Understanding the suffering of the “other side” may just give peace a chance.
Robi Damelin / Photo: Speaking of Faith
This past weekend, BNT’s Best of the Week roundup included a link to Deepak Chopra’s article Seven Spiritual Practices for Peace.
The piece begins with the following idea:
The approach of personal transformation is the idea of the future for ending war…If enough people in the world transformed themselves into peacemakers, war could end.
So I was inspired when I came across an article about an unlikely pair trying to wage piece in the Middle East: a former Palestinian fighter, and a Jewish mother whose son fought in the Israeli army.
Personal transformation occurred for both of these individuals due to something that will touch each of us at some point in our lives: death.
Robi Damelin, the Israeli mother, lost her son to a Palestinian sniper seven years ago; Ali Abu Awwad’s brother Youssef was killed by an Israeli soldier two years before that.
They met five years ago through Parents Circle, an organization that brings together the families of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost close relatives in the conflict.
Awwad says of his relationship to Robi:
If someone had said to me when I was 15 that I would have someone like Robi as a friend, in my wildest dream I would not have imagined it. But when I met her she began to tell me about her relationship to her sons and how the killing of David affected her relationship with her other son. I felt this very deeply because my mother didn’t pay much attention to me after the death of my brother, because she was closer to him than me. We made a connection.
They stress that their relationship is not one of no disagreements, but one of understanding. After all, reconciliation is rooted in understanding the suffering of the person on the other side.
Ali Abu Awwad / Photo: Encounter Point
And they are taking this message to as many parts of the world that they can: speaking together at mosques, synagogues, parliaments and public meetings throughout the Middle East, and most recently at an Amnesty International event in Britain.
To me, this story signifies that we are all allowed to maintain our own beliefs, ideals, and points-of-view when working toward peace.
Conflict occurs when any beliefs are taken too far, or when they’re pushed on another who doesn’t agree.
When we travel, we often come up against points-of-view that are completely different than our own. But I believe that most travelers see these different approaches as the diversity that makes our world beautiful, and can make each of us a better person in some way (even if we completely disagree with the belief).
And maybe those disagreements simply give us a chance to practice waging peace within ourselves.
To learn more: check out Encounter Point, a doc featuring the story of Ali and Robi.
What do you think about peace through personal transformation? Share your thoughts below.
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3 Comments... join the discussion!
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Thanks, Hal.
I wanted to post a comment that I received on FB for the sake of showing a different reaction to the article:
“The truth behind the violence is a little different. Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel and teaches their children the joys of martyrdom. This is much deeper than “why can’t we all hug and get along”. Hamas does not desire peace, only the destruction of Israel at all cost. There is no equivalency.
Popular children’s show in Gaza:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fb7_1231153405
Another TV show:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=312_1231071363
Children’s play in Palestine.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=245_1231192390“
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PEACE thru personal transformation is the only way…for we cannot change anyone except our own selves, we must love and LIVE PEACE!!
It really does not matter how others react…or act in this world…the only truth lies within each and everyone of us. If we desire PEACE we should feel and send a greater LOVE to those that desire the opposite… for we are truly our ” brothers keeper”. When the world understands that we are ”ALL ONE” and this may be hard for many to swallow..but the reality we live in…we are all somehow responsible for….if we acknowledged our part ( By our own negative thoughts…by accepting concepts of untruth such as sickness, holding on to old grievances, selfishness, hatred, bad luck, poor countries,war, and every malady known to man, all ego based) for these things are not our ”NATURAL STATE”.
We are SPIRITUAL/DIVINE BEINGS …much greater than we can comprehend… living a human experience, WHERE OUR THOUGHTS BECOME MANIFESTED AND ARE ”THINGS” AND BECOME CONDITIONS… and yes it sounds out of a fairy tale the words I shall speak…..But imagen all the people living in this new though of : LOVE TRULY CAN HEAL THIS PLANET….BEGINNING WITH OURSELVES FIRST…HAVING A FORGIVING HEART…..THEN EXTENDING LOVE TO ALL OF THEM THAT CAUSED HURT!
WOULD IT NOT BE A WONDERFUL WORLD……I BELIEVE IN PEACE…AND BELIEVE THAT PEACE STARTS WITH ME…AND YOU.
A THOUGHT PROVOKING THOUGHT TO US ALL…..WHAT IF WE WERE TO REALLY GIVE PEACE A CHANCE BY BEGINNING WITH OURSELVES, AND IMAGINED A DIFFERENT WAY OF APPROACH?
WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOOSE…OR IN OTHER WORDS…..HOW MUCH MORE IS THERE TO GAIN?
THE ANSWER LIES WITHIN EVERY HUMAN HEART BEATING THIS VERY MOMENT…..
I MYSELF, LIFT MY WHITE FLAG TO THE WORLD AND SURRENDER MY HEART FILLED WITH LOVE TO YOU ALL MY SPIRITUAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND SEND YOU MY BLESSING OF PEACE…MAY YOU ALL BE BLESSED WITH AN OPEN CONSCIOUSNESS WHERE PEACE AND LOVE ABIDE AND MAY WE ALL LIVE THIS PEACE STARTING TODAY….THIS VERY MOMENT!
WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD…..WHO EVER WE DEEM HIM TO BE…SOME CALL HIM ALLAH, OTHERS ABBA, GOD, YAWEH….AND COUNTLESS OF OTHER NAMES. WE HAVE DIFFERENT COLORS, WE SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES….BUT I KNOW WE ALL SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE…FOR WE ALL EXPERIENCE LOVE IN OUR LIVES, THEREFORE MAKING US ”ONE” IN THIS UNIVERSE, FOR THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART IS LOVE ..AND IS THE ONLY TRUTH…FOR TRUTH IS THE HEARTS SOURCE!!
WE ARE POWERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, WISE, INTELLIGENT BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION…..FREE THE TRUE SELF THAT LIES WITHIN!!
AND LET US GIVE OUR WORLD A NEW CHANCE…..LET US WORK TOGETHER AND NURTURE PEACE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS…..ALL WE NEED HERE IS TRULY MORE LOVE……THAT IS ALL WE REALLY NEED…
PEACE IS NOT OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES…ALL WE NEED IS WITHIN US…HERE WE WILL FIND THE TREASURE……..
LOVE & LIGHT
VIVI↵
