Gaza – Engaging Peace

Holding Space for Hope

Posted on May 17, 2018 by kathiemm

By Rev Dr Doe West

I have come to deeply appreciate the concept of “holding space”. Two examples of what that means were expressed in articles I clipped–one by Lynn Hauka and one by Heather Plett .

Lynn offered that “When you hold space for someone, you bring your entire presence to them. You walk along with them without judgment, sharing their journey to an unknown destination. Yet you’re completely willing to end up wherever they need to go.”

Heather added that “It means that we are willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome. When we hold space for other people, we open our hearts, offer unconditional support, and let go of judgment and control.”

Love those definitions.

As I was having deep and painful – yes, even grieving – conversation with friends concerning the gravity of the darkness of these times, I wondered if I could use this understanding for something less tangible than a person. Could I hold space for hope?

Could I bring my entire presence to hope – even as I watched unarmed children, women and men shot down in Gaza?! Could I walk without judgement as I listened to this POTUS call immigrants “animals”?! Could I not try to fix them or impact the outcome when I have devoted my life to the work of Social Justice!?!
As I sat with that contemplation, tears of rage and sorrow poured down my face. What was the worth of even considering such a thing?

And then – as that peace that passes all understanding finally washed over me again – I found my answer.

I learned the art and tool of not judging vs. mindfully observing to allow myself ultimate understanding. I learned the art of not trying to fix a person vs. work to assure I was not acting in a way that either paralleled or allowed their actions. If I do not judge them vs. assure my own convictions and actions are within my ethical and moral place on higher ground, then I am doing the work of social justice… for that is always worked from within first and foremost… always built on a foundation of depth of self-awareness and clear perception of actions so that my own fear, anger, and negative perception does not create my own lie as I live the moment.

I must face my truth; live my truth and so offer the truth of resistance. And my truth will always be cloaked in hope. Not false hope; honest hope that cannot help but arise when your truth is justice. Justice is born of hope in the face of the worst of adversity. Resistance is fed by hope that allows us to walk through the bullets to aid the wounded.

Hope is one of the greatest expressions of love I know. I am holding space for hope.

Can we get there from here? Pursuing nonviolence

Posted on August 18, 2014August 18, 2014 by kathiemm

Discouraging stories, infuriating stories, heart-breaking stories abound.

The media shout out their tales and pummel us with their gory photos, of violence, murder, rape, hatred, and we at Engaging Peace try to provide some different perspectives, regarding events…

And in Ferguson Missouri

Engaging Peace has had posts on most of these horrifying stories, but, stubbornly, we have also continued to press the feasibility of nonviolence, most recently with posts from Dr. Ian Hansen and Dr. Majed Ashy as well as reminders from Ross Caputi and Dr. Alice LoCicero of ways in which you can help.

In today’s short post, I invite you to learn more about an important peace initiative aimed at promoting a stable peace between India and Pakistan.

Please be inspired by this model and send your words and images on behalf of peace and social justice—starting perhaps with the work that needs to be done in your own country.

Anyone anywhere can work for peace and nonviolence. The world will be better off if you join the endeavor.

Feel the pain

Posted on August 14, 2014August 14, 2014 by kathiemm

Guest Post from the Steering Committee of Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR)

Today’s post is a statement from the Steering Committee of the Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR), of which I am a member. As an organization focused on psychology’s contributions to peace and positive social change, PsySR is keenly aware of the profound psychological impact of living in a war zone, including the following:

Psychological distress in war zones is often as great as the physical suffering that receives more widespread attention. For some, including children, coping with issues of family separation, multiple losses, and bereavement can be even more unbearable than other health-related concerns.

People already under stress before an attack – from severe poverty, chronic exposure to harsh imposed restrictions, and past bloodshed – are likely to have stronger and more overwhelming psychological reactions to violence.

Prolonged fears of attack, powerful feelings of helplessness, and deep worries about family and community heighten the damaging psychological effects of life-threatening events and can contribute to ongoing cycles of violence.

The magnitude of psychological suffering in war zones can be mitigated somewhat by people’s immediate and continuing access to individual and family supports, along with broader efforts that are locally, culturally, and psychologically-informed.

As a result of the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, psychological suffering has overtaken communities across the Palestinian territories and Israel this summer. However, we believe that external financial support for community healing is particularly essential in Gaza. In our judgment, this is not only because Israeli forces have engaged in the disproportionate use of violence in recent weeks, including reported attacks on schools, hospitals, ambulances, and health professionals, but also because of the exceedingly difficult socioeconomic circumstances and the harsh and seemingly hopeless conditions brought about by the decades’ long occupation.

Ultimately, a just and lasting peace and a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis alike will require that these psychological consequences and considerations receive serious and sustained attention.

With a special emphasis on vulnerable groups including children, women, and victims of torture and human rights violations, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) provides crucial and irreplaceable mental health services to thousands of Gaza residents. These services will be even more broadly and desperately needed in the days and months immediately ahead. Throughout its history, the GCMHP has also been firmly committed to nonviolent resistance and to working for a world where Palestinians and Israelis can live together in peace.

The Programme has suffered extensively from the fighting this past month, with several staff, including the director, suffering family losses. In times such as these, external aid can be important beyond the purely financial support by serving as an expression of caring and compassion from the outside world.

Organizing help for the GCMHP is one way that we, as psychologists and mental health providers, can counter the despair and hopelessness bred in all parties by this renewed outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas. In so doing, we make a statement in support of human rights, mutual recognition and security, and a pathway to the reconciliation that must underlie a sustainable peace in this region.

Donations should be made by check payable to the Gaza Mental Health Foundation and mailed to the Gaza Mental Health Foundation, PO Box 380273, Cambridge, MA 02238. Please include your name, address, telephone number, and email address. 100% of your donation will be sent to GCMHP. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent provided by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For more information about this PsySR initiative, please email gazamentalhealth@psysr.org. A PDF version of this statement is available here.

The Steering Committee of Psychologists for Social Responsibility

August 13, 2014

Gaza: Time to take sides

Posted on July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 by kathiemm

International Symbol of Nonviolence.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author=Jmarchn

The news out of Gaza has been horrendous, overwhelming, tragic, heart-breaking. Death upon death. Destruction after destruction. Loss of life; losses for families, communities, the human race. It is easy to feel rage and horror, depression and defeat. Will the violence ever end?

Although the outlook for peace and reconciliation may seem at a discouraging low, there are also some hope-inspiring stories that should not be ignored and buried in these deadly times:

In Gaza, Greek Orthodox Christians have reached out to and provided shelter for displaced and injured Muslims.

Following the strategy that helped bring about an end to apartheid in South Africa, a group of Palestinians have organized a Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BDS) as an alternative to violence.

And closer to home there is Seeing through Walls, an awe-inspiring group of Jewish and Muslim artists who got together in 2010 to create a mosaic peace mural that “expresses our vision of peace, justice and hope for the Israeli and Palestinian people.” Please visit their site, view the photos of this magnificent project in progress, and feel your hope rejuvenated.

After considering these stories, you decide:

Which side are you on, man? Which side are you on?

If you’re on the side of violence, you’re home free. No need to do anything. There are enough people benefittng one way or another from armed conflict and other sorts of atrocity to stoke hatred, distrust, and misunderstandings and thereby keep the violence going.

On the other hand, if you’re on the side of nonviolence, there’s a lot you can do. Donate your time, your money, your expertise to the efforts to find nonviolent solutions to the conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere. Your voice counts, it matters.

Make yourself heard.