Prayers for India.

Deepak Chopra: “What we have seen in Mumbai has been brewing for a long time, and the war on terrorism and the attack on Iraq compounded the situation. What we call ‘collateral damage’ and going after the wrong people actually turns moderates into extremists, and that inflammation then gets organized and appears as this disaster in Bombay. Now the worst thing that could happen is there’s a backlash on the Muslims from the fundamental Hindus in India, which then will perpetuate the problem. Inflammation will create more inflammation.”

PROUD to be an American (me saying this, what?!)!!!

These are good days.

"For the first time in my life I can honestly say I'm proud to be an American!!! Yaaaaaaay!" -Good friend, RJS

On Tuesday, one of my professors assessed the level of energy in class and determined that this was no day for a class discussion on mediation. Instead, we talked politics, before being dismissed early, to go vote, or just enjoy the sunshine... and try to contain ourselves before the evening results unfolded! The night was one filled with anxiety and then LOTS OF HAPPINESS. Our basement was filled with friends, eagerly watching the polls come in...

What an exciting night! I got a call from a LEH in Chicago, as she and some others attended the rally there! How exciting to hear the incredible buzz of people there, all celebrating triumphantly!

America, I am happy for you. And world, for you too.

And you know what I just realized? I was in South Africa at the time the first black president was elected there, in 1994, and now, 14 years later, I'm in the US, at the time the first black president is elected here. "You should just travel to every country!" -JLL ...I wish it was that easy! Here's some words from Nelson Mandela, the famous first black president of SA, to Obama:

We join people in your country and around the world in congratulating you on becoming the President-elect of the United States. Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place. We note and applaud your commitment to supporting the cause of peace and security around the world. We trust that you will also make it the mission of your presidency to combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere. We wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead. We are sure you will ultimately achieve your dream, making the United States of America a full partner in a community of nations committed to peace and prosperity for all.

- Full text of a message from Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, to Senator Barack Obama, the first black president-elect of the United States of America. (Source: The New York Times)

And, to close, here's a quote which encaptures it all.

Rosa Parks sat in 1955.
Martin Luther King walked in 1963.
Barack Obama ran in 2008.
So that our children might fly.

One last thing...

Hey,

Want a free Obama sticker to celebrate our victory? It's designed by Shepard Fairey, the artist who created the iconic HOPE poster. And MoveOn's giving them away totally free--even the shipping's free.

I just got mine. Click this link to get your free Obama sticker:

http://pol.moveon.org/shepstickers/?id=-10261287-rGENxBx&rc=

Thanks!

Young Friends of Sabeel!

Hurray, at long last, Young Friends of Sabeel is off the ground and will hopefully gain momentum so as to become a key resource for young people interested in domestic or international advocacy work related to issues in Palestine and Isreal!

http://www.youngfriendsofsabeel.blogspot.com/

***Free OBAMA/Biden Stickers!***

Want a free Obama/Biden sticker? MoveOn's giving them away totally free--even the shipping's free. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.

Click this link to get a free Obama/Biden sticker:

http://pol.moveon.org/barackstickers/?id=-10261287-rGENxBx&rc=manual_forward

Israeli Conscientious Objector

Dear Friends,

CO Udi Nir, 19, from the Tel-Aviv suburb of Hertzlia, has been sentenced yesterday (20 Aug. ) to 21 days in military prison.

Udi Nir is the first conscientious objector to be imprisoned among a new group of high school seniors, who signed a collective declaration of refusal to serve in the Israeli army of occupation. He has been called up to enlist this Monday, 18 Aug., but planned to delay his imprisonment (technically - by going AWOL) to join other signatories of the letter. This intention, however, was noted by the press (Udi appeared in a TV feature and a negative newspaper feature over the weekend). This resulted in what was arguably the quickest operation of its sort in Israel's history. On Tuesday, one day after he has not showed up at the Induction Base, Udi Nir was arrested by civilian police (itself an unprecedented move), and was subsequently given a conditional sentence of 6 days in prison. The following day he was again tried, this time for refusing an order to enlist, and was sentenced to 21 days in prison.

A small demonstration to protest Udi's imprisonment was organised by other members of the high school seniors group, and has received some media coverage.

In a brief statement made on the day of his arrest, Udi Nir said:

I cannot take part in the activities of an occupying army, which constantly violates human rights. As an Israeli citizen and as an adolescent liable for enlistment I feel a sense of extensive responsibility for the cycle of violence and for all the choices I am making. It is out of this sense of responsibility that I refuse to enter the cycle of bloodshed and to add fuel to the fire of hatred raging here. I refuse to enlist into an occupying army so that I will not lend my own hand to the occupation and to acts that contradict my most basic values: human rights, democracy and the personal responsibility each and every human being bears towards fellow human beings.

Udi's full declaration of refusal, sent in a letter to the Minister of Defence, can be read here.

Udi's intention is to refuse to wear a military uniform in prison, which means he would be, or has already been, transferred to the Isolation Ward of the prison. He is due to be released from prison on 7 Sept. and is very likely to be imprisoned again several times after his release. His prison address is:
Udi Nir
Military ID 6022372
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580 Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send your letters of support and encouragement to Udi via e-mail to shministim@gmail.com, and they will be printed out and delivered to him during visits. In addition, you may want to follow some of our recommendations for action below.

....... (CLICK ON THIS TO GET MORE DETAILS ON RECOMMENDED ACTION)...

Thank you for your attention and action,

Sergeiy Sandler – New Profile.

So far away

I wish Palestine didn't feel so far away (yet I'm too exhausted and overwhelmed yet to even imagine going back).

Haaretz just doesn't cut it.



And the tears continue to be shed. They catch me off guard at times, but Palestine is a place never to be forgotten. In joy and in tears, I remember.

And on another note, here's what happens when you wear a shirt which says "Palestine" on it, in Harrisonburg-- I was locking up my bike the other day, right outside Simmons Cut and Tan, where I go for my cheap hair cuts when home. I happened to be wearing my Palestine shirt and was suddenly reminded of it when I looked up from my bike locking to a woman coming right towards me, with the most skeptical and disgusted face. With raised eye brows, and an awful grimace, she marched right in my direction, turning off just steps from plowing right into me and that shirt I could tell she so badly wished was her own.

And sometimes they just have to go

A man very significant to the Palestinian people is and was Mahmoud Darwish, a poet who became a voice of sorts for his people. He died this past Saturday, August 9, and Palestine (and beyond) mourns.

http://www.mahmouddarwish.com/english/index.htm

One 10 day young adult conference to go..

The summer experience I've had thus far, living with my dad, working at Sabeel from 9-5 each day, travelling around on the weekends, and so on, is over as of tonight. Tomorrow is the beginning of the international young adult conference which we've been working towards all summer. It's a 10 day travelling conference,whick takes me right up until the day I head home. I'll have some email access, but you can keep up with the conference by checking out our blog: http://sabeelyoungadultconference.blogspot.com/ .

Daddy and I in Jordan, overlooking the Rift Valley. (for you fbook users, I just added some new pictures!)

A powerful message and some hip-hop on the side

Because my life has gotten quite hectic in recent days, my blogging has fallen a bit behind, so, for now, I'll leave you with this link to a group who performed at the Berzeit festival in Ramallah on Friday night. The song "Free Palestine" is powerful and worth listening to, even if hip-hop isn't your thing (it's not usually mine, although what I told my Dad is that the music is tolerable when there's a powerful message to help you swallow it.)

DAM: A Palestinian hip-hop group

"An 18 course meal helps the discussion of global food shortages go down.." (sung to the tune of "a spoon full of sugar")

* As Global Food Crisis Tops G8 Summit Agenda, World Leaders Enjoy Lavish
18-Course Banquet * (democracynow.org)

Shortly after saying they were "deeply concerned" about soaring global food
prices and supply shortages, world leaders attending the G8 summit in
Hokkaido sat down to an eighteen-course gastronomic extravaganza, courtesy
of the Japanese government.

(Fighting for) Independence Day!

With the day off Friday, so that the "Americans could go celebrate the 4th of July", a couple of us headed up to Bil'in to join in the weekly demonstration against the Wall, which illegally cuts the Palestinian town off from its agricultural land. What's better than celebrating my American independence by helping to liberate others and their land?

The demonstration was much more calm than usual we were told, as the group of protesters was smaller(50-75 people, locals, Israeli's and internationals) than normal and the soldier count was down, due to especially high tensions in Nal'in this week. This nearby town, currently under curfew, had recruited many soldiers and protesters as well. Even amidst the "calm" in Bi'lin, the nonviolent demonstration, which began in the town center, after noon prayers were through, and proceeded to march peacefully to the Wall, was met by Israeli forces firing tear gas cannisters, rubber-coated metal bullets, and sound bombs. Yes, my 4th of July fireworks came in the form of flashing sound bombs, and the smoke of the tear gas.

You can read more about the situation in Bil'in and see pictures from past demonstrations here:
http://www.bilin-village.org/

Off-sync World

Some days it just seems the world is a bit off.

God, may your presence be known.

Labana, Knaffe and other delicious things

Pita and various cheeses have recently become a more regular part of my diet, which gives me nothing to complain about. And I recently discovered the wondrous combination of pita, cottage cheese, labana (a yogurt-cheese), and nutella. ...my newest bedtime snack of choice!

Oh, and my newest favorite dessert-- Knaffe. Imagine a realllllly juicy mozzarella stick wrapped with filo dough and shredded wheat like crunchiness, soaked in honey, and then topped with pistachios and drizzled with rosewater/honey-like mixture.

And more generally the food here is quiiiiiiite fantastic.
Hummus, fresh pita, juicy and flavorful and ever so slightly blemished (read, ORGANIC, not grown to aesthetic perfection as too many fruits and vegetables are, in order to please demanding consumers ..in America) fruits and vegetables, and new Arab and Israeli dishes of various sorts never grow old...

When I grow up...

Two Sundays ago, I witnessed something which changed my life. I've been thinking about it ever since, and think that I've finally decided who and what I want to be with my life-- the dancing traffic policeperson in Ramallah. Yes, I want to be him, when I grow up. You will too, after watching this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lq_UgswnCgM&feature=related

A call to prayer

I work in an Arab neighborhood and live in a Jewish one.

As we gathered for lunch today at work (..which neighborhood would that be in now? ..just checking..), I looked out the window to see 4 construction workers kneeled over in prayer, as the call to prayer bellowed loudly. Such open exhibitions of faith, along side a busy road, and much less, by construction workers is NOT something I'm accustomed to being witness to. ..the sight of these 4 Muslim construction workers taking a moment to stop their work and pray, evoked conversation at the lunch table about why Christians don't near as frequently exhibit such open and public practice of faith.

The call to prayer, which sounds numerous times throughout the day, still pleasantly surprised me every time I hear it. Last week, during our weekly Communion service, the call to prayer was sounding as we recited the Lord's prayer. There was something so beautiful about that, the synchronicity of our prayers-- I bet moments like that are what God would call complete and utter bliss.

Evoking a song in a stranger

It can be a beautiful thing when your mere presence inspires another human being to song. As I walked the short distance between where I get off the #22 bus (an Israeli bus, "the only things that blow up around here", a coworker offered casually when they heard my mode of tranport to work-- ok, sure, maybe there's a sliver of truth to that, but that last time a bus blew up was a few years ago, so I'm not going to allow self-paralysis) and leave the world of West Jersualem behind, entering East Jerusalem, where I work, a construction worker laboring in the hot sun to complete the train tracks (Israeli government funded. ..I caught word that there will be no train stops in Arab neighborhoods such as the one I work, even though the train will soon become a daily part of our lives, as it goes flying by, just across the road) which are now the spine of a once wider road through the Arab neighborhood of Shu'fat, crossed the road towards me, and stopped as I walked by, breaking into song... "habibi..." That's all I understood of his Arabic tune-- "habibi" is a term of endearment, often meaning dear or sweetheart. Rather than allow this form of harmless admiration to consume me with anger and feelings of objectification as often the case seems to be, I decided to just enjoy it.. singing is somehow so much more respectful than honking horns or whistling or bellowing catcalls (although, I do have to say, compared to the DR, there's not near that level of blatancy.). Thanks to the stranger who made me smile today, even if it's just because my skin is lighter than his, my hair is now a lighter shade of brown thanks to the hotttt Middle Eastern sun, and I'm a female crossing paths with him.

Tomorrow is another day of work, as most Mondays-Friday, 9-5 seem to be. ..that's with the exception of a day off here and there, to travel to Nazareth with Nate Herr & Ross Weaver, or go to Nablus (that's this Friday. All Israeli's I've spoken with have warned that Nablus is 1 of 2 places they'd most recommend NOT to go. ..but, I went to Sderot, and survived that, despite what some would say. It's all perspective. People LIVE in Nablus, and yes, it's a tense place, but if a portion of humanity has to cope with that daily, why can't I sustain it for a few hours?), or go to Tel Aviv for a Bat Mitzvah.. OR, Friday, I get to leave early, as Shabbat begins at sundown, and thus the [Israeli] buses stop running at 4:30ish.

Dad and I are going to walk the entire outter walls of the Old City tomorrow, hopefully around sundown. Then I'd like to go to the Garden of Gethsemane and visit the Church of the Nations while there. And I just heard about a music festival happening later in the evening, so perhaps some local music will top off the night!

No playground here

Since arriving in Palestine-Israel, I've thought of (and been gently reminded of!) numerous times of this blog which I created before I left home. But each time the thought of summing up all that's taken place in the invariably growing number of days I've been here has crossed my mind, I've been paralyzed at the mere thought. Three weeks in, I've decided I simply need to get over that sense of needing to convey everything, and just start posting whatever seems relevant at the time I do a post. It helps too that I'm finally feeling over that initial transition period, that always takes longer than I'd like, no matter how many times I travel to new places.

I find it ironic that I decided, at the end of May, to title my blog "oneplaygroundofaworld". While I've certainly felt that way for periods of time in the last year or so, in this moment, I do not at all carry that sentiment. The Middle East can't be called a playground (at least in the way I had intended it to mean) when you open yourself to both sides of the story.

While I'm not sure I'd ever be able to experience complete and constant love and awe of this place some call Israel, others call Palestine, and I'll refer to as Israel-Palestine as many others do, that's not to say it's not incredibly beautiful, fascinating, stimulating, sacred.. it is! but, also exhausting, heartbreaking, anger-inducing and so so complex (I'v never felt a situation so perfectly aligns itself with that word).

Now that post #1 is complete, I'll feel more free with the next one to just do and say what's on my mind, rather than explain and introduce (not that this post provided much of that anyway!).

Tomorrow is Friday, the beginning of the weekly Jewish Shabbat. With it comes a greatly welcomed peace and quiet in a usually bustling Jerusalem city. In the early afternoon Cathy (my supervisor at Sabeel) and I will head to Tel Aviv, where she's catering her niece's Bat Mitzvah. Along with taking in such a cultural affair, the Bit Mitzvah, I'll help prepare the sushi and spring rolls (..going Asian is a lot more easy than trying to prepare Kosher finger foods).

PS: As anti-Facebook as I secretly wish I was, it's made it eaaaasy to post pictures of my adventures in the Holy Land thus far! You should go check those out for more of a sense of the past 3 weeks of my life.

A Song: The World is my Playground

There's too much seriousness today

Everybody's got to work and save
Nobody's got the time to play
But me, well I'm okay

People planning for future days
But I say live for today
Leave tomorrow's plans alone
Live for today before it's gone

'Cause the world is my playground
And in it I will play the games of life
Yeah the world is my playground
Won't you come and play with me?

Early morning, the sun creeps out
Behind concrete, glass and steel
It lights the way to a land of play
With treasures to reveal

Take the plunge, let go
Of all that you've been told
Take my hand, walk through the land
We'll find that pot of gold

'Cause the world is my playground
And in it I will play the games of life
Yeah the world is my playground
Won't you come and play with me?

Sometimes I play with others
Sometimes I play alone
When everybody knows my name
The sun goes down, comes 'round again
And being a seesaw rider ain't the same

Late at night, full moon
Tomorrow's sun will be here soon
Don't you worry 'bout me
I'll be fine just wait and see

Come join me, we'll go
Where no one else has gone before
You and me, me with you
We'll never be alone

'Cause the world is my playground
And in it I will play the games of life
Yeah the world is my playground
Won't you come and play with me?

---

Copyright © 1992 John Wu