Permaculture San Francisco

 

                                        

W I N D O W S

 

 

 

 

 

Israeli & Palestinian

Teenagers Unite to

Make a Music Video

 

 

 

“Windows” is a joint organization of Jews and Palestinians from both sides of the Green Line. It was established in 1991 with the aim to promote acquaintance, understanding and conciliation between people from both nations, through educational and cultural programs, media and art. We believe that in order to reach a just and lasting peace, and to advance the process of conciliation in our region, it is important to understand and internalize democratic values and human rights, and to deepen mutual knowledge of the other. In this way we can learn to cope together with the present reality that we, Palestinians and Jews, share.



Windows still depends mostly on the work of volunteers. Many applications are being sent, most are turned down. We are not going to give up: we will keep doing what we can do without funding, we will postponed some of our programs until sufficient money will be raised, and we will keep looking for support. But we know very well: as much as our work is good and needed, in order to have a real impact on our society we need the support that will enable us to do our work on a large scale and on an

ongoing base.

 

 

             

 

 

Windows began as an idea. In the summer of 1990, in the midst of the Intifada, Nina and Rutie sat together in Rutie's small kitchen.  Nina told Rutie about a South African tri- lingual magazine for children, "Moloshongololo," and Rutie expressed her desire for a Hebrew-Arabic magazine for youth in the region.  They decided, right then and there, that they were going to do it.

Despite pessimistic feedback and discouraging responses, they pressed on, growing more determined with each rejection.  Finally, after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Israeli Ministry of Education began to invest in peace programs.  The Ministry enabled the creation of the first issue of Windows in January 1995, which was written and edited mostly by a group of Jewish and Palestinian kids from Tel Aviv - Jaffa.

Since then, friendship centers have been opened, numerous editions of the magazine have been written and distributed, and many projects have successfully joined the magazine

 

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Introduction to Windows

Windows is a non-profit, joint organization of Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians from the Occupied Palestinian territories. Windows' believes that both Palestinians and Jews have the right to live as equals with equal and comprehensive human rights.  Established in 1991, Windows promotes acquaintance, and understanding between both peoples, as well as empowerment of the youth with whom we work through educational and cultural programs, media and art.  Windows was established based on the conviction that educating the next generation, our children, plays a vital role in working for a just and lasting peace. To advance the process of reconciliation in our region, it is important to understand and internalize democratic values and human rights and to deepen mutual knowledge of the other. We further these goals mainly through media-related educational programs.  The organization is not affiliated with any political party and we do not offer political solutions. 

 

 

            We began our activities with the publishing of Windows,a Hebrew and Arabic magazine that is written by and for Jewish and Palestinian youth ages 12-15.  Over the years, this project has expanded to include a video magazine for teens ages 15 and 16 and a youth leadership program for 17 and 18-year olds.  The magazine is primarily distributed through an in-school program which seeks to utilize Windows magazine, in addition to a variety of other media, in order to explore multiple perspectives of the conflict.  Also, the organization regularly produces exhibitions of Palestinian and Israeli art.  In addition to these programs, the Windows friendship center in Tel Aviv offers a wide range of activities including lectures, meetings, films, exhibitions, tours, spoken Arabic courses and more, to a wide audience of all ages and from both nations.  Widows also collects and distributes food, clothing, and other household items to people living in both the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and to Israelis in need.  In order to further reduce the physical suffering of the population, Windows supports projects for economic sustainability in the OPT.

 

 

It is no simple task for Israeli and Palestinian youth to overcome the vast amount of misinformation and stereotypes they are taught about one another. The limited availability for interaction, a result of living in mostly segregated communities and exacerbated by the ongoing violent political conflict, perpetuates the historical fears, prejudice, and hatred that divide the two peoples. Windows is therefore dedicated to fostering large scale change in the way Israeli and Palestinian youth see themselves, "the other" and the conflict. Participants in Windows programs go through experiences that promote conflict transformation among both peoples, towards a peaceful reality with which both sides can live.  We believe that a just and lasting peace must be based on democratic values, human rights, and mutual knowledge and acceptance of “the other.” 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

Youth Media Program Overview

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The Youth Media Program is an initiative with several interconnected and symbiotic projects, which revolve around the production and distribution of Windows Hebrew-Arabic Youth Magazine. Through the development and circulation of the magazine, Windows seeks to progressively use media to involve participants more deeply in the experience of acquaintance with the "other", and dialogue about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The magazine is produced through the work of Windows' Youth Editorial Boards. For graduates of Windows editorial boards who want to continue their involvement in Windows, Through the Lens, is a video group project which gives youth an opportunity to further build upon their experiences and skills gained working on the Editorial Boards. The third component of our Youth Media Program is Through the School Window, an in-school program that uses our magazine in conjunction with other materials to expose a broader range of youth throughout Israel and the OPT to Windows' activities. This also serves as the main avenue for magazine distribution.

All Windows activities take place with three different identity groups working together: Jewish Israelis, Palestinian citizens of Israel, and Palestinian from the OPT.

 

Windows Hebrew-Arabic Youth Magazine

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The Windowsmagazine is written and edited by two Youth Editorial Boards, each comprised of approximately 15 participants ages 12-15 (junior high school students) who work in 3 subgroups: Palestinians from the OPT, Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli Jews. Throughout the two-year program on the editorial board, participants meet weekly in Single Identity Groups (SIGs). Approximately every two months (depending on closures and availability of permits for Palestinians to enter Israel), they meet in joint workshops. During the editorial board program, participants study media and journalism, and write letters between the different identity groups to exchange feelings, ideas, and questions.  The issues addressed in these correspondences and in meetings inspire many of the articles that the young journalists write for the magazine. They write on a variety of topics ranging from their daily lives and general social and cultural issues to more difficult issues of identity, nationality and the conflict; issues that have taken on a much more central role in the lives of these youth since the outbreak of the second Intifada. 20,000 copies of each issue of the magazine are distributed mostly through schools and organizations, bringing the voice of the youth to growing audiences on both sides of the conflict.

 

Through the Lens: Hebrew/Arabic Video Production

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After working on the print publication at younger ages, 15- to 17-year-olds have the option to continue on to engage in productive, peace-building dialogue and positive interaction through a new journalistic medium: video. In Through the Lens: Hebrew-Arabic Video Production, a developing initiative, the young journalists utilize the same basic process as the Youth Editorial Boards in the creation of news pieces, short films, and other video productions. In the video group the youth tackle issues important to them, from everyday activities and interests to the deep anger, fears, hopes, and dreams that so strongly affect their lives.

 

Through the School Window: Hebrew/Arabic Magazine Distribution

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Through the School Window is an extension of the Youth Media Program and the primary means of the magazine's distribution. The program itself involves a series of six to eight 90-minute workshops with the goal of helping students deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by expressing their feelings and acknowledging “the other.” This program aims to educate towards values of Human Rights, democracy and equality, as well as promote understanding of the role of media in a democratic society, while simultaneously using journalism skills and tools to have the youth get to know each other. Windows bi-lingual magazines, and when available, video magazine, are often used as tools for discussion and a means of bringing "other" voices into the classroom.Our school programs also invite students to participate in other Windows programs such as joint art exhibitions and the print and video magazines. Ongoing presence of Windows in the schools makes dialogue with “the other” a legitimate and accepted tool for change.

 

 Israeli and Palestinian Art

Forms of cultural expression such as visual art are crucial tools for us, because they offer emotional and human approaches that evoke less guarded responses from the participants as well as the audience.  Windows produces children's' drawing exhibitions, which bring their visions of war and peace, hopes and dreams, to audiences throughout Israeli, the Palestinian territories and around the world.

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

Windows members live in many towns, villages and refugee camps all over Israel and the Palestinian Territories as well as in many cities around the world. We see great importance in enabling our members to meet each other in a friendly, supportive, and safe atmosphere. Our goal is to offer to each community a special program that will give an answer to their specific needs and interests.

In most places our members meet in private homes or public places. We work to foster connections and build networks that will serve as venues for open dialogue and community-building.  

We aim to continually expand the circle of people that find the courage to listen to each other and choose the road to peace.

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Tel Aviv Friendship Center

 

.Our first friendship center was founded in 1999.  We have since moved to our current office, in the heart of Tel Aviv.  At our friendship center, we  offer a wide range of activities, including lectures, meetings, films, tours, spoken Arabic courses and more, to a wide audience from both nations and all ages. The program is designed to give expression to voices seldom heard in the Israeli public discourse and to explore the complex history and reality of the region. The open atmosphere enables people to share experiences, opinions and emotions.

 

OPT Friendship Center

.After several years of operation, we were forced to close our Friendship Center in Tulkarm due to security concerns.  In October 2006 the center suffered a break-in, stolen equipment and a fire.  While this was devastating, the Tulkarm staff responded with great strength and passion to rebuild and move forward.  However, due to the difficult political situation in the area, we no longer felt it was safe to operate the center and we made the painful decision to close it in late November 2007.  During it's nearly three years of existence, the Tulkarm Friendship Center offered activities for children and adults, a library, various workshops, language classes and more.  Our activities and relationships in Tulkarm and surrounding villages will continue despite this setback. 

 

Additionally, we continue to foster our activities and involvement in other parts of Israel and the OPT, specifically in Jenin, Nablus and Um Al-Fahm and we are planning to open a new Friendship Center in the OPT in the future.

Please contact us if you are interested in receiving more information about spoken Arabic courses and additional center resources.

 

Humanitarian Aid

 

.The shortages of food and other material goods in the OPT grows constantly due to the ongoing occupation. To help the Palestinian population living under these conditions, we collect food, clothing, toys, household items, and other goods at the Tel Aviv friendship center where our volunteers sort, pack, and ship donations, mostly to communities with which we have established relationships. Our activists distribute the items according to need. Besides attempting to reduce — even if only slightly — the physical suffering of the population, we send with these packages a message of solidarity: there are many people in Israel who oppose inhumane actions conducted against the Palestinian population in the territories and comprehend the suffering these policies cause. Similarly, we distribute aid packages to people in need within Israel.

 

Economic Development

 

In addition to giving charitable donations to those in need in the OPT, it is also important to support grassroots development in the area.  Windows supports efforts towards self-sustainability in the OPT.  For example, through its friendship center in Tel Aviv, Windows sells olive oil made in the OPT.