Dear TalkMatters Supporters
This is a heart-breaking time – the brutality all around is hard to bear. When will it ever end? Going round and round in my head are Bob Dylan’s words ‘the answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind’ Not much comfort! How can we bring ourselves back to think that peace is possible?
TalkMatters offers a glimmer of hope because we know that ordinary everyday Arabs and Jews are still getting together through their common interest in music, education and religion etc. And our job is to support them to do so. This month we feature updates from three of the inspirational grassroots cooperative initiatives that TalkMatters supports.
Choosing Words Carefully
On a practical level, if we are to communicate in a meaningful way when discussing the contentious topic of Israel Palestine, we need to choose our words carefully. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deeply emotional and personal to many people. The situation is also highly complex. Words invoke strong reactions due to their historical, political, religious and cultural connotations. The choice of language often shapes how a person or group is perceived whether as an advocate, critic, or an idealogue. Read more in our article Choosing Words Carefully when talking about Israel and Palestine
Updates from our partner organisations
Interfaith Encounter Association
The Jerusalem Young Adults Interfaith Encounter group met at a café and engaged in a conversation about winter. The discussion was lively and meaningful, as winter holds significant importance for both Muslims and Jews. Read more here
Hand in Hand Schools
Where do we find solace and strength when the pain of the conflict is ongoing? Here in Israel, and around the world, these are trying times, made more challenging by distressing daily headlines and images. If you feel hopeless or overwhelmed, you are not alone. Read more here
Jerusalem Youth Chorus
In a time where conflict and division seem to increase daily, fear and pain threaten to silence us and make us believe that the future can only be shaped by violence and suffering. But in JYC, we refuse to be defined by fear. Read more here
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Please pass on this information
Please pass on this information to your friends and colleagues. Please talk about the human stories that we share with you. In the horrendous circumstances we all find ourselves, TalkMatters continues to introduce the UK public to the people who refuse to see one another as enemies. We believe in supporting the grass-roots work in Israel and Palestine and we know that it is only by working together with you – our UK supporters – and with our Israeli-Palestinian Associates that we can ever walk another path. A path that leads to a future of peace, justice and equality for everyone.
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Well that’s it for now with profound hopes for a return of all the hostages, a genuine ceasefire, the cessation of violence and peaceful coexistence Team.