Combatants for Peace the Clip - Help Us Bring Peace

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• published: 25 Aug 2014
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Chen Alon and Suliman khatib - Co-founders of Combatants for Peace. We see horrifying images of violence coming from the Middle East these past weeks, and a seemingly unending cycle of hatred and conflict – with both sides stuck in a narrative with no way out. We are a group of former combatants that are not waiting for our governments - we are actively doing it differently, and we need your help. The “Combatants for Peace” movement was started jointly by Palestinians and Israelis who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence; Israelis as soldiers in the Israeli army (IDF) and Palestinians as part of the violent struggle for Palestinian freedom. After brandishing weapons for so many years, and having seen one another only through weapon sights, we have decided to lay down our arms, and to fight for peace. Our mission is to actively spread the message that a non-violent solution to the conflict is possible, and our hundreds of members and participants are living proof that it is. We Need Your Support to Continue These Important Activities - especially now with the ongoing violence between our countries. Help Us Reach A Wider Audience With Our Message. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in just the last month on this war. And the media only perpetuates it by focusing solely on stories and images of violence and hate. We take a different path. Your funding will help us to: · Hire and set up Bi-National media teams, which will work to get our story out and to act in order to influence public opinion in Israel, Palestine and the rest of the world. · Bring consciousness to both publics regarding the hopes and suffering of the other side, and to create partners in dialogue. · Educate towards reconciliation and non-violent struggle in both the Israeli and Palestinian societies. · Create political pressure on both Governments to stop the cycle of violence, end the occupation and resume a constructive dialog. · Reach beyond the region and connect with people around the world who believe in non-violence and the importance of allowing a new story to emerge - one of peace, coexistence and interconnectedness. WE BELIEVE that only by joining forces, will we be able to end the cycle of violence, the bloodshed and the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people while allowing for the ongoing security of the citizens of Israel. We understand that it is impossible to resolve the conflict between the two peoples through violent means; therefore we declare that we refuse to take part any more in the mutual bloodletting. We will act only by non-violent means so that each side will come to understand the national aspirations of the other side. We see dialogue and reconciliation as the only way to act in order to terminate the Israeli occupation, to halt the settlement project and to establish a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, alongside the State of Israel. WE ARE A COMMITTED GROUP that began in 2005 with a few people, and now number in the hundreds, with 5 regional groups. We have been organizing meetings between Israeli and Palestinian veterans, in which both sides tell about the violent actions that they have taken part in and about the turning point which led them to understand the limits of violence. Naturally, these meetings were fraught with many fears, however we soon learned that despite years of fear and hatred, there is more that unites us than divides. Even in these most trying of times, we are determined to: · Continue with the combatants’ meetings, which allow each side to understand the other’s narrative, via the approach of reconciliation rather than conflict. · Implement an educational lecture series in public forums on both sides (universities, youth groups, schools etc.). The lectures will be given jointly by an Israeli and a Palestinian veteran, who will concentrate on the transition from violent struggle to the recognition of the limits of violence. · Create joint projects which educate towards non- violence. · Create joint frameworks in order to become familiar with the culture, history and current needs of the other nation. · Participate in demonstrations and other non-violent actions against the occupation as a bi-national group. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to break this cycle of hatred and conflict and to end this conflict through non-violent means. WAYS YOU CAN HELP 1. Please Donate to Our Campaign for Combatants For Peace using this link - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-bring-peace-to-israel-and-palestine 2. Please Help Us Get The Word Out - Share This With Friends on Facebook, Twitter and Other Social Media. Send email with the link to your friends. 3. Share This Campaign With Your Community, Church, Synagogue or Mosque.