RE: The Palestinian cold war, The split between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority is reflective of the foreign influences dominating the Middle East by Jonathan Spyerhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/30/palestinian-divide-hamas-fatah
Dear Sir,
Attempting to define the foreign influences at play in the Palestine/Israel conflict, Spyer left out the most crucial factor: UNWRA and the Palestinian refugees. UNWRA really is because of Western money plus Arab hospitality keeping Palestinian refugees alive... and educated. Recently One Laptop Per Child and UNRWA partnered to provide new learning opportunities for Palestinian Children Nearly half a million Palestine refugee children by 2012 will have laptops, and they can take their laptops home so each laptop also becomes a family and community resource.
Recently in Nablus Palestine, wanting to help a blind aunt and uncle who struggle to navigate the steep slopes and scant sidewalks, two 14-year-old Palestinian girls built an obstacle detecting walking stick for a class project at their United Nations-funded girls' school. Their ingenuity won them a prestigious trip to Intel Corp.'s international youth science fair in California: "These girls are the Albert Einsteins of tomorrow," said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the agency. "We need to teach the next generation rational thought, to think through problems and talk about problems. It's a microcosm of the peace process, if you like, and we need to spend time and invest in education because that is the peace dividend of tomorrow." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100427/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_laser_cane
One of my favorite writers is acclaimed author, poet, and proud UNRWA graduate Palestinian-American Ibtisam Barakat. Her book Tasting the Sky has won numerous awards and warm praise: “ The child in this story carries more wisdom and a keener sense of justice and injustice than do most people in seats of power. Tasting the Sky should be read by everyone with a humane interest in the story of Palestine.” —Naomi Shihab Nye, author of Habibi"
We do not know what will be, but we do know that we live in a global interconnected world... and that good and decent people everywhere are working hard to calm down and end the Palestine/Israel conflict. More and more the children of Palestine are free to explore a whole huge world of ideas with many creative projects and potential careers- and they are being given the power to make up their own minds about where they want to invest their time and talents. I for one very much hope that many more decide to invest in the winning combination of Palestine and Peace- for everyone's sake.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
Growing Gardens for Palestine
The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
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RE: Hamas is accused of being moderatehttp://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/mideastemail/la-fg-gaza-hamas-20100423,0,7354944.story
Dear Editor,
In my opinion, Hamas should step down- and all Palestinians and their supporters should be encouraged to make a serious effort to stop excusing and/or arming religious resistance to Israel- not for Israel's sake, but for Palestine's sake.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
Refugees, Borders & Jerusalem...
- "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt
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