Thank you to those who came to Peace House last Thursday – our inaugural meeting was a great success. We were delighted to host Rana Salman from the Holy Land Trust, who talked about her experience of living in Bethlehem and what people are doing to resist violence.
We learnt that community, solidarity and planning for the future are key to the prospect of peace in the region. There are empowerment workshops for young women and leadership courses for young people of all genders, teaching how to lead using nonviolence as standard, so that future leaders can work better together and bring about more just systems of power.
Much of the proceeding Q&A session was spent discussing the home rebuilding project HLT carries out. Houses are frequently demolished by Occupation Forces, but a dedicated team, helped by visiting volunteers, can have a new one on the site in a fortnight. It is rare for these new houses to be knocked down again. What stories of hope!
We are very grateful to Rana for the help she gave FoR throughout her week with us and wish her the very best for her vital work for peace and reconciliation.
