Over the last two months, a dozen students from three continents have been meeting to write and reflect as part of the Writers Matter program. The following piece is part of the “Where I am now” collection, and comes from Nahla in Kenya.
Nahla
Where I am now
I look at myself in the mirror. A pretty smile. A pretty face. A scarless skin. I am a happy girl who loves where she is.
My achievements are what make me happy. I am moving towards my goal; being independent. I am now taking small and large steps to my independence era. I am proud of who I am becoming.
At last I can walk straight and say I am me. I am who I am. I am myself. I am who I want to be.
As part of the Writers Matter program, teachers from about twenty schools around Israel wrote and shared their writing together. The following piece is part of the “I Am From” collection, and comes from Abeer, from the Ibn Al-Haitham high school in Baqa al-Gharabiya.
Over the last two months, a dozen students from three continents have been meeting to write and reflect as part of the Writers Matter program. The following piece is part of the “I Am From” collection, and comes from Amina in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I want to escape it. I want to run away from it. It makes me sick and scared and it’s following me wherever I go. All I see are blurry lines and a vague vision of what the world could be, but it keeps spinning and nothing is clear. People and places are blurry and I’m only sure of what I feel. The breeze that so graciously feeds my brain and the hand that holds me tight . The rain that washes over my face and the salty tears that flow with it. The kiss from a human and the kiss from the sun . The ground that keeps me from flying and the bed that keeps me from dreaming. The stories that I fall asleep to and more so the ones that wake me up. I feel the cold that gives me illness and the warmth that makes me dizzy. I feel the people that I hold and the words that they give me. I feel it because it’s real and it’s real because I made it that way. I am from the fear of making nothing real. From spinning on this ride until my body is left alone, and my soul is wondering. Wondering why am I running away. Why can’t I sit with it? Why does nothing make me so scared and I yearn for something, anything? But when I lay my head on the cold ground and close my eyes forever, I’ll see that the world is steady and I was the one spinning. Nothing is very clear and real now and it’s my comfort because I know it. We all return to what we know. I am from nothing, and to that I return.
As part of the Writers Matter program, teachers from about twenty schools around Israel wrote and shared their writing together. The following piece is part of the “I Wonder” collection, and comes from Inna, from the WIZO Hadassim school in Even Yehuda.
Over the last two months, a dozen students from three continents have been meeting to write and reflect as part of the Writers Matter program. The following piece is part of the “I Wonder” collection, and comes from N. Ostenfeld in Malmo, Sweden.
I wonder, does the moon know it’s loved?
Does the moon know it lives with purpose, does the moon know the love and adoration it has received, the countless pieces of art written and created in its beauty?
A single rock, floating in solitude amidst a vast darkness—shining so brightly when nothing else does. A borrowed light, a reflection, nothing of its own. I wonder, how many of us are like the moon? Lonely, silent, yet dazzling only in the emptiness of night. Do we burn so others might see, only to fade when their world fills with light?
The moon, in actuality, is nothing extraordinary, just a simple rock, made of oxygen, silicon, magnesium, iron and so on. Earthly materials. Uninteresting materials. Plain materials. Just stone and dust, the remnants of a violent past. A scar in the sky. Yet it draws poets, painters, dreamers, and lovers to its cold surface, offering them nothing but a reflection. The moon is our muse, just as you have now become my muse, an unfeeling witness to the longings we pour out, as if hoping its pale glow might soothe our restlessness.
Perhaps that is the moon’s cruelest beauty. It gives us nothing of itself, and yet we give it everything. Our words, our songs, our stories. Perhaps it mocks us in its silence, knowing we will always return to it, hungry for inspiration, searching for meaning in its emptiness.
The moon is loyal to the Earth, bound in quiet devotion, circling endlessly—not out of love, but because even in its loneliness, it has nowhere else to go. Your name meant loyalty and fidelity. You were my moon.
Perhaps, it is as the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote; “Maybe the moon is beautiful only because it is far.” Maybe its beauty would vanish if we touched it, if we truly understood it.
Maybe we love it because we can’t have it. Because it will never love us back.
I wonder, if the moon ever looks at us—at the chaos, the greed, the fragile hopes we scatter across the earth—and feels grateful it is so far away.
The inaugural meeting of the Youth Working Group on Social Cohesion (YWGSC) was held on Monday October 28 in Petah Tiqva. This unique event, which coincided with a Unity conference organized by the Chen Young Ambassadors School, was hosted at the Ahad Ha’am Junior High school in Petah Tiqva. Students came from a range of communities around Israel, including Ashkelon, Baqa al-Gharabiya, Deir Al-Assad, Dimona, Fureidis, Herzliya, Jerusalem, Karmiel, Modi’in, Petah Tiqva, Rahat, Sakhnin, Shefa-amr, Tzur Hadassah, Shoham, and Tel Aviv, to share perspectives, and brainstorm practical steps to improve relations between different communities around Israel from a youth perspective.
The students, including delegations from the Darca Brotherhood school (Dimona), Amal Rahat, Ibn al Haithem school (Baqa al-Gharabiya), and the Shefa-amr Comprehensive C School, as well as individual delegates from several dozen schools around the country, worked in five breakout rooms, which focused on Identity, Stereotypes, Religion, Society, and Social Media respectively. The topics were chosen by a dedicated team of Arab-Jewish teen leaders, who also facilitated the discussions using three languages (Arabic, English and Hebrew). At the end of the meeting, each group, as well as a sixth group of educators, produced their list of recommendations for improving social cohesion, which will be published in a forthcoming report and distributed digitally. The Working Group is now transitioning to planning the second meeting, while also disseminating the report of the inaugural session.
The initiative to advance unity and social cohesion by empowering youth voices, and addressing topics like diverse identities and religions, stereotypes, positive social media use, and an inclusive society, took great courage, particularly in the midst of an ongoing armed conflict. Debate for Peace congratulates each student for their decision to join, as well as the educators who supported their participation.
Abd alRahman Masri, a student at Ibn Al-Haithem high school, explained that he had learned about Jewish culture and how Arabs are perceived. He noted the importance of meeting face to face and not relying on media representations of one another. Naomi Fellert, from Ahad Ha’am Junior High School, said that “In the conference, I learned so many new things and met so many people from different backgrounds”.
Madian Marana, from the Younited school, facilitated the Stereotypes group. She shared that “Throughout the discussion, I would look at my co-facilitator and smile; we both could feel the rise of engagement, and the crossing of language, social, and emotional barriers. I felt that we succeeded as facilitators when students shared that the discussion had challenged the values their family and community bubbles had imposed.”
Yasmine Yassin, a teacher from Shefa-amr Comprehensive School also noted that: “The program was a rich experience for my students. They really enjoyed the discussions. One student said it was surprising to her that people were good listeners and tolerant and respectful toward her opinions.”
Partners and sponsors included the Darca Brotherhood school (Dimona), Amal Rahat, Ibn al Haithem school (Baqa al-Gharabiya), Shefa-amr Comprehensive C School, Ahad Ha’am Junior High School, Chen Young Ambassadors school, the regional student parliament of Tel Aviv region, the young leadership team of Petah Tiqva, the Youth and Education Office for Tel Aviv region, and the office for volunteering of the higher education department, Petah Tiqva.
Photo credit: Kai Dekel, Shalev Khaikin, Rayan Kaise Badarne.
To get more information, or join the Working Group, please contact Steven Aiello: debateforpeacemun@gmail.com.
Amidst a very challenging time, facing alarms and rockets, we were honored to host another Sukkat Shalom (Sukkah of Peace) gathering this year. On Tuesday, October 22, diplomats and representatives from Finland, Ireland, Malta, the Philippines, and Romania, as well as Bahai and Muslim leaders, visited the Debate for Peace sukkah, adorned with flags and pins from over 30 nations. They were joined by 20 Arab and Jewish students from all over Israel. Together, we discussed the messages and customs of the holiday of Sukkot, as well as learning about diplomacy, and peacebuilding. We pray for a more peaceful year ahead, and to welcome students and diplomats back to the Sukkah next year, in more peaceful times!
Last week I was blessed to participate in the first Forum of Young Religious Leaders, held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The forum was part of the annual meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Participants came from dozens of countries around the globe, representing a rich diversity of religions, and speaking different languages: from Chinese speaking Tao monks to Russian speaking priests to Kazakh speaking Bahai representatives. I met Shi’a leaders from Iran, and scholars of AlAzhar, the most prestigious Islamic university in the Sunni Muslim world. Each participant added a unique color to the rich tapestry of religious diversity at the conference, and I was truly honored to be the Jewish representative.
One of the highlights of the program was the opening reception, hosted by Maulen Ashimbayev, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress. In addition to a four course meal, well appreciated by the participants who came from all over the globe, we got to appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Kazakhstan, with an incredible music and dance program.
Later on we were also offered the chance to visit cultural and touristic sites around Astana–-I chose to visit the Yryskeldy Haji Mosque, which is one of only three mosques in the world that uses solar panels to produce more energy than it consumes. The head imam of the mosque came to greet me, and another imam showed me around the mosque and patiently answered questions about the mosque, and about Islam in Astana in general.
The forum itself began the next morning with an exhibition showcasing artwork by schoolchildren in Kazakhstan under the themes of Peace and Spirituality. In the book corner, dozens of books and monographs were on display. I was honored to present two books: The Lesson of the Olive Tree: contemporary thoughts on the Torah, which I published just a week earlier, and The Write Path, an anthology of writing by Israeli and Palestinian youth from four religious backgrounds that we published through the Writers Matter program. Before leaving the art and publication section, we were invited to draw or sign a giant peace banner.
The dialogue portion of the forum began next. This inaugural forum focused on the approach of religion to contemporary issues, from sustainable development, to artificial intelligence and technology. We heard from a range of speakers, with the benefit of simultaneous translation to maximize inclusion. My own speech was on technology and religious values, and I focused on encouraging us to consider what our core religious values are, and how we can use technology to enrich our religious experiences and our interpersonal relationships. The conference was further enriched by the participation of dozens of volunteers and local participants, who asked questions during the panels.
Beyond the immediate benefits of learning from so many incredible religious leaders, I left the conference feeling inspired and spiritually rejuvenated. Coming from a conflict zone and an ongoing war, during which religion has often been abused and exploited to promote hate, not love, to divide rather than unite, it was refreshing to be enveloped in a feeling of brotherhood from the moment I stepped foot in Kazakhstan. This was thanks to the thoughtful conference organizers, the wonderful participants, and atmosphere in Kazakhstan: a religious pluralism and tolerance that is sadly far too rare. Each conference participant’s needs had been carefully planned, which in my case meant an abundance of wrapped Kosher meals provided by the Chabad of Astana. It may sound like a fantasy for a religious Jew coming from Israel to break bread with Muslim leaders from Iran, Qatar, Egypt, UAE and other countries in the region, but thanks to the Forum of Young Religious Leaders, and Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, I got to experience it in person. It was heartening to experience that, and empowering to realize that there are many others who have dedicated their time and energy to turning the dream of religious tolerance and peace into a new global reality.
This three day well organized conference brought together lots of participants from different parts of the world to better understand injustices and conflicts globally and come up with realistic solutions.
This year’s Resolve conference was held in Bosnia-Herzegovina; a place which has experienced many conflicts, yet is full of interesting people. From the minute we arrived at the conference location we were welcomed by energetic participants and volunteers who we really enjoyed our time with!
The first day, the topic was about youth in peacebuilding which in fact we really related to– since our main goal is to focus on youth groups all over the world to be aspiring peacebuilders and activists. In addition to the opening panel and workshops, as volunteers in this conference, listening and seeing all the participants for the first time brought us lots of new ideas and hope.
That first day we had some inspiring guest speakers, one of them that really caught our attention was a woman who spoke about her experience working with youth in Afghanistan, which shifted the gears of our minds. Because the obstacles she had to overcome in order to make change in the world especially in such a “dangerous” zone made us realize that no matter what we face at the end we can achieve one of our goals, which is being the change and making what is so called impossible possible.
Another one of the speakers was a representative of the Post-Conflict Research Center in Bosnia, who opened our eyes to using the method of educating kids from a young age in schools about peacebuilding and how to speak up rather than staying silent, which is an ingenious idea that we can also apply here in Israel.
Although we learned a lot that day, we also had fun playing a simulation game called MORE. Since we had the opportunity of playing roles that were assigned to us and really feeling the pressure of making decisions that may determine the results of the simulation game. After an interesting day we had the opportunity to discover the old town of Sarajevo, with the amazing participants and volunteers from five continents.
The second day started with us decorating the conference room, as us girls and volunteers always do. We had the honor of hearing Jo Berry’s story about how she managed to hear the enemy’s story and the motivation of the man who had murdered her father and how that decision to meet and listen changed her whole reality. During her talk she said “Perhaps more than anything I’ve realised that no matter which side of the conflict you’re on, had we all lived each other’s lives, we could all have done what the other did”. When Jo finished her story, she talked to the audience individually. After hearing everyone’s perspective Jo was interested in Debate For Peace members Hala’s perspective on the story . So Jo decided to give Hala a book signed by her, which Hala was so surprised and thankful about. Because during Jo’s talk Hala picked up the methods of forgiveness that Jo mentioned and used to forgive the soldier who killed her father.
During that day we snuck out during our lunch break to visit the synagogue, however we are glad that we did. Seeing the faces of our new friends approaching the synagogue, many for the first time in a synagogue, and them taking pictures of the place was amazing, because then we realized no matter what your background or ethnicity is, everyone has a soft spot when it comes to accepting and admiring new things that comes their way.
When we came back to the conference room, we learned how to really write a heartfelt well structured paragraph, that we really did the old style with a couple of tears, pens and paper.
That night after our bellies were full of authentic Bosnian food we had the chance to get to know each other on a deeper level, by playing a card game called “Empathy Box” that was facilitated by Steven, which actually had some of us participants in tears by the end of the night.
The third and last day of the conference started with laughter and joyful tears that were shed while playing simulation games to highlight the complexity in peacebuilding. Then to continue with our topic we heard from an inspiring speaker with a complex yet real story of coming from an unrecognized village. Our own Sharehan Alwakiliy had the opportunity to share her story: where she came from, and how she had the courage to speak up and overcome many obstacles.
After that amazing session we played more simulation games led by Steven, and the twist was that people who participated and very much enjoyed the games got an Israeli chocolate as a reward. Unfortunately the conference time passed quickly, and before we knew it was time to say goodbye to all of our new friends. Even though we had only known them for three days it felt like an eternity now?
Another interesting thing we did post conference was to experience every religion in one day, highlighting the beauty of Sarajevo, the Jerusalem of Europe. First we heard the adhan call to prayer, so we decided to head to the masjid to pray since some of us are Muslim. Afterwards we were invited to Friday nights prayers and Qiddush in the synagogue which was really interesting and new to all of us. On our way back to the old town we heard the bells of the church ringing so we decided to follow the sound and visit the church. People practice their religion in many different ways yet at the end we belong to one human race which for those of us in peacebuilding is a really huge reminder that at the end of the day we are one, no matter our differences.
With deep appreciation to the Asfar team, all of the partner organizations, and the wonderful participants, volunteers, and locals of Sarajevo who helped us have such an amazing experience!
Debate for Peace led its third annual delegation to the United Nations offices in Vienna June 24-30, with student leaders ages 12-17 from four religious backgrounds, speaking five languages, from six schools in Israel and Kosovo. The students met with three NGOs active in peacebuilding, two UN offices, two missions to the UN, the embassy of Malta, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria.
The delegation began the trip by meeting with the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) Vienna, where they learned about the nuances of peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peacemaking. The next day the group visited the UN in Vienna, where they learned from UNHCR about the challenges that refugees and other displaced persons face and how the UN helps refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). At the next meeting with UNOOSA, the students learned about the UN’s efforts to bring the global community together to collaborate on peaceful space research.
From the UN, the delegation traveled to the International Institute of Peace (IIP), where the discussion touched on conflicts and conflict resolution around the world, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group was then welcomed to the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), where they learned about how NGOs and civil society can advance goals at the UN, before enjoying dinner together.
On the final day of briefings, the delegation met with the head of the Middle East unit at the Austrian Ministry of European and International Affairs to discuss the challenges facing the region, especially in light of the ongoing war. The students continued to the European Mission to the United Nations, where they learned about the EU’s agenda in advancing a shared agenda at the UN, and the nuances of multilateral diplomacy.
At the Embassy of Malta, the delegation heard about how smaller countries can play a leading role in advancing diplomacy, as well as the importance of neutrality, with Malta currently sitting on the UN Security Council as well as holding the presidency of the OSCE. The day concluded at the US Mission to the United Nations in Vienna, where a panel of American diplomats spoke with the students and answered their questions about issues ranging from drugs and crime to nuclear disarmament.
In addition to the meetings, the group made sure to visit some of the touristic highlights of Vienna, from Sisi’s museum and the technical museum to the House of music and Schonbrunn zoo, even getting lost in the royal labyrinth. There was also time for a river cruise, and a day trip to Slovakia.
Debate for Peace expresses its deep appreciation to the embassies, missions and NGOs who hosted the delegation, and to the diplomats and civil society leaders who patiently met with these future leaders and answered their questions. Congratulations as well to the participants of the delegation, coming from Kasim Ghanim School (Maghar), Yahalom Middle School (Shoham), Younited International High School (Givat Haviva), De Shalit high school (Rehovot), Atid Cramim (Binyamin) and Pristina High School (Pristina).
Debate for Peace 