People have asked, “Where is the Palestinian Gandhi?” One response has been Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who created the documentary Five Broken Cameras. Another good example is the young woman in our opening video who stood up to Israeli troops who were destroying Palestinian homes. This video should become an icon for nonviolence like the Tank Man in Tiananmen Square, or like Rachel Corrie, the young American woman who was killed by Israeli tank drivers for engaging in nonviolent resistance to the destruction of Palestinian homes.
A well-kept secret–perhaps because it is not as “newsworthy” as violence–is the substantial efforts of many Palestinians and Israelis to engage in nonviolence to resolve their rival claims to lands that the United Nations assigned to Palestine.
If you click on this link, you will see a long list of organizations that are working for nonviolence on the part of Israelis, Palestinians, or both.
A helpful article in The Economist about Palestinian efforts at nonviolence challenges Americans to support them in their quest.
Also inspiring is a brief documentary regarding Just Vision, a group founded by an American Jewish woman, Ronit Avi, working to promote nonviolence between Israelis and Palestinians through films such as Budrus.
To learn more about the many different examples of nonviolent resistance that Palestinians have adopted in response to Israeli occupation and what former President Jimmy Carter called the Israeli policy of apartheid, watch this video.
Many Israelis and Jews elsewhere in the world have supported the Palestinian cause. I believe that together these two waves of nonviolent protest against illegal occupation of Palestinian lands can bring about peace. You can join them.
March 16 was the tenthanniversary of the killing of Rachel Corrie in Gaza. Read her story on Engaging Peace and consider how you can join the worldwide observances to honor her nonviolent efforts at promoting peace.
Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology
I watched Just Vision, was moved by the young boy’s message of non-violent protest against injustice, gave the video a thumbs-up. I only regret that my gesture of support is a tiny ripple in a sea of iniquities. I try to imagine how I would feel if someone came to my door, claiming ownership of the home I have occupied for decades. The scene is unimaginable.
I would be distraught as well. I probably would put up a fight with them. humbleness and peace would have left my vocabulary at that very moment. I say that but I am thankful for positive influences like the boy. No matter the circumstance we don’t have to result to violence and anger.
I watched the videos on that “Pursuing nonviolent protest in Palestine.” It was heart breaking at some points when they were shooting people over land. I am still wondering if this will ever be fixed with how people are with others in different countries. It seems to me that people are just doing it because they are standing up for what is right. But, what is right? What right in our eyes may not be right in someone else’s. How do we ever come together as one to fix those problems?
I am glad that you watched the video, Caitlin. It certainly provides food for thought. Following the carnage of World War II, most of the nations of the world did come together and work to establish a set of principles that would prevent future wars and allow people to work together collaboratively. They created the United Nations, which is not a perfect organization, but has worked hard to deal with issues of armed conflict, injustice, etc. It is probably our best hope at this time for creating pathways to peace and cooperation.
This explains the text on social perception. We as human beings need to become better at thinking and conflict resolution in every area of our lives. I say that because it can bring about a change in ourselves and others around us. What you think?
I am definitely in favor of people learning the truth about various conflicts around the world, and learning to ask “Who benefits” by convincing others to fear, hate, and undertake or support aggression. I also believe that people are capable of learning to understand the ways in which their thoughts and feelings may be manipulated by people in power or seeking power. Finally, I also believe that people can come to see the advantages of non-violent approaches to conflict.
This article is an important one in addressing the social perceptions and cognition that many may not be aware of. There are so many resources and people fighting for peace, including people of the cultures involved in the conflict. How can American people help resolve this?
Thanks for your comment, Angie. In my view, every individual can make contributions to a future characterized by more peace and social justice. There are two main things that everyone who would like to see such a future can do: 1) pledge themselves to peace activism, which means both learning as much as they can about violence and nonviolence; and 2) working together with other like-minded people to promote nonviolence. This is a good season and a good time in your own life to get started on this pathway if you have not already done so.
Thank you so much!
I would give any thing to have enough of myself to put my life on the line for my people. I was so happy by the person on the video they must care a lot about their people. I wished we were like this in America but most of us are selfish and only think of ourselves it is so sad.
Thank you for your comment, Wendy. In my involvement with peace groups, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, and work on this blog, I have met many many Americans who have made great sacrifices to promote peace and social justice in this world. We have featured many of their stories on this blog. Right now many of those groups are working together to promote a Season for Nonviolence. We wrote about that undertaking in a recent post: http://engagingpeace.com/?p=5945
I hope you will skim through other posts and read the words of some of these activists.
You can probably find a lot of those studies if you google
engagingpeace.com moral engagement .
In my eyes, this is what other countries go through in order to stand up for what is right to them. Being able to show what you truely believe in and how much it means to you takes a great deal of pride and morale. Watching this video makes one wonder what is the social perceptions that will need to be addressed in order to resolve the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis? Is it making others aware of the issue, or is it for individuals to continue to put their lives on the line to address it?
Thanks for your comment and questions, Alverna. I think a couple of things need to happen. I think the Israeli government, like the American government, has to recognize that the majorities in their country do not favor war. I think the two young Israeli soldiers in the video were discomfitted by the girl’s nonviolent resistance to their violence, and they looked as if they did not want to persist in ending her resistance violently. I do think education is very important; please read the post and watch the video at: http://engagingpeace.com/?p=6000 for a good example of an effective educational effort.
Thank. You so much for the information. I do not think we as American people think we can do much but if we would just do our part to help promote peace. It is time for us to try our best to help. I always heard it takes one person to make a difference.
Thank you for your reply, Wendy. I think Step 1 is for each individual to make a committment to work for peace in whatever way makes most sense to him or her time and talents, and Step 2 is to join with other like-minded individuals to work together for peace. There is strength in individuals and power in groups.
I saw this video and I have to say that it was so very moving. The way that she took a stand in a non-violent way is powerful! The first line that appears at the beginning of the video “courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears” is very poignant because we are all human, and fear is a very human feeling. Most of us who feel fear usually run the other way…but the fact that there are guns, and yelling, AND she appears to be by herself…yet she does not run, is simply amazing.
GREAT video.
What a great comment, Monique. It is pretty poignant in its own right. The image in that video is indeed very moving, and hard to forget.
This is a prime example of how many people must be feeling in this region of the world. This woman shows a lot of heart doing what she did. The soldiers could have shot her but it is evident that they thought twice about it.
thanks for your comment, Natalia. Thinking twice about opportunities to shoot someone sounds like a very good policy to me, especially when restraint is shown.
It is amazing how this woman showed no fear in the face of two gunmen at point blank range. This video shows just how important people’s values really are to them. One side uses force and violence to take back what they believe is rightfully theirs. The other people use nonviolent ways to protect what they believe is theirs. The conflict arises because what is viewed or perceived as significant to one side is not perceived as significant to the other group of people. Whether violence or nonviolence is used to resolve conflict one thing is clear, self-perceptions, person perceptions and group perceptions of the Israeli and Palestinian people must be addressed in order to resolve this conflict. There must be equality among these two groups of people and they must find a way to respect each other’s views and perceptions.
Thank you for your comment< Leslie. I agree that self perceptions and other perceptions are very important, but also important, as you imply, is respect for human rights. If the human rights of the Palestinians were respected, and the voices of people on both sides who want peace were attended to, self and other perceptions might evolve in ways that allowed everyone to benefit.
This is a great video. The woman is so courageous standing up for her rights and others who do not have the strength to stand in the face of gunman. This type of fighting over land should not be happening in this sort of way. The use of violence to get what he or she wants is unnecessary. The Israelis where push from their home land only to push the Palestinians from their home land. Obviously, this is not a fair trade and the challenge now is to find a way to come to a fair agreement. Ideally, the Israelis and Palestinians need to have equal rights in all areas to begin with providing a basic foundation. Land and all other rights should be divided equally among both groups. Why can they not see the damage this violence leads to from past experience.