The Betty Carter Peace Lecture‘IN THE FACE OF VIOLENCE’

Earlham College

March 28th 2006

IN THE FACE OF VIOLENCE

• Thanks to the following people and organizations for permission to use their photographs and slides;

• Zvi Schulman, B’Tselem, Jerusalem (BT)• Jennifer Marouf, Palestine Monitor, HDIP,

Ramallah (PM)• Some are sourced with permission through Diane

Abdel Nour and Dr. Mahsaal of HDIP (DAN)• Joyce Ajlouny (JA)Also personal photos are included (PP)

IN THE FACE OF VIOLENCE

Kathy and I lived in Ramallah/el-Bireh in the West Bank of Palestine from August 2000 through to June 2004, I was the Director of the Friends Schools. Kathy was the College Counselor. The schools have over 1000 Palestinian boys and girls from the age of 4 through to 18.

April 24, 2001 – Israeli soldiers stranglehold a Palestinian boy in the West Bank town of Hebron (BT)

The Government of Israel was holding 498 Palestinian children under the age of 16, the youngest 13 years old. Save the Children charged that minors were being ‘physically and mentally abused.’ (US State Dept Country Report. Feb ‘05)

A CHILD WILL NOT FORGET

DESPITE THE VIOLENCE

Continuing to provide classes between curfews with the loss of 12 school days in 2000/2001 , 23 days in 2001/2002, 11 days in 2002/2003 and 1 day in 2003/2004. (PP)

ANOTHER DAY AT SCHOOL

‘violence produced lack of focus, nightmares, incontinence, and other behavioural problems’ …’exam pass rates declined dramatically between 2000 and 2004’ (US State Dept Country Report. Feb ‘05)

Photo (DAN)

CANDLES OF HOPE

Nov 21st, 2001: Children in old Play School building, Amari Refugee Camp receiving hand made Palestinian candles and US Friends Cards from Nancy Maeder and Melanie Weidner. (PP)

HUMAN SHIELD

Sep 28, 2004: Murad Abu Lafah, 21 years old, used as a human shield, beaten by IDF soldiers, al-Amari refugee camp (BT)

3300+ Palestinians killed and 1000 Israelis from Sept 2000 until Oct. 2004 (HDIP)

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Sept 2003: Friends Elementary School (FGS) provides hospitality and entertainment for Palestinian disabled and recovering young men from the violence of the Intifada. (PP)

ASSASSINATIONS

Between Sept 2000 and Sept 2004, there were 238 IDF led assassinations or extra-judicial killings and 186 bystanders have been killed. (HDIP)Photo (DAN)

MUSIC ACROSS FRONTIERS

2003: Master class with Daniel Barrenboim, an Israeli Jew, at Friends Boys School, Ramallah on a Steinway. Daniel believes new life is possible in cooperation through music (PP)

SCARS FOR LIFE

April 26, 2004 – Allah Ahmad Ismail Taher, beaten by Israeli Border Police officers (BT)

GIVING VOICE

2002: A school play that the children had written. It considered the power of national identity and ambiguity in the justification for violence. (PP)

STONES CRY OUT

600+ children were killed between Sept 2000 –Sept 2004 almost 50% of these children were killed with live ammunition and most were 11-15 years old. (DAN)

NEW BEGINNINGS

April 13th, 2004: Amari children hard at work in the Friends Play School in their new building funded by UNDP and Friends Meetings world wide.(PP)

SUICIDE BOMBING

March 21, 2002 – Israeli ambulance workers help a wounded victim of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem. A Palestinian suicide bomber killed three people and wounded more than 40 on a busy Jerusalem shopping street. (BT)

EDUCATION in RECREATION

By March 2002, an educational botanic garden was opened on Friends Schools property at Swift House for education in the community about Palestinian flora and for recreation. (PP)

TZRIFIN ARMY BASE

Sep 9, 2003: Bodies lie on stretchers next to an ambulance at the scene of a bombing outside the Tzrifin army base near Tel Aviv (BT)

According to the IDF there have been 135 suicide attacks on Israeli forces or civilian populations that ‘succeeded” out of 431 attempts between Oct 2000 and Nov 2004.(IDF)

PEACE GARDEN

In April 2004, a Peace Garden was planted on the initiative of the WCC Ecumenical observers living at Swift House, Friends Schools, Ramallah. (PP)

ARREST ON SUSPICION

March 31, 2002: Arrested Palestinians guarded by IDF soldiers during Operation Defensive Shield. (BT)

PEACEFUL PROTEST

Nov. 2001: Friends (High) School protest on streets of Ramallah against the air attacks on the Palestinian community. (PP)

SENSELESS DESTRUCTION

April 2002: Ministry of Higher Education Offices in Ramallah (JA)

MINDFUL CONSTRUCTION

This new multi-purpose building, was being constructed with a US Aid ASHA grant throughout the period of curfews and closures…with many delays but sometimes quietly and secretly. (PP)

OLIVE TREE DESTRUCTION

Nov. 17, 2000: Olive trees uprooted by settlers from Revava during the olive harvest (BT)

LIFE MUST GO ON

A woman makes a way to her wedding across the Kalandia check point near Ramallah (DAN)

REVENGE

Aug 19, 2003. Another suicide bombing on a bus in Jerusalem

(BT)

LIFE DOES GO ON

Jun 13, 2001 – A Palestinian woman on her way to the hospital being carried on a stretcher across a roadblock. (BT)

From Sep 2000 to Oct 2003, 121 ambulances were attacked and 991 cases of ambulances denied access. 425 medical personnel injured (HDIP)

THE SEPARATION BARRIER

May 19, 2003: A Palestinian woman passes goods through a gap in the concrete barrier – East Jerusalem (BT)

WORDS ACROSS FRONTIERS

Extracts from Ovid’s ‘Metamorphosis’ for voice and oboe performed at the Friends Boys School in 2004. (PP)

WATER FOR WEST BANK VILLAGES

215,000 Palestinians live in villages not connected to a water network.Either they store or buy water or collect from nearby streams. (PM)

THE HUNT FOR LADYBUGS

After the opening of the Organic Vegetable Garden, financed by Heinrich Boll Foundation, community children hunt for ladybirds/bugs to relocate them on plants that have very few. (PP)

The Betty Carter Peace Lecture‘IN THE FACE OF VIOLENCE’

Earlham College

March 28th 2006

Face of Violence

Matthew 8 v23-27And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

Face of Violence

Matthew 8 v23-27And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us, we are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?”.

Face of Violence

Matthew 8 v23-27Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”