We must research the politicians who have contributed to unrest in the Middle East instead of watch horrific war devastation. We have work to do and factual information to share.
Courage to listen for, speak and stand for, live from a respect for all people's - and to call out terrorism wherever or however it is perpetrated here or abroad ... this is so complicated and context does matter ... and watching the IDF in the name of protecting Israel behave as terrorists themselves breaks my heart. I wake up recommitting to "be the change." May I show up as Love. May I help one family heal their pain as a singular contribution to world peace. Shalom/Salaam.
I hope that Israel robs Hamas of their degenerate aim - which is to invite Israel to become monsters themselves and bring death on Palestinian children and innocents.
Someone must be courageous enough to stop the cycle of violence.
As you so aptly point out - there are so many people who profit from war. It almost becomes an economic issue as to whether or not some people want to address the root causes of war.
Thanks for your comment, Mark! The challenge is that there is a huge divide in the world and we are all afraid to be the first to place the sword back in its sheath. We are scared to death of each other and look for soothing that fear by arming ourselves to the teeth. We must confront fear to deal with justice and peace.
"to be the first to place the sword back in its sheath" - I've been thinking that for years. I worked as a community mediator in upstate NY and one of the first goals was always to get parties to stop looking at each other as enemies. We're on the same page.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece, Manuel. The violence disturbs me I wonder all the time how to make a difference. I feel so small and inconsequential in the face of such actions. I end up thinking as others have said/ Be the change that you want to happen. Make a difference in o your own corner of the world. Does not see mike enough.
The sages say, Graciewilde, that we should focus on the person in front of us and be compassionate. Opportunities will present themselves and we can then act as best we can. Deepak Chopra used to say that we are human beings, not human doings. I think of that often. Thanks for your comment. Have a nice evening.
Thank you . Sorry for so many typos above! I am usually more cautious. I will blame it on some recent incapacitating surgery and my broken mood of the moment. 🤷🏻♀️
Hey, Manuel, i hear you. The outbursts of violence and this current crisis of violence, in particular, provokes a great deal of despair. And there's the cascading consequences as people do take sides and create more confusion and despair and, yes, more violence. I have spent my life trying to understand the violence that is an inextricable part of human history and culture. It is, perhaps sadly, part of our legacy. I worked in the Nicaraguan Revolution in the 80s and was under fire more than once. And I lost friends. And my heart breaks for the tyranny that has arisen in Nicaragua these past few years. I ventured to South Africa in the final years of apartheid to make what small difference I could. I've been in the thick of many violent situations and, luckily, survived mostly intact. And i have forged an understanding of such things that I am even now trying to put down on paper, as it were.
I agree that we must be ranged against this violence and work every day for peace to prevail. That said, I also believe that we cannot bring an end to this violence (in general and, specifically, this incredibly intractable case of Israel/Palestine) without understanding both violence and human history. It is understandable that the explosion of violence this week makes it hard to hold context in mind. But context is key. And it is sadly missing from a lot of mainstream mass media coverage. Today I listened to the podcast of FAIR (a media democracy group) in which Phyllis Bennis is interviewed. I highly recommend listening: https://fair.org/home/phyllis-bennis-on-gaza/
The issue of "taking sides" is a complicated one. And, I agree that we must take the side of peace. But i also think we must take the side of the victims of violence - all victims, for sure. But i feel a special obligation - and have lived my life by this obligation - to take the side of the oppressed. Nor am i implying that this is a simple matter. Again, it's all about context. In one context a people can be oppressed but shift that context and it can easily be someone else being oppressed, sometimes by the group that themselves is oppressed. Being an oppressor and being oppressed are not mutually exclusive situations. And that is, perhaps, the greatest tragedy of human existence. But perhaps it is countered by one of the greatest gifts of human existence: that we can learn (and, of course, change). But i've learned that the moment of violence is not the learning moment. The violence must be stopped for the space of learning to be available to us (and more has to happen as well)
Thanks for sharing so extensively Chris. It would be interesting for me to know what led you to Nicaragua and South Africa and what your contributions were. I feel that your experiences were intense and that it may be difficult to express what you experienced.
I am a refugee from the oppressive Castro regime that threatened my father's life— and he was just a hard-working professional trying to provide for us. We came to the US, each with 33 lbs of clothing, $25, and a box of cigars to sell for cash. Everything else that my family had was lost.
"Just causes" have a way of transforming into intolerance and oppression for the benefit of the movement leaders.
I agree with you about the complexities of human conflict. The solutions to conflicts are within the opposing parties souls and abilities to resolve— if they have suffered sufficiently to seek an end to hostilities. Third parties, even well-meaning ones that do not bring their own hidden agendas, tend to muddy the waters in their effort to find "the truth", to resolve the conflict swiftly, with cloudy vision and unaware of the historical bases for disputes.
Thanks for the link. Ms Bennis spoke of when the clock on conflicts in Palestine should be started. Is starting it 75 years ago appropriate? Palestine has been on the path of conquering armies for centuries and that has shaped the power dynamics for that region. I would start the clock in biblical times or earlier. The struggles are recorded in the Bible. At the end of each of Ms Bennis' erudite statements I thought "yes, but" or "yes, and".
I have been interested in the Palestinian-Israel dynamics for decades, and read extensively on the topic. I worked with the people of the Middle East throughout my career. I have been to some of those countries, including Israel and the West Bank. I feel that that it is very difficult to understand the individual and collective pain that runs through that land of suffering and that suffuses discussion of their situation. When I have spoken to friends on each side of the conflict their pain is evident. These are deeply traumatized peoples.
Thanks for your reply, Chris. I wanted to read and absorb your comment, so did not want to rush a reply/response on this very delicate situation, and I appreciate the time that you took in composing your comment.
Hi, Manuel. I've been away working this past weekend so have only gotten to correspondence this morning. I really appreciate your response. And i'm very sorry to hear of your family's suffering and loss. I've never been to Cuba but have read a lot of history and I have many friends who have been back and forth there for many years. Canada, as i'm sure you know, has maintained a relatively close connection with Cuba for a long while. But i know that, despite the gains of the Cuban revolution, Castro's government was harsh and repressive (and oppressive) to many. And i'm sad to learn that your family suffered from that. I'm guessing that your family found positive sanctuary in the US and i'm guessing (given your previous mentions of grandkids) that you thrived (if only eventually and after much struggle, as is often the case). I understand very much what you mean regarding ""Just causes" have a way of transforming into intolerance and oppression for the benefit of the movement leaders." While I've not studied Cuba closely in this light, I have looked at other situations that illustrate your point. Revolutions-betrayed is certainly a theme of history going back at least to the French Revolution. And Ortega, in Nicaragua, seems to have followed the script, as it were, that we see also with Mugabe in Zimbabwe. I dare say, the authoritarianism that we see with Putin in Russia, Bolsinaro in Brazil, Orban in Hungary, and Trump in the US all seem also to want to reproduce these stories.
Regarding my time in Nicaragua (and elsewhere) I have been involved in "educación popular" since the late 70s, inspired, in the first instance, by the life and work of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire which includes what is still his most famous book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. It is my practice of popular education that has taken me around the world. So, while i understand your point about "third parties" often "muddy[ing] the waters" with "their own hidden agendas," I also think that many conflicts cannot be resolved without the involvement of other parties (e.g. the UN). But, while I appreciate the somewhat more enlightened foreign policy of Biden, the US has often been that "third party" to which you refer. There's hardly a Latin American country that doesn't know this tragically well. So it was, in part, my interest in learning what revolution could be to a people that drew me to Nicaragua. And, unfortunately, I got to see first-hand what US opposition to a revolution could look like. Of course, unlike you and your family, I had a choice to travel and learn. And that is a huge and significant difference between you and I. I've been able to exercise my choice without ever having had to fear being oppressed by my country and its various governments over the years. Which isn't to imply that there isn't much that needs to change in Canada and with which I have struggled all my life. That is why i have studied history and politics all my life, why I write poetry, and why I have chosen education/learning (in general) and popular education specifically, as my way to move through the world.
I have never had the opportunity to visit the countries of the Middle East. But I have studied and struggled to understand the unique complexities of that region. I'm pleased you took advantage of my recommendation of Bennis' interview. Her point about where the "clock " starts in our considerations, is a very good one. But, of course, we face the immediate and urgent situation of massive suffering and loss even as we speak. And, as important as it is to share our understandings, it is all-the-more important right now to raise our voices for peace and against the violence.
However, towards greater understanding: I was very impressed by this piece by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg: https://lifeisasacredtext.substack.com/p/a-lot-of-things-are-true. And Verso Books is currently giving away for free the e-book of Ilan Pappe's "Ten Myths about Israel" which has a lot of great starting points for dialogue: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca. I'm sure both deserve plenty of ""yes, but" or "yes, and"." Which is, of course, the dialogue that we need so much more of.
Thanks for your thoughts and for posting about this to begin with.
We must research the politicians who have contributed to unrest in the Middle East instead of watch horrific war devastation. We have work to do and factual information to share.
Thanks for your comment Diane. I agree. This is a very complicated matter. You may want to read my reply to Chris.
Courage to listen for, speak and stand for, live from a respect for all people's - and to call out terrorism wherever or however it is perpetrated here or abroad ... this is so complicated and context does matter ... and watching the IDF in the name of protecting Israel behave as terrorists themselves breaks my heart. I wake up recommitting to "be the change." May I show up as Love. May I help one family heal their pain as a singular contribution to world peace. Shalom/Salaam.
Thanks for your comment Karen. As you say, we must be the change. Peace to you.
I hope that Israel robs Hamas of their degenerate aim - which is to invite Israel to become monsters themselves and bring death on Palestinian children and innocents.
Someone must be courageous enough to stop the cycle of violence.
Wise observation, Patris. Thank you for your comment.
Yes we must try as Thich Nhat Hanh says To Be The Peace and this is not easy.
Yes. Not easy, but necessary...
.. sooner the better .. spaceship earthlings .. get the brainwave
& that factoid is - being that in fact.. whatever fantasy lord master all knowing MAN
or coven of vestal babes .. or great earthworm ‘RELIGION’ in the skies..
occupies yer inner ZEN .. or evangelical SelfPurity of wholesomness
.. the scene is gettin real.. the M’Coy .. large numbers sacrificed
onward CHRISTIAN soldiers and holy moly deities..
.. like people ! Choose a lawn chair colour as your lord n savior
i give a fucknot ..
but innocents dying.. never got a sniff.. no siree .. no fightin chance
this planet is fucked .. it all about how fucked one can be
to find profit in that .. or relevance.. like suck eggs !
how the fuck fucked is that ?
🏴☠️🦎 & the hypermediatribe ..
As you so aptly point out - there are so many people who profit from war. It almost becomes an economic issue as to whether or not some people want to address the root causes of war.
Thanks for your comment, Mark! The challenge is that there is a huge divide in the world and we are all afraid to be the first to place the sword back in its sheath. We are scared to death of each other and look for soothing that fear by arming ourselves to the teeth. We must confront fear to deal with justice and peace.
"to be the first to place the sword back in its sheath" - I've been thinking that for years. I worked as a community mediator in upstate NY and one of the first goals was always to get parties to stop looking at each other as enemies. We're on the same page.
I agree. Peace and justice are what we desperately need now.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece, Manuel. The violence disturbs me I wonder all the time how to make a difference. I feel so small and inconsequential in the face of such actions. I end up thinking as others have said/ Be the change that you want to happen. Make a difference in o your own corner of the world. Does not see mike enough.
The sages say, Graciewilde, that we should focus on the person in front of us and be compassionate. Opportunities will present themselves and we can then act as best we can. Deepak Chopra used to say that we are human beings, not human doings. I think of that often. Thanks for your comment. Have a nice evening.
Always working on lessening the divide - Yes indeed
Thank you . Sorry for so many typos above! I am usually more cautious. I will blame it on some recent incapacitating surgery and my broken mood of the moment. 🤷🏻♀️
May you heal swiftly Graciewilde!
I agree it never seems like enough, but multiply it times a few millions, and it's a really solid start.
Hey, Manuel, i hear you. The outbursts of violence and this current crisis of violence, in particular, provokes a great deal of despair. And there's the cascading consequences as people do take sides and create more confusion and despair and, yes, more violence. I have spent my life trying to understand the violence that is an inextricable part of human history and culture. It is, perhaps sadly, part of our legacy. I worked in the Nicaraguan Revolution in the 80s and was under fire more than once. And I lost friends. And my heart breaks for the tyranny that has arisen in Nicaragua these past few years. I ventured to South Africa in the final years of apartheid to make what small difference I could. I've been in the thick of many violent situations and, luckily, survived mostly intact. And i have forged an understanding of such things that I am even now trying to put down on paper, as it were.
I agree that we must be ranged against this violence and work every day for peace to prevail. That said, I also believe that we cannot bring an end to this violence (in general and, specifically, this incredibly intractable case of Israel/Palestine) without understanding both violence and human history. It is understandable that the explosion of violence this week makes it hard to hold context in mind. But context is key. And it is sadly missing from a lot of mainstream mass media coverage. Today I listened to the podcast of FAIR (a media democracy group) in which Phyllis Bennis is interviewed. I highly recommend listening: https://fair.org/home/phyllis-bennis-on-gaza/
The issue of "taking sides" is a complicated one. And, I agree that we must take the side of peace. But i also think we must take the side of the victims of violence - all victims, for sure. But i feel a special obligation - and have lived my life by this obligation - to take the side of the oppressed. Nor am i implying that this is a simple matter. Again, it's all about context. In one context a people can be oppressed but shift that context and it can easily be someone else being oppressed, sometimes by the group that themselves is oppressed. Being an oppressor and being oppressed are not mutually exclusive situations. And that is, perhaps, the greatest tragedy of human existence. But perhaps it is countered by one of the greatest gifts of human existence: that we can learn (and, of course, change). But i've learned that the moment of violence is not the learning moment. The violence must be stopped for the space of learning to be available to us (and more has to happen as well)
Thanks for sharing so extensively Chris. It would be interesting for me to know what led you to Nicaragua and South Africa and what your contributions were. I feel that your experiences were intense and that it may be difficult to express what you experienced.
I am a refugee from the oppressive Castro regime that threatened my father's life— and he was just a hard-working professional trying to provide for us. We came to the US, each with 33 lbs of clothing, $25, and a box of cigars to sell for cash. Everything else that my family had was lost.
"Just causes" have a way of transforming into intolerance and oppression for the benefit of the movement leaders.
I agree with you about the complexities of human conflict. The solutions to conflicts are within the opposing parties souls and abilities to resolve— if they have suffered sufficiently to seek an end to hostilities. Third parties, even well-meaning ones that do not bring their own hidden agendas, tend to muddy the waters in their effort to find "the truth", to resolve the conflict swiftly, with cloudy vision and unaware of the historical bases for disputes.
Thanks for the link. Ms Bennis spoke of when the clock on conflicts in Palestine should be started. Is starting it 75 years ago appropriate? Palestine has been on the path of conquering armies for centuries and that has shaped the power dynamics for that region. I would start the clock in biblical times or earlier. The struggles are recorded in the Bible. At the end of each of Ms Bennis' erudite statements I thought "yes, but" or "yes, and".
I have been interested in the Palestinian-Israel dynamics for decades, and read extensively on the topic. I worked with the people of the Middle East throughout my career. I have been to some of those countries, including Israel and the West Bank. I feel that that it is very difficult to understand the individual and collective pain that runs through that land of suffering and that suffuses discussion of their situation. When I have spoken to friends on each side of the conflict their pain is evident. These are deeply traumatized peoples.
Thanks for your reply, Chris. I wanted to read and absorb your comment, so did not want to rush a reply/response on this very delicate situation, and I appreciate the time that you took in composing your comment.
May justice and peace come soon.
Hi, Manuel. I've been away working this past weekend so have only gotten to correspondence this morning. I really appreciate your response. And i'm very sorry to hear of your family's suffering and loss. I've never been to Cuba but have read a lot of history and I have many friends who have been back and forth there for many years. Canada, as i'm sure you know, has maintained a relatively close connection with Cuba for a long while. But i know that, despite the gains of the Cuban revolution, Castro's government was harsh and repressive (and oppressive) to many. And i'm sad to learn that your family suffered from that. I'm guessing that your family found positive sanctuary in the US and i'm guessing (given your previous mentions of grandkids) that you thrived (if only eventually and after much struggle, as is often the case). I understand very much what you mean regarding ""Just causes" have a way of transforming into intolerance and oppression for the benefit of the movement leaders." While I've not studied Cuba closely in this light, I have looked at other situations that illustrate your point. Revolutions-betrayed is certainly a theme of history going back at least to the French Revolution. And Ortega, in Nicaragua, seems to have followed the script, as it were, that we see also with Mugabe in Zimbabwe. I dare say, the authoritarianism that we see with Putin in Russia, Bolsinaro in Brazil, Orban in Hungary, and Trump in the US all seem also to want to reproduce these stories.
Regarding my time in Nicaragua (and elsewhere) I have been involved in "educación popular" since the late 70s, inspired, in the first instance, by the life and work of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire which includes what is still his most famous book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. It is my practice of popular education that has taken me around the world. So, while i understand your point about "third parties" often "muddy[ing] the waters" with "their own hidden agendas," I also think that many conflicts cannot be resolved without the involvement of other parties (e.g. the UN). But, while I appreciate the somewhat more enlightened foreign policy of Biden, the US has often been that "third party" to which you refer. There's hardly a Latin American country that doesn't know this tragically well. So it was, in part, my interest in learning what revolution could be to a people that drew me to Nicaragua. And, unfortunately, I got to see first-hand what US opposition to a revolution could look like. Of course, unlike you and your family, I had a choice to travel and learn. And that is a huge and significant difference between you and I. I've been able to exercise my choice without ever having had to fear being oppressed by my country and its various governments over the years. Which isn't to imply that there isn't much that needs to change in Canada and with which I have struggled all my life. That is why i have studied history and politics all my life, why I write poetry, and why I have chosen education/learning (in general) and popular education specifically, as my way to move through the world.
I have never had the opportunity to visit the countries of the Middle East. But I have studied and struggled to understand the unique complexities of that region. I'm pleased you took advantage of my recommendation of Bennis' interview. Her point about where the "clock " starts in our considerations, is a very good one. But, of course, we face the immediate and urgent situation of massive suffering and loss even as we speak. And, as important as it is to share our understandings, it is all-the-more important right now to raise our voices for peace and against the violence.
However, towards greater understanding: I was very impressed by this piece by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg: https://lifeisasacredtext.substack.com/p/a-lot-of-things-are-true. And Verso Books is currently giving away for free the e-book of Ilan Pappe's "Ten Myths about Israel" which has a lot of great starting points for dialogue: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca. I'm sure both deserve plenty of ""yes, but" or "yes, and"." Which is, of course, the dialogue that we need so much more of.
Thanks for your thoughts and for posting about this to begin with.
Thanks for your reply, chris— yes, peace is of the essence. And thanks for the links that you provided to Rabbi Danya and Pappe's work.
Will check out the link. TY.
It’s much on my mind.
Thanks, Thomas! Perhaps we have the answer. Could our continuous evolution be the answer?
Thanks for the restack Thomas!
Thanks for the restack, Kevin. Have a good day!