Archive for April, 2011

On Healing the World

by Amber Dahlin

As the sun began to set today, the wind whistled through the greening trees, the birds sang their songs of spring, and twenty or more students gathered to pray and to heal. I arrived at this impromptu outdoor church service just as the prepared readings were ending. The topic was healing, and what followed were the voices of almost everyone there, sharing gratitude, inspiration, and accounts of healing. Most people who shared expressed their gratitude for this meeting and the irrepressible sense of love and healing power in the air. I felt it too, this overwhelming sense of infinite goodness. And I know that it reaches beyond that one beautiful spot where we were sitting.

It is that same spirit of infinite possibility that is present for all the universe, and I know it’s what can heal the world. It is the wealth of ideas that anyone, anywhere, can access at anytime. Rinad Ayed from the West Bank is a part of this when she says, “This freedom will be for everybody…” Naseem Tarawnah from Jordan is part of it when he talks about “That word—‘hope’” (see “A New Arab Generation Finds its Voice” on nytimes.com). Egyptians were a part of it when they stood up for their rights in February. People across the Middle East are a part of it in their search for the right answer, the just government, lasting peace.

It’s so easy to feel the weight of conflict, and on one hand, that’s entirely necessary, but sorrow and anger and pain are not what are going to solve these issues and relieve the conflict. I truly believe that healing prayer is making a difference.

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What is taking Libya so long?

by Eric Pagett

In January, Tunisian dictator Zine El Abedine Ben Ali fled his post and his country after 23 years of reign after just 28 days of non-violent protesting.  In February, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak surrendered to the pressures of 18 days of protesting and resigned after 30 years of power.  March held promises for the ousting of Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi. However, 65 days after the uprising of civilians in search of democracy swept into Libya, Qaddafi, who took control in the 1969 coupe, is still in power.  So what happened?  Why is it taking so long?  More importantly, will it ever happen?  In order to understand what is going to happen next, lets take a look back at the last 65 days.

The uprising of protests and the rebel forces started on February 15^th, just four days after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ousted.  Col. Qaddafi’s response has been violent and ruthless.  He has bombed and killed many of his own civilians, and has bombed oil fields as a message to the West to stay out of the conflict, as the oil fields hold the gas prices of the West in the balance.  Producing 1.8 million barrels of crude oil per day, the oil fields are quite lucrative for controlling Qaddafi.  Since the stir of discord began, oil prices in North America have risen 6.4%.  Immediately following the start of the uprisings, international countries started to get involved.  The dire picture of a humanitarian crisis with thousands of civilians attempting to flee, even into recently collapsed Egypt and Tunisia, prompted the international community to take action.  Just fifteen days after the revolt began, 110,000 refugees were reported fleeing Libya, almost half fled to the eastern border of Egypt.  It was reported that thousands were crossing the border into Tunisia every hour.  The safety of migrants became a quick concern.  1.5 million Egyptians worked in Libya prior to Feb 15^th, and South Koreans constituted a large enough percent of the population that the South Korean government rescued thousands of their own citizens that had been working in Libya.  Just after the new month of March arrived, financial sanctions were placed on Libya as the option of a no-fly zone was introduced.  At this point Qaddafi, who has always invited civil war, had killed more of his own civilians then the death tolls in Egypt and Tunisia combined.  By this time the Arab League vocally supported the intervention of the UN Security Counsel.  The unfortunate brilliance of Qaddafi’s rule is that no one in his cabinet or military had the power or leverage to influence Qaddafi.  This resulted in many of his cabinet members leaving, as well as some of his closest confidants seeking asylum elsewhere as they left the stubborn leader.  The no-fly zone option then took center stage among the international community.  With France and Britain pushing for it, the Chinese and Russian opposed it while Obama remained reluctant.  However, within a week the situation worsened and Qaddafi’s relentless killing of his own civilians forced the hand of the West to intervene.  A no-fly zone was enforced on March 17^th, and the UN forcibly damaged Qaddafi’s air force, airports, and his ability to cause mass harm to civilians.  Operation Odyssey Dawn did not reflect the desired results, as the rebel forces were unable to capitalize on the crippled Qaddafi forces.  Progress in Libya has since hit a plateau and the next move is yet to be determined.

Libya is an Arab country located on the Northern strip of Africa, surrounded by the Tunisia and Algeria to the West and Egypt to the East.  Mostly desert land, Libya has a population of only 6.4 million people.  Qaddafi’s government has a stronghold on the welfare of the country due to the large petroleum reserves and a low population.  Rebel forces have established their own makeshift government in Benghazi named the Transitional Nation Council, led by Mustafa Abdul Jalil.  Rebel forces have control of most of the eastern half of the country, while Qaddafi is holding strong to his assets in the western half.  Qaddafi, from Sirte, has held a promise of victory for his forces from the beginning.  Qaddafi, seemingly short of rational thinking, is giving the impression that he is ready to fight this one till the end, in which/even if? he will not be leaving on his own two feet.

Is Libya showing the world that the international community is not quite off the hook for creating change in the Middle East?  The events in Tunisia and Egypt gave the world hope for the grassroots efforts of the Middle East creating change.  Libya has been a different story.  Now that international support justified by the desire to protect the rights of civilians (a clause of the 2005 Genocide Act, when the UN General Assembly endorsed the idea of an international “responsibility to protect”) has failed to give the rebel forces enough leverage to make a dramatic impact on their objective, it may take the commitment of international support to go directly at Qaddafi.  What does that mean?  Well, especially for the United States, it means committing troops to a conflict that may not have a quick exit strategy, when our nation’s debt is already piled to the ceiling and our standing military is spread thin around the world.  The preexisting support from international countries (the US, Britain, and France in particular) shows a level of a global conscience.  How far will the governing bodies of those countries let the situation in Libya go before they decide it is a moral imperative to intervene?  The current Obama doctrine does not support increased US involvement.  The US, with an already crippling deficit and a widespread standing military across the globe, cannot afford to commit itself to a conflict with unforeseen conclusion measures.

What is next?  Is the uncertainty of what would happen next for Libya cause for the lack of progress?  It is unclear what the next move for Libya will be once Qaddafi leaves, whether that is on his own two feet or not.  The general consensus is that military rule and religious counseled leadership would not be progressive for Libya.  A push for civilian-led democracy holds the most promise.  Although the official ousting of Qaddafi has not yet taken place, it is evident that it will happen eventually.  The terms under which it happens are debatable, however, the momentum that has been gained thus far means the situation simply cannot return to its original state.

—

Eric read articles about Libya in the Christian Science Monitor from February 15^th to April 21^st to gather background information for this article.

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Euphrates Becomes URI Cooperation Circle

A “growing global community dedicated to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, ending religiously motivated violence and creating cultures of peace” sounds like just the kind of initiative that our world needs today. It’s the first line of the United Religions Initiative (URI) Charter, a continually growing and expanding group around the globe. The Euphrates Institute recently qualified to join URI as a Cooperation Circle. Euphrates is thrilled to help promote the goals of URI, and especially to represent such an important segment of the Midwest population in this international community.

Read our first joint Press Release in support of Midwest Muslims during this wave of Islamophobia.

Euphrates’ mission to “improve relations between the Middle East and West by providing educational, cultural and interpersonal dialogue and programming which focuses on what unites us rather than divides us” along with the goal to “build a movement of North Americans who are better informed about the Middle East and the common ground that exists between the three Abrahamic monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” dovetail perfectly with the peacebuilding arm of URI.

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Syrian Protests Successful?

by Vincent Herr

After weeks of civil protests against the strict government of Syria, it looks like President Bashar al-Assad is ready to grant reforms to the people. After the protests already led to the resignation of parts of the existing government in the end of March, it now looks like President Bashar is going even further in answering claims of the protestors.

The protests in Syria, largely inspired by the uprisings in several Middle Eastern countries starting this January, reached an alarming level in March when thousands of people started to demonstrate for more rights and reforms. President al-Assad sent out security forces to repel the protest, leading to many dead and hundreds arrested, actions denoting an unlikeliness to cooperate with the protestors. These last weeks, however, have shown a shift in the way the government reacts to the claims of the protestors. The New York Times, on April 15th described al-Assad’s recent concessions, such as amnesty for some prisoners, (a major claim of the protestors), the withdrawal of the despised state security forces, with the replacement of regular army units, which are more respected by the people.  Most recently, the Syrian government has promised repeal of the emergency law, in place since 1963. [The Syrian government has indeed done so, after the posting of this article.]

While some protestors focus their anger at the strictly controlling government and a lack of personal freedom, minorities like the Kurds in Syria’s northern region raise awareness of their lack of even most fundamental rights. Many Kurds are classified as illegal immigrants, despite their work for the country and in the civil service. It appears that the protests were not in vain, as Al-Assad’s government granted citizenship to those Kurds without full legal status.

It is important to keep the complexity of the protests in mind. Fadi Salem, director of the Governance and Innovative Program at the Dubai School of Government, told the New York Times “I think it would be deadly wrong to simplify or romanticize this as the people against the authorities. It’s much more nuanced than that.” Al-Assad himself still holds respect and support from big portions of the Syrian population and appeals to be a firm and reform-friendly President in a collapsing system.

Even though the government has announced reforms and a better treatment of the protestors, concerned voices are still being raised. Human rights activists doubt that the reforms, if realized at all, will be able to meet the expectations. Many are also skeptical about the impact of the new members of government. Speaking of the new ministers, Radwan Ziadeh, a Syrian human rights advocate, told Times reporters: “None of them have a record of reform, of bringing reform to the table.”

As an observer from afar, it appears that this is a crucial time for al-Assad to realize the claims and desires of his people, and to not respond to their calls with violence.  He should see this is an opportune moment to establish his legacy, and enter the history books as a reforming President, and not as an authoritarian one!

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Swapping Shoes For Peace

by Sarah Oakes

As a child, I can remember sneaking into my mother’s closet, sliding my little feet into her large shoes, and clunking loudly around the room. For those few moments, I was a sophisticated grown woman as I marched around with my head held high swinging a pocketbook back and forth. But the heels were too difficult to walk in after a while, so I would stumble out of the shoes, grateful I could run around freely. As I grew older, it no longer mattered what walking in my mother’s shoes felt like; I had my own and I was comfortable with them.

From a young age, we have all been told to “walk in another’s shoes,”—to try and understand someone else’s perspective. Yet as we grow up, it is increasingly difficult to hear the other side since conflicts no longer revolve around who gets the favorite Barbie doll or matchbox car, but around issues such as limited resources, disputed land, and religious, cultural or ethnic differences. From bickering children to warring nations, humanity constantly confronts the issues of peace and conflict. As outside economic, religious, or societal pressures build, it becomes increasingly difficult to live the lessons of our childhood – to love, forgive, and build peace.

Today when we think of areas of conflict in the world, the Middle East pops up in thought. As a region with such rich history and strong cultural and religious divides, there is a great need for a future of peace and reconciliation. This winter, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan to study about the conflict and peace initiatives in this region of the world. As I have traveled and listened to peoples’ perspectives from different sides of the conflict, the idea of narratives continues to emerge. Each individual, each community, and each side has its own history, perspective, and emotions connected to the conflict.

While traveling in Jerusalem, I had the chance to meet an Israeli university student who had worked for Seeds of Peace. She had grown up in an Israeli settlement and had learned to distrust and dislike Palestinians from a young age. After traveling to the U.S. and attending the Seeds of Peace camp, her eyes were opened to the Palestinian perspective and another whole view of the conflict. She began understanding and empathizing with the other side, and left behind her old limited narrative.

Once people are willing to put aside their perspective, they are able to see the possibility of this third narrative. One of the most inspirational leaders I talked to during my time in the Middle East was Sami Awad, non-violence activist and founder of the organization Holy Land Trust working in the Palestinian Territories. During an interview, Mr. Awad discussed the importance of embracing “the other.” He discussed the need for individuals to look beyond their and others’ identities in order to create a unity of humanity—to become a new creation in Love. Love pervades all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and cultures; and by living with this sense of love, hopefully we can begin to embrace others and build bridges.

True and lasting peace is much more than the absence of conflict. It is an active way of life that requires moving outside of self to see and understand others. For humans to achieve lasting peace, people must be willing to live what they preach—to open their ears and honestly listen and try to understand how their actions influence others. Without empathy, understanding, and healing, there cannot be true peace. Possibilities for peace are all around us; we must open our eyes and start living the love that is inherent in each one of us.

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Inaugural Middle East Abroad Returns

Spending the past three months in the Middle East was life-transforming, to say the least. Undoubtedly, it was exciting to be in that particular region from January to March, while so much was happening around us in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria. And, we were grateful to be in Israel, Jordan and Palestine learning a great deal about peace and sustainability.

During our time abroad, we studied both the political and environmental climate through a series of readings, lectures, class discussions and guest speakers. We learned a great deal about the history and politics of the conflict, as well as various environmental practices being used by both Israelis and Palestinians; and it didn’t take long to discover how interconnected they really are! Additionally, we learned a lot about community, which started during our time in the U.S.

The first week of our abroad was spent in Boston at Overlook Farm (part of Heifer International) where we did a variety of team-building exercises ranging from Saltine-eating competitions to group walks. It was here that we were introduced to the idea that you can’t have peace without sustainability, nor sustainability without peace – a theme which carried throughout our abroad. From Boston, we flew to Tel Aviv, Israel and headed straight into the West Bank to Bethlehem – our home base for the first half of the abroad. We were blessed to stay all together in Beit Sahour (a suburb of Bethlehem) which quickly became our home. We enjoyed spending time with our hosts and were able to have many delicious Palestinian meals, as well as class sessions in the common room of our guesthouse.

While in Bethlehem, we visited the Church of the Nativity (where Jesus was born) and Shepherd’s Field (where the shepherds saw the star) and spent a great deal of time volunteering for two different organizations – Holy Land Trust and Palestine Wildlife Society. There, we did firsthand research about water issues for HLT and web design work for PWLS. We were also fortunate to hear from many inspiring speakers, such as Holy Land’s Founder Sami Awad who shared many ideas with us about forgiveness, reconciliation, conflict resolution and healing. Perhaps the most powerful idea he shared was that the Palestinians need to do for the Israelis what the international community has not, help to heal the trauma of the Holocaust. Hearing two very distinct narratives – one from the Israelis and one from the Palestinians – during our entire two and a half months in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, I was also really able to connect with another idea he shared about the importance of dropping both these narratives to move forward and create a “third narrative,” independent of the past. This concept of a “third narrative” was another theme we studied throughout the abroad.

From Bethlehem, we enjoyed many days trips to places like Ramallah, Nablus and Tulkarm where we got to hear from speakers like Palestinian businessmen, environmentalists and city officials. Occasionally we would have spontaneous activities such as a debke (Palestinian dance) session in the middle of a wedding hall, showing how each moment holds such promise of joy, even amidst regional tension.

We also were blessed to spend one week in Jerusalem, one week in Hebron and close to one week in Auja (near the Dead Sea). While in Jerusalem, we got to see almost all of the holy sites: the Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Pool of Bethesda, Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane. As a Religion major, seeing these sites has really made the Bible come alive and has also helped me better understand religious extremism. While in this Holy City, we also met with speakers such as Yehuda Shaul from Breaking the Silence (an organization working to expose the malice within the Israeli Defense Force (IDF)) and Rabbi David Louis who has been featured in the Christian Science Sentinel. Additionally, we spent time at the Holocaust Museum and had opportunities to explore the Old City on our own, as well.

While in Hebron, we visited the Tomb of the Patriarchs (where Abraham, Sarah, Rachel, Leah, Isaac and Jacob are buried) and experienced firsthand the great deal of tension caused by Palestinians and extremist settlers living side-by-side. In just one day, for example, we had a morning meeting with the Deputy Governor of Hebron (Palestinian) and then toured the Hebron Jewish Community in the afternoon, getting two opposing perspectives about the Israeli and Palestinian relationship, all in just a few hours. These visits, though, also afforded the opportunity to visit the Abraham Tree which is ~4,500 years old (the oldest tree in the world) and also a Hebron glass factory.

En route to Auja, we visited an environmentally-focused settlement, built on a very strong community. Here, we learned to make mud-bricks with Eilan – the happiest Israeli we met. The next couple days, we spent time at an ecovillage, learning about various environmental challenges in the region such as water issues and how they directly connect to the conflict. We also got to visit Jericho (the oldest city in the world) and got to float in the Dead Sea. Additionally, we learned all about how the Dead Sea area is affected by pollution, water diversion and sinkholes.

Though we were sad to leave the West Bank and all of our new Palestinian friends, we received a very warm welcome to the eco-friendly kibbutz where we stayed in Israel proper, near the border of Jordan. During our time there, we spent our first couple days in the desert and had the opportunity to learn more about mud-houses, organic gardening, Shabbat and an incredible environmental studies center (Arava Institute) which focuses on addressing environmental issues using solar panels, renewable resources, sustainable agriculture and wind technology. While near Kibbutz Lotan, we also had the chance to snorkel in the Red Sea.

Next, we traveled to Tel Aviv where we spent four days working on our research projects and meeting with environmentally-focused NGOs (non-governmental organizations). From there, we traveled to northern Israel and spent a week in the Sea of Galilee region where Jesus did much of his healing and teaching. We got to visit various fishing villages such as Capernaum and Tiberias and went to the Jordan River (where Jesus was baptized), Mount of Beatitudes (where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount), Arbel Pass (where Jesus crossed from Nazareth to Galilee) and the Church of Multiplication (where Jesus fed the 5,000). For me, it was a pretty cool experience reading the Sermon on the Mount on the Mount of Beatitudes! While in the Galilee-region, we also learned more about water issues and visited a nature reserve called Tel Dan with ancient biblical ruins. Additionally, we spent some time in the Golan Heights where we saw snow and spent our last couple days in Israel doing homestays in Nazareth and volunteering at an elementary school, which was an adventure.

Our final ten days were spent in Jordan, where we got to visit Petra – one of the Seven Wonders of the World –and hike through the desert in an area called Wadi Rum. This was definitely a highlight! Not only did we begin our adventure by being whisked away in 4×4 jeeps under the moonlight, we spent the next two days walking across the desert and climbing up rock formations. It was really refreshing to take a bit of time away from all our coursework and journey into the middle of nowhere, surrounded by miles and miles of sand and the occasional camel. It was also really fun to experience a Bedouin lifestyle. Once back in Amman (Jordan’s capital), we also got to meet with some U.S. officials and an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Jordan’s role as a peacekeeper in the region. We finished our abroad at an eco-park in the Jordan Valley where we spent a great deal of time completing our final assignments and learning about the water issues from Jordan’s perspective. And then, we flew home.

Needless to say, spending three months in the Middle East was a life-changing experience. It was wonderful to establish such a strong sense of community within our group, creating fantastic memories while building solid relationships, both with each other and those around us. Throughout much of the abroad, we were absolutely overwhelmed by the hospitality we received which made the region feel so much like home. For me, even though I so loved getting to see all the religious sites firsthand, the most meaningful experiences occurred in meeting such warm people everywhere we went, especially in the West Bank. It was priceless to have so many opportunities to sit down with both Israelis and Palestinians and hear their life stories. And, I was so grateful to be inspired over and over by the speakers who helped us further grasp the concepts of peace and sustainability, like Sami Awad. It was through the ideas that these individuals shared that I experienced several incredible healings which have brought about an expanded sense of home, as well as my very own “third narrative.”

By Heather Libbe, senior at Principia College and Warriors for Peace® Coordinator for Euphrates.

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Spring is here!

Spring is here at Euphrates Institute’s campus base! My name is Katie Hynd, and I am a sophomore at Principia College, majoring in English Literature. I’m excited to be a part of the Euphrates team as its first intern, and I’ll be working on a variety of projects this quarter, including designing the format of the upcoming Middle East Country Profiles–stay tuned for more information on that in the coming weeks!

I would also like to welcome back the CELL/Euphrates Middle East abroad students who spent three month in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan. These abroad students will share highlights about their incredible trip overseas in an upcoming blog post. It is so wonderful to have these students back in the US to share their stories and knowledge about the Middle East. They will also present their experience at several upcoming events, the first scheduled at Principia College on April 23rd at 5pm (during Parent’s Weekend).

This quarter the Euphrates team is a buzzing group of twelve. The gang includes an intern (that’s me!), a two-man design team, eight fellows, a Warriors for Peace coordinator, and two incredible staff members. This solid team will work together throughout the quarter to present several activities locally in the Midwest region as well as a continuous on-line presence, including an interfaith event, compilations of country profiles, (reviews of the history and current events of the countries of the Middle East), a presentation during the Whole World Festival on Principia campus, and two presentations in Detroit and Chicago. I am excited to attend as many events as possible, and I hope you will join me either in person and in checking the website for updates on country profiles. This is an exciting time to research the Middle East, and I look forward to learning and sharing with you information about this dynamic region.

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