Starting the Journey: Reflective Practice in Israel and Palestine

Written on 12/28/11, edited on 1/10/12

As a peacebuilder, I am in a constant state of analysis. This analysis normally is on a micro-level, therefore often leading me to delve into the inner workings of the people who reside in a country, city, or region. A person’s construction of their identity, through a description of the past, self-reflection of the present, and prediction of the future, is integral to this analysis. The way a person constructs their identity, in my opinion, is very often connected in this very triangle of past, present, and future. From the past, I often find people emphasize trauma, victory, and progression forward or backward. In the present, I usually see that people yearn for legitimacy and “completeness” in the world… if that makes any sense at all (as you can see, I’m still working out the kinks of my logic). As for the future, I normally witness people continue with the trend of legitimacy, but usually this legitimacy is seen on a broader scale instead of an introspective one as the person creates a place for their group in the future, therefore validating the group’s presence in years to come. For a human, self-preservation is often at the very core of such an identity. Every time I visit a new country, city, or group of people for the first time, I find myself attempting to create webs of connections so as to paint as detailed of a picture as I possibly can of the narratives of the people in that particular area. For me, narratives are the stories and explanations that create the identity I described above.

For the next few weeks, I will be traveling abroad, both as a world explorer and as a peacebuilder. My first stop is Madrid, Spain, where I will be bringing in the New Year with a friend of mine and enjoying Spanish cuisine, art, and culture for a few days. Then, on January 4th, I begin my trek eastward to Tel Aviv, Israel for 2 days of sightseeing. Finally, I’m off to Jerusalem where I will be participating in a course offered by my Master’s Program, The School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, on Reflective Practice. I will be visiting Bethlehem, Ramallah, the Old City, West and East Jerusalem, and maybe even Haifa and/or Hebron if I find the time.

The next few weeks are bound to be a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t be who I am if I wasn’t yearning for new experiences, diverse places to visit and help build peace, and new opportunities to grow, not only as a woman who is constantly trying to create an identity for herself but also as a peacebuilder whose sincere desire is to help as many people as she possibly can before she leaves this Earth.

So off I go… :)