Educational Forums:
How to Keep the Momentum Going
Upon returning from the travel experience, the participants from each community must continue to connect and strategize about how to make change - and to keep in contact with each other via video conferencing and return trips. The trip will attempt to teach the tools of grassroots organizing, but only with clear goals and objectives, and specific measurements of success will our work create the change we desire.
The topics covered on the trip wil be those that we will attempt to bring to our home comunites for open and honest discussion.
Sample Topics:
- Israel: Can it be a Democracy AND a "Jewish" State?
Context 1 - What does it mean to be a culturally Jewish state in the eyes of Palestinians - and Americans?
Context 2 - Can Israel celebrate its Democratic nature and still acknowledge its challenge to protect minority groups adequately?
- Dual Claims to One Land
Context 1 - Do Americans and Israelis fully understand the Palestinian claim and aspiration to statehood and autonomy?
Context 2 - Do Americans and Palestinians fully understand the historic Jewish connection to the land?
Context 3 - Does everyone understand the way that connection drives the Jewish Diaspora and the Israeli mind-set?
Context 4 - How can the word "Occupation" be both offensive to many and yet resonate so strongly with others?
Context 5 - How can the term "Appartheid" be both offensive to many yet resonate so strongly with others?
- Productive Paths Toward a Two State Solution
Context 1 - What has been tentatively aggreed to in the past?
Context 2 - What are the "concerns" of each group with the behavior of the others in the face of past agreements?
Context 3 - Does returning to History get us anywhere? When is it of value and when is it an obstacle?
Context 4 - What are perceptions or preconceived notions about each group that prevent progress?
Contect 5 - What is a language we can begin to use in our home communities to move the dialogue from "destructive" to "productive?"
The topics covered on the trip wil be those that we will attempt to bring to our home comunites for open and honest discussion.
Sample Topics:
- Israel: Can it be a Democracy AND a "Jewish" State?
Context 1 - What does it mean to be a culturally Jewish state in the eyes of Palestinians - and Americans?
Context 2 - Can Israel celebrate its Democratic nature and still acknowledge its challenge to protect minority groups adequately?
- Dual Claims to One Land
Context 1 - Do Americans and Israelis fully understand the Palestinian claim and aspiration to statehood and autonomy?
Context 2 - Do Americans and Palestinians fully understand the historic Jewish connection to the land?
Context 3 - Does everyone understand the way that connection drives the Jewish Diaspora and the Israeli mind-set?
Context 4 - How can the word "Occupation" be both offensive to many and yet resonate so strongly with others?
Context 5 - How can the term "Appartheid" be both offensive to many yet resonate so strongly with others?
- Productive Paths Toward a Two State Solution
Context 1 - What has been tentatively aggreed to in the past?
Context 2 - What are the "concerns" of each group with the behavior of the others in the face of past agreements?
Context 3 - Does returning to History get us anywhere? When is it of value and when is it an obstacle?
Context 4 - What are perceptions or preconceived notions about each group that prevent progress?
Contect 5 - What is a language we can begin to use in our home communities to move the dialogue from "destructive" to "productive?"
