Peace Workshop

On February 8 we held a Peace Workshop for interested students and faculty in the side Dining Hall. We focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but used methods of presentation and reflection conducive to talking about a range of issues, sharing ideas and proposing solutions.
Nayab and I brought in a keynote speaker from Amman, a co-founder of the youth awareness group ‘Haneen’. He presented a brief history of Palestine, explained the goals of Haneen and relayed his journey to activism.

Students also presented on various initiatives they have been a part of, such as ‘Seeds of Peace’, an international organization committed to instilling respect, tolerance and empathy in the next generation's world leaders, and ‘Peace Around the World’, a student club which works to raise awareness about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on campus. I also presented on Artsbridge and the challenges and obstacles that arise when working in conflict resolution and mediation.

The goal of the whole workshop was to stress the importance of instituting change through self-initiated, grassroots organizations and extra-governmental clubs. We wanted students to understand that being a part of a club, a conversation or even investing energy into just thinking about an issue is a step in the right direction.
One student reflected, "I saw how kids my age were able to be active in this 70-year-old conflict- the small steps they are taking are making a difference."

After the presentations, the workshop participants split into discussion groups. The groups reflected on the days activities and brainstormed ways in which they could be involved with promoting peace and spreading awareness on an individual, campus and global scale. We all came together in the end and created a massive list of thoughts and ideas from the day. It was wonderful to see so many students for this event on a weekend and in the midst of exams and homework assignments. The students were really engaged and productive and have helped us create a foundation for a series of workshops and inter-school conferences to come.

Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization

On January 24, 2008 Nayab and I lead a group of King’s Academy students and faculty members in a volunteering effort to unload trucks and to repackage crates of medical supplies and food for the Gaza relief effort. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization at a local warehouse in Amman hosted us. It was actually quite an exciting union as we were the first group of volunteers for the organization- I was extraordinarily proud to represent an institution that is a pioneer of actual, physical service and community action in Jordan.

The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization has been sending 20 flatbed trucks with canned and dry foods, blankets, clothing and medical supplies to the King Hussein Bridge on a daily basis. The warehouse was literally filled with survival supplies donated from countries throughout the region. It was really humbling to be fully invested in laboring so intensely for a cause in such a direct way- the things we were touching, carrying, wrapping, were needed to save people from an all to terrifying fate. Everything else in our lives was trivialized, necessarily, and we felt very small and insignificant and yet that we also had a purpose and a responsibility.

The most amazing thing was the amount of energy and time employees have been investing in this venture when it is very uncertain if any supplies actually enter Gaza. Interception of emergency items is common and an unfortunate reality. But in such a crisis, what can you do but have complete faith that human nature is innately good and people in such dire situations will be given access to the emergency items sent. At least we can attain some peace of mind or feel a little less sick to our stomachs by being active and putting our frustration and sadness into action- one student told Jordan TV, who was interviewing and recording our group, “We are just happy to be able to support our brothers and sisters in Gaza in any way possible”.

‘al-sho'ur bil gheir’

Instead of with the anticipated renewal of hope and faith, the world rang in this New Year with violence and destruction. While Obama’s inauguration shed a brighter light on our future, rocket glare and fiery hatred shone on Gaza. In the midst of such a crisis, I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. And being in a part of the world where the impact is so pervasive and the pain so blatant, I can’t help but to have a heightened awareness and intensified experience with the tragedy. But in loss and devastation comes unity and incredible support for those in need, and I have been inspired and proud to be a part of a country and community so swift to action and so empowered to help bring relief to a people who have suffered for far too long. Nayab and I are so lucky to have our focus be on community partnership and outreach; for we were able to pour ourselves into relief work and make use of our energy and frustration. Our job requires that we be informed, empathetic and in action- and for that I am so grateful. It was with constant planning of events, fundraising and spreading awareness that I was able to overcome the looming, internal despair and reaffirmed my commitment to act and stand up against violence and injustice.

Nayab and I organized a week called ‘al-sho'ur bil gheir’, or feeling for others, to help aid the citizens of Gaza and honor those killed in the warfare. On the first day, January 11, we used the 2000 JD (2,820 USD) we had collected in a Support Gaza Coin Drive to purchase medical supplies. We were able to send Gaza City hospitals and communities 20 full medical kits, including necessary antibiotics and disinfectants.

The following day, in an all school meeting a few of our students showed a moving but extremely disturbing video depicting the Israeli bombing of Gaza and its victims. A handful of students and community members were unable to stomach the graphic images and walked out of the film early. The objective was to shock, and it did just that.

On the third day, we held an open mic forum and a commemorative candle light vigil. Students, faculty and administrators gathered in the side Dining Hall after dinner to shares poems, songs, prayers and reflections. We then proceeded in candle light to the HM King Abdullah II Spiritual Center for a brief period of silence. On student poignantly stated: "We are all one hand, one heart", another requested:"I ask everyone to pray with all their heart, to just take one moment of silence before they sleep". During the spoken words and performances, students created prayer flags with markers and cloth we had provided. Nayab and I then hung these in the dining hall. We were overwhelmed with appreciation for how many came to the event and showed their support. In contrast to the passionate reactions surrounding the events in Gaza, this evening was dedicated to peace and a renewal of hope- it was a transformative experience for everyone.

In addition to a great turn out- we had a lot of students take initiative and help us with the organizing and brainstorming for the event. Students also helped with preparation- creating
candle holders, selling promotional items, and with cleaning up.

On the fourth day, we featured the documentary Occupation 101 in the Lecture Hall, after which students split into groups to discuss the film and share their fears and hopes for occupied Palestine.

We also organized a fundraiser called “Pizza for Palestine”, in which faculty, staff and administrators had the opportunity to buy slices of pizza for lunch in lieu of the usual Dining Hall meal. Proceeds were used to purchase additional medical supplies.

As a culmination of the week, we secured a spot in a charity fair over the weekend. Nayab and I along with our boss and a few volunteers ran a stand at the ‘Souq for Gaza’ in Amman selling donated books, candles, pictures and bric-a-brac. The goal for the whole day was to raise 1000 JD- everyone involved exceeded expectations and we ended up with over 5000 JD! The day was indescribably momentous. I really felt a part of the Amman community. It was so refreshing to see so many people gathering together and working towards a common goal that we all felt passionately about regardless of ethnicity or circumstance. The event catered towards all ages and audiences with music, games, food and all sorts of odds and ends- it was truly an event for the people by the people. With my Palestinian hattah warped around my neck, my King’s sweater on and an ‘aid Gaza’ bracelet on, I finally understood the meaning of a uniform- to be distinguished as a representative of something- and I am infinitely proud of the uniform I wear in support of our brothers and sisters next door to Jordan and in favor of peace and human compassion.

Dear friends & family,

My sincere apologies for my lack of updates!! I am reflecting on recent experiences and am trying to get up to speed with posting, so bear with me!
Please look out for upcoming posts on King's Academy Gaza relief efforts, my trip to India, and my trip to Kenya and collaborative efforts between King's and Artsbridge.

Best,
Simone

Return to Entity Green

This week Nayab, Will and I returned to the site of Entity Green for a more extensive tour and meeting with Philip about our flourishing partnership. We have decided to start with relatively simple projects to ease our community into forming good, sustainable habits. Two rather innovative projects are the collection of bread and hangers.
We will collect bread from our dining hall and dry it out in the sun- it can then be sent to Entity Green and sold to farmers to feed their animals.

We will collect the wire hangers from the laundry service, gather them in groups of 25 and deliver them to Entity Green, who will sell them for 1 JD/bundle to go towards the costs of transportation for employees and trainees.

It was unbelievable how much had changed at the site since my last visit. They have built a garden, with which they nourish with their full functioning and impressive compost system, and have reorganized the “stations”, where all of the sorting takes place

My favorite station is where they house the glass bottles. In the large, open space, and glistening in the hot, desert sun, the bottles look like an installation of artwork. They are truly gorgeous.

I am continually impressed with Philip’s creativity, dedication and hard work, and I am so excited for King’s to adopt some of his models and methods.

Ruwwad

Nayab and I have been working on creating a partnership in the realm of community service and outreach between King’s Academy and Ruwwad, a privately funded non-profit organization founded in 2005. Ruwwad runs a series of programs including, but not limited to, provision of scholarships, rehabilitation, and the creation of libraries and community centers in marginalized communities. Ruwwad aims to help under-privileged communities help themselves through sustainable development.

Ruwwad’s influence is particularly evident and successful in a community in East Amman called Jabal Nathif. This area is actually an unofficial refugee camp that has been very poorly constructed and maintained due to the lack of recognition and support from the government. The entire area suffers from high population density, crowded living conditions and lack of important public services. The area suffers from 50% higher unemployment rate than the national average, and 50% fewer higher education graduates.

When Ruwwad first came to Jabal al-Nathif, they spent the first year gathering information about the neighborhood and determining priorities by listening to residents. The residents prioritized projects according to their needs, and then worked with Ruwwad to create the necessary changes-which ranged from creating a children’s library to cooperating with the government to open the area’s first post office, police station, and public health clinic. Ruwwad brings dedicated, hardworking volunteers into the projects by providing university and college scholarships to 250 students from the community.

Upon being introduced to this organization, we were thoroughly impressed. We are developing ways to bridge the Jabal Nathif and King’s communities together in a working partnership. This past weekend we took a few students from King’s and visited the site. Upon arriving, Ruwwad volunteers shared heartfelt stories about their experiences and took us on a tour of the facilities. The faces of the buildings were painted bright colors, and the concrete walls covered with beautiful, folk style murals. They showed us the nursery, playground, administrative offices, crafts rooms and computer lab with pride and admiration for all they have accomplished in just three years. Seeing a thriving hub of activity involving engaged kids and adults alike, I was reminded of my days spent at the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club as a coordinator for my project working with young girls.

After the tour our students separated according to interest and worked at the library, creative arts workshops where they were making collages, paper and ceramics, and in the nursery playing with young children. I walked around and documented the trip, followed by a herd of wonderful children eager to show their community off.

We then had lunch and reflected on our day and brainstormed ways in which we could be involved and provide Ruwwad with seriously committed student volunteers. I look forward to further investigating the possibilities and working closely with Ruwwad this year.

Alistair Visits!

A dear friend of ours, Alistair, who worked at King’s for a brief period, recently came through Jordan a couple of times between trips to Iraq and the West Bank. Georgia, Eliza and I were fortunate enough to see him on each of his visits and hear all about his wild adventures in the hot bed of activity. He spent a few days traveling in Iraq- during which Obama was elected president- before retreating to Turkey for security reasons. It was really fascinating to hear about his impressions of the area- and troublesome to hear that his hope for the future has diminished. Coming from a pretty realistic, and sometimes cynical person I was surprised when he told us he had gone there with “too much optimism”.

It was really fun for me to speak with him about his trip to Israel/Palestine because I had just returned from the same places he visited. We were able to relate to each other’s border stories, observations and emotional responses to the divided territories. It is truly incredible to be in this region of the world where so many people are traveling to once seemingly distant and impossible places, and discovering parts of themselves along the way.

We took Alistair out to dinner at a famous dive restaurant downtown called Hashem. No plates, no utensils, no fuss- they just bring a pile of warm pita, a heap of falafel and bowls of ful and hummus to your table immediately upon arriving. We then went to one of our favorite spots, a traditionally decorated and cozy café, to sip on mint tea and listen to music. Jordan is truly a social hub where people take the time to relax and the priority is to enjoy the company of good friends and family.