ASSIGNMENT DUE WEDNESDAY: Blog re: working towards Mideast peace

[David Nurenberg]

ASSIGNMENT FOR WEDNESDAY:

1. Work on your project

2. Visit either SEEDS OF PEACE or MIT'S MEET PROGRAM (see websites
below). React, and start/continue a discussion with your
classmates.

A) Seeds of Peace website: http://www.seedsofpeace.org/

Read as much as you can. At minimum, read
* ABOUT US (and MISSION underneath that)
* TESTIMONIALS.
* Watch the 5 minute video: http://www.seedsofpeace.org/node/1847


B) MIT's MEET program website: http://meet.mit.edu/

Read as much as you can. At minimum, read
* WHY IS MEET DIFFERENT
* PROGRAMS (and PROJECTS under that)
* IMPACT
* Watch the 5 minute video: http://meet.mit.edu/movies/Meet_short_high_mac.html
* Read http://web.mit.edu/spotlight/meet-2006/


- Mr. N.

[David Nurenberg]

If anyone wants to see a very moving story...this is a 1 hr
documentary movie about a Palestinian family whose 12 year old son was
killed by Israeli soldiers. The family then donated their dead son's
organs to save the lives of six Israeli Jews, and then visited the
Jewish families. An amazing true story about how some people can turn
violence and loss into an opportunity for making peace:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/heart-of-jenin/videofull-episode/5120/

If anyone wants to watch the whole movie (or even a large part of it)
and write a response, I'll award extra credit.

- Mr. N.

[Dixie Morrison]

I visited the MEET website and watched the video, and what struck me
most was the prevailing sense of innocence and optimism bordering on
naivete. The students all saying that before MEET they had thought of
"the other side" as "not human beings" was an insult, but one you
would expect from a child, not an intelligent young man or woman. When
a population is kept isolated from a large part of their surrounding
world, I suppose they cannot help but be stunted in some aspect of
their growth. But (and no offense to the founders and students of
MEET, who are of course doing more than I am in the quest for peace)
when the founders and students were talking about how they are going
to make a difference because they will be the leaders of tomorrow, I
felt a little sad for them. Thirty students making cross-cultural
connections each year, even if they are maintained, will not make a
great deal of difference in a conflict as long, ugly, and unrooted in
reason as that of the Israelis and the Palestinians. If it were that
simple, there wouldn't be conflict anywhere in the world. Perhaps I am
merely cynical and do not grasp the full import and scope of MEET, but
that is just my opinion.

[btay...@colonial.net]

Upon watching both of these short videos and reading about these
organizations, I was astonished and very hopeful about our world. What
these groups are doing is an invaluable part of our world and the
societies of these nations that need help. People are, as the name
suggests, planting seeds to grow in the mind of the young people that
go to these camps. I was especially impressed with the kid in the MEET
video, and how he was so confident about change. He spoke about how he
knew that the leaders of his nation and other leaders do not know the
side of the other peoples, and this ties in to the HUGE ethnocentrism
theme of World Lit. The fact that now these kids will understand both
sides is really important and valuable. I was surprised about the
optimism these kids have. It is impossible not to think about if this
does not work in the long run. I am really surprised that these kids
are so optimistic, and I give them credit for it because I am not sure
if, had i seen so much war and bloodshed, I would be able to be so
upbeat. They are really strong people. All in all, I think what these
groups are doing is really beneficial for the world in the future, and
I hope more groups follow the example of these.

[btay...@colonial.net]

Responding to Dixie, I think that her view seems very pessimistic. She
is saying that if only a small group of people are taught to
understand other groups of people, then a difference in the world will
not really be made. Sure, this may be somewhat true, but it is as if
she is implying that there is no reason to try at all, and that just
doesn't make sense to me. Every movement (if one should call these
organizations one) starts out small. MLK obviously did not think, "oh,
I cannot do anything to help the blacks of the United States...I am
just one person..." Nothing would really get done if one thought like
this. I agree that it is hard not to think this way, when so many
people's work for peace in the world goes without notice or in vain.
But, in contrast, it is really important that people keep optimism and
hope for something better. That is the only way the world will
change. So I applaud these kids for their work and optimism.

[Maya Allen]

Dixie, you make some very good points. The comment about 'not seeing
the other side as human beings' proves to be very ignorant, but I
agree when you say that you can't really expect anything else. They
have been brought up by only those of their own religion and ethnicity
and they are taught only one way of looking at the other groups.
Also, I see where you're coming from when you say it is only a very
small group of students and founders participating and that they may
not make a difference, but on the other hand, all big things have to
start of somewhere, even if it's something as small as this. I think
that this is a very great way to start to really make kids in the
middle east join and work together. I think that the fact that they
are doing projects and working with technology will make the bonds
stronger because it is something that could benefit everyone all over
the world, but I'm hoping is that these projects will not turn into a
competition which further isolates each group of people.

[Dixie Morrison]

Ben makes a good point that we should not focus too strongly on
whether or not programs like these "work" in the long term. True,
maybe it is more important that these lucky students will live their
lives with a more worldly, enlightened view than that of the majority
of their countrymen. But this does beg the question: what could work
to achieve lasting peace in such a situation? From what little I know,
it seems the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is so blurry
and ancient and intractable that perhaps nothing could "heal" it. It
is similar to racism in America--when something, even something bad,
is so much a part of a region's identity, it takes methods beyond the
ordinary or even extraordinary to remedy it. If the election of a
black president didn't prove America's post-raciality (since, after
all, it doesn't exist), what could? Similarly, I'm looking at all the
admirable strides made towards peace in the Middle East--the endeavors
from the West, the peace agreements between the Israeli and
Palestinian leaders in the 90s, and now programs like MEET and Seeds
for Peace--and coming to the conclusion that, if there even is a
viable peace solution, it is something we have not even contemplated.
If the Israelis and Palestinians could come to an agreement, there is
hope for every senseless conflict in the world. That said, senseless
conflicts, being senseless, have a habit of repelling sense and are
therefore usually hopeless.

On Nov 17, 6:32 pm, "btaylo...@colonial.net" <btaylo...@colonial.net>
wrote:

[Kyle Calabria]

After watching the video on the site seeds of peace, and reading
Dixies comment on the necessity for a solution that is beyond ordinary
or even extraordinary, I had an interesting idea for a peaceful
solution. What if mixed couples were some how formed between
Palestinians and Israelis. Their children would be half Israeli and
half Palestinian. On the short term it would create countless
problems. What religion will the children adopt as their own, what
type of citizen will they be classified as, how will laws effect mixed
race peoples. In the long term however, there would be enough mixed
culture people, that there would be an almost bridge between pure
Israelis and pure Palestinians, eventually creating a more peaceful
and shared land. The idea is radical and crazy, and seems unrealistic,
but I guess most options that don't involve blowing each other up are
worth looking at.

[Kyle Calabria]

I think the idea of educating the youth, and having them interact and
create relationships with members of the opposite culture, is an
amazing idea. Youth's mind's are much more easily sculpted than older
peoples. If you can mold their thoughts to thinking of peace first,
and allowing them to realize everyone in the world is more similar
than different, it will create a brighter future. When the youth grow
up and one day enter positions of power they will have a peaceful
influence on their decision making, and will have relationships with
the opposite culture. If a Palestinian and an Israeli become friends
at a program like seeds of peace, each one will think differently next
time they hear about a member of the opposite culture getting killed.
Maybe they will think what if that was my friend?

On Nov 17, 6:44 pm, Dixie Morrison <dmorriso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[oschultz]

After watching the seeds of peace, I find that the setting for the
camp seems to be a bit out of place when you look at the bigger
picture. I don't really understand how, but for some reason, the
additional awkwardness of the camp setting that goes along with the
meeting of new people from different cultures seemed to help the
campers connect in the long run. Dislocation from a situation can do
wonders, however, without the facilitation of the people heading the
camp and you would just have a bunch of people grouped into their own
favorable settings. While the results of this camp seem to be very
good, I would have to say that the fact underlying all of this, is
that each of these kids were influenced into the camp, which would
mean that they didn't necessarily go through their own free will. So I
am just wondering whether or not this is actually a long term fix to a
live long problem or if this is just some outside agreement that
involved these kids from Israel and Palestine?

[oschultz]

Kyle, I agree with your point in the sense that the people who get the
full experience from the camp will in fact be more sensitive to their
friend's culture. While this is a nice idea, the reality of the
situation is that not everybody in all of Israel and Palestine has the
ability to get to know their enemy as a friend. Power tends to dilute
the masses through material goods and inadequate views of the people
around them. Some of them don't even have the essentials for living
let alone the ability to be able to understand their enemy. Usually,
if someone is barely surviving and they find that there is someone to
blame(such as the people whom are bombing them), then it is usually
less likely that negotiations that are as simple as a 21 day camp for
a select group of teenagers are going to make a major amount of
progress.

[Dominic Ryder]

I would definitely agre that whether or not these programs are having
an immediate, and large scale, effect is not all that important. The
programs are obviously having an impact on indivduals' lives, and if
one cannot change something for individual people, how could one hope
to change it for a country? I also think that one has to start
somewhere, even if on a small scale. If that doesnt happen, people
will eventually realize that they have spent all their time looking
for something that can solve all problems instantly, when maybe they
could have made a difference through smaller efforts, in the
meantime.
Looking at the MEET site, I also found the huge difference in the
descriptions of the program, and its impacts. The program is described
almost entirely from its educational, technological aspect. the site
mentions that students come from both Isreal and Palestine, but doesnt
say much more than that. it simply describes what the students will do
during their year(s) in the program. The page devoted to the impact
of MEET, on the other hand, almost ignores this aspect of the
program. for the most part, the articles talk about the way
participating in MEET has changed the way the Israeli and Palestinian
students view each other. I thought this was an interesting dichotomy
about the whole MEET program.

[Lucy Fandel]

I looked at the seeds of peace website. I definitely think this is a
fantastic idea. It makes the most sense to me to educate the future to
find peace. I also really like the fact that the camp is not only open
to Palestinians and Israelis, but also to other countries with long
lasting conflicts. I think that this camp could be part of a long term
solution but it needs to expand to be part a larger scale movement.
They say on the site that there are 4,000 "seeds" which is fantastic
but still not enough.
What would be great would be to get this type of camp to open in many
locations in places more accessible to Israelis and Palestinians than
Maine. While this would be very difficult, and probably impossible,
the ideal situation would be to have both Israeli and Palestinian
children in the same schools and classes learning to interact with
each other everyday.

[Lucas Morrill]

I understand what Oliver is saying and I think there needs to be a way
to convey the message that these camps tell to the rest of the
Israelis and Palestinians. The fact that these grown adults do not
recognize the other side as human shows that, perhaps, the whole
situation is the result of a massive misunderstanding. On one side the
Palestinians associate all Israelis with tanks and soldiers. And the
Israelis only view the Palestinians as Terrorists. It's sad, but, to
me, that's what this situation seems to be. If there was a way to tell
these people about these camps, where Israelis and Palestinians spend
time with each other, then there would be a way to get around this
misunderstanding. What we need is a way to show them that the other
side is human as well. With that, we would be one giant step closer to
peace.

[richard...@comcast.net]

The kids from both sides are taught to hate eachother and never have
the actual experience to meet eachother. Programs like MEET allow this
interaction to happen, and is important if we want to see peaceful
negotions between the groups in the future. However i dont believe its
right that these students use other peoples influence to deciede if
they like a person or a group of people. I wish we could join these
two groups together and end this conflict.

[Mark B]

I agree with the idea of the program however i agree with Oliver that
it may be on to small of a scale to have a direct impact. With
hundreds of thousands of people involved in this conflict is it really
realistic to hope that 4,00"seeds" can make a legitimate difference.
Also Oliver makes a valid point that this is not an option for
everyone so i agree with Lucy that the best way to have the children
form these two different cultures to interact in constructive ways is
through the public school system there rather than a camp that few can
realistically get to.

[Lucas Morrill]

After watching the seeds of peace video, I first would like to say
that I am very impressed by the whole idea of the camp. It doesn't
seem like a big step to me, but the camp has had great success uniting
Palestinians and Israelis in a positive environment. It doesn't seem
like it would be that helpful, but it clearly has had a profound
impact on many people's lives. I also think it's interesting to see
the reaction of some of the campers. They almost seem surprised that
they were able to connect with people from the other side. I think it
must be a popular viewpoint in the region that it is worthless to try
to connect with each other because the are enemies. It seems to me
that this is vital to achieving peace, and it has been proven very
well at the seeds of peace camp.

[richard...@comcast.net]

Kyle it would be almost impossible to get large amount of couples
together, and even if we did, it would not solve the issues very
quickly. We need to have disscusions between the leaders and show them
how similar they are to eachother. Also what happens if the couples
are considered "tabboo" between the two cultures, we would be left
with a third group of people which would increase tensions and
violence.

[Mark B]

I also agree with Richard that one of the main problems is that these
kids are taught to hate eachother and view each other as inhuman from
the word go. I think that its very important that programs like MEET
allow people the option to actually see the other side as human rather
than as a "tank" or "terrorist." however i still believe that this is
on far too small of a scale to make a huge difference and that the
problem has to be delt with from the root rather than reversed after
they are taught to hate each other.

On Nov 17, 9:11 pm, "richardplehm...@comcast.net"

[Maya Allen]

I agree with everyone who is saying this is on too small of a scale
but it is absolutely a step in the right direction. If we didn't try,
how would we know if it would work or not? The only problem in making
this movement larger is that those kids who are a part of the MEET
program still live at home, meaning that their parents most likely
allowed them to join these programs. This could possibly be only a
very small portion of those parents who would actually let their kid
interact with another group that their own group traditionally
despises and are trained to dislike. The kids could be perfectly
willing to learn and interact with other people if there weren't so
conditioned by their families and friends. The main problem for kids
in high school and below, I think, is creating an environment that
would allow these kids to embrace those differences without "going
against their families and culture."

[Maya Allen]

I agree with everyone who is saying this is on too small of a scale
but it is absolutely a step in the right direction. If we didn't try,
how would we know if it would work or not? The only problem in making
this movement larger is that those kids who are a part of the MEET
program still live at home, meaning that their parents most likely
allowed them to join these programs. This could possibly be only a
very small portion of those parents who would actually let their kid
interact with another group that their own group traditionally
despises and are trained to dislike. The kids could be perfectly
willing to learn and interact with other people if there weren't so
conditioned by their families and friends. The main problem for kids
in high school and below, I think, is creating an environment that
would allow these kids to embrace those differences without "going
against their families and culture."

On Nov 17, 9:17 pm, Mark B <Mbroad...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[Alex Steinroeder]

Everyone is saying that it is too small of scale to make an impact on
the situation, but it is making an impact on these select kids, their
families, and all the people that they know. Even if these kids'
parents still dislike the opposing side, they will at least have some
skepticism in their minds about what they have been taught. These
programs are educating both sides about the "enemy" and showing them
that they are really not that different from each other. So what if
its only a small minority of the people who are getting educated, it
is better than nobody. These kids will not have to live their lives
with false assumptions about the other side, so they will not have as
much hatred inside of them. Also, it is not like everyone from both
sides hates each other. At one point these sides were going to try and
live peacefully until all it took was one man to change it by
assassinating Rabin.

> > > > > - Mr. N.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[jmcke...@colonial.net]

While the MEET program is the right idea, and could indeed lead to
actual peace in the region, two problems remain with the solution.
Firstly, the program is on such a small scale that any real changes
will never be seen on the national scale. 30 students is just too
little considering the number of people involved in this conflict, and
as long as it remains only as a side project for peace, it will never
be successful. Secondly, this solution is a very long term solution to
the conflict. While long term thinking isn't bad (I would even
encourage it), short term solutions must also be developed, as this
conflict is killing people right now, something that cannot wait until
the new generation grows up and hopefully enacts change.

[Alex Steinroeder]

Richard, I don't think that the problems will be solved by just the
political leaders having discussions with each other. I know that you
have to start somewhere in trying to make peace, but all it takes is a
few angry Palestinians or a few angry Jews to destroy the peace. It is
a tough situation because the hatred has been engrained in so many
people that they will not change their minds about the other side just
because their leader says that the other side is no longer evil. This
quote that I found really summarizes the conflict going on and how sad
it is. It is like what the poet Jonathan Swift once said, "We have
just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love
one another". People are supposed to love one another, but because of
the differences in religion they feel the necessity to fight about who
is right and who is wrong. If people just accepted that everyone has a
choice to their own opinion and religion, then the "senseless"
fighting that Dixie mentioned would be much less frequent. I am not
sure that it is possible to convince people that more than one person
can be right, but if someone did manage to pull this off then the
world would be a much more peaceful place.

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[jmcke...@colonial.net]

Seeds of Peace seems to be an effective program in dealing with
conflict throughout the world. By having the scale be so large, and
encompassing so many different countries, SoP does seem to have the
right model for dealing with apathy or in some cases outright hatred.
By not focusing on just one conflict or only a few groups of people,
SoP is taking a much more global approach to the root of all conflict,
a lack of understanding in other cultures. This does have the negative
side effect of not being specialized in one cause, making the group
somewhat spread thin in dealing with issues, but I think the benefits
far outweigh the costs in this case.

[Sloane.Brazina]

It was very powerful to watch the students bond with one another.
Once they moved past the superficial labels imposed by religion and
nationality, the kids began to realize they had more in common than
they could ever imagine. This was a radical realization for many if
not all of the MEET participants. Watching the students cross
territory lines to befriend the "enemy" made me realize just how silly
politics can be. One Israeli boy shared he "didn't think of
Palestinians as people." Because the two nations have been butting
heads for years, it is easy to see why he would think this way. The
MEET program enables children to see beyond the narratives of
government. Once the "enemy" was associated with a face and name--
once the "enemy" took on a personal identity--the divisions imposed by
political leaders became irrelevant. Once these barriers were cast
aside the kids quickly became friends, cooperating to achieve a common
goal. I can only hope Israeli and Palestinian politicians will
experience a similar realization, taking their countries one step
closer to peace.

[Jon Mayer]

I think that Seeds of Peace is just the kind of program needed to
further the possibility of real change in this world. There is a
school of International Relations called Social Liberalism, which
focuses on the necessity of establishing interpersonal relationships
between citizens of different countries in order to promote peaceful
international interactions and actions of mutual benefit rather than
exclusively power seeking actions. This is founded on the idea that
humans are inherently good, and share some common morals and values as
natural, or "god-given". Cultures can hide this and create conflict,
but when cultural barriers are passed and ties are created between
people, they will inherently work in the mutual best interest of
themselves and the others they have met. There are other factors that
play a role, such as one's perception of the foremost player on the
international level, the sovereignty of nations, the idea of the
nation being the highest authority or not, and speaking with one voice
or not. However, the overall idea is that these relationships create
the base foundation that will carry over into the private and
government world, as both of these sectors are made up of individuals.

There is a lot of reasons to support this idea when thinking in terms
of the masses rather than the figureheads of the governments of nation-
states, and Seeds of Peace is directly acting to create progress
towards a better situation according to this model. The idea is that
Israeli and Palestinians getting to know each other will quickly
breach their differences and reveal their commonality to each other.
This is probably easiest with the age group they focus on, which is
the teenagers of the nations, as teenagers tend to be more willing to
change how they see the world. While their efforts may seem small, any
step towards peace is a valuable step, and the notion is that the
youth in this program will carry these ideas back to their homes and
maybe sway one, or two, or three, or more people to their line of
thought, which will slowly but surely spread the interconnectedness of
the two populations. As one of the youth in the Seeds of Peace video
of their mission said, everyone wants to live freely and quietly
without worries. Working that out is easier when a dialogue between
the two sides is being created. Seeds of Peace says how treaties are
made by governments, but Peace is made by people. However, they are
grooming some of their students to be politicians, therefore, they are
aware that these two ideas are not mutually exclusive. The government
is made up of people who still think like people no matter what, and
as such the treaties are written by people. These interpersonal
relations are essential to really achieve change in the chaos of the
modern day world.

[Sloane.Brazina]

"Bombing houses is easy. Coming here and expressing feelings and
getting hurt everyday is really the hard thing." --Seeds of Peace
video

This quote from one of the girls participating in the Seeds of Peace
program helped me to understand the power behind South Africa's Truth
and Reconciliation Commission following the fall of Apartheid. In
class we were wrestling with why Nelson Mandela chose to let the white
officers of Apartheid "off the hook" once they fell from power by not
inflicting physical pain on them, but instead voicing the damage they
caused to the nation. At the time, I didn't see this as such a
horrible form of punishment, but now I can see the reasoning behind
the confession process. While it would have been much quicker and
easier to kill the members of the Apartheid government, making them
face an audience and acknowledging their faults was much more
powerful. From the stage in front of the assembly, the offenders were
subject to a live audience. They were able to see first hand the pain
on a mother's face, watch the tears well up in a grandfather's eyes.
These images and emotions were much, much harder to confront and live
with with than staring down the barrel of a gun. Perhaps Israel and
Palestine should have a similar ceremony in efforts to heal years of
wounds and differences.

[Jon Mayer]

I think Sloane touches on in her first post what Dixie may have been
missing or taking too literally about the "less than human" comment.
It is not that one in a situation such as an Israeli youth seriously
believes that the Palestinians are not equal to human beings or
deserving of the same rights. It is simply that they are so
disconnected from Palestinians and experience so little personal
contact with them that it is easy to have a lack of empathy and
morality when talking about them or taking military action against
them. The average Israeli does not have to deal with the consequences
of their actions towards the Palestinians except when a bus or a shop
blows up, and as such they are not compelled to consider the possible
outcomes. All of this leads to a "dehumanization" of the Palestinians,
which is really just not being considerate when thinking about them,
and reaching a disconnected mindset where one could carry out actions
or hold thoughts that they would never hold towards another human
being that they have personally met. Therefore, this could be seen as
dehumanization, but more accurately it could be described as inability
to empathize with a race due to extended isolation from social
interactions with that race.

[Nick Jessee]

Seeds of peace is an interesting organization that personalizes
international and domestic conflicts. Often, I feel that people look
upon issues involving other people that they have no relationship
towards, much more harsh and critical than someone else would. An
example is immigration in the United States. People who have no
connection or relationship with an immigrant or immigration as a
whole, often look down upon it. But when somebody knows the story of
an individual, they are much more empathetic. Seeds of peace
personalizes conflicts with teens and creates empathy and
understanding at an early age.

[Will]

In 8th grade I watched a movie called, Promises, in World Cultures.
The director takes Israeli and Palestinian kids, and helps them become
friends. Before the kids meet each other, they both assume that they
hate one another just because one is Israeli, and one is Palestinian.
This reminded me of the MEET program because it helps show how peace
is a possibility. This helped me realize how everyone in the middle
east could come together through experiments like this. The only
problem is that people look at these experiments and say "wow thats
great" and then go back to what they are doing, without having a
significant realization.

On Nov 17, 10:20 pm, "jmckenn...@colonial.net"

[Nick Jessee]

After watching the video and reading about MEET, I think their idea is
optimistic but could face some issues because of their small size. If
the program was to expand to much more than 30 students, than it could
have some impact on a larger scale. However, i think educating
students and creating relationships among them is definitely a step in
the right direction. Personalizing conflicts is a good way to create
empathy and doing it with teens and the upcoming generations could
result in peace among the conflicting ethnicities.

[Phil Lavely]

After watching the Seeds of Peace trailer, it immediately reminded me
of Challenge Day. Just as the kids in Seeds of Peace were fighting
against each other because of what they represented or what they
believed, people from all around the world hold biases or discriminate
due to ones ethnicity, race, gender, or religious beliefs. When the
leader had them separate in the room so they could really see the big
picture, and what they were doing, that really struck them. They could
physically see the rift they were creating between themselves even
though they had just been talking to each other and had been friends
until they started discussing rights of the Palestines or Jews. This
is almost exactly what happens during Challenge Day. During Challenge
Day there is an activity in which everyone stands on one side of the
room and a statement is said out loud. If anyone can relate to the
statement, they cross the line. A statement, such as "cross the line
if you have ever been hurt by words said to you because of where you
come from" will allow people to see what the REAL picture is, the big
picture, and the not what they thought. Once they realized they were
not that much different from each other in the trailer, just like
people in Challenge Day realize they really aren't that much
different, people come together. This is amazing, and I truly respect
those that can see that, and change their minds and unite with others.
I really enjoyed seeing the trailer and reading other parts of the
website.

On Nov 17, 10:20 pm, "jmckenn...@colonial.net"
<jmckenn...@colonial.net> wrote:

[Phil Lavely]

I agree with what Jon was saying about a disconnect between the two
groups of people. It's not that one group thinks the other is
undeserving to live, but rather that they are right and others are
wrong, and this has been exasperated through war. They have become
desensitized due to all the warfare, and like the girl in the trailer
said, she just wants to fight or hit someone, even when they show
compassion. That kind of hatred and aggression becomes instilled in
ones heart when they have to face that kind of constant violence and
way of life. She said she only feels relived when she screams or
cries. No one should ever have to feel that way, and it seems that the
program helped to change her mind. The program seems really strong,
and the message it is giving the younger generations is crucial for
any hope for the future of peace between the two groups of people.
That being said, an entire nation is not just going to stop what they
are doing to listen to others talk and express how they feel, and
share a bond that people don't think they can share. I believe the
program can do amazing things, and can help people from all over
realize what they truly think, and not what war or society has put in
their head.

[Will]

I completely agree with Steinroeder. Just because political leaders of
the Middleeast work out peace with one another, doesnt mean the people
(majority) of the country will make peace. A perfect example is when
slaves were considered free in the U.S. There were still many of
racist people in every part of the country, and even rules that
segregated them from whites. These segregations usually gave the
whites the upper hand. So, if the political leaders try to discuss a
solution, it will only be to benefit themselves.

On Nov 17, 10:14 pm, Alex Steinroeder <alsteinroed...@yahoo.com>

[chloe]

I agree with Lucas, the seeds of peace video is a very positive
enforcement and an optimistic idea to finally bring together a
realistic camp for both Israelis and Palestinians. Doing this can
effect how they feel towards different cultures/ethnicities/religions
and come to a realization that being aware of other people isn't
necessarily a negative impact on people.

[janzer]

After reading and viewing on the MIT MEET website, I was left with a
sense of optimism. It left me hopeful for a better world, and this is
clearly an idea that moves that idea forward. Although it seems quite
idealistic, it likely works very well. This is a great opportunity for
anyone who chooses to join, and they gain a less biased sense of other
ethnic groups. To quote Nelson Mandela, "You must work with your
enemy. Then your enemy becomes your partner". People who do not meet
each other on a personal level only have their predeterminations about
each others' societies to judge them on. When people have a chance to
connect on more than just an issue or just their background, they
become more open-minded and willing to listen. It is a small scale,
but this opportunity probably makes a huge difference in peoples'
lives.

[janzer]

In addition to my optimism after reading about MEET, i was also
somewhat skeptical. This is a very small sample of people who have
this opportunity. Some of them will have a chance to use this
experience to make the world better, but some will not. Whether this
makes a real difference can only be determined with time. Also, the
people who are participating are people who are open-minded towards
meeting people of other cultures to begin with. If they weren't, they
wouldn't participate. Obviously this still helps these people and
provides them with an incredible learning experience, but I have to
question the practicality. Of course, I would love to see this be a
smashing hit, and for the participants to go on to become world
leaders who help influence peace. Unfortunately, not everyone has the
good fortune to end up in a position of power. All in all, people who
attend MEET should only have positive experiences, and there is
something to be said for that. However, there is something left to be
desired in a sense of the actual changing potential of the
participants.

[chloe]

I also agree with Richard and Mark B that just a few organizations
such as MEET will change only a small amount of people to think
differently, but these programs won't be effecting people universally
or internationally, just within a group of people that are going to
these camps. I also agree that these problems should have been dealt
with much earlier rather than once routines and traditions have sunk
in for generations. Never the less, this program is still useful and
is a great advancement for now.

On Nov 17, 9:17 pm, Mark B <Mbroad...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[sophia]

hi

On Nov 17, 10:20 pm, "jmckenn...@colonial.net"
<jmckenn...@colonial.net> wrote:

[Jake White]

I went to the Seeds of Peace website and learned about their program.
I think that this idea of bring kids from different sides of a
conflict together and showing them that they are similar and that what
they are fighting about is not worth the loss is an effective method,
but it is on a smaller scale then is needed in order to end the
conflict between the Jews and the Palestinians in Israel. I think that
they're will always be extremist individuals that are extremely
stubborn and never give in and will always fight for what they believe
in, therefore I believe that the Palestinians and Jews need to
separate and find new land if they ever want to see peace

[Jake White]

I think that MEET is along the same lines. It is an effective method
in creating peace between regular Palestinians and Jews, but on a much
smaller scale then is needed in order for peace to be found on a large
scale.

[Mark Nimar]

I strongly disagree with Dixie. True change happens on the street, in
small gestures and not in the halls of leaders and governments.
Government is theory and action is realistic. I think these people are
quite noble for taking such a step, and their actions echo throughout
our world in a subconscious and conscious manner, which changes
society and our views. I believe in the snowball effect, and not the
giant canvassing effect caused by few politicians, which Dixie
proposes.

[Mark Nimar]

I don't think it is as simple as that, Kyle. Firstly, people should
have a choice who they couple with, and not be forced by the
government to couple with another- doing so would be judging one by
their ethnicity, and would limit free will to make matters worse.
Also, I think it is more of a biological issue- humans are all really
the same, but think how much discourse we already have!! I believe in
preserving cultures instead of dismantling them for political
purposes. Things and cultures can change, but should change by the
free will of its people. Though your idea is interesting: I think we
could use it, and instead bring people together through camps and
schools and things. I think the segregation Israelis have caused is
wrong: they should instead slowly bring down borders and foster peace
to reach the objective you propose.

On Nov 17, 7:52 pm, Kyle Calabria <kylecalab...@comcast.net> wrote:
> After watching the video on the site seeds of peace, and reading
> Dixies comment on the necessity for a solution that is beyond ordinary
> or even extraordinary, I had an interesting idea for a peaceful
> solution. What if mixed couples were some how formed between
> Palestinians and Israelis. Their children would be half Israeli and
> half Palestinian. On the short term it would create countless
> problems. What religion will the children adopt as their own, what
> type of citizen will they be classified as, how will laws effect mixed
> race peoples. In the long term however, there would be enough mixed
> culture people, that there would be an almost bridge between pure
> Israelis and pure Palestinians, eventually creating a more peaceful
> and shared land. The idea is radical and crazy, and seems unrealistic,
> but I guess most options that don't involve blowing each other up are
> worth looking at.
>
> On Nov 17, 6:44 pm, Dixie Morrison <dmorriso...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Ben makes a good point that we should not focus too strongly on
> > whether or not programs like these "work" in the long term. True,
> > maybe it is more important that these lucky students will live their
> > lives with a more worldly, enlightened view than that of the majority
> > of their countrymen. But this does beg the question: what could work
> > to achieve lasting peace in such a situation? From what little I know,
> > it seems the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is so blurry
> > and ancient and intractable that perhaps nothing could "heal" it. It
> > is similar to racism in America--when something, even something bad,
> > is so much a part of a region's identity, it takes methods beyond the
> > ordinary or even extraordinary to remedy it. If the election of a
> > black president didn't prove America's post-raciality (since, after
> > all, it doesn't exist), what could? Similarly, I'm looking at all the
> > admirable strides made towards peace in the Middle East--the endeavors
> > from the West, the peace agreements between the Israeli and
> > Palestinian leaders in the 90s, and now programs like MEET and Seeds
> > for Peace--and coming to the conclusion that, if there even is a
> > viable peace solution, it is something we have not even contemplated.
> > If the Israelis and Palestinians could come to an agreement, there is
> > hope for every senseless conflict in the world. That said, senseless
> > conflicts, being senseless, have a habit of repelling sense and are
> > therefore usually hopeless.
>
> > On Nov 17, 6:32 pm, "btaylo...@colonial.net" <btaylo...@colonial.net>
> > wrote:
>
> > > Upon watching both of these short videos and reading about these
> > > organizations, I was astonished and very hopeful about our world. What
> > > these groups are doing is an invaluable part of our world and the
> > > societies of these nations that need help. People are, as the name
> > > suggests, planting seeds to grow in the mind of the young people that
> > > go to these camps. I was especially impressed with the kid in the MEET
> > > video, and how he was so confident about change. He spoke about how he
> > > knew that the leaders of his nation and other leaders do not know the
> > > side of the other peoples, and this ties in to the HUGE ethnocentrism
> > > theme of World Lit. The fact that now these kids will understand both
> > > sides is really important and valuable. I was surprised about the
> > > optimism these kids have. It is impossible not to think about if this
> > > does not work in the long run. I am really surprised that these kids
> > > are so optimistic, and I give them credit for it because I am not sure
> > > if, had i seen so much war and bloodshed, I would be able to be so
> > > upbeat. They are really strong people. All in all, I think what these
> > > groups are doing is really beneficial for the world in the future, and
> > > I hope more groups follow the example of these.

[Lucy Fandel]

Another key point that should be considered for Seeds of Peace, is
that the types of parents who send their kids to this type of camp,
are not very likely to be complete religious fanatics. They already
have at least some willingness to interact with the other side. I
think that the people who pose the worst threats are the ones who are
so extreme that they willingly ruin peace negotiations for the
advancement of their group. If we could somehow reach out the their
children and shield them from the adults' influences there would
probably also be more valuable progress.
The issue with "shielding" these kids is that it is immoral even
though it is for peace because from the parents' point of view, we
would be stealing their right to raise their children in their own
way.
This type of program is difficult to make available to everyone,
however with the little steps I definitely think peace will be
reached, though the children.