Learn Hope Plant Peace

My fourth Shabbat.  It appears that this has become a once a week blog, which Judson assures me is quite acceptable in the blogging world.  This blogging venture is interesting in and of itself.  Is it a journal? Well then, the writing is really for me and should I be posting it?  Is it an open letter to my friends? Then that is a great way to stay in touch while I am gone, and nothing is really to personal to share.  Is it an opportunity to share and inform and grow for both myself, my colleagues and my friends? Then it is okay if periodically I sound like a teacher or a therapist, because in fact that is who I am.  It really is just another fascinating virtual experience, and I am beginning to realize that all these virtual social networks are a combination of connection  to others and self reflection. I don't ever really know who I am connecting with and in fact, while I am reaching out to connect, I am really alone in self reflection and self awareness. Individual reflection through social networking, blogging and facebooking might just be oxymoronic exercises  in how to be in a relationship.

Back to the trip........
This Shabbat my focus is on a slogan I heard while I was at the Tent of Nations.  (See Link and Pictures taken of the land and the cave dwellings, where the family has lived for generations )

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cPS6CznSI4

Learn Hope and Plant Peace.  This slogan was the focus of our discussion while we visited Daoud at the Tent of Nations.  An olive and grape farm, in the West Bank, in occupied territories. We, Dennis, Boris, Mel, Emma, my friend Jane, talked with Daoud, his wife and brother and heard the life of generations of occupation and the vision of peace in our life time.  They are inspirational.  It was clear that their vision is that each little seed of  peace that we can plant, each one of us in everyway possible has the potential to grow peace.  It was amazing to me how our discussions about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict revolved around the exact same ideas and believes that I am lecturing and consulting on in Israel.  Basically,  how a history of violence and trauma, has created a context for continued violence and victimization.  And the only hope is to acknowledge our hurt, oppression and aggression of others and commit to create new pathways of collaboration, love and peace.  I spoke with them about my work with families and he spoke with me of his work with communities, volunteers, Arabs and Israeli's- and we were clear, we are all planting seeds of peace. I watched him, and saw with each moment that he lost hope while we talked or spoke of painful experiences,  he stopped, took a breath and responded somehow with hope.  It was as if I was watching him rewire his brain from victimization and aggression to resilience and hope. It was an incredible experience.

I am thrilled to be continuing my work both in Israel, working directly with families and training therapists. And next week working with Encounter http://www.encounterprograms.org/ and Tent of Nations.  I will be leading a workshop with Palestinian women, Creating a  Peaceful Brain and a Loving Heart.

So as I wonder what blogging is really about.  A self indulging exercise in journaling, a letter to friends, or an opportunity to create change- or all of the above. 

I leave myself and any one else that is listening, with this thought.  It is very easy,  too easy, to lose hope in the midst of the Middle East, in the middle of Israel or in the middle of Palestine.  It is all too simple to believe that anything we could possibly do, could ever make any difference. Yet Each seed,  each little seed, has the potential to grow into something greater, to become an individual growth in a huge garden or forest.I do believe we can Learn Hope if we continually Plant the Seeds for Peace.  After my Shabbat dinner tonight, there will be 12 Israeli's going to the outskirts of Hebron, to visit the Tent of Nations, they did not even know the Tent of Nations existed until tonight, and they all commited to go.  That is 12 more Israeli's Learning Hope and Planting Peace with a Palestinian than there was yesterday.