Bilingual schools in Israel/Palestine light the way to peace

On October 28th I heard Uri Gopher, the optimistic executive director of the Hajar/Hagar School in Beer Sheva, Israel, http://www.hajar.org.il 

tell his listeners here in Montreal about a sixth (and currently last) unique peace-building, bilingual school operating under the Israeli Ministry of Education; the school's motto is "Jewish-Arab Education for Equality."

The Hagar Association not only says that "peace IS possible," but that "It begins at HAGAR."  They believe that "Jewish-Arab Education for Equality is a springboard for social change, through it's bilingual, multicultural school and community programming. As parents and community members partner in the educational process, we create a community of Arabs and Jews who learn and work together towards a shared and peaceful future."

The last summer has been so horrific in terms of events in the middle east, and I have seen so many sad and infuriating documentaries about Palestinian/Israeli relations, that I confess I have become quite negative and discouraged about whether any change for the better is really possible in that anciently conflict-torn area.  However, Uri was full of energy, good news and good sense, starting with a comment that "Living together is not something you learn about in books, it's something you practice." At the Hajar/Hagar School, adults and children alike clearly practice how to relate well to one another, and it is inspiring!  Uri believes their emphasis on teaching both Arabic and Hebrew is a key to their program, for "When you learn the other's language, you are immediately drawn to him/her."

A former musician who holds an MA in social-political psychology, and with extensive educational experience, including work with Sesame Street International and as director of the Walter Lebcah Institute for Arab-Jewish Coexistence at the school of education in Tel Aviv University, Uri said it took becoming a father himself to push him to look for new ways to build connections with his Arab counterparts. He went on to explain how this extraordinary educational venture was begun in 2006 by some ordinary but social activist parents in Beer Sheva who wanted school environments that were relationship-and-peace-building, not trauma-inflicting, for their children.

Co-sponsored by UCM and the Montreal Dialogue Group, Uri came to Montreal to meet and speak with interested members of the public, plus members of the ICAN program at the McGill School of Social Work.  The International Community Action Network (ICAN), formerly known as the McGill Middle East Program (MMEP), is committed to the belief that social justice is the most reliable foundation for strong, healthy societies.  ICAN offers MSW degrees to persons in the forefront of civil society and social justice in Jordan, Palestine, and Israel.  Seven of these special graduate students attended Uri's talk, and several have connections to/with the Hajar/Hagar School (one is a graduate of "Neve Shalom," the original Jewish-Arab bridge-building school begun in 1979; another woman is a parent whose Gr 2 daughter spoke briefly about her experience at Hajar/Hagar).

Uri Gopher feels Israel has failed its most important challenge, to resolve the conflict between Arabs and Jews, and so he wrote a song (which was quite controversial) about that theme, when Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding. He concluded his presentation with that song, played beautifully on our Laliberte piano, and a photo of his daughter smiling "after an ordinary day at an ordinary school!"

Watch the video of the song here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-DwpSY3or4