Sonntag, 19. August 2007
peacecamp in http://www.hagalil.compeacecamp, 17:46h
"Being you without self-confidence is person without peace":About peacecamp 2007 (english)
"being you without self-confidence is person without peace":
Ein Bericht über peacecamp 2007: imagine peace (deutsch)
This was Peacecamp 2007 for me (by Segev Elnir, Jewish Israelian delegation)
"being you without self-confidence is person without peace":
Ein Bericht über peacecamp 2007: imagine peace (deutsch)
This was Peacecamp 2007 for me (by Segev Elnir, Jewish Israelian delegation)
... comment
peacecamp,
Sonntag, 19. August 2007, 17:50
""Being you without self-confidence is person without peace": About peacecamp 2007
July 2nd-12th, Reibers, Lower Austria
Before and after peacecamp 2007, which took place from July 2nd to 12th in Reibers, Lower Austria, participants were asked to answer 4 questions related to the theme "imagine peace". While their answers remained vague and impersonal before peacecamp ("The main obstacle to peace are the politicians"; "In order to promote peace one should exchange the politicians"), answers after the camp reflect a sense of personal responsibility and the possibility of exerting an influence on one's social and political reality ("I will tell people that prejudices are wrong and that it is not impossible to live together in peace").
During 10 days, sportive, creative and cultural activities offered opportunities to explore modes of cooperation and to establish a dialogue between members of four different cultures, Hungarians, Austrians, Jewish and Palestinian Israelis.
Psychoanalytic large group sessions allowed to explore conflictuous issues and to look at the conscious and unconscious elements which stand in the way of cooperation in the political reality of these groups and people. "We were supposed to imagine peace", said one participant at the end of the encounter, "but we did not imagine peace – we lived peace". And another one asked "We all lived together in peace for 10 whole days, so why can't we all live together in peace?"
The first group-discussion was ruthless and almost violent: "When I hear the word "Palestinian" I immediately think of suicide bombers, of blown up busses, of terror" said one of the Jewish-Israeli participants. Silence, dismay, helplessness and rage were part of almost all group-sessions. But at the airport, before leaving, there were sadness and tears, tears about having to separate and to leave after having grown together and established real closeness with one another. "When somebody in Israel tells me that all Palestinians are terrorists, I will tell them that this is not true, that I have shared a dormitory with 8 wonderful Palestinians and that I got on well with them".
The transitions from angry confrontation in group-discussions to a peaceful and constructive sense of togetherness at culture evenings and workshops were impressive. Without them, the two last-day-performances - the open day in Reibers and the festival4peace in Vienna's Augarten - would not have been possible. "We fought in the groups-discussions but were friends in the bedrooms". L. does not want to feel guilty about having her own state, S. feels threatened by N.'s necklace with the Palestinian flag over Israel, but N. does not understand why this should be a threat to her Jewish co-citizens: she cannot identify with the Magen David on Israel's flag nor with the Hatikwa, nor with the crosses which hang on all the walls of our peacecamp-youth-hostel. The Arab group points out a sense of equality which they experience at peacecamp:" We eat the same food, we sleep in the same rooms, we do the same things". The fact that they thank us again and again for this experience of equality evokes some doubts about the way they may feel in Israel, of which they are citizens, just their Jewish co-citizens.
How was it possible to leave the debates and confrontations in the groups and not to carry them into bedrooms and workshops? "We have decided", tells us one Arab participant. "We have decided to fight in the discussions and to be friends in the bedrooms". Is it possible to make such a decision and to stick to it, to leave all the unresolved and complex issues within the groups-setting and not to carry it into all the other activities? "Yes – this is what we have decided: We wanted to imagine peace".
One participant pointed out that peacecamp created a kind of new reality, in which one could confront difficult issues, because all could feel safe, protected and taken care of in the very same way. Another participant described how the rules stated for the group discussions created a sense of mutual respect, which enabled participants to confront complex issues which would be left within, and not destroy, the groups.
And B., who liked to be provocative at times and to sweeten bitter debates with hoax and jokes, came up with a really wise answer to the question for the main obstacles to peace: "The most obstacle is the trust. Being you without self-confidence is person without peace".
Evelyn Böhmer-Laufer
July 2007-07-17
Before and after peacecamp 2007, which took place from July 2nd to 12th in Reibers, Lower Austria, participants were asked to answer 4 questions related to the theme "imagine peace". While their answers remained vague and impersonal before peacecamp ("The main obstacle to peace are the politicians"; "In order to promote peace one should exchange the politicians"), answers after the camp reflect a sense of personal responsibility and the possibility of exerting an influence on one's social and political reality ("I will tell people that prejudices are wrong and that it is not impossible to live together in peace").
During 10 days, sportive, creative and cultural activities offered opportunities to explore modes of cooperation and to establish a dialogue between members of four different cultures, Hungarians, Austrians, Jewish and Palestinian Israelis.
Psychoanalytic large group sessions allowed to explore conflictuous issues and to look at the conscious and unconscious elements which stand in the way of cooperation in the political reality of these groups and people. "We were supposed to imagine peace", said one participant at the end of the encounter, "but we did not imagine peace – we lived peace". And another one asked "We all lived together in peace for 10 whole days, so why can't we all live together in peace?"
The first group-discussion was ruthless and almost violent: "When I hear the word "Palestinian" I immediately think of suicide bombers, of blown up busses, of terror" said one of the Jewish-Israeli participants. Silence, dismay, helplessness and rage were part of almost all group-sessions. But at the airport, before leaving, there were sadness and tears, tears about having to separate and to leave after having grown together and established real closeness with one another. "When somebody in Israel tells me that all Palestinians are terrorists, I will tell them that this is not true, that I have shared a dormitory with 8 wonderful Palestinians and that I got on well with them".
The transitions from angry confrontation in group-discussions to a peaceful and constructive sense of togetherness at culture evenings and workshops were impressive. Without them, the two last-day-performances - the open day in Reibers and the festival4peace in Vienna's Augarten - would not have been possible. "We fought in the groups-discussions but were friends in the bedrooms". L. does not want to feel guilty about having her own state, S. feels threatened by N.'s necklace with the Palestinian flag over Israel, but N. does not understand why this should be a threat to her Jewish co-citizens: she cannot identify with the Magen David on Israel's flag nor with the Hatikwa, nor with the crosses which hang on all the walls of our peacecamp-youth-hostel. The Arab group points out a sense of equality which they experience at peacecamp:" We eat the same food, we sleep in the same rooms, we do the same things". The fact that they thank us again and again for this experience of equality evokes some doubts about the way they may feel in Israel, of which they are citizens, just their Jewish co-citizens.
How was it possible to leave the debates and confrontations in the groups and not to carry them into bedrooms and workshops? "We have decided", tells us one Arab participant. "We have decided to fight in the discussions and to be friends in the bedrooms". Is it possible to make such a decision and to stick to it, to leave all the unresolved and complex issues within the groups-setting and not to carry it into all the other activities? "Yes – this is what we have decided: We wanted to imagine peace".
One participant pointed out that peacecamp created a kind of new reality, in which one could confront difficult issues, because all could feel safe, protected and taken care of in the very same way. Another participant described how the rules stated for the group discussions created a sense of mutual respect, which enabled participants to confront complex issues which would be left within, and not destroy, the groups.
And B., who liked to be provocative at times and to sweeten bitter debates with hoax and jokes, came up with a really wise answer to the question for the main obstacles to peace: "The most obstacle is the trust. Being you without self-confidence is person without peace".
Evelyn Böhmer-Laufer
July 2007-07-17
... link
... comment
peacecamp,
Sonntag, 19. August 2007, 17:51
""being you without self-confidence is person without peace": Ein Bericht über peacecamp 2007: imagine peace
Reibers/Waldviertel, Juli 2007
Vor und nach peacecamp 2007, welches vom 2. bis 12. Juli 2007 in Reibers im Waldviertel stattfand, waren die TeilnehmerInnen aufgefordert, vier Fragen zum Thema "imagine peace" zu beantworten. Waren die Antworten vor dem peacecamp vage und unpersönlich ("Ein Hindernis für den Frieden sind die Politiker.", "Um Frieden zu realisieren sollte man die Politiker austauschen."), spiegeln die nach dem peacecamp abgegebenen Statements ein Gefühl der Eigenverantwortung und die Möglichkeit persönlicher Einflussnahme wider: "Allein kann man nicht viel verändern, aber eine Gruppe kann sich für Frieden einsetzen." Oder: "Ich werde den Menschen, die ich treffe, sagen, dass Vorurteile falsch sind und dass es nicht unmöglich ist, in Frieden zusammenzuleben."
Das 10-tägige peacecamp bot den Jugendlichen Gelegenheit, im Rahmen gemeinsamer sportlicher, kreativer und kultureller Aktivitäten Wege der Kooperation und Möglichkeiten des Dialogs zu finden. Psychoanalytische Gruppengespräche machten es möglich, Konflikt-Themen zu diskutieren, um herauszufinden, was sich in der Realität der am peacecamp so konstruktiv gelebten Diversität entgegenstellt. "Wir sollten uns hier den Frieden vorstellen, aber wir haben ihn uns nicht vorgestellt, wir haben ihn gelebt." war der Konsens, zu dem TeilnehmerInnen am Ende ihrer Zusammenkunft kamen: "We all lived in peace for whole 10 days, so why can't we all live together in peace?"
Schon die erste Diskussion war schonungslos und heftig: "Wenn ich das Wort 'Palästinenser' höre, denke ich sofort an zerfetzte Autobusse, an Selbstmordattentate." eröffnete eine jüdisch-israelische Teilnehmerin die erste Diskussionsrunde. Betroffenheit, Schweigen, Hilflosigkeit und Wut waren Teil fast aller Gruppendiskussionen. Und dennoch flossen beim Abschied Tränen, waren doch in den wenigen Tagen zwischen den Jugendlichen aller vier Gruppen tiefe, prägende Freundschaften entstanden: "Wenn in Israel jemand zu mir sagt, dass alle Palästinenser Terroristen sind, so werde ich antworten, dass das nicht stimmt; ich werde erzählen, dass ich mit acht wunderbaren Palästinensern im einem gemeinsamen Schlafsaal geschlafen und mich mit ihnen sehr gut verstanden habe."
Eindrucksvoll waren die Übergänge von den konfrontativen Debatten, die viele der analytischen Gruppengespräche kennzeichneten, zu dem von Freundschaft und tiefer Verbundenheit geprägten Miteinander während der Kulturabende und in den Workshops. Ohne diese wären die berührenden Aufführungen an den beiden letzten Tagen - dem Tag der Offenen Tür in Reibers und dem festival4peace im Wiener Augarten - nicht zustande gekommen: "We fought in the discussions but were friends in the bedrooms." L. möchte sich nicht dafür schuldig fühlen, einen eigenen Staat zu haben, Sh. fühlt sich in ihrer Existenz bedroht, wenn N. ein von der palästinensischen Flagge umhülltes Israel als Halsketterl trägt, N. aber kann sich mit dem Magen David auf israelischen Flagge und der Hatikwa nicht identifizieren und versteht gar nicht, warum Sh. ihr Halsketterl als Bedrohung empfindet. Das Besondere für die arabische Gruppe sei die am peacecamp gelebte Gleichheit: "Wir schlafen im selben Schlafsaal, wir essen das selbe Essen, wir singen die selben Songs, wir machen die gleichen Aktivitäten." Dass sich die arabischen TeilnehmerInnen immer wieder für diese Gleichbehandlung bedankten, macht betroffen und nachdenklich: Man schließt daraus, dass dies für sie nichts Alltägliches ist.
Was hatte es möglich gemacht, den in den Gruppendebatten begonnenen Streit nicht in die Schlafsäle mitzunehmen, und in den Workshops so konstruktiv zusammen zu arbeiten? "We have decided", war die beinahe lakonische Antwort: "We have decided to discuss things in the safety of the group reunions, and to stop the fight when we went out of the reunion room." Ob es möglich ist, einen ungelösten Konflikt einfach so stehen zu lassen, zu beschließen, ab jetzt zu kooperieren anstatt weiter zu streiten? "Yes, this is what we have decided. We wanted to imagine peace."
Ein Jugendlicher hob hervor, dass peacecamp eine neue, sichere Realität darstellte, in der man sich trauen konnte, schwierige Themen zu erörtern, weil man sich gleich gut behandelt und gleich gut umsorgt fühlte. Ein Anderer hob die durch die Regeln der Gruppendiskussionen entstandene Atmosphäre gegenseitigen Respekts hervor, die es möglich machte, komplizierte und konfliktuelle Dinge anzusprechen, weil man davon ausgehen konnte, dass der Streit in der Gruppe bleiben und diese nicht zerstören würde.
Und so konnte B., der eigentlich immer ganz gern provozierte und ernsthaften Themen mit Späßen und Scherzen die Spitze zu nehmen versuchte, auf die Frage nach den Hindernissen zum Frieden eine geradezu weise Antwort geben: "The most obstacle ist the trust. Being you without self-confidence is person without peace".
Evelyn Böhmer-Laufer
14. Juli 2007
http://peacecamp2007.blogger.de
Vor und nach peacecamp 2007, welches vom 2. bis 12. Juli 2007 in Reibers im Waldviertel stattfand, waren die TeilnehmerInnen aufgefordert, vier Fragen zum Thema "imagine peace" zu beantworten. Waren die Antworten vor dem peacecamp vage und unpersönlich ("Ein Hindernis für den Frieden sind die Politiker.", "Um Frieden zu realisieren sollte man die Politiker austauschen."), spiegeln die nach dem peacecamp abgegebenen Statements ein Gefühl der Eigenverantwortung und die Möglichkeit persönlicher Einflussnahme wider: "Allein kann man nicht viel verändern, aber eine Gruppe kann sich für Frieden einsetzen." Oder: "Ich werde den Menschen, die ich treffe, sagen, dass Vorurteile falsch sind und dass es nicht unmöglich ist, in Frieden zusammenzuleben."
Das 10-tägige peacecamp bot den Jugendlichen Gelegenheit, im Rahmen gemeinsamer sportlicher, kreativer und kultureller Aktivitäten Wege der Kooperation und Möglichkeiten des Dialogs zu finden. Psychoanalytische Gruppengespräche machten es möglich, Konflikt-Themen zu diskutieren, um herauszufinden, was sich in der Realität der am peacecamp so konstruktiv gelebten Diversität entgegenstellt. "Wir sollten uns hier den Frieden vorstellen, aber wir haben ihn uns nicht vorgestellt, wir haben ihn gelebt." war der Konsens, zu dem TeilnehmerInnen am Ende ihrer Zusammenkunft kamen: "We all lived in peace for whole 10 days, so why can't we all live together in peace?"
Schon die erste Diskussion war schonungslos und heftig: "Wenn ich das Wort 'Palästinenser' höre, denke ich sofort an zerfetzte Autobusse, an Selbstmordattentate." eröffnete eine jüdisch-israelische Teilnehmerin die erste Diskussionsrunde. Betroffenheit, Schweigen, Hilflosigkeit und Wut waren Teil fast aller Gruppendiskussionen. Und dennoch flossen beim Abschied Tränen, waren doch in den wenigen Tagen zwischen den Jugendlichen aller vier Gruppen tiefe, prägende Freundschaften entstanden: "Wenn in Israel jemand zu mir sagt, dass alle Palästinenser Terroristen sind, so werde ich antworten, dass das nicht stimmt; ich werde erzählen, dass ich mit acht wunderbaren Palästinensern im einem gemeinsamen Schlafsaal geschlafen und mich mit ihnen sehr gut verstanden habe."
Eindrucksvoll waren die Übergänge von den konfrontativen Debatten, die viele der analytischen Gruppengespräche kennzeichneten, zu dem von Freundschaft und tiefer Verbundenheit geprägten Miteinander während der Kulturabende und in den Workshops. Ohne diese wären die berührenden Aufführungen an den beiden letzten Tagen - dem Tag der Offenen Tür in Reibers und dem festival4peace im Wiener Augarten - nicht zustande gekommen: "We fought in the discussions but were friends in the bedrooms." L. möchte sich nicht dafür schuldig fühlen, einen eigenen Staat zu haben, Sh. fühlt sich in ihrer Existenz bedroht, wenn N. ein von der palästinensischen Flagge umhülltes Israel als Halsketterl trägt, N. aber kann sich mit dem Magen David auf israelischen Flagge und der Hatikwa nicht identifizieren und versteht gar nicht, warum Sh. ihr Halsketterl als Bedrohung empfindet. Das Besondere für die arabische Gruppe sei die am peacecamp gelebte Gleichheit: "Wir schlafen im selben Schlafsaal, wir essen das selbe Essen, wir singen die selben Songs, wir machen die gleichen Aktivitäten." Dass sich die arabischen TeilnehmerInnen immer wieder für diese Gleichbehandlung bedankten, macht betroffen und nachdenklich: Man schließt daraus, dass dies für sie nichts Alltägliches ist.
Was hatte es möglich gemacht, den in den Gruppendebatten begonnenen Streit nicht in die Schlafsäle mitzunehmen, und in den Workshops so konstruktiv zusammen zu arbeiten? "We have decided", war die beinahe lakonische Antwort: "We have decided to discuss things in the safety of the group reunions, and to stop the fight when we went out of the reunion room." Ob es möglich ist, einen ungelösten Konflikt einfach so stehen zu lassen, zu beschließen, ab jetzt zu kooperieren anstatt weiter zu streiten? "Yes, this is what we have decided. We wanted to imagine peace."
Ein Jugendlicher hob hervor, dass peacecamp eine neue, sichere Realität darstellte, in der man sich trauen konnte, schwierige Themen zu erörtern, weil man sich gleich gut behandelt und gleich gut umsorgt fühlte. Ein Anderer hob die durch die Regeln der Gruppendiskussionen entstandene Atmosphäre gegenseitigen Respekts hervor, die es möglich machte, komplizierte und konfliktuelle Dinge anzusprechen, weil man davon ausgehen konnte, dass der Streit in der Gruppe bleiben und diese nicht zerstören würde.
Und so konnte B., der eigentlich immer ganz gern provozierte und ernsthaften Themen mit Späßen und Scherzen die Spitze zu nehmen versuchte, auf die Frage nach den Hindernissen zum Frieden eine geradezu weise Antwort geben: "The most obstacle ist the trust. Being you without self-confidence is person without peace".
Evelyn Böhmer-Laufer
14. Juli 2007
http://peacecamp2007.blogger.de
... link
... comment
peacecamp,
Sonntag, 19. August 2007, 17:54
This was Peacecamp 2007 for me
It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever been in!!!!
I learned so many new things in the camp (as like dancing waltz and tango and Hungarian traditional dance and many more).
My English was improved too and I got quickly the self confidence of speaking English, mostly because I felt safe and welcome in the environment where we have been in, and because I was understood very well by the other participants and the adults.
I felt I can communicate freely and be understood very well and to talk even on subjects that it's hard for me to talk about them (the war last year in Israel, my feelings, my thoughts, etc.).
The people which came to the camp were wonderful teenagers, whom are very unselfish people, who came to the camp because they care of what happening in the world and they want to change it.
At the Peacecamp I did things that I would have never done at home (movement activities mostly). Activities I understood that I came to the camp to do them also.
The guiders (as I think so) were amazed of level of the taking part at the activities. The kids didn’t ask questions and didn’t argue with the guiders, they just did what they said, and it worked, and everybody enjoyed the activities!!!!!
Between the kids at the camp became a very close relationship, and even before the camp was over, everybody started thinking about reunion and how to communicate with each other. It means that it was a very good experience for everybody and not only for me. The participants became very good friends, without a connection to their religion, culture and homeland.
We learned that differences are not an obstacle for peace!!!
We all lived in peace for whole 10 days, so why can't we all live together in peace?
I came back to Israel from this camp with a lot to think about: About how can I change the situation now? How can I break up stigmas and paradigms? What are the things that I learned in the Peacecamp that will be able to help me? And many more questions.
In the Peacecamp learned so many new things about me that I didn’t know. It changed me positively. It change my way of viewing at world, at the people in my country, at my friends, at my family and at myself.
In my country there is a project which is called "Lead". It didn’t interested me at first time, but now, after I had been in this camp, I really think seriously to go there, because I learned a lot about myself and about teamwork, On me as a leader and as a part of a group. Now I understand the importance of this project, and how it can help me to help the world, to help other people and to help myself.
I wrote an e-mail to Evelyn which in I told her that she can't give up her dream. that she must continue with this project which is called Peacecamp. I could see what I think she wanted us to see: the subject of the Peacecamp was "imagine peace". And I, as I think everybody in the camp, was able to see the peace and not only to imagine it!!!
I also wrote her that the place she picked up for doing the camp, Reibers, was the perfect place for the goal of the camp. It was a quiet and peacefully place which in we felt safe and didn’t have to worry on everything except for the activities and the goal of the Peacecamp. I asked her to do the next camp in this place/ in a place as peacefully and quiet as Reibers.
Thank you from all of my heart for this one time experience. I will never forget it.
Thanks for all the crew of adults and children who helped this Peacecamp to be existed. And big big thanks for Evelyn and Ronny Böhmer whom we couldn't do this lifetime experience without.
Segev Elnir
Jewish Israelian delegation
Peacecamp 2007
I learned so many new things in the camp (as like dancing waltz and tango and Hungarian traditional dance and many more).
My English was improved too and I got quickly the self confidence of speaking English, mostly because I felt safe and welcome in the environment where we have been in, and because I was understood very well by the other participants and the adults.
I felt I can communicate freely and be understood very well and to talk even on subjects that it's hard for me to talk about them (the war last year in Israel, my feelings, my thoughts, etc.).
The people which came to the camp were wonderful teenagers, whom are very unselfish people, who came to the camp because they care of what happening in the world and they want to change it.
At the Peacecamp I did things that I would have never done at home (movement activities mostly). Activities I understood that I came to the camp to do them also.
The guiders (as I think so) were amazed of level of the taking part at the activities. The kids didn’t ask questions and didn’t argue with the guiders, they just did what they said, and it worked, and everybody enjoyed the activities!!!!!
Between the kids at the camp became a very close relationship, and even before the camp was over, everybody started thinking about reunion and how to communicate with each other. It means that it was a very good experience for everybody and not only for me. The participants became very good friends, without a connection to their religion, culture and homeland.
We learned that differences are not an obstacle for peace!!!
We all lived in peace for whole 10 days, so why can't we all live together in peace?
I came back to Israel from this camp with a lot to think about: About how can I change the situation now? How can I break up stigmas and paradigms? What are the things that I learned in the Peacecamp that will be able to help me? And many more questions.
In the Peacecamp learned so many new things about me that I didn’t know. It changed me positively. It change my way of viewing at world, at the people in my country, at my friends, at my family and at myself.
In my country there is a project which is called "Lead". It didn’t interested me at first time, but now, after I had been in this camp, I really think seriously to go there, because I learned a lot about myself and about teamwork, On me as a leader and as a part of a group. Now I understand the importance of this project, and how it can help me to help the world, to help other people and to help myself.
I wrote an e-mail to Evelyn which in I told her that she can't give up her dream. that she must continue with this project which is called Peacecamp. I could see what I think she wanted us to see: the subject of the Peacecamp was "imagine peace". And I, as I think everybody in the camp, was able to see the peace and not only to imagine it!!!
I also wrote her that the place she picked up for doing the camp, Reibers, was the perfect place for the goal of the camp. It was a quiet and peacefully place which in we felt safe and didn’t have to worry on everything except for the activities and the goal of the Peacecamp. I asked her to do the next camp in this place/ in a place as peacefully and quiet as Reibers.
Thank you from all of my heart for this one time experience. I will never forget it.
Thanks for all the crew of adults and children who helped this Peacecamp to be existed. And big big thanks for Evelyn and Ronny Böhmer whom we couldn't do this lifetime experience without.
Segev Elnir
Jewish Israelian delegation
Peacecamp 2007
... link
... comment
