Awareness

[Micah Schuurman]

I didnt know that there was a group devoted to justice for Palestinians. Nevertheless, for the last few days, I have been wearing my Palestinian Flag lapel pin. : )
I spent some time in Israel and in Jerusalem last year studying the conflict. Im at Dordt College right now, working within Dordt's Justice Matters Club.
I recently had an idea pertaining to the "security fence." One of the problems with the fence (among many) is the fact that it cuts communities in two. Im thinking of putting up a temporary rope fence right down the middle of Dordt's campus (with a gate in the middle) to help raise awareness among students about what it is like to have your community cut in two. True, this fence wont succeed in truly mirroring the plight of the Palestinians, but it will hopefully be enough of a nuisance to the campus to begin to raise awareness. We are planning on putting up a ton of posters, etc. We are probably going to do it in the Spring when it is a little more mild.
Do you have any thoughts or insight into how our club could pull this off? We have the approval of the Administration, so that isn't a problem. What would be a problem is helping students see it as more than a gimmick. Any thoughts?
Also, is CRWRC active in the Middle East? I applied for the International Staff Internship with CRWRC and I didn't see ANYTHING to do with the Middle East. Is there the prospect of opening up more relief to the Middle East?
Salaam (Peace)
Micah Schuurman

[Tracy Young]

Hey Micah, I work for the CRC’s Office of Social Justice and I think that’s a really creative idea that you’re working on. Would you mind keeping me posted on your event ([e-mail])? It would be really cool for us to share what you’re doing, and encourage others to get creative (and gutsy). And if we can help in some way, let us know.

I agree that the challenge will be getting students in the right frame of mind for the fence– I wonder if you could do a chapel or something prior to the fence going up? Or what about getting theater students to do some provocative drama at the fence? (My sis-in-law actually teaches theater at Dordt…)

This past summer, a CRC study group traveled to the Middle East to learn more about what the situation is there and what our denominational presence or actions should be. (I think you’re right in that we don’t currently have a presence there.) I’m not sure what the latest discussions there are, so hopefully someone else can post an update for you…

Tracy

[Karl Westerhof]

This rope across the campus idea is genius!! AND you already have the admin going for it. I like your idea, Tracy, about a chapel service to help set the stage for it...
"street theater" at the rope would also be an exciting idea to try. CRWRC does not have programs exactly there, but we did participate in that study group that traveled there for the CRC, in order to study the situation and explore how to build more informed advocacy in the church.
I've emailed several other staff folks in our CRWRC shop, and encouraged them to think about how to support this idea of the "rope wall".... Tracy, I think CRWRC too would be up for helping in any way we can. I've emailed Jason F also to check with him whether he has seen this posting. I'm cranked!
karl at CRWRC

[Micah Schuurman]

I know Jason F pretty well. We went to Sierra Leone together to help monitor the elections there. But, I haven't had the opportunity to talk to him in a while. I'll email him and ask him.
Im not sure about the chapel thing. We have a schedule already planned out. But, I know the chaplain and his work study helpers pretty well. I'll talk to them.
The administrator that I talk to regarding this talked about how it would be good to get faculty aware of the demonstration so that they can bring it up in their classes.
I like the idea of using the theater department students. I'll run it past some of the students and profs. It would be hard to do a mini theater production that captured the many different facets to this situation. But, it is worth some attention.
The good thing is that Dordt is still in the depths of winter (we just got a few more inches a couple of hours ago) so we have time to plan this and do it right.
Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

[Karl Westerhof]

Hey Micah!!
I am not an expert on street theater, but I do think you need not try to capture all the complexities. I think making one central "grabbing" point is about all you could reasonably expect to communicate, and then, once having hooked folks, you make it totally easy for them to learn more and follow up their newly awakened interest.
Here are some top of my head ideas for providing "next steps".... you could try to get people to get on justiceseekers and get into dialog with others on the topic. YOu could make leaflets, formatted to look like underground communiques. you know printed in the basement of the neighbors' house while on the run from the Dordt security force. You could get some faculty to secretly "play a role" that would cause much campus talk, and get people wondering ..... letters in the campus press.... see if you could get a table set aside in the coffee shop for discussions on this topic only - put a host there who could facilitate dialog. I'll bet you could get a local radio or newspaper to come and cover the "rope", especiallyu if you have notes hanging from it.... like colorful r ibbons with cards and pens hanging handy for prayers to be written?
Ok', that's enough of that. but again - if we at CRWRC can help, let us know!
And tell Jason I said he ought to come out there and have a rope cutting ceremony at the end of the time.
Karl

[Micah Schuurman]

You mentioned that CRWRC might be able to help us.
We are looking at turning this into a campus-wide event with professors getting involved, letter writing, etc. It would also be really good to get a good speaker on the subject who can come at it from a Reformed Biblical perspective. Hopefully, they could address both the faulty eschatology behind AIPAC and deal with the injustices taking place. Or, do you think that this would best be handled by two speakers? Do you have any suggestions? Also, it might be worthwhile to tie in a letter writing campaign. Having spent time on the Middle East Studies Program, I have a ton of info. But, I could always use some more, a lot more.
Funding for speakers shouldnt be an issue. I am on the committee that arranges to pay for speakers to come to Dordt and we are always more than willing to pay for expenses.
Do you have any ideas for speakers?
Peace,
Micah

[Karl Westerhof]

Top of the head ideas - Dr Bert DeVries at Calvin.... Peter VanderMeulen (who is jason's boss)... I would also ask Dr DeVries for further suggestions - he's pretty much THE person I know at Calvin who knows the ME scene.
Keep up the great work on this!
Karl

[Micah Schuurman]

Hello Mr. Koene,
Unfortunately, the students of Dordt know all of the things that you have mentioned. Indeed, they have seen little else from the conflict. It was out of a desire to balance out the inbalance that I made my plans. I have no delusions about the Israelis being evil people. I bear no hatered for them. My motivation comes from my desire to see justice done.
In the planning, my social justice group attempted to set up a night where we could bring in a Zionist Jew and a Palestinian Arab to both talk about the issue of Israel. I want to make sure that everyone hears both sides. We would have made sure that the students understood the reasons for the wall as well as the unjust impact that it has had upon the Palestinian community. I intend to fight untruth with truth, not with more lies that paint the Israelis as evil people and the Palestinians as innocent bystanders. I personally have spoken with many Jews including Jews who live in Israel. I have met Jews from many different backgrounds and have heard some of their stories. Similarly, I have met many Palestinians... also from a variety of backgrounds.
In a more direct response to your question, Dordt (the student body that is) is generally quite pro-Israel. Many of the students have a very narrow and uninformet opinion about the conflict, focusing on the bad things that Palestinians have done rather than seeing the larger picture of a cycle of violence, fed by both sides. It is unlikely that a large number of Dordt students have ever met a Jew. But, even fewer have ever met a Palestinian. Of that I am absolutely sure.
I hope that this clarifies some of the issues that you raised.
Finally, I have no reason to hide the fact that I want to see a two state solution. With each passing day that I spend in the Middle East (Im there right now... for a year) I become more convinced that the US needs to take a more balanced approach to the conflict, working for Justice rather than for a crude ideological perspective. Part of that "balanced approach" I feel must involve a home state for the Palestinian people, a majority of whom have never even desired to kill a Jew.
For a large majority of Palestinians, they dont fall asleep at night plotting how they can attack Israel. Instead, most of them fall asleep worrying about how they will feed their children the next day.
PS. The rope idea didnt work out. It is on hold for the moment. Our group wanted to do it justice and they wanted to plan well to make sure that the event made sense to the students and was not one more thing to ignore. I have graduated and have given my plans and my prayers to the leaders of the Dordt College Justice Matters Club. It is in their hands now.

[Karl Westerhof]

Thanks, Micah, for what you are learning and doing and thinking and praying about. And how you are talking about it. I remember getting pretty excited in the 70s about apartheid and talking to synod about it, and about the CRC's tepid response. A pastor said to me, "you are so one sided in your arguments. I need to hear the other side."
I thought to myself, the other side??? I didn't think there WAS an other side to apartheid. at least not for christians. But I think I know what he meant. He wanted me to take both sides seriously, to demonstrate that I understood both well, that I respected people on both sides,and then to respond with truth and grace as I stated my own opinion. I think you modeled something of that in your comments, and I appreciate it very much. It's pretty clear to me that while much evil is perpetrated by both sides in the ME, we are not very good at discerning and truth telling. May there be more people like you who are committed to achieving a true and deep understanding, and then speaking calmly and lovingly and reasonably and passionately about what you see. thanks for being there.

[Karl Westerhof]

OK, Koene, the third lapel pin would obviously be that of the CRC. right? :)

[Micah Schuurman]

Speeking of which... I have one of those too... : )