Promises for peace in the Holy Land are again underway. News media present the negotiators like opponents in a tennis match - Israel vs. Palestine - Jews against Arabs: and like any game, Americans are inclined to choose sides based on personal preference or affiliation. In world affairs, it’s based on what we hear and read or what "experts" and friends tell us.
Long before I went to the Holy Land, I held a belief that what I read in newspapers and saw on television was true. Busy raising a family, I didn’t pay much attention to world affairs. I formed my opinions subconsciously. I saw Israel as a tiny peace loving country, an innocent victim of Arab terrorism; Palestinians were terrorist aggressors who taught their children to strap on bombs and blow themselves up.
In 2008, I toured Palestine for the first time and stayed with a Palestinian family in Bethlehem: my mind was changed.
In 2009, I returned to the region, spent time in Jerusalem, and toured Israel: my mind changed again.
Having met Israelis and Palestinians of various ethnic backgrounds and religious faiths, I concluded that I was on the side of people - all people.
Contrary to news reports, I found that daily life in the troubled region goes on. Stores open, children attend school and people go to work. However, for the millions living in the Holy Land - in Israel and the divided Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza - life is hope shadowed by fear.
The human struggle for justice and freedom is universal, and so is the desire to feel safe. They are rights not won by armed force or coercion but by people willing to unite for the common good of all.
In October 2010, I will return to the Holy Land for the third time to bring you stories of the people who live in the small troubled region ironically known as "The Holy Land."
While negotiators jockey for position, barter land and human rights and feed the media reports of progress, I want "Silenced Voices" to take you into villages and homes to see and hear stories about real people and the reality of building peace in this troubled land.
In Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank, people protest land confiscation and the building of fences and walls. Israelis and internationals join Palestinians in demonstrations. Together they sing, chant slogans, hold banners and carry flags opposing walls that divide. In villages, neighbors help families rebuild demolished homes. Co-ops form to teach women new skills and educate the children. Wherever I go, I witness the growth of peace.
I believe it is people who have the power to make real peace: on the streets, in shops, on farms and at rallies, at demonstrations calling for demands for justice and the tearing down of walls that divide.
Ignored by mainstream media, these are the "silenced" voices we do not hear about. They are the real peacemakers.
"Silenced Voices" lets them be heard.
