Showing posts with label israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label israel. Show all posts
17 June 2009
16 June 2009
13 June 2009
@ Calandia checkpoint
After half an hour of pushing our backpack few millimeters ahead, trying to ignore the ugly smell of the women in front and the sighs of the guy in the back, listening to a panicking Dutch guy who is refused to pass and the endless comments of the people in the cue on that.
After half an hour of listening to the Israeli soldier yelling crappy Arab through the worst imaginable speakers, being pushed in between iron bars not unlike a pig farm, checking out and being checked out by countless American girls covered with a veil but full of make-up.
After half an hour when I finally arrive at the x-ray machine and the office with the yelling Israeli soldier in it and I'm struggling to get my passport out, mind my luggage and remain sanity at the same time the soldier smiles at me, beaming with happiness. I ask her what she needs from me, if my passport is ok like this but she keeps smiling, looks up from behind her bullet proof window and yells through the speakers: YOU ARE SO TALL!
After half an hour of listening to the Israeli soldier yelling crappy Arab through the worst imaginable speakers, being pushed in between iron bars not unlike a pig farm, checking out and being checked out by countless American girls covered with a veil but full of make-up.
After half an hour when I finally arrive at the x-ray machine and the office with the yelling Israeli soldier in it and I'm struggling to get my passport out, mind my luggage and remain sanity at the same time the soldier smiles at me, beaming with happiness. I ask her what she needs from me, if my passport is ok like this but she keeps smiling, looks up from behind her bullet proof window and yells through the speakers: YOU ARE SO TALL!
29 May 2009
Am a poor lonesome cowboy, far away from home
More and more I come to believe that we are in the Wild Wild West. The red Indians have turned into Bedouins, the pioneers wore similar dresses to the Orthodox Jews here, and the overall motto is: everyone for himself, and God for everyone.
A: One last question: why are you wearing a gun? I mean, in Holland nobody wears one, so am just curious...
B: You ever forgot your phone somewhere? Yes. You wouldn't want to loose your gun somewhere would you? No. Imagine loosing your gun around your children. Don't want that to happen do you? So I have it with me 24/7. It's my duty to do that. My work requires that I have one. It's kinda dangerous around here you see.
"You see this vineyard? Few weeks ago some Bedouin youth took all the sticks out. Just for vandalism. Their parents told us to give them a good beating if we wanted to. We haven't done so. But next time I see them around I know what to do."
As we drop off the little kid at Kindergarten another father is kissing his girl goodbye. His gun behind the elastic of his underwear. He makes sweet noises to reassure her that she don't need to cry. All is safe."
In the bus next to me an 18 year old in green uniform. M16 on his lap, heavy on his legs. He is texting his girlfriend, falls asleep later until the bus stops, drops him off at the army base.
A: One last question: why are you wearing a gun? I mean, in Holland nobody wears one, so am just curious...
B: You ever forgot your phone somewhere? Yes. You wouldn't want to loose your gun somewhere would you? No. Imagine loosing your gun around your children. Don't want that to happen do you? So I have it with me 24/7. It's my duty to do that. My work requires that I have one. It's kinda dangerous around here you see.
"You see this vineyard? Few weeks ago some Bedouin youth took all the sticks out. Just for vandalism. Their parents told us to give them a good beating if we wanted to. We haven't done so. But next time I see them around I know what to do."
As we drop off the little kid at Kindergarten another father is kissing his girl goodbye. His gun behind the elastic of his underwear. He makes sweet noises to reassure her that she don't need to cry. All is safe."
In the bus next to me an 18 year old in green uniform. M16 on his lap, heavy on his legs. He is texting his girlfriend, falls asleep later until the bus stops, drops him off at the army base.
25 May 2009
In your opinion, what is the role of tourism in the development of the Makhteshim area? Why?
And so we are working again... Running from one interview to the other, rewriting our questionnaire after every talk, redefining our final outcome and scope twice a day.
What we do until now: Finding support in the Makhtesh area for the idea that eco tourism has potential here. Finding out why this place isn't the most popular destination for tourists in Israel when it is so beautiful and relaxing. Finding out how these things are related to the communities that are here.
We speak with Bedouins, Hebrew Israelites, Moroccans, Yemenites, Russians, French and many others that all came to this area for different reasons. Their world views, their ideas about tourism, their ideas of what their responsibility is, how they connect to other communities, business ideas, dreams for the future all these topics are in one way or the other covered in our questionnaire.
My world view changes a little with every interview that we do. The stories of all these people slowly give me a 360 degrees idea of this society. Almost too big to encompass. Too complex. Too much history in it. From the interview with one of the Hebrew Israelites today: "We have to untangle the big knot that the world is. Take the complexity out of it, make it straight, so that we can use it for its purpose." This is what we do. See the connections between the dots. Or what we try to at least.
What we do until now: Finding support in the Makhtesh area for the idea that eco tourism has potential here. Finding out why this place isn't the most popular destination for tourists in Israel when it is so beautiful and relaxing. Finding out how these things are related to the communities that are here.
We speak with Bedouins, Hebrew Israelites, Moroccans, Yemenites, Russians, French and many others that all came to this area for different reasons. Their world views, their ideas about tourism, their ideas of what their responsibility is, how they connect to other communities, business ideas, dreams for the future all these topics are in one way or the other covered in our questionnaire.
My world view changes a little with every interview that we do. The stories of all these people slowly give me a 360 degrees idea of this society. Almost too big to encompass. Too complex. Too much history in it. From the interview with one of the Hebrew Israelites today: "We have to untangle the big knot that the world is. Take the complexity out of it, make it straight, so that we can use it for its purpose." This is what we do. See the connections between the dots. Or what we try to at least.
22 May 2009
Bedouin wedding
Wednesday night we attended the wedding of a Bedouin girl and her husband. Both were from different areas, the one from a more modern tribe than the other. Dinner is hardly over when everyone starts to dance, and from there on pictures have to tell the story.
13 May 2009
of women and chicken
So we went into the last phase with our women group. Windows had asked us to make a manual that could guide them in any project that they want to undertake. Our idea was to make worksheets that help think of preparation, network and money.
After introducing the first sheet we soon found out that the women wanted to work on individual projects. A little anxious as to how that would contribute to 'community building' we introduced more personal sheets and worked on them in small groups. One for chicken, one for a greenhouse and one for goats.
The last session we looked back at the whole month and did a tip top on our way of working from which we got only compliments. Nobody here would ever be critical in your face.
On the side we have been developing a recipe book for Palestinian food. Many women have written their recipes down for us and we were invited for lunch so that we could take pictures of lovely grape leave wraps with chicken.
We will be back in June for a follow up. For now am half satisfied with our work. Still a long way to go to be an effective 'community builder'.
After introducing the first sheet we soon found out that the women wanted to work on individual projects. A little anxious as to how that would contribute to 'community building' we introduced more personal sheets and worked on them in small groups. One for chicken, one for a greenhouse and one for goats.
The last session we looked back at the whole month and did a tip top on our way of working from which we got only compliments. Nobody here would ever be critical in your face.
On the side we have been developing a recipe book for Palestinian food. Many women have written their recipes down for us and we were invited for lunch so that we could take pictures of lovely grape leave wraps with chicken.
We will be back in June for a follow up. For now am half satisfied with our work. Still a long way to go to be an effective 'community builder'.
27 April 2009
Desert Generation
From our talk with Ron Dvir and Ziv Spektor yesterday:
When Moses left Egypt he could only arrive in Israel after forty years. Why? A whole new generation needed to grow up that was not born in Egypt befor change was possible. It's Ziv's hypothesis that every big change needs a 'desert generation'.
---
When we think of making the Negev attractive for outsiders we often think of making it into some sort of attraction park. Adding things to the desert. But what really is attractive about the Negev is the Negev. Just that.
When Moses left Egypt he could only arrive in Israel after forty years. Why? A whole new generation needed to grow up that was not born in Egypt befor change was possible. It's Ziv's hypothesis that every big change needs a 'desert generation'.
---
When we think of making the Negev attractive for outsiders we often think of making it into some sort of attraction park. Adding things to the desert. But what really is attractive about the Negev is the Negev. Just that.
10 April 2009
Landing Zone
Our first two weeks in Israel are almost over. Walking around in town is easy peasy now, even I know my way around...
I'm used now to my sofa in the living room, listening to the sounds of our neighborhood while falling asleep. Walking to our lectures in the morning I recognize the people in the street. The taxi driver taking a nap in his car, the owner of the café on the corner, the Sudanese that sit on the lawn, waiting for something to happen.
During the day we have had lectures from all kinds of people. About Zen meditation, about future centers, about the mastermind method. But more than anything we have listened to all kinds of life stories of people that chose to be different.
We have spent our evenings in Tsila's garden, discussing our project, watching a movie with the director. But also gone for dinners, explored the beach, learned about conducting orchestra's and a hundred other things.
Today is Pesach, which started Wednesday evening with a grand dinner at Ora's place. Her ancient father read the holy verses, the girls served 10 different courses all with their own special meaning and we sang songs reminiscing the exodus from Egypt. Everyone shouted at the same time about what to do next, total chaos in the house.
Sunday we are off to Jalkamus, a village of 2000 people in the Westbank, near Jenin. That's when our project really takes off...
I'm used now to my sofa in the living room, listening to the sounds of our neighborhood while falling asleep. Walking to our lectures in the morning I recognize the people in the street. The taxi driver taking a nap in his car, the owner of the café on the corner, the Sudanese that sit on the lawn, waiting for something to happen.
During the day we have had lectures from all kinds of people. About Zen meditation, about future centers, about the mastermind method. But more than anything we have listened to all kinds of life stories of people that chose to be different.
We have spent our evenings in Tsila's garden, discussing our project, watching a movie with the director. But also gone for dinners, explored the beach, learned about conducting orchestra's and a hundred other things.
Today is Pesach, which started Wednesday evening with a grand dinner at Ora's place. Her ancient father read the holy verses, the girls served 10 different courses all with their own special meaning and we sang songs reminiscing the exodus from Egypt. Everyone shouted at the same time about what to do next, total chaos in the house.
Sunday we are off to Jalkamus, a village of 2000 people in the Westbank, near Jenin. That's when our project really takes off...
28 March 2009
Tel Aviv!
So here we are, day one of the outpost almost over. in our new home somewhere in Tel Aviv, in a street called Khakhmei Israel, [chAchmai isrAel) in one of the poorest, most colorful neighborhoods of the city. (funny how color and lack of money go together) Everything is written in Arab, Hebrew and Russian, neither of one I understand. Every corner of the street we feel in a different continent, Africa, Asia, Russia, and at times there's a traditional Jewish family pushing a baby cart.
Tomorrow is our first 'official' gathering, so far we hung out with all kinds of people, all similar in the sense that they're all very welcoming, interesting and kind. Shabat is just about over, shops have opened again, buses started to go their rounds again and people start their working week tomorrow.
Tomorrow is our first 'official' gathering, so far we hung out with all kinds of people, all similar in the sense that they're all very welcoming, interesting and kind. Shabat is just about over, shops have opened again, buses started to go their rounds again and people start their working week tomorrow.
16 February 2009
Prepost learnings
So we spent a week in Tel Aviv, traveling back and forth to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Beit Jalla. We had countless meetings with inspiring people, inspiring projects but also people you bump into on the bus, at the market, and on tv. All of this with the purpose of finding a startingpoint for our 3 months stay in Israel / Palestine: the outpost.
So it's a week later now, and the trip is still very much on my mind. Before we left I had emptied myself from all judgment, cynicism and good old colonial "I know how to do this" attitude. It was the only approach I could think of; listen, listen, listen and participate. This created room for a week full of interaction. People with outspoken views on the conflict, but more common: people with not too much interest in the whole situation but many ideas about 'the other'. Every conversation was full of prejudices that I could only hear now that I was new, empty and eager to discover all aspects of the country.
As the week continued I learned much about the human soul. We grow up in certain belief systems. Much from what we think and say is based on a vague notion of the truth. Only rarely do we go out and check if those facts are really true. From all Israeli's that we met not even a handful had been to Ramallah. We like comfort, we like to stay with our ideas.
Our prejudices do however influence our thinking and speaking. And our thoughts as well as our words reach others and influence them and their thinking and speaking. Our actions are based on our thoughts and those of others. Without knowing our prejudices end up being reality. The consequences of this are very visible in any conflict area. One human being shoots another, believing it is a righteous thing to do. This result is out in the open. Others are more hidden. It plays out in organizational level, in families, friendships, between countries and continents. What you don't know is what you don't care about.
In peace workshops with Israeli's and Palestinians questions were asked such as: "do you have girlfriends?, do you have shops?, do you go out at night?, what do you eat?" People living in the tiniest country imaginable have no idea of each other's reality. But they are at war!
So it is a week later now, and the consequences of my discovery for myself are still evolving. How I perceive people is what shapes their being. Am I able to see every human being as an human being? Am I able to speak without prejudice? Can I be with an empty slate every time, having a fresh look upon the world always? What is my responsibility and what is that of others?
The process is like reprogramming your system. Old habits and thoughts are no longer good enough and need to be replaced. But I said it before, we like to be comfortable. And this reprogramming is everything but comfortable. Bear with me a little more...
So it's a week later now, and the trip is still very much on my mind. Before we left I had emptied myself from all judgment, cynicism and good old colonial "I know how to do this" attitude. It was the only approach I could think of; listen, listen, listen and participate. This created room for a week full of interaction. People with outspoken views on the conflict, but more common: people with not too much interest in the whole situation but many ideas about 'the other'. Every conversation was full of prejudices that I could only hear now that I was new, empty and eager to discover all aspects of the country.
As the week continued I learned much about the human soul. We grow up in certain belief systems. Much from what we think and say is based on a vague notion of the truth. Only rarely do we go out and check if those facts are really true. From all Israeli's that we met not even a handful had been to Ramallah. We like comfort, we like to stay with our ideas.
Our prejudices do however influence our thinking and speaking. And our thoughts as well as our words reach others and influence them and their thinking and speaking. Our actions are based on our thoughts and those of others. Without knowing our prejudices end up being reality. The consequences of this are very visible in any conflict area. One human being shoots another, believing it is a righteous thing to do. This result is out in the open. Others are more hidden. It plays out in organizational level, in families, friendships, between countries and continents. What you don't know is what you don't care about.
In peace workshops with Israeli's and Palestinians questions were asked such as: "do you have girlfriends?, do you have shops?, do you go out at night?, what do you eat?" People living in the tiniest country imaginable have no idea of each other's reality. But they are at war!
So it is a week later now, and the consequences of my discovery for myself are still evolving. How I perceive people is what shapes their being. Am I able to see every human being as an human being? Am I able to speak without prejudice? Can I be with an empty slate every time, having a fresh look upon the world always? What is my responsibility and what is that of others?
The process is like reprogramming your system. Old habits and thoughts are no longer good enough and need to be replaced. But I said it before, we like to be comfortable. And this reprogramming is everything but comfortable. Bear with me a little more...
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