Peace begins with the self, and that
process is often beyond words. Even in a place as difficult and
full of conflict as Israel, there are those who believe that the
process of peace must start on an inner, emotional level. A handful
of these women has found a way to nurture that peace by taking
part in a transformative workshop lead by the Institute for Circlework™
in Ithaca. They came here so that they can return to Israel renewed,
and continue working for a larger, deeper peace in that region.
Many of us think of the Middle East
with despair, hardly believing that a true and lasting peace can
ever be achieved there. Sometimes the message of peace and healing
comes at unexpected times and from unexpected sources. Last month,
six extraordinary Arab and Jewish women brought a living example
of peace and co-existence to Ithaca. They came as participants
in a workshop, hoping it would inspire them to continue their
work. While they were here they showed a handful of Ithacans that
true empathy and compassion are possible, even in places of deepest
conflict.
The workshop they attended several
weeks ago mirrors the process these women undergo in their peace
efforts in Israel. They joined other women who had gathered to
meditate upon and reenact the story of the Inanna, an ancient
Sumerian Goddess who descended and returned through the seven
gates of the underworld to meet her dark sister Ereshkigal. Over
a weekend, the women used guided imagery, trancework storytelling,
movement, and ritual to gain a greater understanding of the mystery
of the soul's journey. "Today, more than ever, we need such
myths that teach us to honor both the light and the dark, suffering
and joy," said workshop leader Jalaja Bonheim.
Sitting in the offices of the Institute
for Circlework before the workshop, Nitzan Gordon (Jewish facilitator),
Mervat Hamati (Arab facilitator), and eighteen year old Elisheva
Rubin (Jewish educator) explained what they are trying to accomplish.
Six years ago, Nitzan Gordon helped
to gather a group of Jewish and Arab women to train Kindergarten
teachers in techniques of individual nurturing, deep listening,
and co-existence. The project has become known as "Beyond
Words." It has now trained over 120 teachers and a several
facilitators, spreading the impact of this work in Israel.
"The question is, what does it
mean to be a leader of co-existence and peace," said Gordon.
"We use a model of working in a circle. The first level of
that circle is peace with myself. The heart begins to open from
finding this sense of inner peace. Then there is the possibility
for real co-existence, for a real Peace beyond peace on paper."
Through the course, certified by the
Israeli Ministry of Education, educators learn a variety of techniques
to touch all those aspects which make us human. The project works
with Kindergarten teachers, because the teachers are working with
the young before they know how to hate. Each leadership workshop
offered by Beyond Words is facilitated by two Arab and two Jewish
educators.
In places of conflict, such as Israel,
there are often too many opinions expressed without real dialogue.
Words can become manipulative and destructive. The Beyond Words
project chose, instead, several techniques which go beyond words
on many levels. There are physical levels of dance and movement,
non-competitive games, and healing touch and massage. "That
really breaks barriers very quickly," said Gordon. Movement
therapy helps people express things which are deep and true. According
to Gordon, it's harder to lie with the body. "Reaching feelings
through
the body is much easier because defenses are not so strong."
Emotional levels are touched through
listening partnerships, as the women practice co-counseling to
relive inner burdens and regain joy and a love of life. In the
words of Mervat Hamati, it's a process to, "go through all
these feelings, and not to go alone. It's a long way to go, and
a decision that you want to go through the dark things."
She believes that each of us needs to have someone to listen to
us laugh, cry, and even scream. Then it's possible to see things
in a clear way. "You can make decisions in an objective way,"
said Hamati.
"World violence is caused by the
fact that people are holding so many emotions in. When they do
come out, they're released in violent ways," said Gordon.
" A lot of what's happening in Israel is on a feeling level.
People are not thinking. The problem is solvable. It's not so
complicated that we can't find a solution. But because so much
feeling is involved they're not finding a solution. If they could
just find a way to get beyond these feelings..."
In the beginning Nitzan Gordon literally
needed to climb over fences to bring this training to teachers.
"Women are not going to come to this group to talk about
co-existence and politics," said Gordon. "No one wants
to talk about that. They are exhausted and tense. First they need
to take care of themselves and their needs. We offer a place to
relax and feel nurtured, and from that we start." Since then
word has been spreading, and more teachers want to take part.
"A lot of teachers say it's the one course that really meets
their needs."
Their trip to the United States was
set in motion by an invitation from Goucher College in Baltimore
to lead workshops and lectures on their techniques for peace work;
techniques that can work in almost any setting for all sorts of
problems. "If facilitators who work with me are going to
give teachers a feeling of nurturing, they have to know how to
nurture themselves. So we're coming to work, but we're also first
nurturing ourselves, so that the work we're going to do will be
different," said Gordon.
In addition to sharing their work,
these women find it important to let people know that there is
healing happening in Israel, that there's good news beyond all
the fear, violence, and distrust that fill the news. Touching
one teacher at a time may not be a dramatic path to peace, but
these educators believe that their work is making a difference
on a very deep level. Arab facilitator Mervat Hamati adds, "I
hope that there will be peace so we can take this work into the
occupied territory."
The women of Beyond Words and Institute
for Circlework™ had worked together previous to the early
November workshop. The training themes of skillful communication,
compassionate understanding, and co-existence are elements both
groups share. In the past year Nitzan Gordon and her co-facilitator
Mervat Hamati took part in a week-long Circlework™ training
workshop held in British Colombia. By doing so they have deepened
their practice of inner healing. "We've needed a place where
we can do in depth work on ourselves, to heal what we go through
in Israel," said Gordon. Having that time and space gave
them a needed respite, so they could go back to their work with
renewed strength.
Circlework™, a group practice
developed by Ithacan Jalaja Bonheim, is based on the recognition
that human beings have always gathered in circles, and that in
doing so, we gain access to a great source of healing, inspiration,
and guidance that allows us to create life affirming connections
with ourselves at others. As a form of relationship practice,
Circlework™ teaches us the ways of peaceful co-existence,
skillful communication, and compassionate love of self and others.
Some of the techniques in Circlework™
were similar to those used in Beyond Words. Others, such as writing
exercises and an integrated use of literature and music, were
new. A dramatic difference between them is the collective group
process used by Circleork™, where by the power of the circle
supports a woman's process. Gordon and Hamati are now exploring
ways to expand their one on one co-counseling with group process
training for the Arab and Jewish Kindergarten teachers.
"I think this is based on the
understanding that our wounds are not just personal wounds, but
that they are collective wounds" says Bonheim. "When
a woman or man is doing a piece of healing work, in a sense they're
doing it for us, and we're doing it with them. We aren't separate
in these wounds. For the peace process it's very important to
see the collective nature of our wounds."
Participants in the Circlework™
Training learn how to use the power of the circle with skill and
integrity, and how to apply its dynamics in diverse settings ranging
from churches to corporations, while working with widely diverse
population groups. "The great strength of Circlework™
is that it starts with something completely universal," says
Bonheim. By empowering people to use the circle skillfully and
with integrity, it serves as a force for inner and outer peace.
"We draw people's attention to the center, and awaken their
awareness that there is this place where we all connect,"
she says.
"The great gift of Circlework™
is that it is inherently empty. It's just a circle. It's so simple.
This is the basic form where by human beings have created community,
no matter where they lived. The Circle belongs to every human
being."
