in times of war and conflict.

CB, through this magazine, seminars and workshopsaims to further study what peace journalism entails.This way we can consciously adopt an agenda for peace.

Editorial By Jihan Abdalla


By Jihan Abdalla

The 2006 Lebanon-Israel war was not the first time in recent history thatLebanon has been mired in violence. Between 1975 and the early 1990s a

civil war between the country’s Christian, Sunni and Shiite population killed upto 100,000 people and left much of the country and its economy in ruins. Thecivil war ‘ended’ only with a peace imposed by Syria’s army.

The period of peace and rebuilding that followed was shattered on July 12,2006 when Israel launched a major land, sea and air offensive after Hezbollah,the country’s powerful Shiite militia, seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross-borderraid.Israel’s bombing campaign killed over one thousand Lebanese and crippledthe country. The airport was bombed making it unusable and all main highwaysand bridges leading to Beirut were bombed making them impassable.Hezbollah responded with rocket attacks on northern Israel, killing at least 43civilians.A UN-brokered ceasefire came into force on 14 August, 2006 with Israeli troopsstill in position in south Lebanon.The war devastated Lebanon. News sources recorded about 1,100 civiliandeaths, thousands of others left homeless and about 900,000 forced to fleetheir homes. According to government figures, the total cost of rebuildinginfrastructure and compensating those who have lost their houses is estimatedat $1.75 billion.Though largely on the sidelines of the Hezbollah-Israel war, Palestinians havenot been spared. Lebanon hosts an estimated 400,000 Palestinian refugees,descendants of those who left what is now Israel, plus a dwindling populationof refugees who fled or were forced from their homes in 1948-49. These makeup a minority of the global Palestinian population, but their predicament hasperhaps been the harshest of the whole Diaspora.Since their arrival in Lebanon nearly 50 years ago, the experience of Palestinianrefugees has been one of marginalization, suffering, repression and armedviolence. They were considered a threat to the Lebanese people and weretreated as foreigners. Unlike Palestinian refugees elsewhere, Palestinians inLebanon have been denied basic social and economic rights for a substantialportion of their 52 years in exile. Palestinians still are kept apart from theLebanese population and not allowed to assimilate even if they want to.It thus came as no particular surprise to Palestinians when violence erupted inthe Nahr-el bared camp in southern Lebanon in May 20.The ghosts of 1975-90 and those of 1948-49 have most likely risen again. Thefighting between the Lebanese army and the Fateh al-Islam Palestinian militantgroup at the besieged refugee camp has claimed at least 88 Lebanese soldiers,60 militants and 40 civilians.

Politics

Lebanona year later

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By Elias Hawila

The current situation in Palestine and Israel is a mess.A recent poll in the Palestinian territories conducted

by the New York Times found that 92% of Palestinianssuffer from depression, double the percentage from asimilar poll conducted last year.While life in Israel seems normal and serene, talk of acoming war with Syria can be heard on the streets, inthe malls, and on radio and TV.In their work places and in their neighborhoods, Israeliscan be heard saying they are dreading the upcomingsummer fearing that it will be like the previous onewhen there was a war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.Can there be a place for optimism and hope in thehearts of Palestinian and Israeli youth?A check with a selection of Israelis, Palestinians and

Politics

or a fool’s daydreamEternal optimism

Palestinian Israelis at the CB course in Denmark showedthat the general feeling on both sides is that the end ofthis conflict is no where near the horizon. Peace is likea distant dream from a past age.The childlike view of peace with white doves flying overa sky spattered with bright clouds stands against thepainful peace process that is filled with hardships andtough concessions as many politicians have said.The most important question remains: can we affordthe price of living as optimists in such a reality or arewe being naive fools blinded by past hopes and longforgotten dreams?As one young Israeli participant in the CB programstated, “If I was asked that question five years ago, myanswer would have been that I believe in peace andwe can achieve it. However these days I find it hard tobelieve that peace is a part of the near future.”


By Mariana Khoury

The events of September 11th and the war in Iraq have madeAmericans more interested in the Middle East. Marianna Khoury

conducted a survey of fellow students at her International Relationscourse in the US, to test their knowledge of Middle East Issues.

Twenty people from different ethnic backgrounds and ages weresurveyed. Most of the questions were multiple-choice and two wereopen-answer style.

AmericansKnow

What

While the results are encouraging, Marianna points outthat her survey of 20 people is not enough to representthe views of all 300 million Americans.

Of those surveyed

100% knew that Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq65% knew Hizbollah is in Lebanon75% answered that Hebrew is the official language in Israel53% knew Arabic is the official language in Syria53% answered that Judaism is the main religion in Israel.

However

30% thought that Hamas was a type of food25% answered that Syrian was the official language in Syria35% said Islam was the main religion in Israel.

When asked about the main religion in Iran

20% did not know the answer20% said Christianity60% knew it was Islam.

When asked to name one terrorist group

15% could not think of one40% said Al-Qaeda, some referring to it as “Bin Laden’s group”,The rest mentioned different groups from all around the world.


Politics


By Sanad Barakat

At the age of 16-17, 11th grade students receiveletters from the IDF (Israel Defense Force) which

ask them to go to the military recruitment office thatthey belong to. This is the first step towards becominga soldier.Arabs in Israel are not obliged to join the army. Druze(Arabs who belong to the Druze religion) are. Back in 1948 when the State of Israel was firstestablished, Druze leaders didn’t want their minorityto be annihilated because of the Jewish- Arab war, andto achieve that they agreed with the Jewish leadersthat every young Druze guy has to serve in the IDF after

By Baha Samara

Nine kilometers is a short distance relatively, andwould normally take a car no more than 15

minutes from Jerusalem. However, if you are trying tocross the nine kilometers between Jerusalem andBethlehem, you have to think again.“Everyday I wake up at six o’clock, two hours beforemy classes start and take the bus to Bethlehem,” saysSaeed, a fourth year student at Bethlehem University.“In no more than five minutes, the bus reaches TalpiotHill our first stop, where there’s always a reception ofIsraeli soldiers waiting for Arab buses heading toBethlehem. All the passengers are ordered to evacuatethe bus while the soldiers check it for suspiciousobjects.”

finishing high school.For some years the Druze soldiers weren’t given highranks at the army and were mostly combat fighters.That caused some to shirk and not serve. How do Druze soldiers feel about the fact that theyare serving in an army that doesn’t represent them?One Druze soldier said: “We actually serve in the Israeliarmy because we have to. In addition, if we don’t serve,a lot of career opportunities won’t be reachable sincethey ask for three years army service. In many cases wefeel differences in treatment within the army itselfbetween us and the Jewish soldiers.Another said: “We serve in the Israeli army and not inthe Jewish army and we serve to defend the countrywe live in.”Most of those interviewed felt there should be a choicefor youth whether to join the army or not.

Druzethe IDF&

The Roadto Bethlehem

“After this, the soldiers collect and check passengers’ID cards. Then we can get in the bus again to resumeour journey.”“Not long after we start feeling comfortable in our seats,we find out that the road has come to an end! Not toworry. It is just the ‘Separating Wall’.”Here, Saeed, and his fellow passengers, are subjectedto body checks by infrared and X-ray machines. Theystand in long queues waiting to be checked.The searching angers Saeed’s friend, Mohammed: “Ibelieve that everyone has the right to live freely withno boundaries, and when this right is taken andreplaced with hatred and humiliation, life gradually losesits meaning, and people gradually turn into wildmonsters searching for freedom.”


Politics


By Walaa Shmali

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict takes the main part oflocal media coverage and naturally grabs people’s

attention. But sitting between these two groups arethe Arabs in Israel. They are Arabs but hold an IsraeliID. Their position leaves them caught between the twosides, within the country and in the region in general.Rami Sawaed describes his double life: “My Israeli IDdoesn’t affect me or my life. I don’t see it as more thanjust a card that identifies me in governmental places.My roots, my nationality, my culture will always remainPalestinian whatever ID I hold.”On the other hand Maysa Shahen says: “Where I live

A Matter of ID the ID I hold is an Unsupportable part of the formationof my personality. Our situation forces us to blindourselves as much as possible to continue our lives asinhabitants not as insiders.”No absolute answer from Hosam Khatib: “I’ve neverreally defined myself as something certain or definite, Ihave a mixed culture of both Palestinian and Israeli.”Many of those interviewed gave answers full ofambiguity and showed the mixed feelings this sector isexperiencing.Sohad Saleh simply said that she’s just trying to livepeacefully as far as possible from politics and itscomplications, adding that she never tried to belongsomewhere that was contrary to her principles. Shebelieves in just feeding the natural instinct of belonging.

By Serene Najdi

While violence and injustice tear apart the MiddleEast, there are still young people in Palestine and

Israel who are taking powerful steps towards peace andcoexistence.Publications like this Crossing Borders magazine are anexample of young people’s efforts. While the magazinefocuses on the conflict, its main aim is to produce amagazine covering everything teenagers are interestedin such as politics, society, culture, literature, and sports.Despite the attacks on civilians, rocket attacks, and blowing

up homes and public places, there are still youngPalestinians and Israelis who are looking at the bright sidein all of this and are willing to cooperate with youth fromthe ‘other side’ who think in the same way. Organizationslike CB are places where youth can not only to expresstheir opinions and share them with the other side but alsoto see how the other side thinks regarding the same issues.In the end, we can hope that this generation is moremature and more willing to accept the other than previousgenerations, and that this will soon lead us towards peacewhich used to be only a dream in the past.

Youth Activismfor Peace &Coexistence


Politics


Cancer kills a lot of people and it does not care how old or young you are. Rasha Hamadi is a Lebanese teenager who survived the Cancer monster. She took part at a TV showcalled “Siry wenfatahet - Ana alaan” (An open story - Me now) telling her story. After the show Areej Mawasicontacted her by e-mail and asked her some questions.

Areej: Rasha, I watched you on “Ana Alaan” talking about your own experience with cancer, how do youdefine or describe cancer?

Rasha: Cancer seems to be imagined by people as death. To me it’s a challenge that God gives in order to getus to be more satisfied with what we have.

A: What is it like to be sick with cancer?R: If people stopped gazing at you in sympathy and stopped looking at you in a strange way, it would havebeen easier.

A: How old were you when you knew you had cancer?R: I was 16 years old. It was December 15th 2005 when I first knew about it. On that day, I didn’t have school, asthe well-known Lebanese journalist Jubran Twaini had died. I headed to my hair stylist and planned to visit the cityof Saida. On that day everyone in the salon was impressed by my long hair. But also on that day, I had my first x-ray that showed the presence of a large tumor in my lungs. I also got so dizzy and I fainted when I was having myx-ray and also had a severe pain in my stomach. I remember this very clearly.I remember sharing a room with an old sick woman at the hospital, who had troublebreathing. I remember how cute and nice all the nursing staff were with me. I feltlike a princess. I remember how was the first time they wanted to hang theneedle for me. And I remember how mom was standing on the balconylooking up to the sky with her eyes drowning with tears.

A: How did it feel to find out you had cancer?R: I laughed and I felt that “Hey, I have to beat this thing”, it’s justsomething new that I have to cooperate with.

A: What about your parents?R: My parents were depressed but they were there for me, especially Momwho was so supportive and kept the smile on my face all the time.

A: Did cancer affect your life in an emotional way?R: One lies if she says that it doesn’t affect her, but you have to learn how to deal with beingthe “Cancer Girl”.

A: How did you feel when your hair fell off?R: At first I felt horrible and didn’t want to go out of my house. But the very next day Iwas ok with that and I knew that there will be harder stuff that I’ll have to handle. Thefirst time I felt my hair falling I went to the bathroom, full of power and energy, carriedthe scissors and cut my hair.

A: Do you feel uncertainty regarding your future?R: I don’t see a reason for that. Right now my Moto is to live myday as if it were my last day. I think that cancer made me focus. Iwant to live my life more that ever before.

A: What is hope for you?R: Hope is the secret of ultimate happiness.

A: Last thing to say?R: Hey I did it! I won the challenge!(Editor’s note: Areej’s sister also had cancer. She didn’t survive it.)

By Areej Mawasi

CancerGirl

9

Society


By Carmen Godeanu

Where diplomacy has failed, economics has arisenas a new method to bring peace. This idea

underpins the “Economic Peace Corridor” projectinitiated by the Peres Peace Center.The project aims to foster cooperation between Israel,Jordan and the Palestine Authority on the basis ofeconomic needs. Israel has recently approved it as a“national project”, giving it legal status and showingclear Israeli government support for it.Among the project’s initiatives is a 160-kilometer RedSea-to-Dead Sea channel, aiming to prevent the dryingout of the Dead Sea. Other projects include buildingan Israeli-Jordanian airport in the Aqaba region; an

as a Tool for PeaceEconomics

Israeli-Palestinian industrial park in the northern WestBank, water desalination and electricity generation inthe Arava region of the Negev; building an agricultureindustry region in the Jordan Valley and building a raillink between Israel and Jordan.The project is financed by private investments andsupported by countries such as Germany and Japan.Attempts are also being made to receive funding fromthe World Bank.The project brings hope that the economic cooperationwill in turn boost diplomatic ties between the PalestineAuthority and Israel. The project also aims to generatemore cooperation between Israel and Jordan whosigned a peace treaty in 1994.


Economy


By Neta Moshe

Words like fair trade, workers rights and childabuse, are not familiar to shoppers but the world

fair trade movement is trying to create equal rights andfair trade conditions for workers all over the world. Thismovement is a reaction to the negative impact ofGlobalisation.The free trade policies that Globalisation supports arenow part of most western countries’ economies. Dueto this, many products have become more available,with more variety, and easier to notice - and muchcheaper. However, for this to happen, many people,among them children, are working in inhumaneconditions. Workers are often forced to work longhours, without proper equipment, no right to join toworkers unions, and for salaries that are not enoughto cover their most simple needs.The Fair trade movement is an organized socialmovement that was established in the early daysfollowing Second World War. Nowadays, it promotesstandards for international labor, environmentalprotection, and social policy in relation to the productionof fair-trade labeled and unlabelled goods. Themovement focuses particularly on exports from

developing countries.Key fair trade principles:• Creating opportunities for economically disadvantagedproducers• Paying a fair price• Building producers’ capacity• Safe and healthy working conditions• Environmental protection• Gender equallyIn 1988 the first fair-trade labeling was initiated. Thisindependent certification allowed the goods to be soldinto mainstream markets, reaching a larger consumerpublic, and increasing fair trade sales significantly. Thelabeling also allowed customers and distributors aliketo track the origin of the goods to confirm that theproducts were really benefiting the producers at thestart of the supply chain.Though Fair trade products usually cost more than thosewhich are not labeled, it seems that there is an increasein the amount of people who are willing to pay thehigher price in order to let others live properly. In 2006Fair Trade sales amounted to approximately Û1.6 billionworldwide, a 41 % year-to-year increase. As ofDecember 2006, 569 producer organizations in 58developing countries were Fair Trade certified.

What isthe price?


Economy

On the shelves of Israeli supermarkets you can see products that have a‘Fair Trade’ label. You can buy coffee, sugar, tea, and even T shirts and jeansthat have this special label. Neta Moshe explains what lies behind it.

What isthe price?


By Jenny Goldleaf

Dear Mom and Dad: Gee, Denmark is great! I amlearning so much and making lots of nice friends.

Things are going wonderfully- except everything is reallyexpensive. Could you possibly send me a little cash?Thanks! Miss you!”“dear joey and Jane: Denmark is crazy! I am so freakingtired from these long classes during the day and intensepartying at night. some of the people here really knowhow to have fun-count me in! the weather sucks though,and we have no free time, but whatever. I’ll tell you morewhen i get home, if i get through customs. ha ha!”“Dear diary: Today was pretty decent. I bought somestuff in town (but it was so expensive I don’t think I’llhave enough money until when I get home! Aieee!)Speaking of home, I’m kind of lonely and homesick, eventhough everyone’s friendly-but no one’s like Joey or Jane.I felt so dumb in class, and I almost fell asleep, becauseI stayed up until 3 am, doing @#$%^ and $%^&*((&%(Censored). After the party, though, I had thisconversation with one of my friends here, and it reallymade me think. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, butnot to how much coffee I’m going to have to drink...”Sound familiar? Crossing Borders and ISSAC studentsat the Peace and Conflict Program at the InternationalPeople’s College (IPC) in Elsinore, have a lot to writehome about - and almost as much to hide. Though theamount of information they send differs drastically, from

nothing at all to emailing every day,every student employs a media biasof sorts in what they communicate.Many students use the same tacticas Claudia MŸllauer does, “tellingonly good things, because I want[my parents] to be as excited as Iam”, and “putting everything in avery good light.” Like SorinaCodrea, some would rather notworry their parents with anythingbut good news. Marisa Edmondseven admits to telling her parentsshe didn’t miss them at all!However, both ConstantinMarquadt and Emma Ambrose saythat they haven’t lied to theirparents-Emma because she’somitted everything scandalous,and Constantin because he hasn’t

talked to them at all. What parents receive from their child is also differentfrom that which the child’s friends get. For example,Brennan Macdonald’s parent are simply informed thathe’s alive, while his friends get almost everything he’sexperienced and observed throughout the trip, eventhings he hasn’t liked.However, some students insist on their completehonesty. Bar Shamir claims she’s left nothing out intalking to her parents, including unpleasant detailsalong with what she’s enjoyed. Alex Pavloff says, tonguefirmly in cheek, “I don’t lie. Ever.”Finally, a few (more honest?) students revealed the liesthey’ve told to their parents, strictly on condition ofanonymity. One girl has reported European prices asmuch higher than they really are in order to ask herparents for money and buy items for herself on falsepretenses. Another student, though legally old enoughto drink, suggested that her parents thought she wasonly having a little red wine with dinner, which waseminently not the case. Raymond Ingram sums up thesestudents’ attitude toward full disclosure, repeating that“what happens in Europe, stays in Europe.”Students like these at IPC know the power they wieldover what others receive about their experiences, andthey harness it to their advantage. To quote anotheranonymous student, sometimes they “gloss over thenot-so-scheduled parts of the trip”- but only becausethey’re having too much fun.

last summer...Things we did


“


By Tal Gruper

In the past three years there has been a movementaround the world of people going to the street and

hugging others for no reason. The founder of thismovement is Juan Mann, an Australian who started itafter his wife passed away and there was nobody ather funeral. So he wrote a sign saying “Hug Me!” andpeople did. Tal Gruper has imported the idea into Israel.In this article, he interviews himself.Tal: Hello Tal, how are you?TAL: Better every day.Tal: How did you get the idea of hugging people?

is divided into small sections and each section has achurch for a different religious group.On our way to the Old City we passed by a mosque.Niels, a Danish colleague was reminded of the onlymosque in Denmark near the place where he lives. Wepassed through the Muslim Quarter, witnessing thehectic market atmosphere full of people, music andcolorful shops selling everything from clothing to music,sweets, and meat.What made our exploration successful that at each pointwe looked at Jerusalem through someone else eyes.

Jerusalem ThroughSomeone Else’s Eyes

By Maher Zaghloul

Want to know more about three major religionsin a very short time? Visit Jerusalem. We did.

We started our journey by visiting Yam in Moshe, asynagogue located near the YMCA hotel in westernJerusalem. Our guide Omri, an expert in Jewish religion,talked to us about the synagogue and Bar Mitzvah andother Jewish traditions.After that we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchrein the Christian quarter of the Old City. This holy place

Free Hugs all over the worldTAL: Telling the truth, I was bored! I had this Passovervacation and my friends and I were bored so we madesigns and started walking in the street. I got theinspiration from a video on Youtube, the video of JuanMann and now my own video is on youtube.Tal: What was it felt like?TAL: Oh it felt so great! You make people a little bithappier and they are smile at you and thank you andnow their day is a little bit better just because you hugthem! It’s so simple and so powerful.Tal: So, is there anything more you want to say to the public?TAL: Yes. Get out and hug a stranger! It will make youfeel good!


Perspectives


By Arooj Bent Bashri

The Middle East is not all bombs,violence and fanaticism. Actually

wonderful people live here, peoplewith dreams and hopes aboutdemocracy, peace and decency.

We all know that the Israeli-Palestinianconflict is an ongoing disputebetween two peoples who both claimthe right to sovereignty over the Landof Israel/Palestine in whole or in part.Throughout history, there have beenmany conflicts in this area between

AnOutsider’s View

Wintana

peoples inhabiting it. We also knowthe Palestinian and Israeli perspectiveson this matter. What we rarely get isa view from the outside.Wintana Wesenyelelew, 24, a studentteacher from Eritrea in East Africa saysthat before she attended the CBseminar at IPC she knew very littleabout the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.She had never met anybody fromIsrael or Palestine before attending thisseminar, and all she knew about theconflict was through the media.

Now, after meeting people from theseplaces, she has a different view. “Theyare just 2 people trying to co-exist,”she says. Furthermore she says thatthey are normal human beings likeyou and me who are fed up with warand violence. “This conflict is due toa lack of dialogue between Israelis andPalestinians,” she says. “They feelhopeless and their reactions areunfortunately often negative.”

In addition Wintana was surprised ina very positive way that Palestiniansand Israelis were able to speak to eachother. “I thought they would neverspeak to each other, I thought it wasimpossible. But they were doing a lotof things together, and many of thembecame friends.”

She added that she sympathized withboth sides. “I think it’s possible to livetogether, and behind all the hate andfight I actually think they do care foreach other. It makes me sad to seetwo beautiful peoples live the waythey live.”



By Phillipp Dehne

CB Participant Phillipp Dehne from Germanymet Elias Hawila at the CB seminar inDenmark in June and conducted thisinterview.

family in the West Bank or Gaza, but in Jordan, Cyprus,and Canada. It would be very difficult in every aspectto move to the West Bank. I have a mixed identity. I cantravel, I get an education. I don’t feel like my basichuman rights are violated.

I demand my full rights as afirst-class Israeli citizen. Thisis my aim, alongside withthe rights for my people intheir country. This can meanPalestine in the borders of1967 or sharing onecountry for both the Jewishpeople and the Palestinians.

Are you part of oneside?I cannot be part of oneside. I don’t think I will everbe part of one single side.Being part of one sidemeans losing the otherside. I don’t see myselflosing my Palestinianheritage and claim tomyself I am fully Israeli - northe other way around. Idon’t experience all thesuffering that thePalestinians do as a resultof occupation. I experiencea more subtle occupationand control by the Israeligovernment which tries toabolish my Palestinianidentity. I would not be fully

accepted in a Palestinian society. I wouldn’t be able to lookthem in the eyes and say I am the same like them.

What do Palestinians think about you in your opinion?Sometimes they might think that I am too neutral. You haveso many different people one both sides. They feel beingneutral might be used as a weapon against them in theconflict. The Palestinian Israeli population can be like a bridgebetween the two people because we can find in our heartsto sympathize with and understand both. The sad part, inthe process we might get stepped on or simply ignored.

What do Israelis think about you?I get really confused about this subject. Sometimes I feelthey just want to get us out of the country and get rid ofthis ‘demographic threat’. At other times, people are willing

EliasMy Name is

Perspectives

Who are you?

My name is Elias Hawila. I am a Palestinian Israeli. I livein Haifa and am 19 years old. Hopefully, I will study

medicine next year. I have two sisters. I enjoy reading novels,interacting with different kinds of people, and hanging outwith my friends.

How do you feel as a Palestinian Israeli? What is lifelike for you?Generally, life is good. I do all the stuff any other teenagerin the world does. But I am part of a minority, against whosepeople the Israeli government fights. I have a differentnationality. I am a Palestinian living under Israeli rule.My home is Haifa. I do not want to move to the WestBank, Gaza or some Arab country. My mother was bornin Nazareth, my father in Haifa. My father’s family hasbeen living in Haifa for some generations. I do not have


to see us more as a part of the country if we forget who weare and forget our Palestinian identity.

Do you sometimes feel forced to take sides?I do feel that a lot, especially when I deal with both at thesame time. For example, when you say something that doesnot show full support to one side (Palestinian or Israeli) youget the feeling that you betray one side in favor of theother. I believe I am always trying to think of the biggerpicture. I see my role as a kind of inner, not outer thirdparty. This is the role I try to play in my life.Especially, when I meet with Palestinians I get the feelingthat I have done something wrong. I don’t know wherethis is based. It is maybe just a wrong picture I have in myhead.

Why do ‘your’ people do not want you to take sides?You always sweep things under the rug. I don’t know if thisis just a part of Arab cultures. I think this is part of manycultures. I believe that everything must be said and not bekept quiet for the reason of solidarity. People want to knowthat we are different and want to know who we are. Peoplefrom the outside should see the reality. I don’t want to showthem a picture that doesn’t reflect the situation. Throughtruth you can achieve anything.

Do you feel understood? From the inside, from theoutside?I feel that there are always misunderstandings. When youtalk about the inside, it is often that the Israelismisunderstand actions or even the reason why we want tolive under Israeli rule. The Palestinians might think of us likesomeone who generally relates to the Jews. From theoutside, I know that most people don’t even know we exist.They think there are just two sides. They might not knowthe full picture.

How do you view people who are not involved in theconflict?I don’t think it is common that people from outside a certainconflict can feel and relate to people involved in a conflictbecause they do not go through the same experiences.However they might have a different view of the conflict asa result of being affected by two narratives and not onlyone. I really encourage and appreciate people who are notinvolved in the conflict and have a good life and maybedon’t even have to see a picture of the conflict but whodecide to get involved.

Do you have a lot of discussions in which you are‘caught in the middle’?In life in general, I don’t get to talk with Palestinians andIsraelis about these things because Palestinians might notsee any Israelis other than those they deal with at

checkpoints and vice versa. Sometimes they won’t even seea Palestinian Israeli that might be living 15 minutes fromtheir house. Most Israelis are content to lead their lifewithout having to realize and accept that Palestinian Israelisas their fellow citizens. I don’t have day to day Jewish friendsexcept from one I got to know at work. Otherwise, I justget to know them through peace programs. I don’t get tomeet Palestinians either. Most of my close friends arePalestinian Israelis. Now that I will go to university, I amsure I’m going to get to know Israeli people.

Do you search for discussions with Palestinians/Israelis?That’s why I am here in Denmark. That’s why I keep ondoing these things. I want to listen to people and to knowwhat they go through.

Do you try to avoid discussions about politics?I try to avoid discussions about politics when I meet peoplewho are not ready to have them. When I see that it canlead into the sphere of my personal well-being... forexample, if I could lose my work place I would not be theone to start the discussion but I would state my opinionwhen necessary.

Do you get tired of these discussions?I still have hope that the discussion will finally getsomewhere.

How did your attitude toward ‘being caught in themiddle’ change in the last years?Since I started to deal with the conflict resolution topic atthe age of 15, I have tried to say my opinion as openly as Icould without hurting others intentionally. Maybe before Iwould not have been doing that because I maybe didn’thave such a brought-together personality. But now I becomesurer and surer of the road I should take. I feel the need toexpress myself and to let the Israelis know I exist. And I feelthe need to get to know Palestinian teenagers whom I onlyknow from the news.

Do you have a medium to express yourself?There are Palestinian Israeli newspapers. You can join aPalestinian Israeli party that has seats in the parliament. Athome, we do discuss politics, also in bigger family circles.And you can always just talk to someone and use yourselfas a medium.

Would you like to add anything? A word? A feeling?A Vision?I hope that as a minority we could live comfortably and feelthat we are not doing anything wrong by leading a normallife and that we could have the ease of mind knowing thatour people also lead a happy life where they are safe.

Perspectives



DK

Sem

inar

17


Profiles

Netta Moshe, 22“The important thing is not to stop questioning.Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Elias Hawila, 19“Seize the day”

Walaa Shmali, 18“Every thing goes back to you”

Alex Pavloff, 19“Aim High”

Melody Soto, 17“What doesn’t kill me will make me stronger”

Martin Yu, 17“3 steps to success: do your best, never give up andwait for a chance”


Philipp Dehne, 23“Open the door and try to find the rainbow”

Sorina Codrea, 18“I won’t be a common person as long as I have theright to be extra-ordinary”

Tal Gruper, 17“A program solve a problem you don’t know about ina way you don’t understand”

Razan Wazwaz, 18 “I miss the winter.. A world of fragile things... look for me in the white forest hiding in a hollow tree I knowu hear me .. I can taste it in your tears....”

Lareen Tibi, 17“To be or not to be”

Megan Sypher, 17“If you are not laughing, you are not living”


Profiles

Rola Salman, 20“It’s never too late, better late that never”

Ahmad Jabr , 19“It will never be too late, you will always have thechance to get what you want”

Orjowan Khartabil, 24“The more you laugh, the more you live”

Tagreed Briq, 20“Helping others is the way for peaceful feelings”

Alberto Drake, 17“Treat others as you would like to be treated”

Brennan MacDonald, 18“May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be alwaysat your back.”


Baha Samara, 22“Failure is the first step towards success”

Haya Abdeen , 20“To Be Or Not To Be”

Hoang Tran, 18 “But high he shoots through air andlight, above all low delay, where nothing earthly boundshis flight, nor shadow dims his way.”

Carmen Godeanu, 23“Smile, it might be worse..”

Arooj Bint Bashri, 20Live each day as it was going to be your last””

Bar Shamir, 17“Smile to the world and the world will smile at you”


Profiles

Maoz Nagauker,18“Life is beautiful that way”

Maral Abed, 19Time passes and challenges you in life to prove thatyou exist!””

Yana Galfrin,18“Listen to your heart”

Elad Kolnik,17“Every problem has a solution”

Gabriel Plata, 17“The man first obligation is to livehappy, the second is makes othershappy”

Claudia Muellauer, 23“This is the poet - who asks naughtof Humanity but a smile”

Wintana, 24Everything in life happens for a goodreason!””


By Shlomit Atzaba

CB clubs have been discussed in many CB seminarsand meetings. During the past five months

students from the Hebrew university have cut throughall the red tape and will launch a CB club at the universityin October 2007.

The long effort to get permission from the head of theuniversity is over. The club will be a part of the publicrelations department of the Student Union in theHebrew University. Activities will include meetings,movies, lectures, travels and many other opportunitiesof getting together among Arabs and Israelis whowould like to cross borders and get to know each other.The meetings will take place in the ‘BAR ATON’ - thestudent lounge of the Student Union in Mt. Scopus,Jerusalem.

This club has become possible because of the efforts ofstudents who are part of the CB family: Shlomit Atzaba,Carmen Godeanu, Nikita Paderin, Guy Haran, WafaElsheaikh, Bakria Mawasi. If you would like to contributein any way you can contact your local coordinator oryour friends in the club.

A New CB clubin Jerusalem


By Razan Wazwaz

Ram Fm Radio provides a unique combination ofthe new and old English hits and with up-to-date

news. Razan Wazwaz caught up with News DirectorAndrew Bolton.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself andabout Ram Fm?I studied journalism in South Africa about 20 yearsago and I’ve been working in the media ever since. Iwas pleased when I was asked to be News Directorat Ram.Ram Fm is funded by a South African millionaire. Hewanted the South Africans to be involved in settingit up because this is the same experience we had inSouth Africa. We were the first to build bridges andtalk between the divided community there. We hopeto build bridges between the Israelis and thePalestinians and get them to talk together in a usefulway that will benefit their future together.

Q: So what does Ram stand for?Ram doesn’t stand for anything. You can make itstand for anything you wish and want, but it definitelydoesn’t stand for a male goat!

Q: In what way do you think Ram FM is differentfrom other radio stations?I think what makes Ram different is that we onlybroadcast in English. We only play English music hits.I mean some stations do that but they usually mix itwith Arabic or Hebrew music. We don’t do that. Webelieve English is a neutral language. It’s the languageof negotiation, of dialogue, the language of peace!

Q: What can you tell me about the basis of RamFM?We are committed to tell both sides of the story. Wemake sure we give balanced news about both sides.

Getting into Ram FMAn interview with News Director Andrew Bolton

We have a special list of words we don’t use to makesure we don’t defend any side in any way. Words liketerrorist and martyr we don’t use in Ram’s news

Q: Ram has only started broadcasting recently.How do you promote yourselves?We have a 120 square meter billboard in Tel Aviv thatwill let the people know about the station. We will alsodo some advertising in the West Bank. People in

Media


By Serene Najdi

The press is not meeting the needs of its readersconsidering local issues and concerns. As a result,

people are turning their backs on written press andstarted to rely on satellite news channels or radio.” saidHani Al-Masri, a journalist and the director of “Al-Badael” Center for research and information.

During recent meetings of the Palestinian CentralCouncil, some differences in views between thegathered Palestinian political parties emerged.

However, local Palestinian newspapers didn’t mentionthese differences or analyze them. Not surprising thenthat there are low rates of distribution for the threemain Palestinian newspapers, which do not exceed 40thousand copies daily. Meanwhile, the three main Israelinewspapers are distributed in amounts reaching 800thousand copies daily and even more sometimes.

Another cause for low distribution rates is the tendencyof the local media to politicize everything, whether it iscultural, social, or even humanitarian.

As well, some journalists are paid only 20 dollars foreach article they write for local agencies while theyreceive 200 dollars for the same article frominternational agencies. So financially, all qualifiedjournalists have been tempted to work in Arab orforeign media agencies abroad.

The absence of specialists also affects the Palestinianpress. Many of them are abandoning their media andare serving the international media because as they saythat their media has abandoned them first.

Problems FacingPalestinian Media

Ramallah will seebillboards for thestation. We are alsoon various mediawebsites and wehave stickers, T-shirts and other ways of promoting.Q: People can access Ram’s website and listenlive. How do you feel about radio stationsbroadcasting over the internet?It is very essential. We believe our message is not onlylocal but global message. It’s also for people whodon’t live here. They can listen to the radio throughthe website anytime and anywhere and listen live.

Q: Did you face any obstacles while establishingthe radio station?Well not me personally, but the man behind thisproject faced many problems in getting people toaccept his philosophy and ideas. We also facedtroubles in getting the radio station licensed. Ram FMis licensed by the Palestinian Authority. Israel takes solong to give a license and its very difficult to get alicense when the station doesn’t broadcast in Hebrew.Ram broadcasts in in English so we headed for thePalestinian Authority. But I think getting a Palestinianlicense was accompanied with obstacles as well. Wehad difficulties getting the equipment into Ramallah.It got delayed and stuck at the checkpoints. Mostlyall the obstacles were logistical.

Q: Are you satisfied with what Ram has done sofar?I think we have made a few steps forward with thegreat combination of music and independent news.Our listenership is growing steadily and our listenersare pleased with us. Locals in Israel/Palestine can listento Ram FM on 93.6 FM and those who are not canzoom to our website and listen live atwww.ramfm.net.

Media“


By Elad Kolnik

Real Madrid is once again the champion of the Spanish League. The players are famous and have many fans all over the world, including Israelis and Palestinians.Earlier this year, they came to Israel to play a game for peace. The money raised was dedicated to poorPalestinian children. The game was between Real Madrid and a combined team of Israelis and Palestinians.The game was not interesting. Real Madrid won 8 - nil without using their star lineup. But the point was thegesture of the Spanish community. It showed that the world cares about what’s going on in the MiddleEast.The Israelis and the Palestinians might not get along on the battlefield, at the checkpoint or even on thestreet, but sport is one thing which can bring all hearts together.Football may be violent and barbarian, but this is the only place where you can see Arabs and Israeliscooperating to achieve a goal, and the fight is not about a land but about a ball.Maybe one day, Israelis and Palestinians will play in the same league.

peace gameThe


Other Stories


By Lareen Tibi

Finally, the seventh Harry Potter novel, Harry Potterand the Deathly Hallows , was released on July

21, 2007. It is already a bestseller. Children celebratedits release by wearing costumes celebrating thevarious Harry Potter characters. The series aboutHarry and his friends Ron Weasley and HermioneGranger focuses on Harry’s fight against the evilwizard Lord Voldemort.

According to the author J.K Rowling, all of the novelshave a death theme yet also have a special message

Harry Potterand the Deathly Hallows

for readers about love, compassion, intolerance, trustand the struggle to make choices. It took herseventeen years to write the seven novels.

Now, friends delay everything and spend many hoursreading. Along with the latest Potter movie, HarryPotter and the Order of the Pheonix, parties are beingheld in the Harry Potter style, games are created, andthere is more to come. But as one friend, Nur said, “Iwas so sad when I read the ending since I felt thatthis is the last book.”


By Carmen Godeanu

The recent boycott of Israel’s academic institutionsby the British University and College Union (UCU)

has been criticized by the UK Minister for HigherEducation, Bill Rammel.On May 30th, the UCU announced its intention todetach all academic ties with Israeli academicinstitutions saying it was in response to “Israel’s40-year occupation (that) has seriouslydamaged the fabric of Palestinian societythrough annexation, illegal settlements,collective punishment and restriction ofmovement”.This is the fourth time the UCU hasannounced a boycott of Israeli academicinstitutions in the past four years. The UCUaction has being criticized by academics

UK Minister SlamsAcademic Boycott

and politicians who oppose the use of academicboycotts to achieve political goals.

During a short visit to Israel in June, Bill Rammelsaid the boycott “does nothing to promote

the Middle East peace process”. Rowell saidhis visit was aimed at fully articulating the

British Government’s opposition to theboycott. “While criticism has a place in

society, boycotting doesn’t,” he said.Even inside British academicinstitutions there are disagreementswith the UCU action. A ResearchCouncil of the UK spokeswomansaid “the council would still allowcollaboration on projects with Israeliinstitutions despite the decision bythe university lecturers”.

Culture


Olive TreesBy Razan Wazwaz

Olive trees are one of the longest living trees in theworld. Some are claimed to be more than 2,000

years old. They mainly grow in the Mediterranean area.Olive trees represent different things to every culture.For Jews and Christians they represent peace. AsGabriel, a 17-year-old Mexican guy says: “Olive treesmean peace to me and the olive branch in the whitedove’s beak is a symbol of peace.”Olive trees are also a part of Greek history. They areone of the symbols of Athena, the Greek godess ofwisdom. They are also mentioned frequently in the HolyQuran and in the Holy Bible too as blessed trees.

These blessed trees are a goodsource of useful products

like olive oil, olive fruits, olive wood and soup. “Olivetrees mean good food and olive oil to me,” says AlexPavlov, an 18-year-old American.Olive trees have a special value to Palestinians too.Angham, a Palestinian Israeli, says: “Olive trees are asymbol of peace. They remind me of Palestinianrefugees, they remind me of Palestine.”For many families, olive trees are the main source ofincome. Sadly, many trees were destroyed by Israelibulldozers and were replaced by the wall. It has hurtthese families because the trees are a part of theirculture says Suheir Hashimeh, a Palestinain fromJerusalem. “It is a Palestinain symbol of culturesurviving,” she says. On the other hand, they alsorepresent certain values to Isrealis says Maoz, an Israeli.“Olive trees mean to me a group of people who accepteach other’s opinions and they believe in peace,” he

says.And for Louise, a young Dane, the trees

represent memories and the days ofchildhood. “Olive trees remind me of

southern France because when I was littlewe used to go camping there.”

Across Cultures


Culture


Culture

Tibetan SticksBy Elias Hawila

The Tibetan stick game is an ancient game playedby Buddhist monks.

The monks stand in a circle and pass around woodensticks which are about the length of an arm.The aim is to pass the stick so that it spins the leastnumber of times in the air and the receiver has aneasy job of catching it.The challenging part is when more than one stick isput into the game and you can have as many sticks asthe number of participants.After getting used to the sticks, they are replaced byknives and at the highest level of the game by flamingtorches.The big challenge isn’t mastering the technique ofthrow and catch, it’s the concentration and peace thatis required by the monks to play. It can bedangerous getting hit by a speeding woodenstick not to mention a knife or a torch.Concentration techniques are practicedbefore and during the game to createthe level of inner calm required.

Throughout life we learn toreceive messages from thepeople surrounding us andwe try to pass onmessages of our own.This is the process for allcommunication, verbaland non-verbal.In the stick game eachstick is like a messagepassing through theworld and the receiver issupposed to be in a stateof readiness andawareness to catch it.Different situations can occur duringthe game/life:1. Two sticks clashing and falling mid-way (two

messages getting mixed and not getting to the otherside).2. Receiving two sticks one after the other in a quicksuccession (two people sending two differentmessages to the same person).3. A stick hitting you on the head or falling next toyou (the person receiving the message isn’t aware towhat is going around him so he misses a message).

An extra ounce of awareness would help all of us avoidgetting knocked over when life piles a big bunch ofmessages onour brains.


CB News

Sponsored by the Daniel Pearl Media Internship,Crossing Borders runs a two month internships programfor 8 youth from Israel and Palestine.

The interns are hosted at the Jerusalem Report inJerusalem, Ram FM Radio in Jerusalem and Ramallah,the Israeli Journalist Association in Tel Aviv, InternewsMedia in Ramallah and Shams Radio in Nazareth.

The participants are Israeli and Palestinian youth aged16-23 who have participated in a co-existence anddialogue program. In partnership with Crossing Borders,www.crossingborder.org, the Daniel Pearl Foundationprovides internships to graduates of the Peace itTogether camp www.creativepeacenetwork.ca, andCrossing Border programs.

The objective is to provide youth who understand thedestructive power of hatred and who have “seen thehuman face of the enemy” with opportunities tobecome journalists and thereby amplify voices of reasonand humanity in their respective societies.

CB partnership

Dear Suheir and Graba,

I wanted to tell you that the internship isgoing great, Andrew and Mark fromRAM Radio are quite impressed by whatI do, and they want to hire me afterfinishing the internship because I helpthem a lot in the Radio, and I am so gladfor that!

I have been to many press conferences,and Aljazeera camera always catches meon TV! I have seen many importantpoliticians. It’s going really great.Razan Wazwaz

Letter to the Editor

with Daniel Pearl Media Internship Program


Peace &DemocracyForum

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The International People’sCollege in Elsinore, Denmark

cb magazine vol. 7 ed. 34

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