Dear OS colleagues Yes, I also love the song Imagine, but in our reality it's look like a distant fantasy. The war is still around us, we are paying high price for learning some lessons about the illusion of CONTROL. The tragedy is much bigger when we think that nor the Israelis neither the Lebanese people having any reason to fight. We are leaf at the storm of world wide war.
Here is some thoughts that I shred with my friends here in Israel: There are reasons for anger, there are reasons for blaming others, there are reasons for shame and above all looms the question - Where is this direction leading? In spite of everything this situation holds an unusual opportunity for the Israeli society. We are painfully disillusioned of three assertions: - Solution can be obtained by force - our military strength will provide a bearable solution. - Solution can be obtained via dialogue - if only we could gather around the table for negotiation we could agree on a solution which will enable prosperity for all involved. - The conflict is a local matter - between us and the Palestinians/ Arab countries. These three are false: - The use of strength does not lead to surrender nor to adding strength to the peace parties on the opposing side. - The dialogue has not been able to stop the opposing side from striving towards our annihilation, and the more dialogue partners we find, the more powerful the Islamic Jihad forces become. - We are in the midst of a worldwide conflict. The exact routes for the separation fence or the Lebanese border are entirely irrelevant. The conflict is between a combative Islam which does not acknowledge the order of a republic, and the post-colonial west civilization battling over the remains of world hegemony based on financial forces and international organizations. We are now perplexed, I believe it is far better than being delusional. I encourage us to converse out of the perplexity, not out of anger or false certainty. So, lets meet at the day after, open wide circles just to ask: what can we, the civilians, do at the front line of worldwide war to bring some hope for our children? Shay Ofra, Israel ----- Original Message ----- From: Argene Carswell To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 5:24 AM Subject: Re: A Note from a Young Friend Harrison and Jon, A personal note of thanks for your notes. I recently returned from Beirut (less than two weeks before the conflict). When I read your emails tonight, I had just completed one of my own to one of my Lebanese colleagues, and was feeling quite helpless. In fact, I have felt quite helpless over the past few weeks as I communicate with my Lebanese colleagues and friends by phone and email. Jon, your words regarding demonstrating "huge respect" and the power of just "connecting" brought such comfort at this moment. It makes me think that what I offer my Lebanese friends just might have some real value after all. And while it does not involve a typical open space and large circles - I hope that as I try to exhalt THEM, and connect with passion, "maybe human love can be seen at its highest" - even if just for a fleeting moment. Harrison, I now feel less helpless. And I know you are right, the fever has to run its course - it is sometimes just so hard when it hits so close. Many thanks, Argene Carswell and Associates 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway Suite 1600, #141 Arlington, VA 22202 -----Original Message----- From: hho...@adelphia.net To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Sent: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 11:57 AM Subject: Re: A Note from a Young Friend Jon -- thanks for the note. I presume you also meant this for OSLIST, so I will send onwards. ho Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 301-365-2093 207-763-3261 (summer) website www.openspaceworld.com Personal Website www.ho-image.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Jon Harvey To: Harrison Owen Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 10:57 AM Subject: RE: A Note from a Young Friend Thank you for sharing that with us, Harrison. It has never been more important than now to create the spaces for people to come together, and through dialogue, be reminded that we are all human and what joins us is so much much more than what divides us. Like Dania I sometimes despair and hear with disbelief the vacuuous statements by our so called leaders. But then I get back in my saddle - believing that if I can help just two people to really hear and listen to each other - and rediscover their common humanity - then it is still worth carrying on. So - here's to large circles and deep listening, wide openness and huge respect! Defragging the world may take time - but we can get there! "Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its highest. Live in fragments no longer" (E M Forster) Jon Harvey Oxford, UK -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: 07 August 2006 15:28 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: A Note from a Young Friend Some of you may remember that during the Congress of Rabbis and Imans I met a wounderful young lady from Indonesia. I heard from her again today and thought our exchange might have some relevance for OSLIST. Dania wrote: Dear Mr. Owen, How are you? I'm Dania from Indonesia. I was a participant of the world congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in Seville, Spain, as a student of Children of Abraham. I met you there. I hope you're still remember me Mr. Owen, I'm very concerned about the war between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon.. I read the news about it everywhere. Yesterday, I found a newspaper on my boss' desk. I stole it (hihihihi) while she was having lunch and read the news about Hezbollah and Israel. People died in Lebanon, most of them are children and old people. They bombed houses, buildings.. oh my God, I couldn't stand read it. I saw the news on the TV, too. They showed the picture of the victims in lebanon, the children, the amunitions, people suffered... On my way back home from the office, I turned my radio on and heard the news about Hezbollah and Israel (again and again and again!).after the news, they played one of my favourite songs, Imagine, sang by 2 singers, an arabic man and a french woman. they sang the song in 3 languages: arabic, french, and english. it was beautiful. i've heard this song many times, but when I heard it yesterday, I cried.. I was very upset about this war and all. whjat is wrong with this world?? why do they do that? what for? Can't they stop the war, make peace, and live happily together? what's wrong with peace? why do they reject peace? what do they want now? when is it going to be over? Can we do something to stop the war, Mr. Owen? Me, you, and the Imams and Rabbis who attended the congress in Seville? Can we take action? What can we do to stop the war? what can we do to make them realize that war won't do any good? I can't find any answer for these questions.. I feel hopeless. Dania I replied: Of course I remember you! And with great affection!! As for Hezbollah and Isreal. . . I am afraid that this may be one of those times in Human history when all the things we should done and did not, along with all the things we should not have done and did -- now come due. It is rather like the situation when we do not take care of our health and suddenly we find that we have a bad infection and a fever. That fever will now run it's course. Sooner or later it will break but whether that break occurs before major damage has been done, or after, remains to be seen. Being a Human Being is a constant learning process, and sometimes that learning can be very painful. But the greatest tragedy would be not to learn. So for my self, I feel neither helpless nor hopeless. To be sure I do not have the power to separate Israel and Hezbollah, nor do I think that those who may think they have the power (Presidents, Kings, Imams, Rabbis, etc) could do any better. And even if they were to be successful in Lebanon -- the underlying causes would remain, and the fever would break out again. So what to do? Speaking only for my self, I intend to keep opening space so that wonderful people such as you can experience that "playground" (as you called it) in which real people with real differences can meet each other with respect. And if you are looking for something to do right now -- you could try the same thing. God Luck! And thank you for remembering me!! Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 301-365-2093 207-763-3261 (summer) website www.openspaceworld.com Personal Website www.ho-image.com * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "pr.atwola.com" claiming to be Check out AOL.com today. 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