RING OF POWER, 02nd of August 2014, To all peaceworkers, A very intense time is behind us: The Vision Camp in the West Bank. Surrounded by violence, mistrust, fear, and hate; fifty peaceworkers from Palestine, Israel, and other countries, met under very simple living conditions – under the open sky and directly on Mother Earth, so to speak – to create the conditions for a lasting peace. A Palestinian man was shot within sight of the camp, and nearly every night shots were heard; thus the camp became a place of deep listening. World views collided; there were feelings of having been wronged, deeply engrained fears and reproaches, restlessness in the face of the horrors of Gaza, and the despair and exhaustion of peaceworkers whose years of work suddenly seemed to have been in vain. As initiator and visionary, Sabine Lichtenfels gave her full strength and knowledge, so that all of these processes could be held and run their course. Little by little, trust and mutual respect arose. A few voices from participants: ( For safety reasons, we wont use the names of the Palestinians.) A Palestinian: “Today, ten children at a playground were killed with bombs. This is a crime, and we all carry part of the guilt, not only one side. The greatest enemy of the Palestinians, is the fear felt by Israelis. The greatest enemy of the Israelis, is the suffering of the Palestinians under the occupation.” Gabriel Meyer, Israeli: “We Israelis have a long history of suffering behind us; for many thousands of years we have been looking for a place for ourselves. Now we have one, and now its only about survival. In the process we have forgotten our own message: peace and justice. There can be no love and no peace, without justice and truth. What took place in this camp, thanks to Sabine, was a miracle: Meeting with the Palestinians here has given me strength again to carry on.” Sabine Lichtenfels: “It is essential that we listen, without giving an answer too quickly. Even when its difficult, we have to really listen and come to the point of not knowing – only then are we open for real answers and solutions.” A Palestinian: “We need international publicity that doesnt take one side... that doesnt have more sympathy and understanding for one side than it has for the other. We need partners in the world that can contain the whole – who are for Israel and for Palestine, and above all for peace and justice.” The camp gave all the participants renewed courage and strength to continue with their work; it was the beginning of a new level of cooperation. The participants made a commitment to meet regularly and to work together on concrete models for reconciliation and peace, for a life together without hate. We call this model the Peace Research Village (PRV), and it is clear how important such a place is, for sustainable peace in the region. Please read more here: https://facebook/aVisionCampinIsraelPalestine?fref=ts Sabine Lichtenfels blog: sabine-lichtenfels.tumblr Sabine Lichtenfels facebook page: https://facebook/pages/Sabine-Lichtenfels/58227096440?fref=ts You can also follow Sabine Lichtenfels on Twitter: @SabineLichtenfe As a Power Text, we have again chosen an excerpt from the collective statement of the participants. POWER TEXT: We refuse to be enimies. Statement of the 50 participants of the Vision Camp for Israel-Palestine We have decided not to stay silent! We have decided to step out of powerlessness. We have decided to step out of the hypnosis of fear and raise our voices. We have decided to step out of our personal identification and look beyond all the different worldviews towards the fundamental healing of trauma. Compassion is not a question of worldview! Compassion is the emergency call of planet earth and the heart of humanity. (…) Thousands of people are already taking to the streets and demonstrating that they, “refuse to be enemies.” May we grow in numbers and presence! The global system of domination thrives through our powerlessness. We can change this feeling of desperation and powerlessness into readiness for transformation. A true nonviolent revolution starts within ourselves. We envision breaking the cycle of victimisation, occupation, hatred and revenge. We envision the awakening of the humane heart. We envision millions of people, all over the world, who no longer allow the economically motivated globalisation of war to be carried out on the backs of uncounted innocent women, men and children. Now, it is our task to demonstrate credible alternatives: stepping out of the system of complicity and stepping into a network of solidarity and compassion. For years now, many of us have been working on new models for living. We are aware that those who are against war need a vision for peace. This peace vigil is only the beginning. We are committing ourselves. We will dedicate our lives to finding solutions wherever we are. We love our countries, our homes, and this earth. We declare ourselves to be global citizens for peace! Let us raise our voices: Another life is possible. SENTENCE OF EMPOWERMENT: Compassion is the emergency call of planet earth and the heart of humanity. We send warm greetings to you all. On behalf of the Ring of Power team, Leila Dregger and Sabine Lichtenfels
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 14:36:10 +0000
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