Preparing and field building of the Peace Research Village in the Middle East

Sabine Lichtenfels, Benjamin von Mendelssohn and other members of the core group of the planned PRV (Peace Research Village) travelled to Israel in May and June to meet cooperation partners, to take part in political actions and to facilitate a seminar on the topic: reconciliation of the genders. With more than 50 participants, the seminar was a big success. After the seminar Benjamin von Mendelssohn and Aida Shibli, with the Clown doctor Patch Adams, joined in aid and protest actions at the border of Gaza and Israel. The activities were initiated by the peace organizations Code Pink and Coalition of Women for Peace.

"I travelled the country (Israel) quite often," Sabine Lichtenfels said. "However I never felt as strong as this time that war seems to linger in the air. The tension was tangible." In spite of this, she was able to open a space for truth and trust for the participants to again and again to step out of false pretence, false identification and personal life dramas and instead to look at themselves and their longings in a different light: the light of possible reconciliation and healing.

In a country which has been paralyzed so long by its political situation, by the occupation of Palestine and the siege of the Gaza strip, - and by more than a thousand years of persecution and war, it needs to be confronted with immensely clear and firm political statements and actions. It needs people who face the injustice and give a striking "No" to every kind of oppression, revenge and violence. Benjamin von Mendelssohn and Sabine Lichtenfels met some of the people who in Israel have the courage and take such a stand. Among them were the journalist and peace activist Uri Avnery, the well known writer David Grossmann whose son was killed in the Lebanon war and who today spreads the message of peace widely in the Israel, and Dov Hanin, a member of the Knesset of the communist party who is committed to peace and protection of nature. With all of them there were good and deep conversations and perspective for future cooperation.

Benjamin: "The trip seemed to be guided very precisely and brought us in touch with those kind of people which we need now to develop a ring of protection for the planned Peace Research Village."

After that Benjamin von Mendelssohn and Aida Shibli took part in a peace and protest camp at the border to Gaza. Together with Clown doctor Patch Adams, the peace organizations Code Pink and Coalition of Women for Peace as well as more than 100 peace activists, they wanted to bring laughter to the children of Gaza - as well as the urgently needed aid which still is held by Israeli soldiers at the closed borders of Gaza. However, the activists were denied entry.

"But we had quite a positive action at the checkpoint," Benjamin reports. "Patch was fantastic, making friends with police, soldiers and everybody and we had Samba music and set up a childrens playground."

In this way they brought to public attention the horrible daily situation of the people in Gaza and made the urgent need public that the borders have to be opened. The Hamas party which is in the government in Gaza gave the organization Code Pink a message for the US president Barack Obama.