Tuwani Online!

Little Tuwani, the village where I hope to be working, may not have running water or more than a couple of hours of electricity every day, but they do have a website. Check it out at at http://tuwani.org/about And spread it around - Bil'in may be getting all of the of the international attention, but Tuwani has been quietly and determinedly been resisting the occupation, successfully. Yep, Tuwani is amazing.

A day in the life of a CPTer living in At-Tuwani

Five A.M.

For a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, a day in Tuwani starts at about 5 am. It's time to crawl out of the sleeping bag, dress, grab a cell phone and video camera and don a red baseball cap emblazoned with "CPT." (Yes, the hats are embarrassing, but they immediately identify us an international human rights workers and that's important.) Then it's time for school patrol.

School Patrol?

Tuwani is a tiny village located in the south Hebron hills and it has a big problem. On Tuwani's land, Israeli citizens have erected a small illegal settlement and an outpost.

Every morning CPTers wake up at the crack of dawn to accompany Palestinian children who must walk near the settlement.

Numerous times, Israeli settlers have attacked these children without provocation. CPTers, along with members of Italian nonviolent intervention organization Operation Dove, are committed to intervening when settlers attack these children and reducing the incidence of attack by providing an international presence.

Joy, what on earth are you doing? Is this safe?
In separate incidences, four CPTers have been attacked by Israeli settlers. Members of Operation Dove and a human rights worker with Amnesty International have also been beaten.

After these incidences, the Israeli Knesset, in an unprecedented decision, ordered the Israeli army to accompany the children of the South Hebron hills to school. No where else in occupied Palestine are Israeli soldiers charged with protecting Palestinian children.

Now, instead of walking the children to school themselves, CPTers now wake up at the crack of dawn to ensure that the Israeli army shows up on time, or at all. Here's what happened one day in 2006:




After School Patrol: Additional Accompaniment Work

After getting the kids to school, CPT responds to requests for accompaniment from villagers in at-Tuwani and the surrounding area. A soldier informs a Palestinian farmer that he can't tend to his olives, a CPTer might accompany him, documenting the situation, talking with the soldiers, and maybe calling Israeli supporters. Or a CPTer might join a shepherd who has been threatened by settlers. CPT accompanies Palestinian upon request because we've found that the presence of international reduces the likelihood of violence and helps Palestinian to be able to go about the business of their normal lives.

Nonviolence:

Harassment and attacks at the hands of Israeli settlers are a pressing concern for the villagers of At-Tuwani, but violence is not their only problem. Like all Palestinians, they must also contend with systemic injustice, like movement restrictions, land confiscation, and the Israeli built annexation Wall. To resist these human rights violations, Palestinians have used nonviolent resistance methods. CPT is honored to participate in demonstrations, press conferences, and other forms non-cooperation organized by the villagers of at-Tuwani.

Villagers have resisted land confisciation, the destruction of their olive groves, and home demolitons, but most frequently they have worked to slow or stop the construction of the Annexation Wall.

In many parts of the West Bank, the Wall takes the form of a huge cement barrier.

But in Tuwani, it's just 2.5 feet high, just tall enough to prevent a donkey with a cart from crossing.

Villagers have held international press conferences, built bridges of rocks over the wall, and used their physical presence to slow down construction. Demonstrations like these are dangerous for Palestinian - they risk being tear-gassed or beaten by the Israeli army, or even arrested and imprisoned. When internationals, like CPT, and Israeli peace activists attend demonstrations, the Israeli army is often less inclined to respond violently because their actions are carefully documented.

7 P.M.
When night begins to fall, CPTers enjoy a couple of hours of electricity. (No, there's no internet access. Nor is there running water. Yes, that means no flush toilet.) Reports are written and cameras charged. In a 10 ft by 10 ft house, four teammates snuggle into sleeping bags, dreaming of justice and peace.

Remembering the Children of 40 years of Occupation

A few nights ago, I read out loud 7 or 8 pages of names, names like Khaled Adli Bassem al-Bazyan and Sara Abdul-Azim Abdul-Haq Hasan, and names like Shalhevet Tehiya Pass and Naftali Lanzkorn. These children were among the 943 Palestinian and 118 Israeli children who have been killed since 2000.

Khaled was 14 and lived in Nablus. He was killed when an Israeli soldier shot him in the abdomen during a demonstration on the Nablus-Ramallah road. He died in September of 2000. Sara was 18 months old. She lived near Salfit, in the same area where I used to live. She was killed by an Israeli settler who shot her in head while she was riding in the car with her father.

Shalevet Tehiya Pass, was 10 months old and lived in the Avraham Avinu settlement. Shalevet was shot by a Palestinian sniper while playing on the playground. Naftali was killed by a Palestinian sucide bomber near Kfar Saba. She was 13 years old. Both Naftali and Shalevet died in March 2001.

On Wednesday, we read all 1,063 names of Israeli and Palestinian children killed since 2000 outside of the Northwest Convergence, a conference featuring members of the Likkud party who strongly advocate the continuance of the Israeli occupation. While former Prime Minister Netenyahu spoke about Israel's glorious fight against terrorism, we read names. It took us an hour and a half to finish.

It's was easy to lose myself in the complex task of sounding out names like Shalevet and Khaled. It took all of my concentration to stumble my way through unfamiliar sounds and multisyllabic surnames. But then I would come across a name I knew well - Fadi, Jamil, Bassem, Huda, Mohamed, Rachel. I can't help but picture other children I know with those names and wonder if they're still okay.

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip. Our congress has chosen to mark this week by congratulating Israel on its military might. I wish that they had instead read out the names of 40 children killed in this conflict or listened to the testimonies of 40 families whose homes have been demolished or looked at pictures of 40 olive trees uprooted or 40 lines at checkpoints.

How many more years? How many more children?

It's a zine!

(Actually, this zine isn't available quite yet. But it will be in the next two weeks or so. So hang tight for the moment, but be prepared to be excited!)

Starting on the 27th of June, this blog will be updated less frequently as I travel before beginning my work in Palestine. Hopefully, by September, things will be back online.

Until then, if you're interested in other ways of keeping track of me, take a look at the sidebar to the right. The first four links should be very helpful.

Cheers!

Hello. My name is Joy and welcome to At-Tuwani!



This is a short video that I've put together introducing myself, Christian Peacemaker Teams, and the village of At-Tuwani, where I hope to be working. (It's my first video editing project, so be kind.)

I'll be working in Palestine with CPT full-time for the next few years. I will be returning home periodically and when I'm here, I'm always excited to speak. If you're interested in scheduling a presentation, send an email to bltreyn AT hevanet DOT com

An Open Letter to Michael Moore: Please Ask Oprah to visit Palestine

Hi Michael! My name is Joy Ellison and I'm a long time fan. When you came to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, before the release on Bowling for Columbine, I was in the audience. That night you said something that I still remember clearly.

You said that all of us like to believe that if we were in Nazi Germany, we would have been brave enough to hide the people targeted by Hilter's death machine - romaine gypsies, people with disabilities, communists, gay people, and Jews. You said that today we had another opportunity to speak up for justice by speaking out about the situation in Palestine.

I took your words to heart. I currently work in the West Bank with an organization called Christian Peacemaker Teams. CPT accompanies Palestinian children on their way to school, because even these kids are the targets of violence under the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.

I'm writing you today because I recently learned that you will be on the Oprah Show. Congratulations! I also understand that Oprah has been invited by Elie Wiesel to visit Israel on a "solidarity" visit. I want to beg you, Michael, to ask Oprah to reconsider her decision to visit Israel. Right now, the Palestinian people need leading public figures to carefully consider all of the facts before choosing to stand in "solidarity" with one side over the other.

I realize that Oprah is unlikely to cancel her trip to Israel. Please, ask her to include a visit to Bethlehem or another community in the West Bank. I've been working with two other organizations called Open Bethlehem and the Holy Land Trust that I know would be happy to host her in the city of Jesus' birth. In fact, CPT itself has asked Oprah to come and visit us in the village of At-Tuwani. I know that many other Palestinian and international organizations have written Oprah asking her to visit them. Palestine wants Oprah! Tell her that we all say "Ahlan wa Sahlan!" Welcome to Palestine!

Thank you, Michael, for all of the work that you do. I hope that you will be able to speak to Oprah about this important issue.

Sincerely,
Joy Ellison
--

To write your own letter to Michael, send an email to mike@michaelmoore.com I think that several hundred letters to Michael might make a difference!

Hebron: An Introduction

It's difficult to describe Hebron. It's a unquice manifestation of the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. There is no where in the West Bank quite it, but this is the future that threatens almost everywhere.

In Hebron, Israeli settlers, of the most radical and violent end of the spectrum, have succeded in moving into next door to Palestinians and driving many of them out of the city. This B'tSelem video is excellent and helps to provide a picture of what is actually happening. However, it's a little confusing for those who are not as familiar with Hebron. My friend Helen added a helpful description:

1st scene: An Israeli settler discussing the "work that still needs to be done" in Hebron, ie: replacing Arabs with Jews.

2nd scene: Thanks to Israeli activists, this clip is now famous. An Israeli settler attacks the Palestinian family (behind the cage that surrounds their house for protection) in the neighborhood. "You're a whore, and your daughters are too."

3rd scene: Palestinian woman explaining her family's situation in the neighborhood. "If we go out, we get attacked by either settlers or soldiers."

4th scene: Israeli settler children throwing rocks at the a Palestinian family's house, while the soldiers stand by and watch. "Soldier, the boy wants to come in, but because of them he can't."
I mentioned that other places in the West Bank may come to resemble Hebron. Bethlehem, a city that's so close to my heart, may soon resemble Hebron. Especially radical settlers have been making plans to move into the Rachel's Tomb area within Bethlehem proper. I fear what will happen to my friends and to a city that is part of the heart of the West Bank economy, if Bethlehem becomes another Hebron.

There are a few spots of hope in the situation. The first is the fact that Palestinians continue to live in this town. No where is it more clear that the most important act of resistance Palestinians can take is withstanding the pressures to leave.

There are also a few organizations in Hebron that I , for one, particularly like. The first is called Breaking the Silence and is a group of Israelis soliders, most of whom worked in Hebron, who are exposing the realities of this place: http://www.shovrimshtika.org/index_e.asp

The second is called Art Under Apartheid and is one example of the many projects that are using art and creativity to help kids cope with the stress of life under occupation: http://artunderapartheid.ps/

The third point of light, I hope, is CPT. The Hebron project was recently highlighted by the BBC. They took some pretty pictures, but I wish they had focused less on us and more on Palestinians: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/middle_east_christian_peacemakers0_hebron/html/1.stm

My friend Kayla and I were talking about stress and burn-out, something that's all too common amongst people who work in NGOs and people who live war zones - and doubly likely for people who work with NGOs in war zones. Kayla suggested that I make a list of the reasons that I'm doing this work, so that I'll have something to look back on when I'm feeling hopeless.

So, here it is. I work in Palestine:

• Because standing in solidarity with people who are oppressed at the hands of my government is a part of what I believe ethical people do.
• Because in my own experience, international accompaniment does reduce violence and create a space for indigenous people to wage their own justice struggles.
• Because the Israeli military occupation Palestine is one of the greatest example of injustice in this decade and one the greatest sources of international stability. Freeing Palestine is crucially important and I'm honored to be able to play an extremely small part of ending it.
• Because even if my work doesn't make a difference, it's important to try. It's important to witness, even if only so that I am personally able to live with integrity and advocate effectively here at home.
• Because I feel led to this work.
• Because I find this work to be life-giving, because in a strange way it's already been my salvation.
• Because I want to learn what it means to live nonviolently. I know that involves suffering, but I still want to experience it.
• Because I've wanted to travel to Palestine for years, since I was in 8th grade. This is an opportunity to live out a dream.
• Because I believe that another person with a solid understanding of the problems of cross-cultural work and a commitment to Palestinian-led resistance can only help organizations like CPT.
• Because I love Palestine. I've traveled to many different countries and this is still the one that I love the best (though Bolivia is a close second). It's a culture I love. It's food I love. It's olive trees and valleys and beautiful children. It's a gift.

Announcing:

The Pacifist PotentialA Presentation of Blackfish Gallery in Portland's Pearl District

As a part of a month long art show called "The Pacifist Potential," I'll be speaking in a panel entitled "Challenging & Questioning Pacifism"

Here's the description and details:

Tuesday, June 19, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Challenging & Questioning Pacifism. A diverse panel to pose challenges to pacifism. Can it really work in solving the types of global conflicts we now face? What might our approach be to the crises in the Middle East from a pacifist mindset?

I'm planning on talking about Palestinian nonviolence and I hope that will fit in well to the panel. There are lots of other interesting panels going on, not to mention art exhibits. More details here. I feel oh so cosmopolitan for getting invited to speak at an art gallery!

Remembering the Nakba

For documentation of events commemorating the 59th anniversary of the Palestinian diaspora, visit: http://questionisrael.blogspot.com/ The events they're featuring are primarily organized by Jewish people concerned about Palestinian human rights, but if you're organized a Nakba memorial event, tell them!

Nonviolent Action Commentating the 59th Anniversary of the Nakba

From Sami Awad's blog:

In their continuous commitment to resisting the building of the Apartheid Wall in the villages that are located south of the Holy city of Bethlehem, the local organizing committee dedicated this Friday’s action to commemorating the 59 year anniversary of the Nakbah (the Catastrophe). For almost sixty years Palestinians have been suffering not only from what the Israeli occupation has done but in deeper terms from the neglect of the international community in addressing their basic human rights.

Over one hundred Palestinians, internationals, and Israelis met this day at the location of Abu Elias’s house (a farmer who passed away as a result of a heart attack three days after he received Israeli orders that called for confiscating the biggest portion of his land for the building of the Wall). It is truly incredible to see how empowered local young leaders continue to grow in their courage and commitment to not give up in the face of growing pressure by the Israeli military to suppress any nonviolent action in this location.

Hope
(I was asked to talk about hope at my Quaker meeting. Here's what I said.)

Good morning. My name is Joy and I’m here to talk about hope. I’d like to start with cartoon:

At first glance, it’s easy to think that this woman is a bit of a jerk. Or maybe she’s someone whose privilege blinds her to the suffering of others. That may be true, but I think there’s an more interesting possibility. I think that this is a woman who has lost hope.

Like most people, I have a list of things that I’d rather not think about. Here's my list: global warming, the AIDS epidemic, the people who made the clothes I wear, and the Republican and Democratic nominees for president. When I think about things like this, I feel heavy. I start thinking about all of the things that I don’t do well enough, or often enough, or at all. I feel as though our problems are insurmountable. I lose hope.

But there are other situations in which I have tremendous hope. When I was asked to talk about hope, I started thinking about the differences between the situations and find depressing and the situations where I find hope. I realized the difference between hopelessness and hopefulness doesn’t lay in the situation itself. Against all odds, I feel a tremendous, deeply rooted, and thus far unshakable sense of hope for the situation in Palestine and Israel. And honestly, if there has ever been a situation that appears hopeless, it’s the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.

But I feel hope. I’ve found that the difference between hopefulness and hopelessness lays in my own willingness to become engaged. I don’t find hope by protecting myself from discouragement. The hope I feel for Palestine, has come from working in Palestine. Not from visiting or witnessing or learning, though those are all good things. For me, there is something special about working. As I have worked in Palestine, I’ve been able to see God working. God is doing some pretty amazing things. I’ve stood besides Palestinians who were willing to risk being beaten, jailed or shot to nonviolently prevent land confiscation. I’ve stood beside Israelis as they participated in Palestinian–led demonstrations. Because they were willing to face angry soldiers and because they were willing to openly call for a just peace, these Israelis were able to create real relationships with Palestinians. That’s real peacemaking. I know people who have put themselves on the line for twenty years to build a better future for their families. I’ve seen Palestinians graze sheep in places they used to be unable to walk a year ago. I’ve seen God working. And I have hope. I have the sort of hope that feels obvious, the same way that I have a faith of God that feels obvious. George Fox described his understanding of God by saying “and this I knew experimentally.” This hope I know experimentally.

It’s easy for me to give in to the temptation to preserve hope by sheltering myself from the realities that I believe will endanger it. It’s tempting to believe that easy, unthreatening answers are hopeful ones. But for me, hope flows from seeing God working in our world. That means that hope requires being willing to invite heartbreak. Experiencing the presence of God requires openness and if we are going to be open to the world, we’ll find a lot of heartbreak. And if we allow our hearts to be broken, I think we can find hope. We are blessed or cursed to be a part of a tradition that doesn’t pull at lot of punches. At our best, Quakers have been people who have been willing to take difficult, painful stands for justice, all the while being wildly hopeful.

I’d like to close with one of my favorite prayers:

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we will live deep in our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people and the earth so that we will work for justice, equity and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer so we will reach out our hands to comfort them and change their pain to joy.

And may God bless us with the foolishness to think that we can make a difference in the world, so we will do the things which others say cannot be done.

This Reminds Me

of Something...