Interview with S. Srinivasan, Facilitator, Barefoot College, Tilonia, India, January 2007

Interview with S. Srinivasan, Facilitator, Barefoot College, Rajasthan, India.

Interviewed in Tilonia, India, January 2007

The Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, is located on 2 interconnecting campuses. It has 10 outreach field offices which are instrumental in the coordination of the activities it carries out in over 150 outlying villages. The Barefoot campus is entirely powered by solar energy. Barefoot shares its know-how of solar technology not only with local villagers, but also with people from other countries like Afghanistan, Bolivia and Gambia, who visit the campus for a 6 month period during which they learn how to assembly and repair the necessary solar equipment in order to bring electricity to their home villages.

In addition to this important work with solar technology, Barefoot runs night schools for children who are unable to benefit from mainstream education because of their family duty to work in the fields or to look after livestock. Fifty-seven children from these night schools are then elected as representatives to a Children’s Parliament, which meets once a month. One child from these 57 is elected as Prime Minister of the Parliament for a two and a half year period.

Barefoot is also active in rain water harvesting, weaving and clothe making as well as in the manufacture of wooden toys for children. It runs clinics providing medical services based mainly on homeopathic remedies and it addresses important social issues in the villages through the performance of puppet shows.

Vicky Rossi: When was the Barefoot College first established and what was the main motivation of its founders?

S. Srinivasan (commonly known as “Vasu”): The Barefoot College was founded in 1972 by Mr Bunker Roy and two others. It was a voluntary organisation specifically formed with the belief that in order to work with the poorest of the poor in the villages one has to base oneself in the village. Only in this way can one uncover the problems faced by the communities there, as perceived by the villagers themselves. In the initial 1-2 years, the set of objectives held by the organisation became more concretised and more specific. This led to initiatives being started with regards drinking water. Access to drinking water was a problem for the poorest of the poor in the villages and linked to that was health – access to health services was almost nil.

Interview with Arun Gandhi, Mumbai, January 2007

Interview with Arun Gandhi, Director of the Gandhi Institute of Nonviolence, University of Rochester, New York, USA

Interviewed in Mumbai, India, January 2007

The grandson of Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi, Arun Gandhi was born in 1934 in Durban, South Africa, where he experienced the challenges of life under the Apartheid system. From 1946 until shortly before the Mahatma’s assassination in 1948, Arun lived in India with his grandfather, during which time he was greatly influence by both the political events related to India’s struggle for independence and the Mahatma’s teachings and embodiment of nonviolence. In 1956 Arun returned once again from South Africa to India to work as a journalist for the Times of India. Then in 1987, along with his wife Sunanda and their 2 children, Arun Gandhi was invited to the United States by the University of Mississippi to write a paper on the similarities between the prejudice in India, the U.S. and South Africa. Having decided to stay on in the U.S., in 1991 Arun and Sunanda founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, which works to promote the principles of nonviolence both locally and globally through conflict prevention, anger management, diversity training, and relationship- and community-building. Arun Gandhi is a well known speaker both in the U.S. and internationally with a commitment to spreading the message of the importance and the power of nonviolence.

Vicky Rossi: Having just spent a wonderful 2 weeks in India with you and an enlightened group of internationals on the Gandhi Legacy Tour¹, I was wondering when you first decided to lead such a trip and what your primary motivation was.

Arun Gandhi: I have been involved with people from Europe and other parts of the world for quite some time now and I have always felt that people need to know each other better. We tend to live in our own isolated worlds without knowing much about one another. This means we form all kinds of stereotypes and misunderstandings, which lead to conflicts in the world. I have always thought that if we can somehow bring people together and let them get to know each other, then we will be able to break down the barriers that exist and build bridges instead.

T & E Transcripts

If you have read the post “Travel & Encounter ‘Reality Tour’ – Israel and Palestine, November 2006” and you would like to read more from the transcripts of one of the speakers presented there, or you would like to see more detailed contact information and links, please scroll down this posting until you find what you are looking for. I have purposefully not included photos as this post is meant for detailed reference purposes only.

Travel & Encounter “Reality Tour” - Israel and Palestine, November 2006

I would like to thank the New Jersey Presbyterian Churches Delegation¹ and the Middle East Fellowship² for so warmly welcoming me into the heart of their group to experience a number of days with them on their Travel and Encounter³ tour. The purpose of their trip was to understand more deeply the issues inherent in the Israel-Palestine conflict and to reflect on how they might bring greater awareness of the situation back to the public in the United States. Their questions in discussions with the peace activists we met greatly facilitated the transcripts that are posted here. Further, I am delighted to include some of their comments on their motivations for coming to Israel/Palestine and their perceptions mid-way through their tour. The participants of this delegation have given me hope in the existence of an enlightened and critically aware American public.

Footnotes

¹New Jersey Presbyterian Churches Delegation blog http://iptripreflection.blogspot.com/

² The Middle East Fellowship www.middleeastfellowship.org

³Travel & Encounter http://travel.holylandtrust.org/index.php?q=pse

Interview with Laura Hibeiro & Mira Dabit, Right to Education Campaign, Birzeit University, Palestine

Right to Education Campaign - Statement of Aims

“The systematic obstruction of Palestinian education in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the illegal Israeli occupation not only violates the human rights of individuals, it is an attack on the development of Palestinian society as a whole. Frequent closures of cities, hundreds of military roadblocks and the construction of the illegal Wall prevent thousands of students and teachers from reaching their schools and universities. Students are regularly subjected to intimidation, assault and arbitrary arrest by Israeli soldiers. Universities and schools have been closed down, raided and attacked by military order. The right to education is a fundamental human right and basic to human freedom. If peace is sought, then freedom, justice, education and development are necessary. It is the responsibility of governments, organizations and ordinary people to defend the universal right to education and to demand its realization.”¹

Excerpts of the interview with Laura Hibeiro & Mira Dabit:

“The Right to Education Campaign brought under one umbrella the issues of academic freedom, freedom of access to education and human rights abuses like the imprisonment of students.”

“You see at the moment everyone feels kind of stuck and lost in terms of a political future, which is why education, seen as a key to future generations, is becoming a very important issue for everybody - for the international community, for local Palestinians and also for Israelis.”

“The Palestinians as a people have been changed into an idea. We have been changed from being normal human beings into an idea. People no longer think of Palestinians as persons with thoughts, hopes and dreams. It’s very difficult for us as Palestinians to read or hear about ourselves in the news because the image that is portrayed is not something we can relate to anymore. Our whole identity has been changed from a human being into this idea – it’s either of us being a - I don’t want to use the word - “terrorist” or being a victim or being a martyr. But in the end what do we all share in this world? The fact that we are human beings and we all have a mind to think.”

“Palestinians identifying collectively along religious lines is something relatively new. People never used to ask each other what religion they are. Perhaps this is linked to the past failures of politicians and some disillusionment in political ideology, leaving people with their personal identities to hold on to and unite around.”

“With regards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, I would like to see young Jews all over the world learn more about the conflict – there are always 2 sides to a story, even 3 sides. I would say to them, “Take a look at what’s going on. You have the right to make your own decisions. Understand what’s going on. It’s the most important thing. After that if you want to become an activist that’s your choice, if you don’t want to become an activist that’s fine also.” What is important is to become knowledgeable. The more knowledgeable you are, the more empowered you are, the more able you are to make changes within your own circle, your own society. I would advise everyone my age to pick up a book and read about something new in matters of religion, conflict, literature.”

Interview with Daoud Nassar, Tent of Nations, Bethlehem, Palestine

Daoud Nassar is the owner of 100 acres of land nine kilometers southwest of Bethlehem. This land has been in the Nassar family since 1916 - family members used to the live in caves there - and it has been cultivated for olives, grapes and wheat. Nevertheless, in 1991 the Israeli military declared the land to be Israeli state property. The Nassar family was able to challenge Israel in the courts as fortunately they were in possession of all the original land ownership papers dating back to the Ottoman period. In 2001, although the legal case remained unresolved, the local council of Israeli settlements decided to build a road on the eastern side of the Nassar land. Then in 2002 the same council took the decision to build another road on the Nassar property, this time along the western side. It took all the efforts of the Nassars in the Israeli courts to stop both road projects; however the land ownership case is still being contested in the high court, where it has been repeatedly postponed.

 

Excerpts of the interview with Daoud Nassar:

“The olive trees are very important to us because they can live for many years, even generations. Their roots go deep into the earth. The olive tree is connected to our struggle for peace, justice and freedom because we, in the same way as the olive tree, have our roots here. So the Palestinians have a deep connection both to the land and to the olive trees.”

“Palestinians are living under Occupation and the Israelis are trying to confiscate as much land as possible through settlements, by-pass roads and in recent years the building of the Wall. The Wall is literally cutting the Palestinians from their fields. Many Palestinians can no longer go to pick the olives at harvest time because they cannot get freely to their fields. The Israelis make access for the olive farmers as difficult as possible by putting up road blocks etc., hoping Palestinians will become discouraged and abandon the land.”

“The big problem is that there are mostly Israeli products on the Palestinian market. I can say that this is also the fault of the Palestinians themselves. Of course the roadblocks are playing a role, but on the other hand the Palestinians don’t have a strong sense of, “Why not buy Palestinian products”. A friend of mine was visiting us from Italy. When he was in Ramallah he wanted to buy some olive oil. As you know we produce olive oil in this country, but he couldn’t find any olive oil from Palestine in the shops. Well, he found olive oil from Greece, from Spain but no Palestinian oil. Just imagine – we are selling imported products yet our own products have no market. [...] In my opinion in order to break this circle - to encourage farmers and to help them to stay on their land – we need to ensure that they have a guaranteed outlet for their harvest. This means organizing ourselves in such a way that we can say to the farmers, “OK, how many olives do you have? How much oil do you have? We will buy it from you, no problem. Just keep going, keep planting trees and don’t worry about the market. We will take care of the market for your products.” In many countries there is something like a farmers’ market. Why can’t we develop such a thing here?”

“The idea with the Tent of Nations is to offer this land with its very simple infrastructure as a place for encounters and meetings. We want people to come together here to build bridges. That’s the motto of the project: ‘Tent of Nations – People Building Bridges.’ We don’t want people to build walls. We want to bring people together on a simple plot of land in nature and to give them the opportunity to express their frustration in a constructive way.”

Interview with Ibrahim Issa, Director, Hope Flowers School, Al-Khader, Palestine

The Hope Flowers School is a unique institution where students receive a human-rights based education alongside the formal national curriculum. The school is located in Al-Khader, a village on the outskirts of Bethlehem. It was founded in 1984 by Hussein Issa, a Palestinian man whose family was forced to flee their home in 1948 following the violence that marked the inauguration of the State of Israel. Since 2001, the school has been run by his son Ibrahim, who continues to ensure that the 250+ pupils at the school receive peace education alongside the mandatory school curriculum. The school is open to pupils aged 4-13.

Excerpts of the interview with Ibrahim Issa:

“Regarding peace, democracy, nonviolence, leadership, empowerment, these are all elements in peace education. Two years ago we began to ask ourselves, ‘What is the common theme of all these topics?’ and ‘What’s the purpose of education in general?’ We decided that the purpose of education is the wellbeing of the human being and to contribute to human development. We also decided that the common ground for these subjects of peace education is human rights.”

“We define here that every act of violence is the result of an unhealed wound. In order to prevent a future escalation of violence, to restore peace and calmness within the human being and also to prepare the ground for a future reconciliation, we need here to heal the traumas.”

“At Hope Flowers we focus on the Palestinian-Israeli aspect because fear and stigmatising starts when people don’t meet, don’t interact with each other. This is why we always defend our model because you can’t create peace while you are isolated, while one is here and the other is there. […]… from the very first day that the school was established here we started to create contacts and to build partnerships with Israeli schools, organisations and individuals, who believe in peace and coexistence. We had an Israeli volunteers programme before the Intifada. We have also open days here in the Hope Flowers School for Israelis, who want to come and listen and see what we are doing. In 1999, before the Intifada, we had 700 Israelis visit the school – just to hear what we are doing here.”

“You know students are very much affected by the opinions of their teachers. If teachers say, ‘All Palestinians are bad’ then students will grow up with that idea, but if the teacher chooses tolerance and respect for all humans, saying that even if we have differences we can resolve our differences in a peaceful way, then that is a very positive model for the students.”

“We teach that all humans have the right to live irrespective of their religion, colour or nationality and that we can share this land together, coexisting here together, able to see each other as human beings. It is very important that our students and the Israeli students also see this very general common ground - that we are all humans and that we all have the right to live. This is the way we get beyond history and religion.”

Interview with Nuha Khoury, Dean, Dar al-Kalima College, Bethlehem

The Dar al-Kalima College is a Christian college in Bethlehem offering 2-year degree courses in arts, multimedia, communications and tourism related studies. Its mission statement reads: “Through establishing an institution for higher learning the Dar al-Kalima College is committed to building a culture of democracy, critical thinking and free expression, thus contributing to the strengthening of the civil society in Palestine.”

Excerpts of the interview with Dr. Nuha Khoury:

“Palestinians have something to share with the rest of the world. They have a certain view on life. They have arts and crafts that can be communicated to the outside world. They have a story to tell which needs to be told through their own eyes. I think it is important that we remain in contact with the outside world even if we are surrounded by a Wall. We should not take the Wall as a given. We must show that we are a people who are part of the human civilization and that we have something to offer the rest of humanity.”

“…resistance is not only about carrying a gun and fighting. We believe that staying on the land is an act of resistance; trying to create jobs and a future for people so that they don’t leave this country is an act of resistance. “

“Given that women are the “forgotten majority” in a patriarchal society, what we do is we give them preferential treatment. We believe that women have a right to participate and a very important role to play…”

“Civil society needs to promote independent thought – to have the courage to hold opinions that might not be pleasing to others, but that could move “the street” [the people]. If we don’t have that, if institutions of civil society are not addressing issues that are important for the everyday life of people – through democracy, the right to speak and dialogue - then we have not done our job correctly.”

Interview with Noah Salameh, Director, Center for Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation, Bethlehem

The Center for Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation (CCRR) is a Palestinian non-governmental organisation working for the transformation of conflict within Palestinian society based on the values of peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, respect and hope. CCRR offers most of its Conflict Resolution workshops through a network of freelance trainers. CCRR cooperates with a number of other Palestinian organizations nationally and on the international level it is a working member of both the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) and Pax Christi International.

Excerpts from interview with Noah Salameh

“With regard to peace, people might say they are working for peace, but what do they understand by the term “peace”. Here at CCRR, when we talk about peace, we are talking about a value. It is not a political agreement between two governments. Peace is a value that is found inside a person. Unless you have inner peace you can never treat other people in a peaceful way. As a value, peace refers to respect for human rights and believing that all people are equal.”

“I would like European countries to do justice to themselves by respecting the values they so strongly promote like human rights, democracy and equality – values which are being denied to the Palestinians under Israeli Occupation.”

“Nonviolence is a way of life, a way of thinking, a way of behaviour. It is not dependent on the prevailing situation between Israelis and Palestinians. If I believe in the values of peace, I have to act in accordance with that at all times irrespective of the actions and attitudes of the other parties.”

“In our experience to date we have brought more than 100 [Palestinian and Israeli] media people from both sides together in workshops to discuss the role of the media in conflict and the impact of conflict on the media; basically how media and conflict influence one another. We look at how the media representative deals with conflict inside himself or herself. We look at the relationship between the media person’s values, behaviour, professionalism, objectivity and neutrality in times of conflict: how these things influence a media person’s work, how they influence his/her choice of news items to report on, how they influence the image of the other side that the media person portrays.”