{"id":29355,"date":"2023-10-25T12:35:48","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T19:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=29355"},"modified":"2023-10-25T12:35:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T19:35:49","slug":"blessed-are-the-peacemakers-groups-that-give-me-hope-when-killing-and-war-abound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/10\/25\/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-groups-that-give-me-hope-when-killing-and-war-abound\/","title":{"rendered":"BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS: GROUPS THAT GIVE ME HOPE WHEN KILLING AND WAR ABOUND"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A woman holds a \u201cSave all children, ceasefire now\u201d sign near demonstrators holding signs of the people kidnapped outside HaKirya, The Kirya, on October 20, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many spiritual traditions believe that positive qualities, such as a good heart, reflect human beings\u2019 true nature. They teach that even amidst intense suffering, there can be dignity and beauty.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ROB OKUN<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct 24, 2023 Common Dreams<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the October 7 war rages on\u2014and despair grows\u2014I can understand why some might think it na\u00efve to highlight the work of Israelis and Palestinians who don\u2019t just talk about peace but are making it. My heart is broken open, both for the victims and survivors in Israel, and the victims and survivors in Gaza. How to carry the pain?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wake of the brutal, unconscionable Hamas attack against Israeli Jews, and the decades of deadly oppression the Israeli government has perpetrated against Palestinians, could I ever recognize a sliver of hope? Yes. My broken heart may mend knowing there are Israeli and Palestinian groups looking beyond the decades of bloodshed, to a society based on understanding, respect, and equality. More than a cease fire, may their work, described below, ignite a peace fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing Together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jewish and Palestinian volunteers in Israel created Standing Together<\/a> to bring aid to victims of violence. Standing Together is one of the largest Arab-Jewish grassroots groups in Israel. It mobilizes Jewish and Palestinian citizens to pursue \u201cpeace, equality, and social and climate justice.\u201d Their vision<\/a>: \u201c\u2026peace and independence for Israelis and Palestinians, full equality for all citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combatants for Peace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ex-combatants who founded this joint Israeli-Palestinian organization<\/a> were once part of the cycle of violence that plagues the region. Choosing to put down their weapons to promote peace, CP speaks out, supporting a two-state solution within the 1967 lines, \u201cor any other solution reached through mutual agreement which would allow Israelis and Palestinians to lead free, safe and democratic lives from a place of dignity in their homeland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parents Circle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Launched in 1995, the Parents Circle is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization<\/a> bringing together more than 600 families, who all have lost someone to the ongoing conflict. Managed by a joint Israeli-Palestinian board, they use educational resources, public meetings, and the media to spread ideas of reconciliation to achieve a just settlement based on empathy and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women Wage Peace\/Women of the Sun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Israel-based Women Wage Peace <\/a>(WWP), and its Palestinian sister, Women of the Sun<\/a>, empower women on both sides to build trust and bolster support for peace in their communities and beyond. Founded after the 2014 Gaza War, WWP has 45,000 Israeli members, reportedly making it the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel. WWP looks at the Israeli-Palestinian struggle through a gendered lens, believing women should be at the heart of peace negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hand in Hand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A growing number of integrated schools have been bringing Jewish and Palestinian children together<\/a> to learn under one roof. Cofounder Lee Gordon says they \u201care creating a model of what Israel can and should look like.\u201d Hand in Hand<\/a> has six integrated Jewish-Arab schools in Israel. All students learn Hebrew and Arabic. They help parents get to know each other, run dialogue groups, organize picnics, sports teams, and community gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerusalem Peacebuilders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jerusalem Peacebuilders<\/a> (JPB) brings together Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans to mentor future peace leaders. Sheltering after the recent attacks, founding director Rev. Canon Nicholas Porter, described the \u201cdeadly futility\u201d of warfare. \u201cWar begets only war; hatred begets only hatred. Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze do not wish to live like this.\u201d Convinced that a new generation of leadership is required for a peaceful future, JPB trains teachers, women, and youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Road to Recovery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Road to Recovery<\/a> is an Israeli volunteer association transporting Palestinian patients, primarily children, from checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza to lifesaving treatments in Israeli hospitals. Its members assist with purchasing medical equipment and organize outings for patients and families. With 1200 plus Israeli and Palestinian volunteers, their mission is straightforward: healing through driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B\u2019Tselem: Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

B\u2019Tselem<\/a>, works \u201cfor a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty, and equality are ensured for all people\u2014Palestinian and Jewish alike\u2014living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.\u201d B\u2019Tselem believes that such a future \u201cwill only be possible when the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime end.\u201d B\u2019Tselem expresses the universal\u2014and Jewish\u2014moral edict to respect and uphold the human rights of all people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of these groups have been at it for years, embodying Camus\u2019s belief that \u201cPeace is the only battle worth waging.\u201d Still, I worry that their collective message of cooperation and collaboration will now be stifled instead of amplified. I worry that those of us who don\u2019t want to see \u201cgrief weaponized\u201d will be marginalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many spiritual traditions believe that positive qualities, such as a good heart, reflect human beings\u2019 true nature. They teach that even amidst intense suffering, there can be dignity and beauty. Even in the face of destruction and persecution there can be hope. Consider these Israeli and Palestinian groups. If they<\/em> can hold onto possibility, retain their inner strength, and keep going in the face of suffering, so must I. So must we all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROB OKUN<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rob Okun is editor-publisher of Voice Male, a magazine that\u2019s been chronicling the antisexist men\u2019s movement for 30 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A woman holds a \u201cSave all children, ceasefire now\u201d sign near demonstrators holding signs of the people kidnapped outside HaKirya, The Kirya, on October 20, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel.  (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld\/Getty Images) Many spiritual traditions believe that positive qualities, such as a good heart, reflect human… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1270],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29355"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29355"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29356,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29355\/revisions\/29356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}