An Unlikely but Remarkable Partnership: Israelis, Palestinians and Canadians Peace it Together
I still have goose bumps.
I just arrived home from the Peace it Together 2008 World Premiere Film Screening. In the month leading up to this event 30 Israeli, Palestinian and Canadian youth were brought together on Bowen Island to collaborate on a series of short films in the hope of building a culture of creative leaders. The results are nothing short of amazing. You can check out the 2006 films here.
Partnerships are often rift with challenges but few come with the baggage that these kids brought to their teams. The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict run so deep it can be difficult to imagine an end in sight. Many of the students came to Canada preparing to have to work with - in their own words - their enemy. It was often their first time meeting someone from the other side of the conflict, and they had to face their preconceptions and their fears. Intense dialogue and discussion was facilitated between the three groups, with emphasis placed on listening. The status quo was challenged as powerful friendships developed during the course of this program.
Through documentaries, dramas and animations, these films explore fear, security, freedom, reconciliation, and peace. In one film, two young men painfully describe how they lost a loved one at the hands of the other’s country. Their stories are personal and emotional. It is easy to empathize with them both and you begin to feel the tug-of-war that exists between these two groups of people. They then talk about the friendship that they have developed, and the understanding that they have reached between them. At one point, after the Palestinian has recounted what it is like not to be able to travel within his own country, the Israeli remarks, “I would rather live in fear, than have you live without freedom”. After the film, the guys came on stage to briefly speak to their experience. About his Israeli friend, the Palestinian declared, “I love him”.
Powerful stuff.
The film will be shown to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. I was happy to open up my wallet to support this project, and I encourage others to do the same (they even accept air miles!).
Major, major kudos to Reena Lazar and Adri Hamael for founding Peace it Together and for pouring their hearts into this amazing program. They can expect to be hearing from me soon!
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