| The past few months have been intense for Combatants for Peace. We have held our two flagships events - the Israeli Palestinian Joint Memorial and the Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony. Both are uniquely beautiful events, where humanity takes over, and the backdrop of violence, of apartness, and conflict take a back seat. Over 15,000 people joined us in person in Israel, Palestine, and through satellite events held around the world, and we reached over 350,000 people internationally through live streams, plus countless more through news articles, social media shares and word of mouth. That makes us hugely proud, and brings the occupation back into people's consciousness, and reminds everyone that it is the occupation that kills, but it is the people that suffer. But we want to be honest and realistic with you. These events are not simple, and they evoke hostility, anger, and even hate. We received threats, our speakers and partners were the target of extreme intimidation, and people rallied outside the venues to scream the ugliest abuse to try to drown out our words. What are they so afraid of though? What causes so much hatred of a person they have never met? There are many causes and explanations, but we know that a sense of hopelessness, of a lost cause, and an endless conflict that will never be resolved only deepen this divide. This is why we keep going. We are modelling what 'different' can be. We are Palestinians and Israelis that are colleagues, friends, and allies. We have talked a lot about the past lately, and it is an important step in order to heal and move forward. But for now, we will look ahead to breaking new ground through our youth programming and educator outreach, reaching more vulnerable communities across Area C at risk of losing their lands, and promoting our values of non-violence and action against human rights violations. For anyone who hasn't yet had a chance to see either Ceremony, they are linked below. |
|
|
