IN CIVIL SOCIETY AND PEACE BUILDING …...in 2005 by the World Association for Small and Medium...

Publication No. 40046965 December 2005, Vol. 6, No. 2

At the time of publication of our last issue, I had just returned from participating as a member of the Canadian delegation sent to observe the Palestinian Presidential elec-tions. I shared with you my optimistic impressions that—despite the uncer-tainty—the elections and the emergence of a new President, Mahmud Abbas, was a vote for stability, democracy, and peace. We dedicated the March 2005 is-sue to voices of peace— written by partners in our region who pre-sented a hopeful but realistic ap-praisal of their reality.

Israel’s difficult and notable with-drawal from the Gaza strip repre-sents another hopeful sign. And, as I expressed praise and optimism with regard to the Palestinian elec-tions, I do the same with regard to the pull out from Gaza and the manner in which it was done. In my view, despite all the difficul-ties in resolving the conflict, de-spite the sporadic violence, rhetoric and steps backward, peace is cer-tainly more of a possibility today than it was one year ago.

A notable example of grassroots diplomacy is the work of our Executive Board mem-ber Dr. Mohammad Al-Hadid in his capac-ity as the elected Chair of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent. Mohammad has cham-pioned the adoption of a third protocol and an additional protective emblem which would enable Magen David Adom to gain entry into the Red Cross-Red Crescent Movement. Through the initial interven-tions of the McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building, Mohammad initiated a resumed dialogue between the Palestinian Red Crescent and Magen David Adom. Further, his passion-

ate appeal to member societies around the world –that political differences should not be used to exclude non-governmental societies that share in the important and urgent mission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement– has proven persuasive: “Our work aims to improve protection for the vulnerable people everywhere. To do this we must be

able to work within a universal Move-ment unified in its beliefs. The time is now right for resolving this long-standing humanitarian issue”.

We congratulate you Mohammad for this milestone achievement.

Our program promotes peace and civil society on the ground—in the most disad-vantaged neighborhoods of East and West Jerusalem, Nablus, Beersheva and Am-man. We take great pride in the accom-plishments of our Centres and feel enor-mous satisfaction to see how their work is spreading. Community Advocacy has just received funding to open up a new centre in the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Lod. In Nablus, the Centre has initiated a pilot program in the village of Nassariya in the

Jordan Valley. In Amman, the Centre is working with our partner JOHUD to in-troduce our rights-based practice ap-proach into a network of fifty NGOs. Al Quds has expanded its legal services and has developed outreach programs in the neighbouring villages of Assawia and Sorbaheba.

A central thrust of our program pro-motes peace and social rights through advanced training of Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian graduate students who come to McGill for the first year of a two-year fellowship. Eleven Fellows just returned to the region having completed an incredi-bly enriching and challenging year in Montreal. It was a year which transformed their lives as well as those of many students, professors, and members of the community who came in touch with them. We dedi-cate this issue to this extraordinary group of Fellows and give voice to them to share with you their experi-ences in Montreal, and their hopes and plans for the future.

Jim Torczyner Director

INSIDE... Program Briefs 2

Understanding the ‘Other’ 3

The Fellows’ year in Montreal 3 - 4

News from the Centres 5 - 7

Fellowship in Community Practice 7

A peace message in Essex 8

The Fellows reflect 9-10

Fellowship Coordinator’s report 11

Graduates: Where are they now? 2

2004-2005 MMEP Fellows and staff bond at Lake Kanawana

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

LEARN ABOUT THE 2004-2005 MMEP FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE

MCGILL MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM IN CIVIL SOCIETY AND PEACE BUILDING

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

2 McGill Middle East Program Newsletter

PROGRAM BRIEFS Where are they now? MMEP grads check in

Ms. Amaya Galili, is Israeli and holds a BA in Sociology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After graduating in 2003, Amaya was a project coordinator with the Mahapach Movement’s Kiryat-Yuvel learning commu-nity in Jerusalem. Amaya is at Community Advocacy Jerusalem today.

Mr. Jamal Al Kirnawi is a Bedouin Israeli holding a BA in Health Systems Management from Ben Gurion University. Jamal was Spe-cial Education and Bedouin Youth Forum Co-ordinator for Shatil in Beersheva, Israel prior to his Fellowship. Jamal is now organizing at Community Advocacy in Beer Sheva.

Introducing some of this year’s Fellows...

Ms. Faten Ghazi Abu Za’rour, a Palestinian, holds two MAs, in Family Counseling, and in Expressive Art Therapy. Married with three daughters, Faten has trained health service providers in crisis intervention and worked as a youth leadership trainer. She has also trained and coordinated women’s empowerment groups. Faten is now working in the storefront as part of the ‘open door’ program in Nablus.

Rights-based practice to be adopted across Jordan The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Develop-ment devoted a full chapter to rights-based practice in their 2004 report "Building Sustainable Livelihoods". They are now beginning to adapt our model to their network of 50 member agencies.

MMEP Director receives education award The Canadian Bureau of International Education pre-sented MMEP Director Jim Torczyner with its 2004 award for Innovation in International Education, to recognize extraordinary contributions, of national or international magnitude, to the field of international education.

Canadian Fellow Ruweida Shakhshir, a Jordanian living in Canada for the last six years, expressed interest in joining the program and will be working part-time for one year at the Sweileh Community Development Centre in Am-man. Ruweida is concurrently pursuing an MA in Education at McGill.

Leader of SHATIL honoured The Director of MMEP partner organization SHATIL, Rachel Liel, was named one of Israel's 50 most influ-ential women in 2005 by “Globes,” Israel's leading business newspaper. “Globes” honoured women from all sectors of civic society, including media, govern-ment and business.

Management Committee meets in Jerusalem The driving force behind the MMEP is its Manage-ment Committee. Its members steer the program and ensure that open communication is at the heart of all major decisions. The committee met in Jerusalem this past September 6th-7th. While the agenda was full, both days were very constructive. The first day was reserved for a mid-program review to assess how the program has been affected by changing regional and international contexts that present both challenges and opportunities. The Committee also officially approved the new Fellowship in Community Practice and re-scheduled the Regional Conference. The Pilot Sum-mer Institute, which aims to spread MMEP’s success-ful model of Rights-Based Community practice to other interested organizations in the region, was re-scheduled for the first week of July 2006.

Regional Conference to be held in February The Regional Conference that was postponed twice for security reasons has been rescheduled for February 15-17, 2006. The Regional Conference aims to bring together more than 150 staff and volunteers from the MMEP’s five Centres. Members of the management committee previewed a film that documents the work of the Centres, focusing on volunteers. It will be pre-miered at the conference.

37 Fellows have participated in the MMEP program since its inception. Many are growing into leadership roles in their fields, helping to make change from the bottom up. We checked in with a few graduates to see what they are doing now...

Amal Al-Sana (‘99) is the director and founder of AJEEC: The Arab-Jewish Centre for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation. Amal was one of 1000 women recognized in 2005 by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises for her contribu-tions to economic empowerment programs for Bedouin Arab women.

Hmud Al-Olimat (’99), who was the founding director of the Social Work Program at the University of Jordan, is now the Director General of Jordan’s Ministry of Social Affairs.

Sami Al-Kilani (’00), the founding and current director of the Nablus Centre, recently published a new book of poetry entitled: It’s Too Early Boy.

Najwa Silwadi (’00), the founding director of the Al Quds Centre recently returned from Italy where she participated in talks and a 26 km march, together with 250,000 people, calling for the alleviation of world poverty.

Yoav Weinberg (’00) is chair of Bimkom: Planners for Planning Rights, an organiza-tion of architects and planners working to help protect disadvantaged communities, such as unrecognized Bedouin villages.

Ra'ad Al-Hadid (’02) is Regional Disaster Management Officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Amman. Talal Al Qdah (‘02), director of the Amman Centre, will spend a month in the USA, together with directors of NGOs from across the developing world, as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Miri Sager (‘02) founded the first barter club in Israel through Community Advocacy. Today she is working at a women’s shelter.

Bilal Salameh (’02), a former director of the Nablus Centre, is currently Dean of Stu-dents at An-Najah University in Nablus, where he is responsible for some 13,000 students.

Sarit Zik (‘02) founded the first food cooperative in Israel at Community Advocacy Beer Sheva. There are now four such coops operating throughout the country.

McGill Middle East Program Newsletter 3

How do you build peace when there are clear power discrepan-cies between the peoples in a con-flict?

How can people whose image of one another has been framed in messages of hate or indifference overcome this perspective?

These and other related questions were broached by the Fellows at the MMEP’s inaugural peace-building and inequality work-shops.

Dr. Jimmy Weinblatt, Rector of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, spoke on the question of “Peace Building and Inequality: The Perspective of a Social Economist”. He recounted how Palestinian and Israeli social economists work together in the “Aix Group” with a vision toward a post-conflict, open-bordered reality. Although economics could not create peace, healthy economic policy could help make

the period after peace more har-monious through the skilled pur-suit of common interests.

Filmmaker Diane Bloom pre-sented her amazing film “An Unlikely Friendship”, wherein an African-American woman community activist and a white male Exalted Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, found a path to friendship and solidarity in their common desire to improve their children’s schooling.

Magnus Issacson presented his film “Power”, exploring the cou-rageous and successful struggle of the Cree people with the gov-ernment of Quebec to preserve their ancestral land rights. Cree leaders canoeing from James Bay to the UN in New York City was a striking image of empow-erment and tradition.

Finally, with Imam Salam El-menyawi, Rabbi Ron Aigen and theologian Gregory Baum, the

Fellows held several discussions of the question of conflict from the perspective of each of the re-gion’s major religions. Each was enlightening and a reflection of human solidarity.

In the words of Gregory Baum, “Conflict makes few people gen-erous. But dialogue purges us of our prejudice. It enriches us by an understanding of the other. One can see what one looks like to the other and we find something to value in the other that we wish to develop in ourselves.”

UNDERSTANDING THE ‘OTHER’: PEACE-BUILDING AND INEQUALITY WORKSHOPS

Jamal, Abir, Abbud and Randa teambuilding at Kamp Kanawana

Staff and Fellows experience Montreal Expos baseball

with Habitations Communautaire NDG and the Immigrant Work-ers’ Centre.

Fellows did counseling and fundraising with women survi-vors of conjugal violence at Women Aware. Project Genesis hosted a Fellow doing various storefront and outreach activi-ties, and received all Fellows for workshops on ‘community orga-nizing’ and ‘storefront services’. The Cavendish Health and So-cial Services Centre and the South Asian Women’s Commu-nity Centre provided opportuni-ties to observe their practices; the former in a wide variety of health and social work activities, the latter around issues of elder abuse.

We wish to thank all these or-ganizations, especially for the quality of their work and the

excellence of their collaboration.

FELLOWS IN THE FIELD: COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS IN MONTREAL

The Montreal experience of our eleven Fellows could not have been so successful had it not been for their three-month “field tutori-als” with partner community or-ganizations. Fellows were warmly received, oriented, supervised and given important tasks in a learn-ing context by organizations re-puted for the quality of their work in the community. Their activities included street work with the homeless at “Dialogue” in the Downtown YMCA; work with teenage girls in “Leadership in Action” at the YWCA; commu-nity economic development with the Empress Cultural Centre and the Sherbrooke Street West Mer-chants Association; providing information and referral services to immigrants at the Tyndale-St. George Community Centre; work on urban agriculture at Action Communi-terre and on housing

“One of the special things about my national identity is that I am equally Palestinian and Israeli; and this identity, always debated, places me in a special position: right in the middle. In the beginning, I had to put a lot of effort into making people recognize my position, which is on both and on neither side. In this MMEP experience, my special position helped me to understand things that one side alone can’t see.

The fact that we were in Montreal, far away from the conflict, helped us to think more freely and to feel more open to others’ comments. T h i s o p e n a n d c a l m atmosphere also led me to discover aspects of the conflict that I never thought of since I was interacting with people I never really had a chance to engage before: those who live outside the conflict.

I realized that I could use and apply the knowledge gained through these encounters back in the Bedouin community in Israel. I can work to broaden the horizons of my community with the new knowledge I acquired during this powerful experience.”

—Jamal Al Kirnawi 2005 Fellow, Israel

Dalia, Noa, Abbud and Jamal get ready to present to Canadian Associ-ates of Friends of BGU

Jackéline, partner of Fellow Arik, together with Amaya, Abbud and Qais get a view of Quebec


In their first year, the Fellows fulfill their academic require-ments in Canada, with opportu-nities to study and exchange views on issues germane to their work, their home commu-nities, and peace building. This experience — meeting col-leagues from neighboring coun-tries — is new for some Fel-lows, and the distant academic setting helps dispel myths and build relationships.

The academic program com-bines cutting edge theory and practical learning offered by leading practitioners in local community organizations. Dis-cussions are typically directed

We spent a great deal of time with Samar, beyond all the major holi-days. Our sons Paul, or Boulos, as Samar affectionately called him by his Arabic name, and Marc, keenly interested in his own Arab roots, developed special relationships with Samar.

The week before Samar’s departure home to Jordan, we all went to Ni-agara Falls – a Canadian icon she

By Carolle Charlebois Nakhleh From the moment our eyes met at the airport we knew our lives would change. In the first few days when Samar stayed in our home, we often sat in our pajamas after everyone had left the house. We would drink Arabic coffee and discuss everything and anything: our two cultures, women’s issues, Islam, music, current events, pov-erty and youth culture.

didn’t want to miss. For a woman from a desert kingdom, the Falls truly impressed her: Samar wished she could bring all that water home in her suitcase.

Our year with Samar enriched our lives beyond measure. To share our lives for a year with this unique and wonderful young woman was a blessing and we are extremely grateful for this.

WARMING UP TO PEACE IN THE COLD: THE FELLOWS’ YEAR IN MONTREAL

Marc, Faraj, Samar and ‘Boulos’ at Niagara Falls

from apple picking to celebrating Eid-al-Adha and Passover, and even cross-country skiing. January—The first semester at McGill ends with a flurry of exams, papers and anxiety. March—Three-month community placements begin at Montreal organizations; give Judy Re-bick lecture to students at Vanier College, and present to inaugural meeting of “Dialogue BGU”, at Canadian Associates of Friends of Ben Gurion University. April—Peace Building and Inequality work-shops commence with films and lectures, lead-ing to intense discussions with representatives of the region’s three major religions; visits to hous-ing rights groups FRAPRU and Project Genesis. May—Final overnight trip to Essex County, New York; Honoured at the official MMEP closing ceremony at the McCord Museum of Canadian History, with 100 friends, supporters, teachers and organizational representatives.

May —Official welcome by staff and friends of the MMEP. Fellows stay with “host families” until they find an apartment. June—Intense week of workshops at the Concor-dia University Summer Institute in Community Development and Management, together with community-minded people from around the globe. July—Academics get underway with a 6-week “Introduction to Social Work” course. September—Coursework toward an MSW be-gins in earnest, as do Peace Building discussions. October—Fellows make field visits to the health and social services network at the CLSC Metro and Batshaw Youth and Family services. November—Public relations activities with me-dia and community groups like the Creative So-cial Centre and NDG Community Council. December—Social activities continue all year,

The fellows frolic in the snow on a group excursion out of the city

The Fellowship Program is the central vehicle of the McGill Mid-dle East Program, through which Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian Fellows develop new approaches to the pressing problems of pov-erty, while completing a two-year graduate degree in Social Work.

toward the real issues and challenges the Fellows face when they return to their Prac-tice Centers in the Middle East.

Spending their first year in Montreal, the Fellows have the rare opportunity to step out-side the box together, Pales-tinians, Israelis and Jordani-ans, getting to know each other, and themselves, in ways they never could at home. Through academics, host fami-lies, peace-building sessions, field placements and just being together, they gain valuable insights, and an appreciation for the warmth and common ground very different people can discover in one another. THE 2004-2005 FELLOWSHIP YEAR IN BRIEF...

SAMAR AL-SHAHWAN, OUR ADOPTED JORDANIAN FELLOW AND FRIEND

FELLOWS MAKE AN IMPACT ACROSS THE YEARS

“To me, this has been one of the most interesting and exciting ex-periences since retiring.”

This experience, for Sheila Gold-bloom, was mentoring three Fel-lows at different times through the history of the MMEP project. Re-tired after 28 years teaching in McGill’s Department of Social Work, Sheila Goldbloom devel-oped relationships with Amal Al-Sana, from Israel, Najwa Silwadi from Palestine and Samar Al-Shahwan from Jordan. The women learned from each other. “All three were unusual people with leader-ship skills and tremendous poten-tial to grow more. All were willing to take risks.”

As a tutor, she helped them with their academics, especially their English skills and putting an em-phasis on social work practice. They sat at the kitchen table get-ting to know one another.

“All three were idealistic—their sense of hope went up and down, and amongst themselves they learned so much from their peer group interactions. The program became more structured in helping them talk to each other throughout its years making their encounters more meaningful.”

Sheila believes in the power of what they are doing; “It is not an easy road at all. They need sup-port. They can get some from each other—they don’t live that far apart—but it is so complicated to meet. I would hope that some or-ganizations in the three countries would promote a kind of dialogue on what the experience in the McGill Middle East Program meant, doing more to learn from their experience.”


AMMAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE The Amman Centre has been very busy of late with a broad range of initiatives, new partnerships and fundraising successes. Below are a few of the projects they are immersed in right now.

Break the Fast for 300 Through private donations the CDC was able to provide meals to some 300 low-income families from the Sweileh neighbourhood, helping them to celebrate the Ramadan holiday with dignity.

Two new grants received In October the CDC secured some impor-tant, much-needed funds for programmatic growth. The American Embassy donated funds to support advocacy and education programs, while UNIFEM (the United Na-tions Development Fund for Women) com-mitted funding to focus on women’s issues. The CDC will work to reduce violence against women with these funds. Housing initiative Through a grant from the International

NGO Habitat for Humanity, the CDC is working to rebuild houses in the Sweileh neighbourhood that are in a frightening state of disrepair, leading to unhealthy and unsafe conditions. Centres come together around housing Also with Habitat, the CDC is working to implement a regional housing program with the Centre in Nablus. Currently, the Centres are seeking common issues to focus on and advance together. Fellows in the Centre Dalia Zatara, Samar Al Shahwan and Qais Tarawneh, the new Fellows, have inte-grated into the CDC since their return from Montreal and, according to Centre Director Talal Al-Qdah, have been hard at work, implementing some major program changes based on their new experience.

Dalia is volunteer coordinator and has made great headway since returning to the region. She has established good connec-tions at 3 area universities and has already recruited 20 volunteers. One program the volunteers are working on is to provide extra classes in math and English to stu-dents in two neighbourhoods.

Samar receives clients at the storefront office and legal clinic. She is also work-ing on women’s programs at the Centre while Qais is responsible for community organizing. He is working to establish links with other organizations in the field.

Princess Basma visits the CDC In November when HRH Princess Basma paid a visit to the CDC as part of the Na-tional Goodwill Campaign, fifteen women who had met last year as strangers with painful memories now had much in com-mon and shared the true spirit of the Cen-tre: Hope and determination to survive. Most of the women came to the centre for support because their husbands passed away or abandoned them.

As a result, the CDC established the “Single Mothers Programme,” to change the women's perceptions of them-selves:from victims to productive members of society.

The initiative was backed by the Princess and the Goodwill Campaign's higher com-mittee, who provided the support to kick-start and sustain the project, which re-volves around producing and marketing cooked food. The project aims to become a food co-op in the future. The women spend three months in vocational training before starting production.

Our Practice centres now reach more than 75,000 peo-ple a year through storefront activities, community programs, educational seminars, workshops and their overall promotion of MMEP’s model of Rights-Based Community Practice throughout the region. They con-tinue to address local areas of concern by increasing support for their expanding programs and implement-ing new and effective initiatives to promote empower-ment, equality, and civil society, both locally and re-gionally.

The return of the Fellows to the region allows them to put their new expertise to practice in the field, bring-ing important contributions to their respective teams at the Centres. On the programmatic level, all five Cen-tres continue to develop new and innovative programs while furthering the development of those already in place. Below are some highlights and accomplish-ments from the Centres.

NEWS FROM THE CENTRES

HRH Princess Basma presents 15 scholar-ships to students in need from Sweileh

Fellow Faten Ghazi-Abu Za’rour is back in Nablus working in the ’open door’ program

Fellow Samar Al Shahwan (below the win-dow) meets with women at the Centre

Fellow Qais Tarawneh distributes information to women in Sweileh

Girls from an East Jerusalem school express their creativity with help from the Al Quds Centre

EAST JERUSALEM/AL QUDS COMMUNITY ACTION CENTRE


The Centre’s Storefront and Outreach programs continue to expand while volunteers and former clients reach out to help residents ac-cess entitlements related to basic needs. They are aided now by Fellow Abir Al-Mughrabi who is now working in the Al Quds Cen-tre. Here are some highlights:

Civic Education Program teaches understanding This program, also called “For you my nation” provides an innova-tive civic education component to the curriculum in Palestinian Authority schools. Grade eight children from twenty schools in Jerusalem and Ramallah learn about citizenship, leader-ship, cooperation, human rights, civil society and more. Above all they teach understanding, in the belief that this will come through action on behalf of others. At the end of the project the students put into practice what they have learned through group projects within the schools or out in the community. The project, which is now in its third year, involves some 70 volunteers. Last year it reached 1027 children.

Legal Clinic The Al Quds Legal Clinic deals with approximately 150 cases a month. The highest percentage of the services focused on providing legal advice and information, referrals to specialists, private consul-tation, writing letters on behalf clients, follow-up and advocacy.

NABLUS/AN-NAJAH COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTRE The CSC hopes to expand the Community Work Units program to other villages once freedom of movement improves in the West Bank.

Literacy classes for women Some 20 women have been attending literacy classes in Nassariya since last year. The CSC has applied to the Education Ministry on their behalf to adopt the class, which would secure a salary for the teacher, as well as books and supplies for the women.

Community Support for Education Program expands One of the most prominent programs of the CSC since its establishment 6 years ago is that of community support for

education. In Nablus there are children suffering low achievement in schools not due to lack of ability, but rather a lack of care at home. The program has seen a jump in school participation from three schools and one orphanage to 13 institutions today.

New Fellows in action Randa Abu Rabe, a physician, has been giving lectures and workshops on public health awareness. She is also working on a pilot project for outpatients in dialysis and oncology clinics, whereby volunteers take patients to appointments,

giving overstressed family members a break. Abbud Al Shareef is working on the housing improvement program, while also taking part in the Community Support for Education Program. Faten Ghazi-Abu Za’rour receives clients in the ‘open door’ program, while also volunteering part-time at An-Najah University in a women’s tutoring program.

Women’s Club and Services This program provides training to local women, mostly low-income and single mothers, giving them skills to strengthen and enrich self- esteem, as well as information on issues such as addiction, sexual abuse, domestic violence, sex education and adolescent issues. Over the last year, 35 women have benefited from this program, by par-ticipating in public sessions in areas such as women’s empower-ment, adult literacy, language learning, problem-solving and nego-tiation.

The CSC continues to bring rights-based practice to remote areas, while also broadening one of their flagship programs and continuing to help children improve their academic performance. Below are a few examples of their activities.

Community Work Unit established in Nasariya The first Community Work Unit is currently operating as a pilot project in the village of Nassariya in the Jordan Valley. There is a great deal of social and economic hardship among the village’s families, who are mostly small farmers. In January, Centre Director Sami Al-Kilani visited the area with Raja, the Centre’s community organizer. They established connections with the local village council and established a volunteer team from the village. The participants from the village identify their needs and implement programs with the support of the CSC. The CSC is now helping the village connect with governmental and non-governmental institutions to ensure that their needs are recognized. One such body is the Ministry of Agriculture, whose assistance the village requires for its livelihood.

First Summer Camp in Nassariya One major initiative of the Community Work Unit was a summer camp for children from the village and outlying areas. The village children never before had a summer camp experience. Such camps are allocated funding by a national committee of governmental and non-governmental organizations and Nassariya was not on the list. The CSC advocated on behalf of the village and secured its inclusion due to dire need. Facilitators, trainers and supervisors were provided, bringing summer fun for 120 area children for the first time.

Fellow Abbud Al Shareef provides consulting through the Centre’s housing program.

Quebec Health Minister Philippe Couillard’s delegation visits with staff and volunteers at the Al-Quds Community Action Centre in September 2005, together with Domenic Rosetti, the Head of Canadian Cooperation Programs at CIDA; Genevieve Thomassin, Head of the Africa and Middle East Branch of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations; and Quebec MNA Russell Copeman. Also on hand were Jim Torczyner and Jim Olwell from the MMEP in Montreal, as well as Zakawi Alqaq, Vice President for External Affairs, Al Quds University, and Najwa Silwadi and Abir Al-Mughrabi from the Al-Quds Centre.


New Centre to open in Lod Community Advocacy has received funding to open a new branch in Lod, an extremely impoverished ‘mixed city’ with both Arab and Jewish residents. Lod has very high unemploy-ment, dilapidated housing and no industry. It also has a large population of Ethiopian immigrants. The Lod municipality is essentially bankrupt, thus many city services have been cur-tailed.

This year, the focus will be on community outreach. Two com-munity workers, one Arab and one Jew, have been hired and will begin the process of getting to know the community, identi-fying potential steering committee members and volunteers, and learning the rights-based issues in this community. Two new food co-ops to open After 9 months of preparation, a new food co-op is to open in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem in December. Further, based on a grant from the Chicago Federa-tion, another co-op is being es-tablished in Kiriat Gat, about 25 minutes from Beersheva. In the wake of the heightened impact of current economic policies, the food co-ops have become an important community response to guaranteeing food security, while building upon community economic power and encourag-ing a sense of community pride. Welfare to Work “Watch” program launched On August 1st the government launched its “Welfare to Work” program, tying welfare benefits to work-related activities. The program is carried out by private companies who profit only when welfare recipients leave the welfare roll. The Centre’s “Watch” program includes daily outreach at the “job” centers, individual advocacy when benefits are denied, establishment of a 36-member advocacy group, and a policy change working group, both in the Knesset and with the ministry responsible for administering the program. Successes to date include changes in

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY BEERSHEVA AND JERUSALEM (AND LOD)

regulations, cancellation of a form whereby a person gives up his or her benefits voluntarily, the establishment of a Knesset Committee to monitor the pro-gram which meets monthly with Community Advocacy’s par-ticipation, and disallowing denial of benefits for being uncooperative. Fellow Amaya Galili, together with a lawyer and community paraprofessional, staff the program. Unrecognized village initiative keeps more girls in high school Organizing in the unrecognized village Bir Hadaj has taken off.

The community’s first success- though small- has given a sense of power to the residents, who are finally beginning to believe they can make a difference. At issue was the high dropout rate of girls between elementary and high school, with only four or five girls continuing their schooling. The hour-long co-ed ride to school was one of the reasons for this high dropout rate as it is against the tribe’s modesty code. The parents decided to demand separate buses. After two weeks of intensive work in late summer, an agreement was reached to send boys and

girls in separate buses on a trial basis. Eighteen girls are going to school this year. Fellows in the Field While Amaya staffs the “Welfare to Work Watch” program, Fel-low Arik Zara is in the Jerusalem storefront and is responsible for a court case regarding Bedouin rights to water. The case was es-tablished after the Centre organized six groups that have met cri-teria for access to water but have been denied, only to be told that they should leave their land and move to recognized settlements.

Jamal Al Kirnawi is learning the ropes in Beersheva, manning the storefront and doing outreach while devising an organizing pro-ject. Noa Rivlin will begin working in the Jerusalem Centre in February but is now at home taking care of her baby girl Dana.

NEW FELLOWSHIP IN COMMUNITY PRACTICE TAKES OFF

In January 2006 the MMEP will receive its first cohort of Fel-lows in the new Fellowship in Community Practice. This Fel-lowship was created to give the five Centres in the region the opportunity to provide community organising experience and academic training, in a North American context, to valued staff, dedicated volunteers and committed supporters. Eight Fellows will spend six months in Montreal and six months at home working at the Centres in this year-long, non-degree program.

The centrepiece of the program will be a five month long “field tutorial” in a respected community organization in Montreal where they will be given both strong supervision and significant responsibility for an ongoing organizing task. They will take Seminars in Empowerment and in Community Practice, as well

Fellow Amaya Galili (left) with Ayala Sabag at the Centre’s outreach table at the “Welfare to Work” job centre

Members of Canadian Women's Israel Bonds Mission visit the Kiriat Menahem Food Co-op

as special Workshops in Practice and Techniques in Community Organizing with insightful guest lecturers.

They will also engage in Peace Building Meetings, which will permit Fellows to get to know each other profoundly in a safe and secure environment. They will hold discussions and engage in dialogue on topics of importance to them in the region in order to fully understand each other’s interests, not for political, but rather for humane reasons.

Finally, they will participate in some public relations work, en-gage in social activities, make field visits, and round out the six months in Montreal with a full week of workshops at the 2006 Concordia Summer Institute in Management and Community Development. We are looking forward to welcoming them soon.


A New York invitation to cultural exchange by Jim Olwell I had never seen such bonding occur between strangers from differ-ent cultures and parts of the world as I did when a three van caravan of MMEP Fellows and their families departed on a sunny May morning, to cross the American border into upstate New York, heading for Willsboro Central High School.

Three months earlier, John Bingham, a representative of several upstate New York organizations and a neighbour of Jim Torczyner, had heard all about the MMEP. He marvelled at the program in its entirety but especially at its essential idea of bringing together in Montreal people who are in conflict but who believe in and want to build peace. He was amazed at the success of the program and prac-tically begged us to share it with residents of his own sometimes polarized upstate community.

In Willsboro three Fellows, Dalia, Abir and Jamal, spoke eloquently to an assembly of nearly 300 students from area schools. During a lively question and answer period, one student, seeing Fellow Faten Abu Za’rour’s teenage daughter, asked Lina her opinion. Understandably reluc-tant, Lina resisted the supplication of her mother and fa-ther, all the Fellows, and various school officials to re-spond. There was a hush. This was interrupted by one set of hands clapping slowly. Then five students, then twenty-five and before long the entire assembly of students was clapping rhythmically. Lina resisted no longer. It was sim-ple, she said. She wanted to go home, see her friends, and be able to live in peace. Students broke into applause.

The Fellows met with their host families then spent the evening at the historic Elizabethtown courthouse. This was the site where the famous and controversial American abolitionist (anti-slavery activ-ist) John Brown had been ‘laid in state’ over 150 years before, around the time of the American Civil War. Jim Torczyner opened by telling the packed courthouse about the MMEP. Next, Qais gave a poetic and much appreciated commentary about overcoming one’s preconceived notions. Amaya and Faten spoke movingly about the terrible sense of physical insecurity one must live with in the re-gion. Quite spontaneously they held hands. These were the hands of peace and solidarity, representing the desire of the vast number of Israelis and Palestinians who want a just peace. The audience, silent throughout, erupted in heartfelt applause. Beyond cultures, differ-ences and distance, people had found in each other their common humanity and concern for one another.

The next day, the Fellows got to learn about John Brown from those who today honour his fight against injustice. Finally, Saturday eve-ning, we went to the home of John Bingham, the driving force be-hind this event. Many played football behind the house, wonderful food and drinks were consumed, and members of Essex-based Dio-genes and John Brown Lives, all the Fellows and all the host fami-lies and children celebrated their new friendships. Then, we all got in the vans -18 of us- and took the long drive north to Montreal, each Fellow buoyed by warm memories of a group of strangers whose lives had crossed paths and whose hearts had touched.

An eye-opener in the Adirondacks By Sophie Clarke, High School Student, Willsboro Central School Our teacher told us that we were going to have an assembly with a panel of people from the Middle East: A Jordanian, a Palestinian and an Israeli. I could hear a few "awesomes" and excited chatter-ing from the back of the room (to them, an assembly meant no math class). But many of my classmates were interested and started talk-ing about things they had heard on the news, or about relatives liv-ing in that part of the world. As I listened to the panel talk about life in the Middle East and their struggle for peace, I, like many of my classmates, listened intently to hear the answers to our questions: "Is it dangerous to go to the store? Do you know many people who have died? Are the schools safe?" But what touched me and my classmates most was the young

girl who answered our ques-tions. She spoke about school, her friends, and how the conflict affected her life. She even made a connection with the kids who sat in the back, the ones who were only excited about missing math class. For days afterward I would hear comments about her: "Wow, she was just like us, just a normal girl."

The assembly was an eye-opener to many of us. Before, the Middle East had been a 20-page chapter in our history book, or a headline in the newspaper; after the assembly it was more than that. It was close to home. This group of people working together for the goal of peace in the Middle East had affected children from a small "hick" town in the Adirondacks.

MMEP IN ESSEX COUNTY: The peace message hits home in upstate New York

“Having Abir, a Palestinian mother, and her two sons stay with us helped us get a gut-level, visceral

understanding of life in this war zone.” —Suzanne Falter-Barnes,

Host mother in Essex

THOUGHTS FROM ESSEX ORGANIZER JOHN BINGHAM

“The Fellows’ stories of personal conviction, trusting in their own and others’ universal goodness and worth, even of bureau-cratic or political adversaries, brought me down from a heady, world-weary paralysis over national and international politics and presumptions. My heart beat faster hearing of the courage and power of their face-to-face compassionate advocacy for the dispossessed. I can, with their shared conviction and joy, be an active catalyst for small changes in the world. I can rise above the world’s clamour, through my decision to hope against hope with the Fellows...”


WORDS FROM THE ELIZABETHTOWN COURTHOUSE

An excerpt from remarks delivered by Qais Tarawneh in Essex County. Qais holds a BA in Special Education from the University of Jordan. He worked as a field supervisor for The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Develop-ment and for Oxfam in the refugee camps on the Iraqi-Jordanian border during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“I was raised in a culture that looks five generations into the fu-ture to understand what kind of impact the decisions we make today will have. When I decided to come here, I asked my father, who was a high-ranking member of the Jordanian army and had participated in war between Jordan and Israel, what he thought about me coming here to participate in a program that consisted of people from Jordan, Palestine and Israel. My father replied, “Do you believe in it?” I told him, “yes father.” My father then said, “I want you to do this if this is what you truly believe in. And if you do this, I want you to dedicate yourself to this noble cause, because we made mistakes in the past and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes.”

Reflections on the Fellowship Year That has made all the difference…

The following is an excerpt from remarks by Ms. Abir Al-Moghrabi at the closing ceremony of the 2005 MMEP Fel-lowship year, held at the McCord Museum of Canadian History. A Palestinian from East Jerusalem, Abir holds a BA in English Literature and a higher diploma in Education from Al Quds University. Abir has held numerous important

positions within the Palestinian Authority and was one of the founders of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation.

ferences. Reaching peace is a daily, weekly, monthly process of gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, and quietly building new structures of thought and practice.

During this process we each had and shared our moments of frustration and joy; our anger and laughter; and our fears and hopes. In this freezing weather we explored the warmth of our human passion and feelings, and our mutual longing for a better life. We always had people from the MMEP staff around to sup-port us and lift our spirits high when we were feeling down.

Finally, I hope we will be able to carry back what we have learned and use it to help serve our communities through our Centres back home. I hope we can raise more travelers to use our road by setting a good example on a human basis, at the grassroots level. It will definitely take time, a lot of practice, and will require more and more travelers from both sides to join us on this path. But each effort to strive for peaceful relationships is a victory. As long as we don’t accept defeat, and we resolve ourselves to keep trying to heal relationships that aren’t flowing smoothly, we are winning a battle for Peace.

If there is something we can do it is to proceed in this direction. We must remind ourselves that we can only take one step at a time towards a goal that we know we will ultimately reach. We are walking the right path, and we are right where we should be at this moment. We on this path may have many points of view and may hold different things to be true, but there is one truth that we all see: Love, Peace, and Justice are keys that will set us all free from the cycle of conflict and violence.

The Fellows look back on their year in Montreal IN OTHER WORDS, WE NEED PEACE Samar Al Shahwan, a Jordanian, holds a law degree from the University of Jordan and is studying for a Masters in Public Law from the Amman Arab Univer-sity for Graduate Studies. Before the MMEP Fellow-ship, Samar was Head of the women and childhood section of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development. She is completing her second year of the fellowship at the Sweileh centre as a storefront coordinator also devel-oping a legal service to advise clients.

“We in the Middle East need hopes for ourselves, our children, and the next generation. We need opportunities for our develop-ment. We need open and modern civil society. In other words— we need peace. The MMEP represents one of the hopes for peace. The uniqueness of this year and experience lies in provid-ing the opportunity for us: the Palestinian, the Israeli and the Jordanian, to meet and get to know each other. This opportunity emphasized two important things. First, the importance of reach-ing peace, to be open to each other, to tolerate each other, to understand each other, to respect each other, to cooperate with each other, and to deal with each other on a human rights basis. Second, although the road to peace may be a long and difficult one, this opportunity emphasized that peace is possible. Work-ing together during this year was the start to future cooperation. When we all go back to our countries, to work directly with peo-ple, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, to help them access their rights and entitlements, we will promote the culture of human rights and civil society, contributing to peace building in the region.”

As a Palestinian born and living in the midst of the conflict I feel that I can only speak through this lens that reflects the reality of our lives. I may say that we as a group of Fellows, being the product of this conflict represent the voice of those people who stood before, as Frost said, “two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the dif-ference”. We share a dream of love, peace, and justice and are walking on this path, which is not the easiest, and is the one that is less traveled by, especially these days. I speak as a Palestinian person and as a mother, who deeply believes that each and every Palestinian and Israeli child deserves a better life, and that we should all work with our utmost abilities to provide it to them.

Back home the conflict awaits us, but the ways we deal with it make all the difference. We have chosen to transform a poten-tially explosive situation into a time of growth. On the basis of peaceful conflict resolution we realize that we are part of a com-munity, and if we try, we can find a way that both sides can win.

Here in Montreal we had an extraordinary experience of sharing our dream of love, peace, and justice. Our very first step in tack-ling this issue peacefully was to try to agree to solve the problem.

I would like to thank my colleagues and their spouses and chil-dren. They make this experience worthwhile in their persistent attempt to understand the ‘other’. It is this understanding that gives us an ability to have some peace, for the more we under-stand each other, the more we are able to try to work out our dif-


The following is an excerpt from remarks deliv-ered by Noa Rivlin. An Israeli with a BSW from Hebrew University, Noa worked as a counselor at the Jerusalem Center for Treatment and Pre-vention of Violence in the Family before coming to the MMEP. A new mother, Noa will join Com-munity Advocacy in Jerusalem in February.

Our year in Montreal is coming to an end. Everybody is packing, and soon we will be on our way, in different directions, heading home. Excitement and sadness are mixed together in this special moment. My suitcase is packed with winter clothes which will be totally unnec-essary in the Middle East. But it's also full of new in-sights, encounters and experiences, from the past year, and which I would like to take home with me.

In the past year I learned to listen, truly listen, and not just to be heard. I learned that I could listen to people even if I totally disagree with what they are saying, and I hope to take home this ability. I met people who are on the other side of the conflict in the Middle-East, and I got to know them first hand, not as they are portrayed in my society — through the history I was taught at school, the myths I was brought up on, and the head-lines in daily newspapers. I got to know people, to learn about their lives, their societies, their beliefs, finding many commonalities. At the same time, I learned to deal with the differences, or at least to try. I learned many new things about Islam, different from its image in the Western media, and I also learned a lot about myself. I got some new perspectives about the place I come from, the things I love about it and those I'd like to change. I looked at my identity as an Israeli, at my own biases and racism. And so I'd like to take home with me the attempt to challenge all this, and then challenge it again and again, with every new en-counter, willingly, without fear and without being de-fensive. I would like to be able to challenge racism in Israel, by sharing my experience in the past year with my friends back home, with the people I work with, or with taxi drivers in Jerusalem. I would like to bring home with me optimism, cautious but determined, to spread it around and to stick to it no matter what to hold to the belief that there is a future for our nations, living together, side by side, with mutual respect and recognition. On top of all that, I made new friends here, and I hope to continue these friendships back home. Although I had a wonderful year here in Montreal, I hope to see the day when we won't have to travel so many miles away from home in order to meet.

An MMEP Farewell in verse Fellow Arik Zara delivered these closing ceremony remarks. An Israeli lawyer who graduated from Tel Aviv University, Arik spent a year as a junior lecturer at the university before joining a Tel Aviv law firm in 1999. From 1996-2000 he was a member of a joint Is-raeli-Palestinian legal training program sponsored by the Institute for Peace and Democracy. Today Arik is a staff lawyer at Commu-nity Advocacy.

Shalom and Salam, peace to you all — Adults and children, big and small 1 was asked to give a speech — About our year to teach

I am honoured to take the floor — But wouldn’t like to bore Therefore I choose — To try and amuse

In rhymes I will spell — My words of farewell It was only before a year — That we fellows came here

From lands of battle and war — Peace to explore Yet, it started mundane — Please let me explain

Days and days we spent — In finding a rent Before working on peace — We needed a lease

Roam and roam — To find a home Heat and stove, Videotron or Bell — I cannot believe it’s already farewell

The weather was hot, it was full of sun — Montreal in summer is such good fun Vieux Montreal, Basilique Notre-Dame — This City is so happy and calm

Yet, in winter, they told — It becomes really cold Buy a good coat, don’t be naive — This is not Tel-Aviv

It was then time for school — The schedule was full Peace building, social fights — Every person has rights

Empowerment and pension — Housing, community organization Learn and learn, get an education — Listen and care, this is peace foundation

We talked about all, it was not light — We tried to listen, not to fight We showed good communication — From each and each nation

Listen and hear - Calm the fear Our people must talk; this is the track — No violence and attack

Now I introduce, I am sure you’ll agree — The fellows of the MMEP Abir and the boys, Amaya, Noa and Chaim — They are all from Yerushalayim

My brother Qais, Ruweida, Dalia and Samar — We’ll see you in Jordan, it’s not that far

Randa and Abbud, they are fabulous — My friends from Nablus Faten, the girls and their father — Take care, man, his name is Taher

Jamal, with the smiling mouth— He is from Israel’s south My beautiful Jackie and I, that’s the end of the list — These are the fellows of the

McGill Middle East Today is a special occasion — It is the Independence Day of my nation

Israel is already fifty-seven — It is my home and piece of heaven In my happy day, I feel obliged — To wish liberty for all humankind

My neighbors and I deserve — freedom and security to observe Bless us with peace, our Lord — Hold a flower, not a sword

Make the Holy Land the world’s brightest light—A place of love, not of fight Moses, Muhammad, Jesus, and seers — Pray for kindness, enough of tears

“I would like to be able to challenge racism in Israel, by sharing my experience from the past year with my friends back home, with the people

I work with, or with taxi drivers in Jerusalem.” —Noa Rivlin

Learning to listen in Montreal


Fellowship Coordinator’s Report

difficult question of how they could personally build peace:

Help fellow citizens lead a more normal life, so they can think about things other than vio-lence, like fighting for their rights.

Deal with the conflict from the inside by work-ing on it within their own communities.

"Peace is achievable”, they said. “Look around, it exists in many places and situa-tions". Bring together the grassroots who never get to meet. Talk to people. Be patient. Clarify to people the negative impact of conflict on their lives. Help meet people's needs.

Through our Peace Building sessions, the Fellows met the ‘other’ and found that the ‘other’ is human, similar and approachable. Now they are back in the region trying, in many different ways, to ad-vance an elusive and multi-layered peace. When the opportunity for direct action towards peace presents itself, they are ready. Help them when you can.

Congratulations to 2005 Fellow Noa Rivlin and husband Chaim on the birth of their beautiful daughter Dana.

Fellowship Coordinator Jim Olwell has been named Director of Com-munity Development. Congratula-tions Jim!

Jamil Smadi recently completed his term as Vice President of Ad-ministration at the University of Jordan and as a member of the MMEP’s Management Committee. We wish him well in his new en-deavours.

Congratulations to Lisa Van Dusen who was recently named Associate Director of University Relations here at McGill. We wish her great success in her new post.

Great thanks from the MMEP to CIDA, the Cana-dian International Development Agency, for their continued and highly valued support to the program.

Thanks to the Government of Quebec for their gen-erous support through the Ministry of International Relations, and for the differential fee waivers for our international students at McGill.

Many thanks to Estelle Hopmeyer who, as Acting Director of the School of Social Work from 2003 through 2005, led the School through difficult times.

Thank you to all the host families who brought warmth to our Fellows: Judy Bercuvitz; Kerri Joffee (and Adam); Jane and Denis Leduc; Leslie Levy; Faraj and Carolle Nakhleh; Tom and Grace Wood-ley; Aurel and Mila Guillory; Gida Homad; and Dorita Setiwan.

A special thanks to Summer 2004 Introduction to Social Work Instructors Cheh Cho and Elayne Aber

Thank you to Jodi Michaels for working with us on the newsletter.

…and many thanks to all our volunteers, English tutors, and other contributors….

MMEP BIDS FAREWELL TO NICKY AUMOND

The McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building announces with sadness the departure of Associate Director, Nicky Aumond. Nicky began her association with us as Director of Operations of the Montreal Consortium of Human Rights Ad-vocacy Training—the centre that launched the MMEP.

Nicky played a central role in actualizing our Middle East program, and in providing cru-cial administrative and strategic leadership since the very beginnings of the program in 1997. Nicky has been a highly skilled and tireless worker for the project for eight years.

Nicky's clarity of purpose, her good humour and her personal commitment to the values and goals of our program, were the hallmarks of her stay.

We wish her best of luck in her continuing and new endeavours in assisting organizations to better attain their goals.

Great good luck to a wonderful colleague and friend, Nicky Aumond.

By Jim Olwell

At the closing ceremony of year one at the McCord Museum of Canadian History, on May 18th, 2005, a Fellow came up to me and said, "You know, Jim, I feel I haven't fully understood the meaning of this year yet". No wonder!

The previous ten pages give a good account of all they accom-plished. To my mind, however, nothing they did was more im-portant than their meetings together in our Peace building ses-sions. They accepted and internalized our common value: that you can much more easily trust someone that you know well. And that even in conflict, people have more in common than that which differentiates them.

At these meetings they put themselves on the line in two ways. First, they opened themselves up by talking at length, each in turn, about the life that had brought them to Montreal. Second, they opened themselves up by putting aside pre-conceived no-tions in order to really listen to those ‘others’ that they had been taught were ‘different’. Israelis listened to Palestinians, Pales-tinians listened to Israelis, and Jordanians listened to and were listened to by Palestinians and Israelis. After these self-revelatory exercises were complete, they began to seriously dis-cuss issues fraught with the possibility of hurt and blame. Issues like the wall, the holocaust, the occupation, the suicide bomb-ings and the Palestinian elections. There were sometimes tears, anger and disappointment. But they refused to yield to closed-mindedness. They kept on ‘dialoguing’ and emerged with new, previously unthinkable friendships. Strong ideas emerged on the

Carole Slatkin, a host in Essex County (from left), out for a walk with Fellows Faten, Amaya, Dalia, Jamal and Abbud, joined by Taher, Faten’s husband.

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McGill Middle East Program Newsletter

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