Taking time out in the Dead Sea (12th October)

Today, after a session on non violence run by Ahmad in the morning, we went for a day trip to the Dead Sea. We stopped in Jericho for lunch on the way and before we knew it we were floating in the super salty water (so salty it causes temporary blindness if it gets in your eyes, as some of us found out unfortunately). It was so nice to relax and float around in the water, and have mud baths!

The day was extra special as it was the first time for some of the Palestinians to visit the Dead Sea. We were a bit nervous about the check points we had to go through, but had no problems, and it felt like the fitting way to spend our last day together –hanging out and having fun.

The goodbyes when we got back to Bethlehem were tough. No one wanted to get on the bus and there was a rollercoaster of emotions, from sadness at saying goodbye to new friends, guilt at moving on to a place that they are not able to travel to (due to not having a permit) and happiness at the realisation of the amazing friendships and connections that have been made. Our time in Bethlehem is definitely something each of us will treasure in different ways.

Below, Georgina shares her reflections on the day at the Dead Sea and the goodbye:

"It’s unbelievable that our Palestinians friends have been denied access to the Dead Sea for more than 10 years and it’s ironic that some of them were just like us, visiting the Dead Sea for the first time in their lives. They told us that, it was because of this programme that they have the chance to travel around, otherwise their lives would be just about the refugee camps.

Nonetheless, we all enjoyed so much for the time being together. It’s amazing that the ties between us are so strong already. On my way back to Hostel, I was sitting with Motaz. I wrote the Chinese words “I will miss you” on his hand, like tattoos, and he did the same in Arabic on my hand. And I am sure, we will keep in touch and I would be coming back to this lovely city, Bethlehem, which my friends here. He taught me to say “I will miss you” and “wish you all the best” (Dear Balik Allah Hallik) in Arabic as well. I hugged them one by one and said that to each of my Palestinian friend.

During the 2 hour trip to Nazareth, Action Partners were extremely quiet. At that moment, I realize how much energy our Palestinian friends have been adding to our group. I just miss them so much, their “ya~ la~ ya-la” (let’s go), their rhythmic clapping and even their smell of cigarette smoke (which I could hardly accept on the first few days I met them). They are such wonderful people!"


Georgina, Sudha, Gabriella and Mary


Looking across the Dead Sea to Jordan


Saying goodbye at Al Feniq

Taking the stage (11th October)

We did it! After a week of daily circus and theatre sessions, today the YPMM participants performed for the local community. This was our chance to give back to the community who have been so giving to us and have made us feel so welcome here. The circus clowns got the show on the road and walked through Azzeh refugee camp, where they created a spectacle and soon had a group of children following them. As the group walked towards the theatre at Aida refugee camp (located directly next to the Separation Wall) they encountered a number of children who were just leaving school and joined in the march. By the time they reached the theatre over 100 children had joined us and were treated to some circus tricks of juggling, diablo and human pyramids by our talented circus group (see pics below and on flickr). The theatre group then took the stage and impressed all with their performance which explored the conflicts, identity and self expression of the performers in a very moving way. Below, one of the theatre performers, Gabriella, shares her reflections of today:

“Working together on the performance gave us all a sensation of community and we found a deeper way to communicate with each other, maybe more direct than the usual conversations. The kids enjoyed the circus performance and asked many questions about the drama and the conflict, so we could be proud of our little job. Some of us were excited at the beginning because of the audience, but yesterday we worked a lot, conquering more confidence one in another. None of us have ever acted or been a clown before, but the thing we cared about mostly was just enjoying the kids and trying to explore the conflict that affects the everyday life of the families in the camp. We must thank our coaches: Mohammed and Mahmoud, who drove us during this week, building up all that we made today starting from scratch.
Today the sun was very hot when we arrived at the Aida camp to practise before the performance. There were some people in the street, the kids were so curious to peek in and were so nice when we started to ask them their name with our minimal Arabic vocabulary. We needed to go to the toilet and a lady opened us the door of her house in a so easy way and started to try to talk with us though we had not a common language. The people are always so kind here and also our Palestinian friends paid so much attention to everything we should need in our time here.
I hope the kids that were today at the Aida camp should take our message for their future and that the conflict could be transformed, making of it just a drama performance”.

A surprise also made her way to the theatre and we were so excited to see Palestinian Action Partner, Manar, who had heard about our performance after bumping into someone from the Holy Land Trust. Lots and lots of hugs and stories were exchanged as we brought up Manar up to date with what we had been doing and caught up on her news.

To say many of us are feeling a tad overwhelmed at the moment would be an understatement. It’s been a big eight days in Bethlehem and the surrounding area that we have shared with the Palestinian participants, and the prospect of saying goodbye to people tomorrow, who are so integral to our group, and with whom we have shared so much, is daunting. We are so grateful to them for welcoming us so warmly to their country, for sharing with us about the context here, and most importantly, for allowing us to get to know each of them individually. We have been touched by each of their stories and hope they have learnt something from ours.


Theatre performance


theatre performance


Clowning around in Aida camp


The clowns warm up the crowd

A REFLECTION FROM THE YPMM COORDINATOR

It is very easy to see the injustice here and to make bold statements about whole peoples. Who is right and who is wrong. The question I always ask myself while I am here is regardless of who belongs to which culture, religion, social or political faction can I always recognise that this is simply a fellow human being standing in front of me? Can I refuse to see whole enemies? Does the action of one individual make me create a judgement on a whole people?

I feel that the day I see whole enemies I can no longer see the human being. I can no longer see the victim and the perpetrator that exists within each of us. What I have seen here is a numbness of people including from the international participants. Suffering in this world has become far too common, whether it be in our personal relationships in our daily lives or on issues such as the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.

I have enjoyed this experience because it is not just about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It is about all of us, how we see ourselves, how we grow, how we express ourselves and how we can connect this countries experience with the conflicts we face in our own countries and the conflicts we face within ourselves. Can we contribute to each others healing? I think yes.

This journey has not been easy. Organising these types of programs you always feel a huge sense of responsibility. Letting people be where they are in their experience whether it is positive or negative is difficult. Allowing people to form opinions when you want them to remain open is also difficult as each interpret the realities here differently.

It is especially hard when you see people going into a negative space within themselves, but it is even more important to give them the space to be where they need to be in that negativity.

I have also had to find the balance between my role here and also allowing myself to be in my own journey. I am learning so much from all the locals we meet and the other Action Partners. Not everything has gone according to plan, actually not a lot has gone to plan. However as a result, we have experienced things that I could never have planned for if I tried.

Most of all I have really enjoyed the laughter on this trip and there has been a lot of it. I particularly enjoyed learning Hindu chanting from Sudha. We got up at 6:30 am for a morning chant. The diversity of the group and the way the group has come together has also been an interesting process.

Today we are performing for the local community and then we will be having some fun and taking some time out. When I explained that I was bringing young people to Israel/Palestine to take time out and self reflect a friend laughed at me and said “you are taking young people to have a break (time out) and have some fun in Israel/Palestine”? “Are you crazy”? Perhaps I am .

Making connections with the land (10th October)

We’ve returned to Bethlehem after two nights of camping at a place called the Tent of Nations. The place is run by the Nassar family, who received it from their great grand father (see their website at www.tentofnations.org for more information).

During our time there we had a chance to look around and also to work on the land as a way to contribute to the community here. (See pictures below and on flickr of one of the walls that was built). We were also able to chat with Daoud about land and identity, and share our own experiences. According to him, the identity of Palestinian people are strongly linked with the land. On the context of our programme, some of them has lost their land (living in refugee camp since more than 20 years) and many are struggling against occupation to keep theirs.

Here are some of the experiences of our group regarding the discussion:

In Marcus’s community for example, people believe that land is older than human. There, land and forest are using for traditional ceremony and there is not limitation on the land in their conception.

Regarding Eric’s experience, on his community, people identify themselves by the geographical area where they come from, that’s means from the land were they are born. Regarding the disrespect of the land and many lands conflicts in the world raise by one participant, he said that we should have a global approach of the problem and should commit ourselves wherever we are to respect and save it.

Kuong has brought a different approach on the issue since he is coming from a family which has lost their land because conflict. That is why he suggests to the entire participant to take care of the land wherever they are.

Pip has a different history with the land. As a non-Indigenous person she respects the connection and guardianship that Indigenous people have with the land. However, as a 5th generation New Zealander, she also shares a strong connection with the land as her family have lived and worked on the land since at least as far back as their arrival in New Zealand. She believes it is crucial to develop this understanding between indigenous and non-indigenous people of settler nation-states to ensure that the land is cared for appropriately and that the identity of all is respected.

The time at the Tent of Nations also provided an opportunity for us to share about ourselves (culture, work, etc), including our talents. The first night saw songs from different places, including the Solomon Islands and Africa accompanied by drum beats. We also learnt a cheerleading chant from Hong Kong! Mohsen then taught us some Palestinian songs as he played the guitar and the guys demonstrated some dancing. Other guests at the Tent of Nations were so impressed with our singing and dancing that why they came to join us again on the second night where they took part by sharing various performances.

This morning we left the Tent of Nations and drove out to the desert, were we spoke to a couple of guys from the Bedouin community. We learnt how the Bedouins, who are nomadic people, are viewed by some as lower class peasants, and how some of them are Palestinian and some are Israeli. We heard how their connection to land did not necessarily means economic exploitation or construction of various facility but respecting the land as they move around.

After some shopping time in the old city of Bethlehem , we are now back at our accommodation and (after a shower) are frantically practicing for our big circus and theatre performances in Azzeh and Aida refugee camps tomorrow. Wish us luck!!

(Eric and Amy)




Daoud talks to our group at the Tent of Nations


Gabriella, Georgina, Mary and Marcus with the wall that they built


The circus performers practice at the Tent of Nations


Desert headware?



The desert - Bedouin tent is the dot in the middle of the photo

We're going camping (8th October)

Hi everyone,
Just to let you know we'll be offline for a couple of days. We're going camping for 2 nights at the Tent of Nations, where we will be discussing land and identity, and contributing to a land project. We get back to Bethlehem on the 10th, so keep an eye out for updates then.

“This is for your safety.” (By Kuong , 7th October)

In the afternoon, the Action Partners and the Palestinian participants travelled to city of Nablus to see the Samaritan Village. After walking the streets of Nablus and seeing a Turkish bath and a quick stop into a soap factory, we made our way up to the Samaritan Village. Unfortunately, in order for the group to enter the Samaritan Village, we had to enter through a checkpoint that was administered by people who lived in the Israeli settlements. These people are not Israeli soldiers but rather just residents in the settlements who monitor who can or cannot enter the area. But like Israeli soldiers, they too carry guns strapped to their bodies. We were denied entrance and told we had to enter the settlement from an alternative route where there were Israeli soldiers. We had no choice but to co-operate.

After driving about 20 minutes to the other entrance where Israeli soldiers were on guard, Cherie, our fearless Oxfam leader got off the bus and explained to the soldiers that we had a meeting with the Samaritans. We told them we were just a group of international people touring the area. I am convinced that because Cherie, an Australian, spoke to the soldiers, we were allowed to pass through. However, it did take a while for her to convince them. Shortly after, two Israeli soldiers got onto the bus and walked down the aisle to make sure we weren’t hiding anything suspicious or dangerous. At one point, before the soldiers got onto the bus, one of the Palestinian participants had stated that the soldiers may make the Palestinians wait here at the checkpoint while allowing the international visitors through. It seemed that all of the Palestinian participants would be okay with this if this was the outcome.

While a part of me understands why the Palestinians urged the Action Partners to go see the Samaritans Village without them if this is the only option we have, the second part of me felt angry and upset. What person would I be if I allowed myself to go visit the Samaritans with the other Action Partners while leaving behind our Palestinian friends behind? Over the last couple of days both the Action Partners and the Palestinians have created friendship and camaraderie among each other. While at times there are some language barriers between all of us, we have come to appreciate each other’s friendship and company; and I know the Action Partners have been so thankful that the Palestinian participants have allowed us a glimpse into their lives here. Even before the soldiers got on the bus, I had made up my mind that if the Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint were unwilling to allow the Palestinians through with the action partners, then in solidarity, I too would wait behind. Just because I carry an American passport and the Palestinians are forced to carry IDs imposed on them by Israelis does not mean they can be denied the same rights I am granted of mobility. Because Cherie was able to work her magic, after the soldiers checked our bus, we were allowed to visit the Samaritan Village.

On our way back to Bethlehem, many of us had fallen asleep on the bus. When we came to a checkpoint, the lights on the bus came on and we were ordered to pass up our passports and IDs to the front of the bus so that the Israeli soldiers could inspect them. After what seem like seconds from the time our passports reached the hands of the soldiers, one of the Palestinian participants were asked to get off the bus and was thoroughly inspected by the soldiers, none of whom it seemed spoke Arabic. What does it feel like to return to the city you call home and be inspected every time you want to enter and leave? The Palestinians are not criminals but they are treated like criminals in their own home. No right to leave without being checked and no right to enter without being checked. Can Israel believe this is truly humane? What purpose do these checkpoints serve? Perhaps Israeli may argue that this not only for the safety of their nation but also for the safety of Palestinians, the reality is, for the Action Partners like myself who are getting an insight into what it must feel like to be Palestinian, we can only shake our heads in disapproval of how the Palestinians, how our friends here, are treated every day.

Kuong

Editor's note: The Samaritans were an interesting community for us to visit. There are only 700 Samaritans remaining and they live in 2 communities (the other is in Tel Aviv). They speak Arabic and an ancient form of Hebrew (on Saturdays).


The Rabbi in the Samaritan village


Watching how they make kanefeh - a yummy sweet!

Mens business and womens business (6th October)

Today was an opportunity for us to split into two groups, partially imposed due to our visit to a Monastery in Masaba that is a sacred men’s site in which women are not permitted to enter. The conversations that occurred in each group gave us an opportunity to learn from our each other’s contexts and the context we are currently in. It also gave us the chance to discuss how some of our assumptions had been challenged since being here on the gender relations.

When we returned to our accommodation at Al Finnique we got straight into our circus and theatre training in preparation for our performance on the weekend. We spent a large portion of the night playing ‘Mafia’, a game taught to us by Kuong, that resulted in lots of giggles and fun.



Learning to Barbeque Palestinian style at Masaba



The rugged terrain


The view above the Monastery