What “We” Must Do Right Now For Palestine/Israel, Not Governments

There are important next steps being debated for what states can and should do to stop the current war, and set the stage for ending the current cycle of violence. That is not my subject. I thought recently that leaders are followers and followers are leaders, and neither knows it. The fact is that people and their individual initiatives have much more impact on the course of history than is acknowledged by government officials, by cynics, and by those too apathetic, too callous, or too fearful to act. If you are in that category, do not read forward. Just go back to Al Jazeera, Fox and CNN and choose a side. Or go back to Jon Stewart and have a good laugh.

Here is what is necessary, efforts that have worked before in history in changing the available information available to all parties so that more rational and more morally decent decisions can be made in terms of limiting violence, eliminating violence, and moving toward fair and rational common ground. There are a series of efforts that have worked in other conflicts in the world to mitigate and eventually eliminate violent conflict.

If you are a party to the conflict:

1. Reach out to anyone who is from an ‘enemy’ group that you think is most likely receptive to being a bridge and communicator. Interview them. Ask them questions about themselves or their lives especially in the current situation. This can be done online and virtually, and in fact there are many good places to do this.

Take the relationship and conversation off public line, however.

Ask if they would do the same in terms of interviewing you on what is happening in your family and community. Faithfully find ways to convey the information to friends and colleagues, off or online who would be open to hearing such information.

If you are a writer, try to get this into the public domain of twitter, FB, blogs, in any way you can. Do not write or convey anything one person says as gospel truth, but as one piece of the puzzle.

Be prepared as you pass on information to others to be attacked especially if you convey information that involves pain to one side or another, or things that do not confirm stereotypes.

2. Encourage and engage in any forms of direct address to people from the other side with positive expressions of sympathy, understanding or care.

If you are a bystander:

Do the same as above, except do it with people on both sides, and see if you can convey information between one or more people on both sides who are capable of listening.

Be an adjunct and assistant to efforts of #1.

History suggests that such messaging and gestures cause a great deal of cognitive and emotional dissonance to violent enemy systems and discourages violent responses. Anything that humanizes the other tends to discourage violent responses and solutions, and makes the space for other solutions to emerge or at least be supported.

Keep in mind these are short term approaches, but they could give rise to long term brainstorming and new ideas.

Keep in mind that ultra-violence’s only opportunity is that it drives others to ultra-peace shifts in thinking and behavior. This is an opportunity to be seized.