what we want try

(the street in front of my house, Tokyo)

It is 4am in Japan,

but my body is still living in the Israeli time zone.

This time, I finally could visit my friend Argh in Qalqilia, Palestine.

I know him since 3 years, we met us every year for few days.

Through conversation, I could get information how their life are.

But I could not imagine.

I had no picture.

But during my stay in Israel this time, finally, I visited him. Finally I could see, how they are living.

I could see, hear, smell, feel, ....

live there.

Even it was a very short time,

I was there.

(the view from Argh's house to the street, Qualqilia)

Now, I can imagine how it is.

Now, I am ready to ask him and make questions.

In our meeting, in a seminar, we are trying to find a way to make some change in the deep conflict about Israel/ Palestine.

The main concept of them is how to learn

"deep democracy" (check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_democracy)

for each of us and how we can make space for the other without victimizing our self.

We are using role plays and art therapies,

meditation and movements,

working as a big group and smaller groups.

We are networking and get friends.

It is a facilitation training seminar,

where we want learn more about the skills how do deal with conflict.

In the seminar,

we are talking to each other supported by few facilitators

and we are deepening the feeling and the meanings of the each words and the information around that words slowly to understand each other.

Very deep, very hot and very intense place and time.

I love this challenge and I will keep joining there as much as possible.

Here, what Daya and Argh want try is more dialog based form,

more in personal level interaction

to understand more about our self.

I am specially interested about Argh's culture and situation and reality.

The process to get him know and to visit his culture,

to go through the checkpoint

and to become friends with his family

and than go back again through another checkpoint to Israel side.....

to experience,

that I can visit him but he can not come out with me from this gate....

the time flows different and they communicate differently.

They are dealing different with problems and they felt their body different.

What they eat and how they live was totally different

and I could not imagine so real until I was there.

Yes, I know few people from Palestine through the seminar,

but it was in Israel.

It was so important for me that I was there this time.

Specially with my son together.

It was not an action as an activist, it was personal visit with my family to my friends family.

To use the method like in seminar is very useful but not enough.

But we need more dialogs and conversation in different levels.

What we want try here is to know more direct and personal the others side through asking question and dialogue together.

His story is so interesting and also very important, that we said lets share that in the blog.

We both are not the type of people who can read big books written in difficult words in English to know about this conflict.

Let's talk more simple, easy and personal.

That's the most short way to get know each other.

Please remember,

that we are just personal friends who are talking as a individual.

I am not the stereotyped person as a Japanese and Argh the same,

we both have very international and global background.

I also want say,

that I am not seeing Argh as a Victim side and my Israeli friends are the oppressor.

Through the seminar and also my friendship to people from both side,

it is very complicated situation in many levels

that I can not say easily what is true and what is wrong.

This blog is also not for that aim,

to "discuss" about the terrible history and happenings.

The aim of this blog is to ask and listen and understand.

I just simply wanted know more about Argh and his culture.

It is simply sad and painful

that when I talk in Israel side with my friends there on skype with Argh,

and we are not living so far away and we can not meet together.

To say " hey, come over and have a cup of tea" is taboo in this scene, because it is impossible.

And I want know more about this.

Why we can not simply go in and out of the country, just because of the political situation.

I feel like a child, like my son.

I know the power (rank) of " beginners mind".

I will ask.

I will simply ask.

And I thank Argh for his openness for my simple questions and our challenge and looking forward how our dialog will flow....

in peace

daya