The Next Step To Non-Violence
I just finished watching the movie "Budrus", which was screened at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. It is a documentary about a Palestinian village's success applying non-violent resistance.
Israel decided to build a wall and fence between Israel and the West Bank, in an attempt to get a handle on the number of suicide bombings by Palestinian extremists. So far the fence seems to have worked quite well, as some suggest the number of bombings has dropped by more than 90%.
Budrus is the story of the village with that name, where - for reasons nobody knows - it was decided to build the wall in a way, that it would totally encircle this plus several other villages. Also, significant damage to the villagers' olive trees was necessary, following the planned route. Now, these trees are not just some ornamental decorations, but the source of most of the income of the villagers. For them, it was a matter of survival.
What ensued - and is beautifully documented in the movie - is the struggle of the villagers to safe their olive trees.
Lessons Learned
First of all, this is a text-book example for how much more effective and less costly non-violent measures are. Although there have been some injuries, there have not been any casualties. And, given the number of demonstrations and the duration of several months, not a single serious injury is quite an amazing accomplishment!
The movie pointed out another aspect, that is worsening problems around the globe: While the demonstrations were non-violent, the Israeli TV news report painted a war-scene: deserted street, a car-wreck. Soldiers shooting their guns. Teargas drifting. Anybody watching the report must think that there is some serious fighting going on! Clearly an attempt to misinform the public.
Tell me, how in the world should anybody really understand a situation - not to talk about finding a solution to it - when the media reports gossip instead of news?
That, BTW, is the core issue here in the USA, too. Most AM talk-shows and tv-channels like Fox and others do not report facts, but try to paint any picture in the colors that they think their viewers want to see. And we, the viewers, then base our opinions and view-points on these slanted, distorted caricatures of "reality" (or better irreality, sometimes even surreality)! No wonder, we are the only country in the developed world, where the general population is still in denial about climate change, and the fact that is is caused by us humans... But, let me get off this soapbox, as this is not my topic today... :)
Next Step After Non-Violence
Most interesting to me is, that there is an important insight that this documentary helps the viewer to realize. And I believe, it is the second step to the idea of non-violence!
Everybody that was interviewed, explained the situation from their perspective. Nobody made any attempt to see it from the other's viewpoint.
The Israeli captain said the lives of Israeli civilians is more important than an olive tree. Of course! But, is it more important to run the fence right here and not over there? Is the source of income (and with that survival) of a family more important than the exact route planned by some bureaucrat 100 km away?
The Palestinians lamented, that they hadn't done anything, and are just trying to live peacefully, bringing up their children. How can the Israelis just go and uproot the family's source of income, which the grandfather has planted with his own hands, carrying the water on his head to water them? True, too! But, how could Israel not try to put an end to the suicide bombings executed by the villager's fellow-Palestinians?.
They both have valid points. And they both fought thinking God was on their side.
And, like to be expected, it looks like they will fight each other happily forever after...
The Only Path To Peace
The first step to stop the bleeding is the decision to not use violence anymore. This is usually a consequence of the realization, that violence always - A-L-W-A-y-S! - leads to more violence. In the short term it might look like something was achieved, but really it just hardens the problem, and delays the explosion. Violence never solves a problem, but increases it and creates another one!
After deciding to not want violence anymore, the next step is to find a consensus. Not a compromise - consensus! A compromise is a middle ground, but could be felt unjust by either or even both parties. And another clash is just a matter of time. (Look at WW2 as textbook example of such a clash after the WWI peace treaty). A consensus is a situation, that both parties can live with.
The only way for two parties to find a consensus is when they start looking at the situation through the other's eyes.
Any person, who feels their family and friends are endangered to be blown to pieces, would try to find some way to prevent that from happening - no matter how. Once Palestinians allow themselves to see this easy to understandable fact, they'll know what to do and what not.
Any person, who depends on an olive tree as source of income would never, ever think about uprooting a good tree - no matter what. Once Israelis allow themselves to understand that fact, they, too, will know what to do and what not.
Once I see and understand a problem of the other person, I automatically start thinking about how could I help solving this problem.
And it is quite plain to see, that the Israelis can not stop Hamas - no matter how much money and technology and humans they put into it. Only the Palestinians themselves can do that. But they can do that only, once they realize that Hamas is not the solution, but the cause of the problem.
In the same vein, it is also plain to see, that Palestinian extremists can not make Israel go away - no matter how many of their young men they brainwash into becoming suicide bombers.
If these two peoples want to live in peace, they can do so only if all of them have peace. Both need to accept that the other has a right to exist, and both have to allow each other to live and pursue their peaceful happiness.
No matter what happened in the past - an a minute ago is past - only what we do now matters, as it defines the future. Every minute we can decide anew whether we want to continue to fight, or whether we want to move towards peace.
The Real Message of This Post
Ok, now take this lesson and apply it to your own life! Look at your relationships - with your partner, your parents, siblings and children, your boss and coworkers, clients and suppliers. Ha! That's much harder, isn't it, than talking about something that's going on half a world away! Well, there's only little animosities that is separating you from the people in your life - not violent deaths of loved ones, threats to your existence, traumatic experiences with incarceration and torture. So, how much easier should it be for you and me to fix our wars, than for the Israeli and Palestinians to figure out theirs!
I find, that the same principles apply on the personal as on the national and global scale: violence, threats, manipulation, and force always - A-L-W-A-Y-S - backfire and never move you towards a solution. Love and compassion are the only way. And trying to see the world through the other person's eyes is the first step towards being able to understand the other, which is the basis for real compassion...
Love is the answer! To any question!
Israel decided to build a wall and fence between Israel and the West Bank, in an attempt to get a handle on the number of suicide bombings by Palestinian extremists. So far the fence seems to have worked quite well, as some suggest the number of bombings has dropped by more than 90%.
Budrus is the story of the village with that name, where - for reasons nobody knows - it was decided to build the wall in a way, that it would totally encircle this plus several other villages. Also, significant damage to the villagers' olive trees was necessary, following the planned route. Now, these trees are not just some ornamental decorations, but the source of most of the income of the villagers. For them, it was a matter of survival.
What ensued - and is beautifully documented in the movie - is the struggle of the villagers to safe their olive trees.
Lessons Learned
First of all, this is a text-book example for how much more effective and less costly non-violent measures are. Although there have been some injuries, there have not been any casualties. And, given the number of demonstrations and the duration of several months, not a single serious injury is quite an amazing accomplishment!
The movie pointed out another aspect, that is worsening problems around the globe: While the demonstrations were non-violent, the Israeli TV news report painted a war-scene: deserted street, a car-wreck. Soldiers shooting their guns. Teargas drifting. Anybody watching the report must think that there is some serious fighting going on! Clearly an attempt to misinform the public.
Tell me, how in the world should anybody really understand a situation - not to talk about finding a solution to it - when the media reports gossip instead of news?
That, BTW, is the core issue here in the USA, too. Most AM talk-shows and tv-channels like Fox and others do not report facts, but try to paint any picture in the colors that they think their viewers want to see. And we, the viewers, then base our opinions and view-points on these slanted, distorted caricatures of "reality" (or better irreality, sometimes even surreality)! No wonder, we are the only country in the developed world, where the general population is still in denial about climate change, and the fact that is is caused by us humans... But, let me get off this soapbox, as this is not my topic today... :)
Next Step After Non-Violence
Most interesting to me is, that there is an important insight that this documentary helps the viewer to realize. And I believe, it is the second step to the idea of non-violence!
Everybody that was interviewed, explained the situation from their perspective. Nobody made any attempt to see it from the other's viewpoint.
The Israeli captain said the lives of Israeli civilians is more important than an olive tree. Of course! But, is it more important to run the fence right here and not over there? Is the source of income (and with that survival) of a family more important than the exact route planned by some bureaucrat 100 km away?
The Palestinians lamented, that they hadn't done anything, and are just trying to live peacefully, bringing up their children. How can the Israelis just go and uproot the family's source of income, which the grandfather has planted with his own hands, carrying the water on his head to water them? True, too! But, how could Israel not try to put an end to the suicide bombings executed by the villager's fellow-Palestinians?.
They both have valid points. And they both fought thinking God was on their side.
And, like to be expected, it looks like they will fight each other happily forever after...
The Only Path To Peace
The first step to stop the bleeding is the decision to not use violence anymore. This is usually a consequence of the realization, that violence always - A-L-W-A-y-S! - leads to more violence. In the short term it might look like something was achieved, but really it just hardens the problem, and delays the explosion. Violence never solves a problem, but increases it and creates another one!
After deciding to not want violence anymore, the next step is to find a consensus. Not a compromise - consensus! A compromise is a middle ground, but could be felt unjust by either or even both parties. And another clash is just a matter of time. (Look at WW2 as textbook example of such a clash after the WWI peace treaty). A consensus is a situation, that both parties can live with.
The only way for two parties to find a consensus is when they start looking at the situation through the other's eyes.
Any person, who feels their family and friends are endangered to be blown to pieces, would try to find some way to prevent that from happening - no matter how. Once Palestinians allow themselves to see this easy to understandable fact, they'll know what to do and what not.
Any person, who depends on an olive tree as source of income would never, ever think about uprooting a good tree - no matter what. Once Israelis allow themselves to understand that fact, they, too, will know what to do and what not.
Once I see and understand a problem of the other person, I automatically start thinking about how could I help solving this problem.
And it is quite plain to see, that the Israelis can not stop Hamas - no matter how much money and technology and humans they put into it. Only the Palestinians themselves can do that. But they can do that only, once they realize that Hamas is not the solution, but the cause of the problem.
In the same vein, it is also plain to see, that Palestinian extremists can not make Israel go away - no matter how many of their young men they brainwash into becoming suicide bombers.
If these two peoples want to live in peace, they can do so only if all of them have peace. Both need to accept that the other has a right to exist, and both have to allow each other to live and pursue their peaceful happiness.
No matter what happened in the past - an a minute ago is past - only what we do now matters, as it defines the future. Every minute we can decide anew whether we want to continue to fight, or whether we want to move towards peace.
The Real Message of This Post
Ok, now take this lesson and apply it to your own life! Look at your relationships - with your partner, your parents, siblings and children, your boss and coworkers, clients and suppliers. Ha! That's much harder, isn't it, than talking about something that's going on half a world away! Well, there's only little animosities that is separating you from the people in your life - not violent deaths of loved ones, threats to your existence, traumatic experiences with incarceration and torture. So, how much easier should it be for you and me to fix our wars, than for the Israeli and Palestinians to figure out theirs!
I find, that the same principles apply on the personal as on the national and global scale: violence, threats, manipulation, and force always - A-L-W-A-Y-S - backfire and never move you towards a solution. Love and compassion are the only way. And trying to see the world through the other person's eyes is the first step towards being able to understand the other, which is the basis for real compassion...
Love is the answer! To any question!
Labels: Applying spirituality, New Approach
posted by Thomas | 3:56 PM
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