Effective Activism | The Jerusalem Intercultural Center

The People are the Story – Katamon-Moshavot Tolerance Group Meets in the Public Sphere

The people are story…..

That’s the main principle behind our work to promote tolerance throughout Jerusalem. Beyond preventing acts of verbal and physical violence against the ‘other,’ in our view tolerance can be displayed not only towards those very different from you (Arabs, Haredim, etc.), but those closest to you in physical proximity – your neighbors. And the first step is to get to know those neighbors as people, not only the way we tag them.

Last year our Katamon-Moshavot Tolerance Group, Neighborhood Stories, met a number of times to share neighbors’ stories. This past Saturday (24th of September), they kicked off the activity year with a charming meeting outdoors, on the Jerusalem Railway Park.

The People are the Story at the Reading Corner

Tamar, one of the organizers of the meeting, described how it went:

“Wow! What a meeting of Neighborhood Stories we had on Shabbat afternoon at the Moshava Reading Corner! Geto told about his aliyah to Israel with his mother from southern Ethiopia and shared the pain of this adolescence, Rami from Beit Safafa shared how he found himself both as a professional soccer player in the Palestinian league and a firefighter in the Israeli system, on his way to becoming a social worker. Eliezer Ben Yehuda (the grandson) told about his childhood in Katamon in a 4-room apartment with a Christian family and a Muslim family in a common kitchen….and more and more. And to think that this was a spontaneous meeting on the grass, neighbors passing by and sharing their stories and many more stopping and listening. Many thanks to you all!”

Here’s the Facebook post in Hebrew:

Many thanks to the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jerusalem Foundation for their support of this project.

Naomi Roff2016-10-13T11:19:42+00:00September 30th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, New Immigrants, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem|

Nutrition and Exercise – Integral Parts of Healthy Living Course through MiniActive

Nutrition and exercise run hand in hand in healthy living. This is what some 50 Palestinian women are learning in a 4-month course in nutrition and healthy living, developed by MiniActive. In addition to lectures on nutrition, and important part of the course is showing the importance of physical activity.

Getting ready to improve health

As part of this element, some of the participants took part in an exercise session on the soccer pitch at the Abna al-Quds Community Center last week.

Ready, set, go!

Way to go!

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic.

Naomi Roff2016-10-07T13:16:21+00:00September 26th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

From Zion Square to Tolerance Square – And the Winner Is…..

The journey has been a long one. From the summer of 2014, with its mass, violent demonstrations and individual demonstrations of violence, in Zion Square, like we described in this blog post.

To the summer of 2016, with its mass demonstrations of support and dialogue, like we described in this blog post.

Speaking in the Square July 21

In March, we reported here that, as a result of these processes, of which we, and our partners in action including Speaking in the Square have been a part, the Jerusalem Municipality decided to refurbish and re-design Zion Square. And the criteria in the competition included design elements intended to increase dialogue and encourage tolerance.

Last week, the winners of the competition were announced! Here’s the way it’s supposed to look when it’s finished. The photo is from Ha’aretz.

The New Zion Square: “An Urban Forest that Invites People In”

You can read about the winners and the runners up in the Hebrew article in the Ha’aretz daily here.

Speaking in the Square, which we have been mentoring since its establishment in 2014 and which has had a major role in transforming the nature of Zion Square, responded with this post:

“This week we received the very good news about the new design for Zion Square. The understanding that Zion Square is part of the beating heart of Jerusalem and what happens there reflects and in many ways influences what goes on in the city (especially with regards to its youth), makes us very happy. Zion Square can be a center for hate, and in the last two years it has proven that it can also be a center for tolerance. In preparing for the design competition, the organizers asked us for our input – tolerance organizations and initiatives in the Square put together a position paper on the role of the Square and the desired use of public space. We are happy to see that the winning architectural plan indeed reflects the spirit of this paper. We believe that Zion Square, the city square, needs to be a place for sitting and for discussion, and not for violence. A place for human interaction and not for hostility, and the new design will indeed enable this. We wish the architects and the Jerusalem Municipality much success, and hope to see this project come to fruition as soon as possible.”

The original post in Hebrew:

Below is a second article from Ynet. May the new square continue to encourage tolerance and dialogue like its design.

Ynet article page 1

Ynet article page 2

Naomi Roff2019-11-16T12:18:20+00:00September 18th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem|

MiniActive – New Course on Nutrition Opens at the Abna al-Quds Community Center

We’ve reported many of the MiniActive successes on our blog here. The blog also includes descriptions of a wide variety of classes that participants can take part in, as a way to improve their everyday lives as well as build community. Last week, on September 5, we began a new course on proper nutrition at the Abna al-Quds Community Center in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

Going over the nutrition pyramid

The course was developed out of a need in the field, due to a rise in diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses associated with lifestyle. The opening session reviewed the nutritional pyramid, the influence of food and physical activity on people’s health, the need to include as few toxins in our food as possible. Fifty-four participants gathered for the opening session.

An impressive first day

Certified nutritionist Susan Tony will accompany the course for 4 months. We wish the participants well – and good health!

Here’s the Facebook post (in Arabic):

Naomi Roff2016-10-07T13:15:09+00:00September 12th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Youth – also Improving Issawiya

We’ve written here about MiniActive Youth’s project in Silwan. They are also helping to decorate a special education school in Issawiya. The girls started at the end of July.

They decorated one of the school’s doors.

Decorating doors

And fences.

Fences

And other structures outside the school, making it a more pleasant place to be.

Under the sea

And the Facebook post in Arabic:

And here’s some more pictures on their progress, both on the building:

More decorations on the door

Here’s another picture of the decorations painted on one of the aluminum siding fences around the school:

More fun paintings

And on the fence surrounding the school:

May you, too, have a colorful day

And here’s a later Facebook post:

But wait! There are more pictures from Issawiya.

Finishing the decorations on the door

We’re sure these pictures and other decorations will make the children’s learning experience special.

What are they building? We’ll soon find out

Many thanks also to the Tambour paint company, which donated the paint.

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic:

Naomi Roff2016-08-26T14:46:34+00:00August 25th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive – Improving the Environment for Palestinian Residents throughout East Jerusalem

We are, yet again, seeing the results of the incredibly hard work the MiniActive women are doing day in, day out. Here are some examples:

In January 2016 MiniActive reported that bricks were falling from a school’s outside wall in the Old City.

The wall, before

Here’s the wall, after the workmen finished on Saturday, August 6:

After. Now this wall won’t be dangerous

Here’s the post from the MinActive Facebook page:

Drainage problems can also be health hazards. Thanks to the work of MiniActive in Kufr Aqeb, this drainage problems has been taken care of. Here’s a before and after picture:

Cleaning up drainage problems in Kufr Aqeb

MiniActive has also followed a number of public works activities that have taken place as a result of their complaints:

In Wadi Joz

And elsewhere in East Jerusalem:

Improving infrastructure for safety

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for its continuing support of MiniActive.

Naomi Roff2016-09-15T16:46:31+00:00August 20th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Youth – Fruits of their Labors of the Silwan Project

We’ve reported here on the progress of the MiniActive Youth in decorating and cleaning up the area of the elementary / secondary school in Silwan.

We’re all proud of their work

Now they’ve finished

Putting on the finishing touches

And we’re proudly displaying their final product. The change is most pronounced when we show you the before and after pictures. Here’s one:

Before and after

And here’s another:

A second before and after picture

And a third, this time on garbage receptacles:

It’ll even be fun to take out the trash

Can’t wait to see their projects in other parts of the city. Many many thanks and congratulations on a job well done!

Much more pleasant learning environment!

The Silwan boys school event thanked MiniActive for their efforts, which are translated in this post:

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for their continued support of this project. Many thanks also to the Tambour paint company, which donated the paint.

Here’s the post in Arabic presenting the final product:

Naomi Roff2016-09-10T11:54:52+00:00August 17th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Women and Youth Improving the Environment in Silwan

We wrote here about about a new group of MiniActive Youth. On July 19 they started action. First stop was beside the boys’ elementary school and boys’ middle school in Silwan. Here’s some pictures:

MiniActive Youth summer 2016

They started working on the area that borders the schools. First they cleaned up the space.

Cleaning up the work area

And then they started painting. First they needed to paint the wall white.

Painting the wall

And then the decoration. Because it’s adjacent to a school, they painted images of Winnie the Pooh,

Winnie the Pooh

SpongeBob Square Pants, Bambi and others, universal characters for children the world over.

SpongeBob, Bambi

Here’s a compilation of “before” and “after,” as well as in between.

Showing the progression

And here’s the first post from the MiniActive Facebook page (in Arabic):

But they didn’t stop there.

Here come the Smurfs too!

A few days later, shaded from the heat, they continued painting favorite characters.

Work to be proud of

Here’s more pictures from the work in progress. The July 26 Facebook post (in Arabic):

And on the next day you can see the progress that they made:

They continue to make progress – in decorating more parts of the outside wall.

Every school should be decorated like this

Or in painting garbage receptacles nearby.

Making even throwing away the trash more pleasant

Notice the graffiti on the wall above the garbage receptacle. Thanks to MiniActive women and the work of the Jerusalem Municipality, this, too has been removed.

MiniActive women and youth, improving the environment in Silwan

Here’s the link to the MiniActive Facebook post (in Arabic):

So great to see the progress! I’m sure we’re not the only ones.

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for their continued support of this project. Many thanks also to the Tambour paint company, which donated the paint.

Naomi Roff2016-08-26T14:41:40+00:00August 9th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

A Source of Pride – Speaking in the Square Debate Nights Discuss the Gay Pride Parade

“Sometimes, after an evening in Zion Square, it’s difficult for us activists to go to sleep: energies are high, and sometimes the atmosphere is tense. It takes awhile for the adrenaline to leave our systems and fall asleep. But sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep from the excitement and wonder at the strength of what took place yesterday in the Square, in a crowded and hopping Debate Night.”

Speaking in the Square July 21

That is how one of the Speaking in the Square activists described the Speaking in the Square Debate Night on July 21, which took place after a thankfully uneventful Gay Pride Parade. Speaking in the Square has been there over the past 2 years through the thickest and thinnest of social tensions. Last Thursday, they discussed the pro’s and con’s of the parade, which has been prominent in the public discourse leading up to the parade.

Religious, secular, Haredi Jews discussing the Pride Parade

The activist continued continued: “There were Ultra-Orthodox, modern orthodox, secular, gay and straight, and all spoke about the Gay Pride Parade: On tolerance, about considering the ‘other’ and on all of our lives in Jerusalem. For many, it was their first encounter – intriguing but full of emotion – with those who have different opinions. We’re happy and proud to provide that opportunity.”

Jerusalem’s diversity at Speaking in the Square

And here’s the Facebook post in Hebrew:

The subject of the Gay Pride Parade came up in last week’s Debate Night as well, as a result of the public storm raised by a number of Rabbis in the weeks preceding the march. They opened the night with the question of if the parade should run through downtown Jerusalem. They continued on to the question of if single-sex marriages should be allowed. Other subjects that were raised include assimilation and legalization of recreational drugs.

Speaking in the Square Debate Night is back

Between the questions a woman performed a spontaneous values-related-social rap, and after her a young man performed a rap in favor the legalization of cannabis. These spontaneous performances are also part of the respectful discourse that Speaking in the Square are advancing in Zion Square. Zion Square is becoming the town square in the full meaning of the term – a place where different people meet and they talk informally, mutually respecting each other.

The diversity of Zion Square on a Saturday night

“During the summer youth and tourists all come down to the square, and it’s an excellent opportunity for activities that promote tolerance,” said one Speaking in the Square regular. “We’re proud to be part of it. Come and join us!”

Many thanks to the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jerusalem Foundation for their continued support of our efforts to promote tolerance in Jerusalem.

Here’s the Facebook post in Hebrew from last week:

Naomi Roff2016-08-26T13:49:19+00:00July 24th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem|

New Group of MiniActive Youth Underway

You can never be too young to learn to positively change your environment.

New group of MiniActive Youth

Using that mantra, a new group of MiniActive Youth began today. There are 32 girls aged 10 – 16 in this cohort. They came from all over East Jerusalem to the Abna al-Quds Community Center in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

Discussing in small groups

Today, they learned about the different activities of MiniActive in general, and about what other groups of MiniActive Youth have done in the past. You can read about it here on our web site, or here on our blog.

Introduction to MiniActive

They also discussed different options of what they can do. Among other things, they’ll be doing projects in Issawiya and Silwan area. We can hardly wait to show pictures!

Discussing different options

Here’s the Facebook post (in Arabic) from the MiniActive Facebook page:

Naomi Roff2016-08-26T13:13:35+00:00July 13th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|