PeaceTrees Bethlehem 2005 PeaceTrees project newsletter Number 1, Christmas 2004 Introduction The Hope Flowers School in Al Khader, near Bethlehem in Palestine, took the initiative to organise a PeaceTrees Bethlehem project in the summer of 2005. The Hope Flowers School has a long history in bringing people from various backgrounds together. In many ways the School has taught young people the value of Peace and Democracy. This PeaceTrees project fits in this long history. This first newsletter will inform you about what PeaceTrees is, what will happen in the summer of 2005 and how you can get involved! What is PeaceTrees? PeaceTrees is a program dedicated to providing opportunities in global service to young people from around the world. We advocate environmental restoration, youth leadership, global cooperation and conflict resolution. Our mission is to bring together young people from many nations to work with local youth to carry out needed conservation and restoration work. There are four conceptual elements in every PeaceTrees project: Youth Leadership PeaceTrees brings together a diverse group of young men and women and trains them to be leaders in a more co-operative, win-win world. Youngsters of many colours, cultures, languages, socio-economic background and religions live and work side-by-side in some very demanding environments. As a team, they learn that their lives do make a powerful difference. Environmental Action Young men and women from around the world, working together to heal the earth: that's an unbeatable combination. As these young tree-planting peacemakers see the fruits of their shared labours, their lives are changed forever. It is vital that each PeaceTrees tackle - and complete - an environmental project that is clearly worthwhile, not just to the project, but also to the larger community. Cross-cultural Understanding An amazing thing happens when we bring together people from Palestine, Israel, Germany, the USA, the Netherlands, Croatia, etc., and require that they work in the hot sun, and do the dishes together, and make group decisions, and stick with it until that nasty conflict is resolved. This PeaceTrees is two weeks long. In the first few days, everyone is "nice'. Then comes the period of conflict, where the team members (staff too) start to annoy each other. It's here that we utilize the conflict resolution skills that the team is exposed to in their first few days together. By the end of week two, true friendships have formed, as diversity becomes valued. This cross-cultural understanding also extends to the groups and organizations (and governments) from other countries that we must work with to bring the team together. It's the Grassroots United Nations in action! Community Outreach At the heart of any PeaceTrees is what we call "the Local Organizing Group" (LOG). The Earthstewards Network doesn't make a PeaceTrees happen, nor do the youth, it's the LOG that does it. The LOG is made up of local citizens who care enough to bring together the many elements of a PeaceTrees project, and to be the primary staff for the project itself. Our experience shows that this group, because of their experience and bonding within the project, will become a powerful force for change in the community in the future. Community, regional and national outreach happens when the team members of the LOG interface with the many agencies, churches, December 2004 1
businesses, politicians and the media who will become involved in their PeaceTrees project. This outreach will develop even further to the other nations involved and possibly to "groups in conflict", as the LOG asks for help in creating the very best program for the young participants. There are opportunities for healing on many levels built into the design of PeaceTrees through increasing participants' knowledge of the world's peoples. PeaceTrees has a long history. Over the years at least 25 PeaceTrees projects were organised. One of them was actually organised in Palestine with the Palestinian Union of Agriculture on 17 acres in the northern West Bank. In the last couple of years a series of PeaceTrees were held in Croatia. They started in Vukovar in 1999 and moved to the small village of Latinovac in 2001. Every year young people, mainly from Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia (and from other European countries) meet there, help rebuild the village and learn to live together after the war. It's an ongoing project. Another ongoing project is PeaceTrees Vietnam. It started in 1996 has grown ever since. More information on that project can be found on (www.peacetreesvietnam.org). Why go to the Earthstewards Gathering and PeaceTrees Project in Bethlehem in Summer 2005? We live in times of war. It is in our face on a daily basis. It creates polarization. It raises the level of fear. The conflict in Israel and Palestine is very prominent, highly charged and highly symbolic. It is constantly portrayed in a way that brings up fear and hopelessness. It is the perfect place to go as a peacemaker. It is a place where the simple act of showing up can have an enormous impact. To come to Israel and Palestine to bear witness and bring caring and compassion brings hope to people in the midst of the mess and is often received with great gratitude. And it is impossible to enter that field and remain unmoved. A conflict like this brings out the best and the worst in people. We know all about the latter from the media. But to be in the presence of people in whom the best is brought forward is hugely inspiring. People who choose, in the face of immense hardship and suffering, to walk the path of non-violence and reconciliation, to hold on to the knowledge that there must be a better way and who take actions to bring it about. Here is a chance to meet and support such people and to be inspired by them and to take that spirit home and do such work in our own backyards, where it is just as critically needed in order to create more peace in the world. The Hope Flowers School, which is hosting the events, is one of the most hopeful projects that I know of and deserves all the support we can provide. Any resource directed there goes a long way in creating sustainable change. The Issa family who has been running the project for 19 years has had close ties to the Earthstewards for more than 12 years. These ties have amongst other things led to the creation of the Mid East Citizen Diplomacy Project, now the Compassionate Listening Project. The idea to have an event at the Hope Flowers School in Bethlehem has been brewing for a long time. The 2001 Earthstewards Gathering was planned for Bethlehem and then moved to the Lebensgarten Steyerberg in Germany after the outbreak of the second Intifada. Since then a group of Earthstewards has been visiting the Hope Flowers School a number of times to get first hand information about their situation and keep the connection alive. After careful deliberation with the people in Bethlehem we have decided that now is a good time to schedule a big event there. The infrastructure is available, local support too and a great need for international attention and support. December 2004 2
Who is involved? As mentioned earlier, the PeaceTrees Bethlehem project is an initiative of the Hope Flowers School in Al Khader (www.hopeflowers.org). The School (Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary school) has been founded 25 years ago and educated many children over the years. There is accommodation for visitors in the peace studies department on the hope flowers campus and this is being developed to encourage many diverse international groups to come in and out of Bethlehem over this coming year The PeaceTrees program grew out of the Earthstewards Network (www.earthstewards.org). The Earthstewards Network began in 1980 as a citizen diplomacy and conflict resolution organization specializing in people-to-people exchanges with Soviets & Americans, Protestants & Catholics, and Palestinians & Israelis. This organisation is involved in reconciliation processes (Jewish-German) and citizen diplomacy projects (Middle east) One of the PeaceTrees projects became a permanent activity and is an organisation in itself nowadays. This is the PeaceTrees Vietnam project (www.peacetreesvietnam.org). The Opening of the Heart programme (www.openingoftheheart.org) is an exhibition as well as an education project. The exhibit transports us into the reality of the Middle East, allowing us to walk alongside Israelis and Palestinians, as they engage in the barriers and opportunities of their day-to-day lives. The Hope Flowers School has many supportive friends individuals and organisations-around the world. One of the support organisations is the Stichting Vrede voor Palestina in the Netherlands. The aim of Jerusalem Peacemakers (www.jerusalempeacemakers.org) is to contribute to peace, justice, reconciliation and a decent life for all people in the Holy Land. We are an international group of peacemakers centred in Glastonbury, SW England, connected with a cross-community network of peacemakers in the Holy Land. All these organisations help us making PeaceTrees Bethlehem happen!! Another offspring of the Earthstewards Network is the Compassionate Listening Project (www.compassionatelistening.org). Participation We invite young people from around the world to come and join PeaceTrees Bethlehem. The PeaceTrees Project is set up for young people starting at the age of 16. There is no fixed upper limit in age, but consider to participate in the Earthstewards programme if you are over 25. The other activities are open for all who are interested to join us. As mentioned before, the aim of this PeaceTrees project is to bring together people from various countries and backgrounds! Bring a friend! The Earthstewards always used this idea. Bring a friend and make the circle of people participating even bigger. Travelling information will be given at a later date. But remember, booking a flight early will save you a lot of money. December 2004 3
Programme The PeaceTrees Bethlehem project will have is official start on Monday, July 18 th, in the morning. Officials from Al Khader, Bethlehem and others will join the participants and plant the first tree. The participants will arrive the day(s) before. The registration of participants is on Sunday July 17 th. On Sunday evening we will start the program with an Earthstewards tradition: all there will join in what we call an opening circle. This will happen at the Hope Flowers School. The closing party for the PeaceTrees Bethlehem project is scheduled for Friday, July 29 th. During the following weekend, depending on travel arrangements, the participants will leave again. So the programme will take two weeks. During these two weeks the PeaceTrees participants will not only work together and plant trees, but they will also participate in various workshops organised at the Hope Flowers School. Workshops that will be open to others as well!! Scheduled (so far) are: Compassionate Listening Workshop facilitated by Martin Dronsfield July 18 th -afternoon to 20 th evening- This workshop is for all those wanting to strengthen their skills as peacemakers and cultivate compassion in their daily lives. Compassionate Listening is a powerful tool for conflict resolution and reconciliation. It is used to initiate peace-building efforts in conflict at all levels: personal, community and global, by truly learning how to listen to the other (even to our so called enemies). Reaching for and connecting to the human behind the stereotype takes uncommon willingness to reach deep inside and transcend our point of view. Essential Peacemaking Workshop facilitated by Ursel Kammann, Martin Dronsfield and others. July 24 th morning-to July 26 th noon- This workshop is designed to create a safe space for taking a deeper look at gender. How does our experience as men and as women influence our communication? How do expectations connected to gender roles influence and perpetuate conflict? What is the potential of shared leadership of women and men in their full power? How can we co-create positive change? Through simple, yet powerful exercises and rituals we will create an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of the other gender and to find insight and healing around our own wounds in this area. We will combine the contents of the Essential Peacemaking One-Day workshop and the deepeningtwo-day Training which constitute half of the training process needed in order to co-facilitate this work Earthstewards (and those who feel related to them) are welcome to join the workshops. And, on Thursday and Friday (July 21 st and 22 nd ) an Earthstewards Gathering is scheduled. The Gatherings agenda will include many opportunities to meet with people from the area (especially with representatives of various peace organisations). Another option will be to go and visit East Jerusalem to see the building of settlements in progress and the damage of Palestinian houses as a result of that. So, for Earthstewards (and all others interested) the options are: Stay for a week and participate in the Compassionate Listening Workshop and the Gathering Stay a bit longer and participate in the Essential Peacemaking Workshop Stay even longer and join the Cultural and Historical Tours From Wednesday, July 27 th onward, several bus tours will be organised. The first three of them are one-day tours to different places of historical and/or cultural interest. They will start at the Hope Flowers School and return there every evening. Then, starting on Sunday a three-day tour will start to the north of the country. Details of the bus tours will be given later. All these tours are open for all those who are interested. The tours as mentioned will take place if at least 15 people will participate. If the group is smaller we might organise something different. December 2004 4
Programme overview Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 July / August 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 Weekday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft mor aft Registration XXX Opening ceremony XXX Compassionate listening XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Peace Trees XXX XXX XXX XXX ooo ooo XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX ooo XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Earthstewards Gathering XXX XXX XXX XXX Essential Peacemaking XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Tour XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Closing party XXX Fees The basic fee for Peace Trees participants (14 day project, arriving Sunday, leaving Sunday) will be: Full board (3 meals a day, two bed room) $ 455 364 Local participants (2 meals per day) $ 84 For Earthstewards (and others that are interested) the fee staying during the first week (Sunday till Sunday) will be: $ 227,50 182 The additional stay for the Essential Peacemaking workshop (starting Sunday, ending Tuesday, leaving Wednesday) will be: $ 97,50 78 The additional stay for the Tour: Price per day: $ 32,50 26 In addition to the above fees, participants have to pay for workshops: Compassionate Listening $ 25 20 Essential peacemaking $ 25 20 Tour (price per day) $ 30 24 (lunch not included) 3-day tour information on costs will be given later Note: Prices can change according to the exchange rates! What can you do to support! The PeaceTrees Bethlehem project needs all the support it can get: morally and practically. A good start would be if you forward this newsletter to all of your friends. The more people who are aware of the project, the better! What can you do? Participate in PeaceTrees If you are 16 years or older, come and take part in the PeaceTrees Bethlehem project. You will experience a great time and learn a lot. Join us as Earthsteward Come to the Hope Flowers School on Sunday, July 17 th and stay for at least a week. The budget needed for the PeaceTrees project is higher then the fees paid by participants. Additional money is needed costs for trees, preparation of the area, maintenance, materials, scholarships, etc. So what else can you do? Sponsor a Tree We intend to plant about a thousand trees in the Al Khader region. You can sponsor the project by buying a tree. Donate $ 20 ( 16) per tree by transferring that amount to the bank account in your country. Please state the purpose of your donation. Donate money (sponsoring, grants) You can donate an (tax deductible) amount of money by transferring the amount to one of the bank accounts mentioned elsewhere in this December 2004 5
newsletter. Please mention the purpose of your donation. Send a copy of this newsletter to a friend The more people who know about this project, the better. So forward this newsletter to all your friends! Information on bank accounts The following bank accounts can be used: Palestine and Israel Please write checks to The Hope Flowers School, put PeaceTrees Bethlehem in the subject line and, sent them to The Hope Flowers School Bethlehem, PO Box 732, West Bank, Palestine. USA Please write checks to ESN, put PeaceTrees Bethlehem in the subject line and send them to the Earthstewards office: Earthstewards Network, PO Box 10697, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 UK Visit the Jerusalem Peacemakers website (www.jerusalempeacemakers.org) and learn how to transfer money to their organisation. Germany and Switzerland Earthstewards Verein, Berliner Sparkasse, Kto. Nr. 780021 975, BLZ 100 500 00 Netherlands Postbanknummer: 6037797 t.n.v. Stichting Vrede voor Palestina te Deventer Sign up! You can sign up right now! Just sent an email to one (or all) of us saying that you are coming. Please mention what parts of the programme you are interested in. Of course we need your name and address (include your email address please). And, especially for the PeaceTrees participants, tell us your age. Please transfer your participation fee (minimal for a stay of one week, so $ 227,50 or 182) to a bank account as mentioned earlier in the newsletter. Please use the account in your country (and if you live somewhere else, contact us). Our email addresses: Palestine Ibrahim Issa ibrahimissa@hope-flowers.org Germany Ursel Kammann ManfredFritsch1@compuserve.com UK Trish Dickenson Trish@jadegate.demon.co.uk The Netherlands Harry Troelstra htroelstra@euronet.nl December 2004 6