RSY-Netzer Hosts Peace Talks
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
On 18th and 19th July, 10 Palestinians, 5 Israelis and 8 RSY-Netzer leaders came together to explore 'Windows for Peace'.Ben Jardine, the RSY-Netzer Shaliach, organised a two day programme with Windows for Peace, an organisation which facilitates dialogue between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians from Tamra and Jenin.
The Windows for Peace group had previously spent time in Scotland, exploring different aspects of the matzav (situation). Through dialogue they had begun to see the nuances of each others' perspective, how the Holocaust has shaped Jewish history, for example, or how Israel’s independence war victory became the naqbah (disaster), for Palestinians. These were complex and heavy topics indeed, but the moral courage of this extraordinary group and their leaders clearly shone through.
Back in London, the visitors from Israel and the Palestinian territories where hosted by RSY-Netzer, and enjoyed a friendly BBQ, a tour of London sites and a workshop on the hopes, aspirations and fears of both Israelis and Palestinians. RSY-Netzer will be running four summer camps, and leaders were encouraged to take the one to one conversations and translate these into programmes to educate young people on camp.
One of the participants from RSY-Netzer said: “It's so powerful to hear peoples' personal story, its hard to hear, but so important. I want to share that with all the kids on camp this summer.”
Ben Jardine added: "The encounter represented a significant opportunity for real learning and engagement with those affected by the conflict. Whilst politicians argue, there is a growing grassroots organisation contributing to the peace effort. Research shows us that conflict resolution requires one to one relationships being built”.
Find out more about Windows for Peace.
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