Projects 2008-2009

 

May 2008 participation of Friendship Across Borders - FAB at The 4th International Conference in the series " Fields of Conflict - Fields of Wisdom" with the title : "Identities: I am - you are"

 

The consequences of the pilotproject " Let me see through your eyes" conducted in August 2007.

Despite much enthusiasm and determination among the participants, to carry on with the FAB peace work, seperately in all 3 groups difficulties and divergences occured, few month after ending the pilot project. This was true the more in regard to motivation of the Palestinian group. They started to questioned the leadership of their group, which finally lead to the dissolution of the Palestinian group, after a while.

 

We became aware, how deep the emotional impact of the seminar " Let me see through your eyes", has been on all of us. Somehow, it brought in a deep sense, sharping light on the uncertainties and divergences, regarding the needs and the truth of the other party and it focused the feelings of right and wrong not only in the international FAB group, but also within the 3 ethnic groups itselves. After the pilotproject, we missed the opportunity to reflect and integrate the experiences through an internal, national groupprocess, in order to stabilize the success of the seminar.

 

That's why we in fact, entered a period of dissolution. First, the dissolution of the Palestinian group brought our work almost to an end. We could not start , as we had planned, with the selection of students for the Peace Carrier Training . But we had to find a way to rebuild a new Palestinian group which would be able to work with us. Only in May 2008, after the International Conference in Germany, FAB was able to find people on the Palestinian side motivated for the peace work in FAB.

Because of those circujmstances, we again had to start with our work almost from beginning and gather the international FAB community for a second international encounter, in order to introduce them to each other and to decide what we have to do, in order to avoid such mistakes. This encounter and seminar we have done in:.

 

August 2008 internationales Seminar in Beit Jala, Talitha Kumi School, Palestinian National Areas

 

This international gathering did not have the success we had needed and hoped for. Much more, it showed the lost motivation on the Israeli side, their frustration and anger due to the dissolution of the Palestinian group. There was an impatience and the wish was, to immediately start with the Peace Carrier Training, not considering the new situation among the PAlestinians.

During this seminar, one could not overlook the divergences between the Israeli group and the new Palestinian group, are to big and cannot be resolved, just by starting with the student's program.

 

Because of this tense stituation the dissolution of the Israeli group slowly became visibile, which finally fully happened in June 2009. In the Israeli group as well, the issue of leading the group never was clear decided and made big problems from beginning on. Another real reason for the frustration in the Israeli group was the war in Gaza in Dez08/Jan09.

 

Involved in the ups and downs of the two Middle East groups, the German group started to look for the guilty person , somebody who did wrong and caused therefore all the trouble. This lead to high tension also between the Germans, with the resut that some members of the group left or had to go.

 

It has to be said, the Gaza war in general, push all our work back and made a work for peace almost impossible.

 

With hard effort and with the help of the Palestinian group, whose motivation increased after the war in Gaza, it was possible for FAB to find new members for a new Israeli group and also to rebuild the German group once more.

 

 

For this endeavour, a lot of support FAB has got by Dr. Gershon Baskin, the Israeli director of IPCRI - Israeli-Palestinian Center for Research and Information - located near Jerusalem. With his help we have met people in the Israeli society, who showed a lot of courage and persistance, depsite all difficulties and obstacles, to work for peace between both people.

 

Here we do thank Dr. Gershon Baskin for his support. We also thank, Mr. Mamoun Kassem, the Palestinian groupleader and co-director in FAB. Without his determination and help, we never could established an new Israeli group.

 

But again we had to gather the adults in a FAB meeting, in order to get to know each other and to bring hope to our Peace Carrier Training. We conducted another international introduction seminar in Jerusalem , August 2009.

 

4. August 2009 internationale encounter in Jerusalem, Hotel Notre Dame, Israel

 

The seminar was facilitate by the German, Prof. Björn Krondorfer. He is Prof. for Religious Studies, teaching at St. Mary's College in Maryland, United States. He has reach experiences about intercultural dialogue. You find his seminar-report attache here.

 

Through the seminar we finally could establishe 2 motivate Israelian and palestinian groups. The concept of FAB and the organizational structure got more concrete and stabilized. The 3 co-directors created a team again.

 

However, the situation in the German group is not fully satisfying. The German board, responsible for the FAB administration, is unfortunately not fully set up. The position of the secretary and the treasurer is stil very fragile. Therefore we are looking for new members. We need people who like to work on the FAB board, co-operate with their ideas and competences and create with us, a working foundation of FAB. If you know somebody, who likes to work with us, please feel free to let us know.Since we are an international working organization, these positions can also be taken by somebody from another European country, than Germany.

 

We plan to start the Peace Carrier Training in July/ August 2010. Especially for such an event we need sponsors. Please read our advices and requests under " membership"

 

Please pay also attention to the photogallery , where you find some photos from our Jerusalem seminar.

 

 

National Dialogue " In Service for Each other" of the German FAB group, at Schloss Wasmutthausen, near Coburg, in Germany.

 

Seminar facilitate by Prof. Björn Krondorfer. You find his report attache here.

 

 

The intention of a national dialogue for the German group was, to give the German FAB members the opportunity for self-reflection and to gain self-awareness about the deeper motivation, working in an organization like FAB. In the past, FAB got the experience that it is not fruitfull for a pece process with Jewish Israeli and Palestinians and Germans, need to explore feelings of guilt and shame. In particular the Germans are often attending such a program out of unconscious guilt, trying to find peace with it, while working with Jews in the same project. In order to understand such a dynamic and the obstacle for a joint work, we invited the German group for a " national dialogue".

 

Since 2004, the beginning of the FAB work, many meetings, encounters, journeys and small seminars took place, on the national as well the international level.

Each of these meetings, gatherings ect. did contribut something to the progress of FAB , which we do not want to miss, looking back to the development our project made so far. Jointly we have worked on many details of the Peace Carrier Program. But we also worked hard to find a consensus for co-operation between Germans/Europeans - Jewish Israeli and Palestinians.

Today, in January 2010, we almost have finished a joint curriculum for the Peace Carrier Training, which considers the needs and constrain, as well as the values of culture, religion and identity of all 3 groups, equally.

We gained to formulate a common groud, our joint principals which you as well find on this web-age.

We did succeed, so far, despite 2 wars and several suicid bombings. But we know, the path is long and still we are only beginners for achieving mutual recogniation and peace.

 

 

 

 

Downloads

• FAB-Report 09-German dialogue-B.Krondorfer (DOC)
• FAB-Meeting Talitha Kumi 12.-15.8.2008 (DOC)
• FAB-Report Jerusalem 09-Facilitator B.Krondorfer (DOC)
• FAB-Summary Jerusalem 09-G.Rohde-Dahl (DOC)