engine of souls | forum 3

mre · Senior Member

Assignment #4: Promises POV Discussion (B)

mre · Senior Member

EXTRA CREDIT: You will get an extra credit point for every website that you suggest that could supplement the topics of culture, identity and the specific issues addressed in the documentary. Please annotate your suggestions with detail and provide clickable links in your response. Thanks!

Rjnetinho · Member

Section A

1.) Faults and fallacies concerning the subject at hand would be difficult to hear to the person in the defense of the said subject. Both lists would include theories, facts, and beliefs that would seem to disprove the opposition’s list.

2.) There were points in the movie that seemed to specify childhood; the kids were just being kids and acting friendly towards one another, getting along and playing sports despite their confliction in their religious beliefs.

3.) No, I have never had to contemplate questions such as these because I have never been in a hostile environment such as Jerusalem.

4.) When being normal means being surrounded by war, you begin to develop a train of thought that reflects the violence of the war itself, and their ability to find peaceful solutions is clouded because they are immersed in such heavy conflict for so long that they begin to believe that war and violence is the only answer to our problems.

5.) The fact that these children are young has a lot to do with the weakening of the cultural barrier between them, also the fact that they have spent some time together and gotten to know one another better has also weakened the barriers. The barriers that have been set in my community are very difficult to weaken but they are not as great as those in Jerusalem, so weakening these barriers would be far easier and require less effort. When the target of hate is humanized, the hate itself dissipates for the most part, and those who hold grudges will still feel the same way.

6.) The Americans have been humanized because of the increase in American pride for a while, and the Muslims have been demonized because a small group of terrorists abducted the planes and everyone seems to feel as though every Muslim is automatically a Unabomber who wishes death and destruction upon America.

BiancaDee925 · Veteran Member

Section A

1) The things that might be hard for some who disagrees with me to hear are issues on morals and values, hypothetically speaking. If my opponent and I listed things that were hard to hear, the basic thing that would be on both lists is the fact that we have different opinions concerning morals and values.

2) The moments shown between the interactions of all the children were just points that seemed to typify childhood. The reason is because usually when young children meet someone new, they’re just going to play with them, and forget about whether their values are different from theirs. Young children are not going to stop playing with a nice person who happens to be of a different religion.

3) I never contemplated any of the questions asked because I guess where you live and the situation taking place in your community affects whether you think about those questions or not.

4) When people are surrounded by war, their day-to-day lives are filled with worry. People worry whether their homes or cars will be blown up, whether their lives are in jeopardy, and whether their loved ones are safe.

5) When the children are playing soccer with one another and having fun, the barriers between them seem to weaken because they are too busy having fun then to think about that the other is against to what they believe. I believe that there are ways to dissolve barriers in our community, like holding diversity days. When that target of hate is humanized, then the hate slowly disappears.

6) Since the events of September 11, the Americans have been humanized by the media because ever since that happened, there were demonstrations of American pride, like people carrying the flag around. Unfortunately, the Muslims living innocently in the U.S. were demonized by the media because it made it seem that Sept. 11 was their entire fault, when it wasn’t.

jordan coe · Veteran Member

Section A

1 well there are so many things to agure u and dissagree on both sides are never right but but sides have ideas of it on differnt aspects like u have people for war and agasint it there is always goign to be differnces and agruements about things

2 well in most points a child is not going to see hatred there going to see anther person like them and play and get along most of the time and not see the other cultrue values as completly differnt

3 no i have not i havent been around an area of such volence such as iseral were they have been fighting for centurys and the us is in peace it does have its shootings and gangs but its nothing like isreal they have to worry about bombings killings everyday of there life

4 people surronded by war it will infule them to live in worry and wonder if they will be bombed or a loved one will be bombed and some act young ages are teached to hate and want to kill and if they now somone who was killed like a family member or close friend that could infulence them to hate even more and want to kill

5 well a situation was the soccor game they had they got along and showed no hatered and when they hanged out to gether and i bleve there is ways to weakin hate but hate will always be there as long as we have people who hate

6 well american pride has become humilazed cause of the pride of the flag but i think alot of bad things have happen like ever since that day some people have been looking at muslums differntly and thinking of them as terriosts but u cant blame a whole relgion and race for what a group of terrioists have done

mre · Senior Member

Zachary W wrote:

the Unabomber was American born and not a Muslim

Zach, is this in response to someone's comment in particular? If so, please specify, so that person can respond. Also, Timothy McVeigh (the bomber of Oklahoma City's federal building in 1995) was not Muslim either.

Zachary W · Veteran Member

Rjnetinho wrote:

6.)The Americans have been humanized because of the increase in American pride for a while, and the Muslims have been demonized because a small group of terrorists abducted the planes and everyone seems to feel as though every Muslim is automatically a Unabomber who wishes death and destruction upon America.

The Unabomber was an American, and also he wasn't muslim... just another crazy white guy in montana planning on blowing up colleges

Freire02 · Member

Section A

1. It’s hard because they do things because they were raised like that, and grew up in that lifestyle. While others are offended by their opinions and way of life because there lifestyle is also different, growing up in a different environment.

2. Even though the kids are from different sides they connect by playing the same games and eat the same food.

3. Personally I never had to deal with issues like that.

4. People who are surrounded by war are most likely to have negative feedback to things and act violently. Living with daily conflict is hard for people to find peaceful solutions because they are so used to fighting and used to conflict and aren’t used to making things better. My opinion in the terrorist, aren’t highly at all. I believe they don’t deserve to join a friendship or peace after killing so many innocent civilians.

5. The barriers weaken when the kids are playing soccer and other games, and have their minds on the subject of hate and having to worry the thoughts on one another.

6. Since the events of September 11, the Americans have been humanized through the media by carrying the American flag around or putting them on their cars.

-- Edited by Freire02 on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 10:06:34 AM

-- Edited by Freire02 on Thursday 25th of February 2010 10:03:51 AM

Heling is · Veteran Member

Section A

1.For the children, it may have been very hard to hear the opinions of the others. They’ve all grown up with a certain mindset and a certain bias and stereotype for the other group. It may be difficult for them to hear that the other group thinks the land belongs to them, that they killed their friends and family etc. Both groups may feel that death and land claims and that the reality they live in are very difficult things to talk about.

2.When the twins and Faraj were playing soccer together and having pillow fights, it seemed like they had bridged some of the differences between them. They united through a love of sports and simple childhood things that didn’t concern the politics of their country. Experiences like this can be used to show that although people may live in different worlds, some things like common hobbies can bring them closer together.

3.I have never had to contemplate such grave facts of reality before. For these children to have to think about things such as: “will I die today?” is very shocking and something that cuts their innocence so short. I think in many ways they had to grow up so much more quickly than most children. They seem to establish their stand very early on and their identities as well.

4.When ‘normal’ is being surrounded by war, it forces the children to mature at a very young age. Often, they grow-up with preconceived prejudices like the children in the documentary. They have so much hate and anger towards a general stereotype and fail to individualize each person as a being. This makes it very hard to find peace as the two opposing groups have so much animosity between them. They are constantly reminded that ‘the Jews’ killed my best friend or ‘the Arabs’ murdered my family. Events like these form intense hatred, which is very difficult to overcome and rationalize. Events like 9/11 help perpetuate that dividing gap. It places a generalization about all Arabs, that they are all terrorists and extremist. This shifts the public view of Arabs, and makes us wary about them and makes us judge them before we get to learn who they are as a person.

5.Moments such as the meeting between Yarko, Daniel, Faraj, and Sanabel seem to weaken the hostile tension. Specific things like playing games together, sitting down to eat together, and sharing a bit of culture between each other made it possible. They bonded through common things that define childhood. It presents ways to facilitate the dissolving of barriers in our own community. Even if we speak different languages or come from different backgrounds, people can still come together through common things like music and sports. This can show us that we’re more similar than we are different. The hate is rationalized and dissipated in many cases when that hate is humanized. The children found themselves not looking at murders or assassins, but other children very much like themselves who have been hurt and traumatized by what has happened.

6.After September 11, many Arabs have been demonized for the event. Although it was carried out by an extremist terrorist group, people tend to generalized and direct their hate onto the people as a whole because they don’t know how to adequately asses the situations. Many Jews have been humanized as a result since America holds friendly ties with the Jews in Israel and send many troops to preserve peace in that part of the world. We’ve also been taught to sympathize them since they have been constantly oppressed since the beginning of time. These portrayals have definitely made me biased. Sometimes I catch myself being wary every time I see a woman in a veil although on second sight I realize that generalizations and prejudices like these should not be made.

Section B

7. I believe our attachment to land comes from our parents, friends, and memories. However, for the children in the film, because they are surrounded by the constant struggle for land, they feel a stronger attachment, almost a justification for their possession of it. Moishe claimed that the land belonged to the Jews since it was stated in the Torah whereas Faraj insisted it was theirs since he had land deeds. For people who are very religious like Moishe, he may value what is said in the text since the Torah is his world whereas for Faraj, practical and modern statements like the deed says otherwise. For me, I wouldn’t risk too much to keep the land I live on since there is a relatively shallow attachment. Factors like friends, family, how long I’ve lived here all factor into the amount of risk I’m willing to take. For me, I’d risk more to save the local mall because it’s a bigger part of my life as opposed to religious buildings. Likewise, I’d be more inclined to save my home. Although most people may appear to be altruistic, when the pressure’s on to choose, most people will choose to save what is close to them.

8. The events did not personally affect my alligence, but it has opened my eyes to the kind of things people will do for a cause or belief. It’s definitely a grave reality to know that I’m not always in control of my life, that it could change in an instant due to somebody else. However, most people are inclined to trust others, so I feel like many times the risk is not such a huge component.

9. The culture and the beliefs are what are different about where the Israelis live and where the Palestinians live. However, it seems that the Israelis have more freedom since they poltically occupy the area. They seem to live a little better in some respects. These differences product different perspectives because it makes people feel restrictive and that they are being treated unfairly. The checkpoints that only certain people can cross sets out to separate different groups of people, and the parade through Jerusalem seemed to be intestinally mocking the Palestinians.

10. Fear can unite many people, especially if they share similar fears. Because the children were all concerned with peace and upset by the killings, they are able to relate to each other on that common ground. Over the course of the film, many of the children’s views mellow out. Instead of holding intense hatred for the other group, they have grown slightly more tolerant, or at least aware that peace not war is the answer to the quest. Yarko is justified in wanting to pursue a normal life. Unlike many of the other children like Sanabel, he doesn’t live in the oppression or the violence. He wants to play volleyball, not think about his best friend that had been shot dead. This kind of thinking does not directly propel prospects for peace, but his awareness does. Faraj on the other hand probably could never stop thinking about the conflict because he’s live through it and has lost people he loves through it.

11. (For why or why not, see #10) For me, I think about more personal issues on a daily basis instead of such a wide predicament. Often times if it’s something minor such as delicious high school drama, I tend not to meddle or deal with it. I like to spend time fixing myself up before trying to be a shoulder for others to cry on. Most of the time, things such as “what’s for dinner” is what I ask myself, or “how do I deal with XYZ person”? Another favorite thought is planning how to survive apocalypse. I entertain myself by devising ways to surviving a massive flood due to the melting of the polar ice caps as well as a flu epidemic and alien invasions as well.

6. My non-existent religious traditions have always taught me to be respectful towards other religions. It’s rather ironic that these values aren’t reflected in this conflict as both Judaism and Islam preaches tolerance. However, the sense of acceptance is reflected in my own community. Although people do have different religious values, they are still able to coexist in peace.

-- Edited by Heling is on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 10:35:45 AM

Sheldon2442 · Member

Section A

1.Which things might be hard for someone who disagrees with you to hear and why? If you and your opponent each listed the things that were hard to hear, which things might be on both lists?

Answer: Well for me I would put all the differences. Then I would look for any similarities and place them on there also. I wouldn’t talk about the similarities I would talk about the differences because the differences are probably greater and it would still bother the other person of my beliefs.

2.Were there moments that felt universal or points which seemed to typify childhood? How can we use common experiences to build bridges?

Answer: Well I used to know people that I hated and they hated me but when we sat down and talked about the past we found common things we both loved like sports, video games, movies, made-up games, and other things. It’s like an instant CLICK! When you learn the person more.

3.Did you ever have to contemplate things like: Will someone blow up the bus I’m about to get on? What will it be like when I have to go into the army? Will they ever let my father out of prison? Has my friend’s father ever shot at me or someone I love? Will I ever be permitted to leave this place or return to my family’s home?

Answer: To be honest no, because I only contemplate about little things like Whats for dinner? Or Will my friend ever stop sucking at Halo he’s embarrassing me? I believe if I did think of those things I would be more alert to major things like that which I’m not.

4.What happens to people when normal means being surrounded by war? What impact does living with daily conflict have on people’s ability to find peaceful solutions? How have the events of September 11 influenced your ability to be a peace-maker?

Answer: People who are surrounded by war are more alert and afraid because you never know what could happen an airstrike can hit your home while you’re going to the store. To those people it’s easy and normal. Some get popcorn to watch while some join and others look for peace. September 11 didn’t really make a huge impact on me but to other people they started judging people on their religion. Not only was I young and didn’t know what was going on but I already knew not to judge other people.

5.There are moments in PROMISES when the barriers between the children seem to weaken. What specific things are happening at these moments or have happened to make these moments possible? Are there ways to facilitate the dissolving of barriers in your own community? What happens to hate when the target of that hate is humanized?

Answer: The power of discussion is a huge thing they talked it out and poor little Faraj broke down crying. Ever since then he’s been wanting to meet them. The barriers can always be weakened the problem is who has the guts to do it first to show everyone it’s possible.

6.Since the events of September 11, who has been humanized and who has been demonized by the media or the government? How do these portrayals influence your opinions about appropriate responses?

Answer: Arabs have been discriminated against since September 11 which is stupid to be honest when people see them they get scared. A lot of people may have died in 9/11 but looking at an innocent Arab/ Muslim or any middle east family and be scared is huge discrimination.

-- Edited by Sheldon2442 on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 10:14:50 AM

reinahearts · Member

SECTION A

1. which things might be hard for someone who disagrees with you to hear and why? If you and your opponent each listed the things that were hard to hear, which things might be on both lists?

1. I don’t believe in abortion
2. I believe nobody should be judge on their past
3. I don’t respect people who believe they know it all
4. I don’t like believe in people murdering other just because they don’t believe the same as us
5. I don’t believe anyone should be judge for what county they come from
6. Or kept held from their family past

2. were there moments that felt universal or points which seemed to typify childhood? How can we use common experiences to build bridges?

They have interested in sports, hanging with friends getting into activities
They both believe in their religion and both have strong facts of what happens in their lives

3. did you ever have to contemplate things like: Will someone blow up the bus I’m about to get on? What will it be like when I have to go into the army? Will they ever let my father out of prison? Has my friend’s father ever shot at me or someone I love? Will I ever be permitted to leave this place or return to my family’s home?

1. Well a simpler is 9/11 I had family there and I feared that they could get hurt
2. Well I’m not forced into the army but I have closed friends who are in the army
3. Well I had love ones in prison and was afraid they wouldn’t come out

4. what happens to people when normal means being surrounded by war? What impact does living with daily conflict have on people’s ability to find peaceful solutions? How have the events of September 11 influenced your ability to be a peace-maker?

1. Well people have different feeling towards war they all have different experiences but do want to take action against the enemy
2. Well people don’t think about peacemaking they just want to get back with angry but there are some people who would like to change it
3. Well first we was full of angry then we came together and try to form some type of peace

5. There are moments in PROMISES when the barriers between the children seem to weaken. What specific things are happening at these moments or have happened to make these moments possible? Are there ways to facilitate the dissolving of barriers in your own community? What happens to hate when the target of that hate is humanized?
The fact that these children are young has a lot to do with the weakening of the cultural barrier between them, also the fact that they have spent some time together and gotten to know one another better has also weakened the barriers. The barriers that have been set in my community are very difficult to weaken but they are not as great as those in other countries, so weakening these barriers would be far easier and require less effort. When the target of hate is humanized, the hate itself dissipates for the most part, and those who hold grudges will still feel the same way.

6. since the events of September 11, who has been humanized and who has been demonized by the media or the government? How do these portrayals influence your opinions about appropriate responses?

well I believe American pride has become humiliated cause of the pride of the flag but i think a lot of bad things have happen like ever since that day some people have been looking at Muslims differently and thinking of them as tourists but u can’t blame a whole religion and race for what a group of terrorists have done

hsalk18 · Member

Section C:

13. Religion plays a big part in this. Both religions were told by G-d that the land was theirs, so of course they are going to fight for their religion and rightfully claim their land, which is hard because, clearly they were given the same land. Being a Jewish girl raised by a Jewish family I can understand the point of view of the Jewish children and I can relate to the problem because I grew up with my parents telling me that Israel was ours (the Jews). I was told that Adoni (Jewish G-d) gave the land to Abraham and passed it down through Isaac and Jacob. There is no distinction between fundamentalism and religion because both sides are not willing to give land up or make a way were the land would be divided in a certain way.

14. Consider how the following quotes from the film make you feel:

The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel

This quote makes me upset because technically the land was given to both us and the Arabs, but it’s terrible because no one knows how to share the land in a reasonable way. But I understand why they were kicked off too. I mean with Hamas and other terrorist organizations it’s hard for the land to be shared equally.

God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe

This quote really makes sense to me because I was raised with my parents telling me that Adoni (G-d) gave us this land so we could be free.

I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko

This is kind of confusing to me because I only know our side of the story and how the land we given to us, and I just don’t know the Arabs side of the story so it could also be theirs. All I know was that the land was given to us, making it our land.

I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud

This quote really hurts me, being Jewish. I know that Jews are nothing like that.

When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj

This quote really does hurt because if I was living in Israel being a Jew I would be terrified for my life. We did nothing wrong, especially our generation, we are only kids how could we have possibly started this big mess?

If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe

This quote makes perfect sense to me because we know this land is ours and we just want everyone to respect it and know that it is ours.

We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe

This quote I thought was a little harsh, I mean I know that he doesn’t really like the Arabs but I think for a kid at least it goes a little too far. But I suppose if I were in that kind of situation I would probably say the same thing.

I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until they’re almost gone. Mahmoud

This quote obviously hurt me because being Jewish and having someone say that they wanted to kill all the Jews, clearly is going to hurt.

So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj

This quote makes a lot of sense because it’s so true, I mean both groups are pretty much doing the same thing, so why can’t we just try and work it out?

In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner? People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel

This quote is very true, again, both sides are doing the same thing, killing each other and trying to keep the other groups away from “their” land. No one really wins in the end.

The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj

This quote is true on his side because he is stuck in a camp and really can’t leave, which stops him from making peace with us.

15. I would say that it is their generation that would help making peace between us and the Arabs. If their generation doesn’t try to stop what it is going on it is just going to continue and go on longer and longer.

16. I think this hatred comes from the parents who know exactly what is going on with the religion and how the land was given to them and why and they are telling the children bad things about the opposing religion. I think the children are willing to put differences aside because they know they aren’t the ones that caused this mess so why should they be suffering? Things that teach and reinforce hate in our community is bullying, gang violence, anti-Semitism, hatred towards certain religions, and racism.

17. If it was in my community I would try to start a support program or club that would explain all of these religions and how they work and the certain customs.

18. The thought of letting my kids do it doesn’t sound too bad, but I don’t actually think in that situation I would let my kids do it. Being here in America I don’t really see the big risk in it because I’m not actually there but if I was their mother I probably wouldn’t. I think I would be way too worried because it is very dangerous towards both groups.

-- Edited by hsalk18 on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 10:33:34 AM

-- Edited by hsalk18 on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 10:34:18 AM

kelsayexo · Veteran Member

Section A

1. Things that would be hard to hear that I would most likely disagree with the aspects in another person’s point of view. It is true that not all people see and experience things the same way. If we were talking about past experiences for example; then it might cause pain or grief for an opponent of mine or might cause a serious argument. We might both as well have certain struggles listed but they might not be the SAME struggle but it had the same type of outcome.

2. The children did experience certain things that all children experience when they grow up, such as more responsibilities and they did as American children do: “entertain oneself”. To a certain extent the children do act as children they will always experience the same type of behavior, but they will have struggles that get in the way. In Palestine and Israel the children there go through a struggle between the differences between the two, just as their parents do. It seems as in other countries children have different reactions and responsibilities to life itself. The bridge does get built to broaden adulthood but it also seems as it takes away on childhood itself.

3. These exact thoughts might not have gone through my mind exactly but in other terms it may have. America has danger just as other countries. You could be going to your best friend’s house and get shot by a drive by because there might be a gang member who lives next door or upstairs. The thought of keeping one’s life safe from danger is always on someone’s mind. The danger itself is the only difference.

4. If normal is being surrounded by war and death it causes an extreme impact on ones thoughts on life. If I was to leave America and to go live in Iraq where we fight, things will be different. The innocent are constantly dealing with this every day. It makes one think that war is the way to live. If a problem comes up you deal with it by violence. It ends up being their main thought when in a situation. Since September 11^th I have tried for peace but I was quite young when it happened, so I am not sure how I have grown up thinking on peace as a subject in its own.

5. Parents have a big impact on that barrier. They keep one from another or control the actions of their children. The barriers are not very easy to fix once broken. The children usually can’t repair them until they are in their late teen years. Hate has become so much of American life. Just walking down the street and someone is already judging one another. There is no more peace or respect.

6. The people who back up the war have become demonized. To keep a war going on for so long over something that wasn’t even one’s fault is just ridiculous. The people of Iraq have nothing to do with September 11^th. It was Osama benladin. America has just been overcome by war.

Section B

7. The land we live on is ours in our eyes. The place we grew up and have settled. No one wants to see it destroyed or taken away. I have thought about joining the National Guard to defend our country but on the other hand I choose not to because I am not going to fight in a war and risk my life for a war that should have been over and done with years ago. Bush should have made a peace treaty when he was in office. I would risk saving my home more than the other three because in a religious sense god is always with you. You can rebuild a church even a home but not all the contents inside can never be replaced.

Zachary W · Veteran Member

Section A

1.Which things might be hard for someone who disagrees with you to hear and why? If you and your opponent each listed the things that were hard to hear, which things might be on both lists?

When in a dispute, debate, or merely stating your opinion on a matter it can always be difficult to truly hear and listen to the opposing side. Some major things would be good points that you are unwilling to hear due to the nature it has been said in as well as the persons view and feelings on the situation.

2.Were there moments that felt universal or points which seemed to typify childhood? How can we use common experiences to build bridges?

Moments in PROMISES that seemed to typify childhood included when the children first met and while speaking to the camera, they stopped and had a burping contest with one another, as well as when the whole group met and had a kind of play date and lunch. The kids all seemed so average and typical when they were having pillow fights, wrestling, and playing outside.

3. Did you ever have to contemplate things like: Will someone blow up the bus I’m about to get on? What will it be like when I have to go into the army? Will they ever let my father out of prison? Has my friend’s father ever shot at me or someone I love? Will I ever be permitted to leave this place or return to my family’s home?

No, I’ve never had to contemplate or worry about any of these circumstances and I hope that it stays that way.

4. What happens to people when normal means being surrounded by war? What impact does living with daily conflict have on people’s ability to find peaceful solutions? How have the events of September 11 influenced your ability to be a peace-maker?

I think that when normal means being surrounded by war one of three things are likely to happen; the first being that they grow to absorb the hate that engulfs many adults that they see and know and in the long run continue the war problems like their father before them and his father before him. Some in these situations rise to the occasion and intend on changing their surroundings and making a difference not only in their small communities but hopefully their world as they know it, of course as we all know few people like this exist or able to be heard by many due to the shouts of the angry mob. The other people attempt to remain indifferent feeling that fighting isn’t the answer, but they also don’t feel peace talks will have any affect and its merely a lost cause. Many of these people have also lost faith in peace and understanding altogether though they do yearn for it.

Honestly, I have to say that I feel that the events of September 11 have had little influence on my ability as a peacemaker, as a ten year old I understood little of what was going on and sad as it sounds I feel that it has little effect on me as a person, at least not directly.

5. There are moments in PROMISES when the barriers between the children seem to weaken. What specific things are happening at these moments or have happened to make these moments possible? Are there ways to facilitate the dissolving of barriers in your own community? What happens to hate when the target of that hate is humanized?

During Promises when the children’s barriers seem to weaken it happens most during the time they spend playing together and not thinking about who the other is or where they come from. They become so involved in their games and fun there isn’t any room to think about prejudices, because at least for the time being they are alike and friends.

The barriers that stand in my community will likely be there for years to come, and will definitely affect my descendents for at least another 79 years.

When the target of hate is humanized the blatant hate subsides and it becomes hard to put that assumption on someone who clearly isn’t the enemy you thought and seems extremely similar to you. The hate is also suppressed because much of it is based off false assumptions of cowards and liars and when the children come face to face with someone they wished death upon they are afraid to voice these lies.

6.Since the events of September 11, who has been humanized and who has been demonized by the media or the government? How do these portrayals influence your opinions about appropriate responses?

Since the events of September 11, many people have been portrayed many different ways, soldiers, politicians, and people who the media feel represent the “American Spirit” were humanized and honored. Stories of selflessness is told of these ‘heroes’ whose valor is brought out in times where death is imminent, defeating the enemy, and protecting their countries honor, while never dying in vain.

The Muslim, Middle Eastern, and even full blooded Americans whose ancestry comes from regions deemed to be the enemies, are portrayed as unruly people who all are against America and our way of life. Even people who don’t fit into these groups have been demonized as un-American if they ever spoke out against the government, its policies, and politicians, they are placed in categories with terrorists, extremists, and sick people who in reality can come from any walk of life and look anyway. Portrayals by the media and the American people of their fellow humans has greatly influenced my opinions and feelings about responses, due mostly with my disagreements with the portrayals.

Vi · Veteran Member

1. Things that might be hard for someone who disagrees with me to hear would probably be when I prove them wrong or if they think they are wrong and don’t want to listen to what I have to say because they know I’m making a valid point in the argument. So that would be something that would be on both lists as well as anything that would put each other down.

2. There were indeed moments that felt universal and that typified childhood because they all had their own rights and were very well spoken as to what they believed in. We can use common experiences to build bridges by coming together and actually getting to know one another so we can see how they live.

3. Yes I have contemplated on a situation like that especially when I was with a group of friends on an airplane with an Arabian man on the row next to us just staring. I never really thought about what it would be like to be in the army. So some of these situations I have thought about and some others just don’t phase me at all.

4. When people are surrounded by war and that is known as the normal thing, everyone is going to be use to fighting each other and conflicts will increase but self protection and protection of others will increase as well because independence will be a main focus. The impact it has on people is that it will definitely be harder on some because they are not use to needed to find peaceful solutions. The events of September 11 have made me into a better person because I know that was a hard time for people and making an argument just isn’t worth it when I can try and compromise.

5. The children’s change in the way they viewed each other and others of different cultures and race made it possible. They were willing to meet and get to know one another. For example, Faraj changed from wanting to kill to wanting to meet the twins and hangout. Also, when the children were playing soccer and actually having a good time. Yes there are ways to facilitate the dissolving barriers in the community by meeting people of different races and trying to understand their culture. When the target of hate is humanized, hate definitely decreases and wouldn’t be much of a problem anymore.

6. After September 11, Americans have been humanized because they were attacked and needed a way to come together and show that the pride of Americans has not been affected. Muslims have been demonized because of the certain group that attacked us and now they have been faced with that stereotype as being terrorists. These portrayals have made me think twice about people and be more aware even though not all Muslims are terrorists.

ericaaaa3 · Veteran Member

Section A

1. Things that would be difficult for me to hear when arguing with someone who has different point of view would be to fully understanding why the feel so strongly about their views. Also if it has to do with a traumatic event it could be hard for that person who experienced that event to talk about and also it would be hard for the other person to understand how the victim in that situation feels.

2. I believe that children from different countries are experience different situations and events throughout their childhood. Like children from Russia act more differently then children in Germany pertaining to their lifestyle. But something’s are universal like dealing with peer pressure and trying to find themselves while they grow up.

3. No I never had to contemplate or worry about bombings or losing someone I love to a gunshot because I haven’t lived that experience where I seen people be killing on a day to day basis.

4. When people in normal means are surround by war it will be extremely difficult for them to adapt and be calm because they never had to deal with life or death situations so they wouldn’t know what to do to survive. Since Sept 11 I could say I learned more about our country and I feel that I sort of grew up and realize that there are real conflicts happening in different countries.

5. When they children started to get to know each other and when they finally met one and other the barriers slowly weaken. Little by little they started to understand each other and realize not all of them want to inflict violence upon each other. Yes there are ways to facilitate the dissolving barriers in our community. Once hate has been humanized I believe it’s a lot different because when you have hatred and violence towards someone its easier not to put a face on it and realize that they are a human being with a family, emotions, etc.

6. After Sept 11 the Middle East descendants has been demonized because Americans were frightening so they wanted someone to blame for the attack. Americans had hatred and wanted revenge for all those innocent Americans that died.

Jesse · Veteran Member

1. Sometimes it shows hard time through people’s life. Like for example, Family felt remorse when they found out that when their family member died, people get shocked about their deaths in family history.
2. Most people have same experience during their life, like some people have hard time through war times; some children volunteer the war to help to fight for their independence of their country. The first time was occurred during the US Civil War, where children enlisted as army. Other people have experiences that we don’t have in our country like fighting in our city.
3. Yes, I have thought about it and it tough in the world. Like people would like to destroy other people’s lives like for example 9/11. Muslims killed 3,000 innocent American in the towers, near the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. People fear for their lives, no one ever expected that to happen in this country.
4. Normal people could get scared when war comes near to their areas, and some people would like to enlist to fight for their country. It’s been tough on American because of grief of losses during 9/11 and right now, we are hard on economy and owning money to China for artillery, tanks, and other war supplies. So far, 4 countries helped each other, US, France, Great Britain, and Australia and other countries in the world as well. We don’t know for sure when 9/11’s war will end, and it hard to make peace during war. US Soldiers still looking for the leader Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden. Hopefully if we found him, the war will be over and executed Osama Bin Laden.
5. I can’t answer this question, because I was absent on Monday.
6. Since 9/11, the humanized would have been belonging to the American troops and the demonized would be the enemy who did 9/11, the Muslim and the leader Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, told to destroy the American. Ever since the war begins, the American tried to look for Osama Bin Laden, but he was nowhere being found. He posted videos on TV, the Internet to post more threats to destroy the US. Like recently, on Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines in Detroit, and Osama Bin Laden admitted that he post this threat to kill more American onboard. It influenced us that we needed to be more secure and watch out for unexpected threats in the US from other countries like for example, Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor, HI like unexpected attack and FDR declared war on Japan the next day.
7. Many countries fight for other lands like during Revolutionary War, the US waned to have freedom from Britain and gain land and signed Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 to declare freedom from Britain. War of 1812, American signed Treaty of Ghent. Thomas Jefferson bought lands from France in 1803, called Louisiana Purchase, adding double of the US lands. During the Mexican War where American gained Texas as freedom. In 1853, American signed Gadsden Purchase which bought states such as CA, UT, CO, NV, AZ and western state of Texas and Colorado River as well. During the Civil War, both sided, between north and south fought each other because of slavery and some states wanted to be Free State and slave state and Bleeding Kansas occurred when fought with Missouri for slave or Free State. During that war, the south states were seceded from US called Confederacy States of America. I would save my home more than sports stadium, because sports stadium is not really that important but your home is, and needed to find where you live.
8. 9/11 influenced my opinion of risk to keep alert and look out what’s happening in the world and never know if any unexpected attack. I would be willing to fight for our country to gain freedom and lands from Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. Some people have a specific people that plan to kill and like for example, Osama bin laden wanted to destroy American because of the oil lines and it brought back from 1993 bombing in NYC Twin Towers, but it failed. We have to destroy other countries for lands. Hitler had specific people to kill like the Aryans, Jehovah Witness, Homosexual, Jews, handicapped.

jordan coe · Veteran Member

7

Well it could depend on heritage or just are personalitylike some may want to stay in a certain area because of the religious belfie and any history of relgion over thereandsome people just have different aspects of there belivef

Well it depends whatthe cause of it is if its about war I will fight to the death if its pity things I will not risk much

The factors are the possible outcomes of itwhat can be the result and is death a possibility of going into it

Would you risk more to save your church, synagogue, or mosque than to save the local mall? Would you risk more to save your home than to save a sports stadium?

I would risk more to save my church because of religious reasonsrather than the local mall church has more importance…I would risk more to save my home then a sports stadium because my home I s wereI stay and live and want to be

8 well it has alitte because if we got attacked on our home land what is next

well it feels really bad that somone else can controll my fate and that my life can but into a radicals hands

9. well the differnce is that the culture ideas are differnt in differnt ways
the same is they are all people adn children and all harmed by this ongoing war
well the checkmarks in there eyes show no freedom at all it shows barriors that shouldnt be there and the parade is a celebration of pride

10. What role does fear play in our ability to have compassion for others?
well roles fear can play is threw media and how the media can betray a person to look evil and i may infulence somone to think differntly
Over the course of the film, how do the children change?
in many ways yes it showed them when they all hung out that they can all play together and they were happy to see each other and had alot of fun and it changed some of there views

well some wanted the arabs gone some wanted the jews gone some wanted peace

well if he would think about it day to day it could majorly effect him and cause him anger saddness and many more
well many people can change there minds over years or experinces

yes because he is differnt eveyone is differnt and can change there views a bit

11. well the things i think about on a daily basis are like what is going to happen today is it going to be a good day or bad day the things i choose not to deal with are like the possiblity of dieing or injury

12. well my relgion teaches that peace is the best thing and it can be brought by no volince
well some what and somone what not because many people there want peace and many want volince

some what
there are anti gang groups and stuff like that

Nay · Veteran Member

Section A

1.The issue that I might find easy to agree with but other to find hard to understand would be that I’m against the death penalty while others support that. I believe that while that person did take a life it doesn’t give the state the right to take their life away. Some might see that as wrong because that person has no regard for life so there should be taken from them. Also I think that they should sit there and have that sit on their mind for the rest of their lives, while other might not want to pay for that person’s crime that they committed.

2.The points that seemed universal was that when the children were playing soccer with each other or when they sat and eat a meal together are the moment that bridges them together as just a group of children instead of different types of religious backgrounds. We can build bridges by sharing what we have been going though, because many people can have gone through it to.

3.No, someone will not blow up the bus that I am on. I’m not going into the army due to the fact that I have family in the army and it has shown me that it is very stressful. No, my father has never been in prison. NO my friend’s father has never shot at me or someone I love.

4.What happens to the people just depends on how they want to live. If they let the war get to them then they will become a violent person, that’s filled with hate and thinks of getting back at the other side. But if their a person that doesn’t let the war to get them they will be able to live a peaceful life and be able to get along with anyone no matter the side they are on. The impact that it has is they might not be able to see any time of peace at anytime. They will not be able to see the other side’s view due to the war and their own self centered views. The events of September 11th have made me a peacemaker helping other when it is needed.

5. The things that are happening is that Faraj in the beginning wanted nothing to do with the other side of the conflict but after meeting the twins and seeing that they are just like them. He saw that his hate was not need and was a waste. Yes, there are ways to do this in our community by putting up more community center were kids from different parts of the city where kids or adult can meet and hang out. Also where they can talk about the problem that may be happening around them and what are their own thoughts on what is happening.

6.Who has been humanized is white Americans, because they are seen as true American that help the country to get through its toughest part in history. The people that are demonized are the Arab Americans due to the fact that the people that causes this to happen where from that race, so they characterized them all the same. That next time that something like this happens that we need to treat everyone that fairly because it truly isn’t everyone fault.

Freire02 · Member

Section B

7. Our attachments to land come from many historical events and military victories. Winning battles and taking victory of our lands. We value some claims more than others because some might have more meaning than the others do.

8. The events of September, 11 have influenced what I would fight for because what happened there was truly a devastating tragedy. I think people and myself, would fight more because of that incident, knowing terrorist did something so drastic and uncaring, demolishing something so meaningful to us. It makes me feel terrible knowing people would even think of doing such, thoughtless and terrible things to hurt others as well as their environment around.

9. The differences are there beliefs and their surroundings. Some are more violently then others. Even though their environment and beliefs are different, they do have things that are the same such as the food they eat, and games they play. The differences produce different perspectives, because where there from the environment is so much different and by the things they do they learn to hate on another and do awful things.

10. Fear plays a big role to have compassion to others. The children in the movie went from having such strong hate toward one another to actually keeping in touch and willing to meet more people. They didn’t act as violently after meeting one another. They wonder if there will ever be peace. Yarko is justified in wanting to pursue a normal life unlike some of the others. It doesn’t exactly change the prospects of peace but the awareness of it. N o I don’t think so,

11. I don’t think he could because he lived through all of it and was affected by it. On a daily basis I just think about my personal life. I try not to get in the middle of school drama and conflicts .

12. My religious traditions think peace is good and we should have it. It taught me to be respectful and caring to others around me and to be to all.

Zachary W · Veteran Member

hsalk18 wrote:
The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel
This quote makes me upset because technically the land was given to both us and the Arabs, but it’s terrible because no one knows how to share the land in a reasonable way. But I understand why they were kicked off too. I mean with Hamas and other terrorist organizations it’s hard for the land to be shared equally.

When you say that you understand why the Palestinians were kicked off the land that is told to have been given to them and the Israelites, it’s kind of hard for me to understand this. The main reason being that Hamas wasn’t founded until 1987, roughly 40 years after Israel’s founding, and was founded as well as other extremist groups due to the conditions imposed on them and due to the fact they lost land their families had owned for generations. Now I of course do not agree with the views of Hamas or other extremist groups, I do however feel that it is unfair to say that its solely the fault of Palestinians that they were pushed out.

Heling is · Veteran Member

13. Religion is used to justify the conflict in many ways. Both parties swear that the land belongs to them since it is written in their religious texts. However, it can also be used to symbolize peace as it does preach tolerance and acceptance. Their use of religion as a basis of attack makes me frown down upon organized religion. It is also an example of fundamentalist beliefs as they are so singularly minded and closed to outside interpretation. Situations such as family life, violence, and other influences contribute to the establishment and the acceptance of these interpretations. If I were in these circumstances, I would try to preach an open minded approach, but would probably be met with either deaf ears or rocks.

14. The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel

Sanabel needs to realize the true reasons behind her situation.
• God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe
In modern society, most people would not deem a holy entity the final word in a land dispute.
• I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko
I concur! If only peace was that easy.
• I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud
Mahmoud is making such a generalized comment. After all, the film director is Jewish, and Mamoud likes him very much.
• When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj
Revenge is not the answer… most of the time. If Faraj did this, he would get in serious trouble.
• If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe
Moishe thinks that it is the Arabs that is causing the trouble, but he needs to reevaluate the situation and realize that not every Arab is at fault and their disappearance would not solve the issue of prejudice.
• We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe
Moishe needs to learn compassion. What if that Arab was the son of someone? What if the Arabs had a similar view and accidentally shot his sister?
• I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until theyre almost gone. Mahmoud
He fails to give evidence of how it helps their country. Again, he needs to realize that it is not the group that he resents, but certain individual extremist.
• So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj
This reaction is only natural, but it highlights the great issue that plagues the nation. Hatred only leads to more hatred, and revenge is never fully satisfied.
• In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner?People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel
I agree with Daniel completely. The people fight because they think they can achieve happiness, but it only leads to more grief and more violence, never to peace.
• The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj
This is a sad and harsh reality. In America, we are always taught that anything is possible, but in truth it is not always that case for most people in the world.

15. If you could say one thing to each of the speakers, what would it be?
Yarko and Daniel: I like your openness and acceptance.
Moishe: You want peace, but you aren’t willing to search for it yourself. How is that justified?
Mahmoud: YOU’RE SO CUUTE!!! Be more open minded.
Faraj: Stop hating.
Sanabel: Never give up hope.

16. I believe that the hatred stems from the influences the children are exposed to when they are young and also the belief of their parents. However, some of these children are willing to put their differences aside as they truly do want peace and are able to understand that the individual is different that the stereotype. Others, however, are still so deeply rooted in their hatred to realize this. Things such as discrepancy in morals and allegiances to certain affiliations may reinforce and teach hatred in our community.

17. I believe in order to promote peace in a community, it must first be done on a small scale. This may be achieved through the classroom, seminars. After opening the mind to other views, it may be worth trying to feed different views on them and let them understand the position of the opposing side. Things have to be done slowly but surely. If you try to force your views onto others, no one would listen.

18. I would have let my children go, although I would’ve been scared sick. I would rather have gone myself. Naturally, there is a fear that something may happen due to the accumulated hatred. I believe that we must trust in order to build bridges. If there is no trust, no risk taking, then those connections cannot be made.

Vi · Veteran Member

Section B

7. I believe that our attachments to land come from land deeds and usually from our families that own them. We value some claims more than others because of what we are taught, learned, and believe in. To keep the land that I live on, I would risk probably certain things such as items I may not need or that will benefit me. Factors such as how much I am willing to give up to live and keep the land and how it will affect the people around me influence the amount of risk I would take. I would risk a sports stadium to save my home because a sports stadium isn’t as important and isn’t essential to life, our homes are a place where we should and be able to feel safe.

8. The events of September 11 have influenced my opinion about risk because now I know for a fact danger can happen anywhere and at anytime, and if I see someone or something in trouble that I respect, I would be willing to fight for it even more to protect it. It definitely makes me feel vulnerable and scared when I am faced with having my life at risk at the hands of someone else because I wouldn’t be sure if I am going to live to see another day or not.

9. The difference between where the Israelis live and where the Palestinians live is that they each have different cultures and beliefs. Both also have different opinions on each other but some opinions are the same such as one group is viewed lesser. The differences produce different perspectives because some may feel like they aren’t being treated fairly, the checkpoints make them feel as if they are either better or that the other side isn’t a good place to be.

10. Fear plays a big role in our ability to have compassion for others because we don’t know what they are capable of from what we know and hear. Over the course of the film the children go from not knowing about each other and judging them based on society and what their parents say to actually meeting and wanting to get to know one another. Each child just wants to live a normal life and be able to live it day by day. Yarko is indeed justified because it’s not a problem to want to live in peace. I believe Faraj can avoid thinking about conflicts because that’s not the most important thing in life, danger and violence should not take a toll on his life.

11. Issues I think about on a daily basis are whether or not I am going to actually live to see another day. I usually try not thinking about things like that and I just like to live in the moment. I choose to see all the good in people and surround myself with good people, because I feel we should live life like it were our last and choose to be happy, anything less than that is just not worth it.

12. My religious tradition teaches that peace is something we can benefit from and we should try to avoid any conflict s that come towards us. It is reflected in this conflict and community because we are all trying to fight for our rights and peace for all.

Heling is · Veteran Member

Freire02 wrote:

8. The events of September, 11 have influenced what I would fight for because what happened there was truly a devastating tragedy. I think people and myself, would fight more because of that incident, knowing terrorist did something so drastic and uncaring, demolishing something so meaningful to us. It makes me feel terrible knowing people would even think of doing such, thoughtless and terrible things to hurt others as well as their environment around.

I agree that it's uncaring an terrible for them to have attacked the country, but I don't believe that it's completely thoughtless and terrible. I think they were justified in their actions because of the pain they have felt at the hands of the United States. I think it was their way of getting revenge, which we responded directly to. They killed many of our people, but we've killed many more of their people. It's like the dispute between the Palestinians the Jews. The hatred just clouds the judgment of peace.

BiancaDee925 · Veteran Member

Section B

7) Our national attachment to land was based on historical tradition because in the past, we believed in manifest destiny. Sometimes people value things more than others because it has a special meaning or value to them. To keep the land I live on, I’m not sure what I would be willing to risk. I think it depends on the situation. I think I would risk more to save my church because I go to church there every Sunday, I was baptized there, had my First Communion there and I was confirmed there. Also, I think I would save my home more than a sports stadium because my home has more personal and sentimental value to me than a sports stadium.

8) The events of September 11^th influenced my opinion of what I’m willing to fight for. I would fight for my family and friends’ safety, because they are the more important than objects, in my opinion. It’s kind of scary that others could possibly have the power to put me at risk, even if I disagree, because I believe that risking it all is a personal choice. To have someone put your life in danger is really frightening.

9) The differences between where the Israelis and Palestinians live are the cultural and religious values. However, the similarity that the Israelis and Palestinians have is the fact that they both believe that the land they live on is theirs only.

10) The role that fear plays in our ability to have compassion for others is that people cannot love something/someone if they fear it. For example, in the film, the Arabs and Jews do not have compassion for one another, maybe for the reason of fear, rather than just the issues they disagree on. At the end of the film, the children are concerned that what if the other children’s parents killed some of their relatives or friends; and the fact that they are either a Jew or an Arab. Yarko says he wants peace, but doesn’t think about it day-to-day. That means that he wants peace, but he wants someone else to do the work of helping to bring peace to Jerusalem. I don’t think that Faraj could avoid thinking about the conflict the way that Yarko does because Faraj lost people he loved and his family lost their land.

11) The kinds of issues that I think on a daily basis are the rights of children because I believe that it’s important to help children, in any way, because they are young, innocent, and sometimes helpless if they are in an unsafe and dangerous situation. Issues concerning politics are issues that I choose not to deal with because everyone has their own opinion on how the country’s doing and sometimes it’s better to let things be and not argue because that can make the situation worse.

12) Since I’m Catholic, my religion teaches to treat each person as your brother or sister, and help them in their time of need because we’re all family. Unfortunately, this tradition isn’t reflected in this conflict. I’m not sure that this tradition is reflected in my community, but there is a majority of people who are respectful and helpful towards one another.

Nay · Veteran Member

Section B
7. Where our attachment for the land comes from our family ties and land deeds. Our family ties because our family passes it down to us. Our family gives us the land so that we will be able to be successful and not have to worry about our land. Usually families pass it down to make sure that their families can live comfortably. Land deeds are paper that show that from the government we have the right to live on the land which makes us really think that our land is truly are through this document.

8. September 11th has made me really think about where I am at. Making sure that I know where I am and who I am with to be sure that I’m safe and though who are with me is not a risk for anything dangerous. It’s a real scary feeling knowing that I have no control over what is going to happen as human we always think that if something is going to happen too us we will have control over it but in reality that is not the case at all. If anything we are always at risk and truly have no idea what we are going to do until that moment happens so I’m truly always scared but I don’t let it control my life whatever is planned to happen will happen.

9. The difference between the two is that the Israelis have total freedom over what they want to do day today and are able to cross the border. While the Palestinians are control and not allowed to do many things and live in camps that are provided to them which actually use to be tents. Which I think that nobody should have to live in. The areas have basically the same amount of people. Children go to school in both areas and have sports and practice their religions in both areas. The Israelis have totally freedom over what they want to do while the others have to go through a huge process just to get to the other side which half of the time they are denied.

10. Fear plays a big role to have compassion to others. The children in the movie went from having such strong hate toward one another to actually keeping in touch and willing to meet more people. Also became very emotional when realizing that they won’t be able to hang out like that again. Yarko is indeed justified because it’s not a problem to want to live in peace. I believe Faraj can avoid thinking about conflicts because that’s not the most important thing in life, danger and violence should not take a toll on his life.

11. The Conflict that I worry about day to day is the safety of my friends and family. To make sure that at the end of the day they are safe and health. The issue I don’t think about that much would be the war due to the fact I really don’t believe there should be one at all.

12. That we should love other and put family and God first. No not really that much. Yes, because everyone cares enough to give to the poor and take care of their families by any mean.

Heling is · Veteran Member

Zachary W wrote:

hsalk18 wrote:
The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel

This quote makes me upset because technically the land was given to both us and the Arabs, but it’s terrible because no one knows how to share the land in a reasonable way. But I understand why they were kicked off too. I mean with Hamas and other terrorist organizations it’s hard for the land to be shared equally.
When you say that you understand why the Palestinians were kicked off the land that is told to have been given to them and the Israelites, it’s kind of hard for me to understand this. The main reason being that Hamas wasn’t founded until 1987, roughly 40 years after Israel’s founding, and was founded as well as other extremist groups due to the conditions imposed on them and due to the fact they lost land their families had owned for generations. Now I of course do not agree with the views of Hamas or other extremist groups, I do however feel that it is unfair to say that its solely the fault of Palestinians that they were pushed out.

I think at this point in time it is nearly impossible to see the land shared equally between the two religions. Although tolerance should be preached, I think in some ways it breaches your alligence with G/d as you are accepting other's views that they believe in something different. It may be easy for us to comprehend that, but I think for extremely religious orthodox Jews and radical Muslims, that is something that is just an impossibility. Until religion becomes obsolete, or if it ever becomes obsolete, I can't ever see the land being divided equally between the two religions.

Bianca Vieira · Veteran Member

SECTION A

1.) When you are arguing with someone even over something small, it is human nature to try to defend your point of view. The opposing person might have great points but you’re going to always going to want to prove your point. Well at least that is how I am. I keep going until I make a point for the other person to

reflect. It is stubborn but I will never give up unless we are both agreeing on the same issue (which is rare.)

2.) Children are raised with many common interests. What is right and wrong; is something we all face, but look upon differently based on the way we were told by our family, and environment. In the documentary I could relate with kids eagerness to meet each other even with the conflicts between them. I think as all kids we need to experience things ourselves. We can’t always listen to what people say to make a judgment you have to base your beliefs and judgments on your own experiences not what someone tells you. Parents try to always tell them kids right and wrong, so they can learn the easy way. But from experience is when I really learned. To build bridges we need common grounds. We can use our life experiences as a way of viewing life and you can relate to others through that. Common interests make the best of friends.

3.) I have never contemplated thoughts that are listed above, and I am thankful for that. I feel if you keep asking yourself questions and worried about every moment, you’re not living. I feel that life is determined by fate. If you try to change fate or think too far into it, it defeats the purpose of life. I have compassion for people who have thought that way, because it seems very scary, and stressful.

4.) Even if you’re physically not at war but you are associated it by where you live, it affects almost in the same way. Your life is now at war. It is turned upside down, because war is your reality and there is no way of escaping it. When you are in a conflict on a daily basis, it makes it impossible to be optimistic. You keep yourself in the state of mind as if everything is a conflict and you need to defend yourself. I could only imagine people that are involved with daily conflict can even believe in peace. I was young when September 11 occurred to when it first happened I just did as others. I had more pride in my country, and try to lend a helping hand to others but I truly don’t think I was doing it because I wanted to; I was young and did what I was told. Now that I am older and know more about the event that happened I am more aware of life and peace. I feel if you have hatred for people, you are wasting your time. Precious time. You only live once so why waste all that valuable energy on something so negative. It is pointless to have that much hatred towards someone. Now seeing that whenever I get upset at someone and I’m tempted to tell them off I just think to myself reacting to negative energy just takes away from such a positive thing, life.

5.) In the movie the kids find common grounds when they are playing soccer. Everything gets placed aside because they are having fun. They enjoy each other’s company regardless of their cultural identity/religion. If everyone in the community even made a tiny effort I believe barriers would slowly go away. Diversity day, cultural parades, more multicultural studies classes, and even saying hello to people you don’t know. Once the kids saw that the other side was very similar to them they didn’t voice their hatred to each other like they once did. They realized that just because there is negative issues to both sides it doesn’t mean you are forced to hate the other individual. The not everyone is bad. Not everyone wants hatred.

6.) After September 11 the American people came together because we all had a common interest. We were all upset and hurt by the incident, but we were all also very hostile. American people demonized Middle Easterns because they wanted people to blame. They wanted a resolution. You can call it revenge. But revenge solves nothing but causes more problems, people in America stereo-typed Arabs because of September 11 which is very harsh. When I was younger I was one of the people who stereo-typed, because I would listen to my friends. Now that I know just because those people did such an awful thing not everyone is like that. I have learned you can’t base decisions on a person’s race or ethnicity, that is not the only things that define them.

Rjnetinho · Member

Section B

7.) Our attachments to land may come from a sense of religious values, sentimental values, family ties, and tradition. Our ties to land deeds may come mostly from traditional and religious values. Our attachment to historical events may come from important events that took place around where we live and the role we played in history. Our attachment to military victories may come to a national sense of American pride, and also a sense of tradition in that our military has proven to be the best in the world on multiple occasions (or so they say.) We may favor some claims over others because the claim in question may be in favor of our own beliefs. To keep the land I live in, as in America, I would give my life because I would consider how many lives and families would be uprooted and our connection to our heritage and culture would be lost. I would probably risk more to save a church, synagogue, or mosque than a mall, simply because a mall doesn’t hold religious significance. I would risk more to save my home than a sports stadium because I don’t think I would like living nowhere and still being able to watch the game, just saying.

8.) The September 11^th attacks have definitely opened my eyes to the extent to which a belief can be carried out. It made me question who I trust and just how safe I really am.

9.) The differences between where the Israelis and the Palestinians live are political, religious, and cultural beliefs. The only similarity that can be seen between these two cultures is the fact that they both strongly believe and follow their beliefs and culture. These differences produce different perspectives on things such as the parade through Jerusalem because on one side it was a celebration and on the other side it was seen as an intentional provocation.

10.) Fear plays a huge role in our compassion for others because fear is a universal sign and we all know what it feels like to fear. Understanding this feeling and knowing what its like can enable us to level ourselves out and sympathize. Over the course of the film, the children’s attitudes of the children change from being blinded by hatred, to having their eyes opened by understanding and becoming more tolerant of differences in religion and belief.

11.) On a daily basis, I normally don’t find myself thinking about the major issues, I think about more personal and domestic issues; simple things such as what I’m making for dinner and things of this nature. I only CHOOSE to ignore issues that have do to with childish topics, school drama, etc.

12.) My religious tradition teaches that everybody, regardless of religion, culture, race, etc. should be treated equally, and is not represented in this conflict, or in my community. There is no way in my mind that could possibly convey this message more clearly and more effectively.

Zachary W · Veteran Member

SECTION B

7.Where do our attachments to land come from? Land deeds? Religious texts? Historical events? Military victories? Family ties? Why do we value some kinds of claims more than others? What would you risk to keep the land you live on? What factors influence the amount of risk you are willing to take? Would you risk more to save your church, synagogue, or mosque than to save the local mall? Would you risk more to save your home than to save a sports stadium? Why or why not?

Our attachments to land from the contracts and deeds that originally ‘gave’ our ancestors the ‘rights’ to the land we have grown up on and known our whole lives. Some of the contracts and deeds did deprive or steal land from those who had lived on the land before, but for many this is what we call home.

The reason some claims are valued over others has much to do with business and land treaties that run today’s world. Originally the lands of natives all over the world was claimed and taken from them due to their being deemed inferior or not being a powerful or rich ‘modern’ government. The lands that have been told to have been given to certain religious groups by their deity is not always followed due to either religious conflicts or merely because governments could truly careless about something that may or may not have happened thousands of years before.

If the land I live on was threatened of being taken from my fellow and citizens and me I would like to believe that I would stand up and join others against this force. For all I know I might just run and hide, but would like to think that I would be a coward in such situations.

Being the nonreligious type I have to say I wouldn’t really risk myself to save a house of worship, but I do not believe they should be taken or destroyed just because someone doesn’t like that religion.

8.How have the events of September 11 influenced your opinion of risk or your ideas about what you would be willing to fight for? How does it feel to acknowledge the possibility that others can choose to put you at risk whether or not you agree (e.g., a hijacker commandeering your plane or a government compelling you to serve in the armed forces)?

The events of September 11 haven’t motivated me to stand for my country and its safety because acting out after the fact isn’t going to do much about the past. I believe that as long as safety precautions are taken and regulations followed I don’t think anyone should have to be ‘defending’ our country and its safety. To live a free life and truly destroy terrorism you cannot constantly fear or dwell on the fact that something awful could happen at any moment which you would have no control over. You must stand up and show to these terrorists you are not afraid of them and will not let them control your life and your country.

Freire02 · Member

Section C

13. Religion is used in Palestinian-Israeli conflict because they do different things and believe in many different things and ways. Some violent things that the Palestinians do the others wouldn’t think of . They act to situations differently. I couldn’t imagine religion to be so strict and serious as these people take it to be.

14.

The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel :

The land was given to both so it kinda makes me feel bad that there fighting for something that is both equally theirs.

When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj

This is really sad because people have to live life scared wondering what will happen in

every second living there.

If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe

I guess it makes sense because it’s his future and he clearly doesn’t like them.

We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe

I think it’s really mean because they really don’t care about killing them.

So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj

This one is pretty true having both groups lose people so important to them over the same thing so the reasonable thing to do it get along and work things out.

The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj

This is true because the lifestyle they live in is terrible and you really can’t follow your dreams living like that.

15. If I had the opportunity to talk to the speakers , I would ask them if they had the chance to make things better and gain peace with each other would they take that chance?

16. All of the hatred comes from where they grew up, their environment and all of the violence they were surrounded by. Some of the kids are willing more than others because they weren’t as badly affected by things as the others were, like Faraj his friend was killed, because he threw stones so he has a lot of hate in him because of that incident. In the community around me gang violence and drugs produce hate.

17. In my community I could put together a basketball tournament or soccer tournament to get people and kids to play and know one another.

18. If I were in the situation I would go and I would let my kids go because to stop all the hate you need to overcome the situation and go straight on with it. If you just keep procrastinating and going on with it and never actually associating with one another you will always learn to hate them unless you actually talk to them and learn that they really aren’t bad.

Zachary W · Veteran Member

Heling is wrote:
I think at this point in time it is nearly impossible to see the land shared equally between the two religions. Although tolerance should be preached, I think in some ways it breaches your alligence with G/d as you are accepting other's views that they believe in something different. It may be easy for us to comprehend that, but I think for extremely religious orthodox Jews and radical Muslims, that is something that is just an impossibility. Until religion becomes obsolete, or if it ever becomes obsolete, I can't ever see the land being divided equally between the two religions.

Communism for ALL!

kelsayexo · Veteran Member

cont'd

Heling is · Veteran Member

RE: Assignment #4: Promises POV Discussion (B)

ericaaaa3 · Veteran Member

Section B

7. Our attachment to land goes back to the 1600s and 1700s. We learned from historical events that pilgrims came to America from Great Britain because of religious prosecution. They took the land from the Native Americans so they can start their own lives and have freedom and independence. Ever since then Americans have just always been overprotective of their land. Personally I would risk a lot to keep my land that I live like my house because home represents stability and protection. And once you have lose that what else is there for you to go to be safe. I would risk more to save my home rather than a sport stadium because a home holds more meaning than a stadium.

8. Since Sept 11 many people realized what is really important in life and what they would fight for and what are they’re limitations. In my opinion I feel that I am willing to fight for someone I love or for an important cause. I am aware that our government has no problem putting citizens at risk because they are trying to protect our country they are willing to take the sacrifice for the greater good.

9. Some differences where the Palestinians live and the Israelis live are that the Palestinians were condemned and were being treated like terrorists where the Israelis had more freedom. Some similarities are that they both live in fear. I feel that the checkpoints is not a reasonable form of security because it a barrier that is separating the two. So if they want to resolve the problem they have this physically barrier between them always reminding them about the struggle.

10. Fear is a strong emotion that can make people sometimes think irrational and sometimes makes people forget what is really important and makes us lack compassion for others, because you want to help others but the fear is so strong. Over the course of the film all of the children change from the beginning to the end. Especially Faraj In the beginning of the film he was a young boy who had so much hatred and violence inside of him he wanted to avenge his best friend who was killed by an Israeli soldier. Towards the end where Faraj meets the twins for the first time you see him understanding a little bit more that not all Israelis are violent and want to harm him. He starts to become real close to them and make a bond with them that he will never forget about. Sanabel also changed in the beginning she didn’t want to meet with Israeli children but at the end she realizes that some of them especially the children are innocent and sometimes some of the adults that also wants peace.

Nay · Veteran Member

Section C

13. It Is use as hate and as to bring them together. It is use in hate to help motivate the violence and help them fight for a real cause. It also brings them together to show that they are all human and the only thing that separates them is religion. I believe that whatever you want to follow go ahead it’s your life live it how you want to and just be happy with who you are and what you want to do. No, I don’t believe that there is. When people actually take their own lives for their beliefs.

• 14.
• The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel I don’t think that this correct. They should just be able to share the land in equality

• God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe That this could be true but shouldn’t be worded they didn’t take the land they just wanted a home of their own

• I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko ye, this is the correct view of what is happening around them.

• I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud. That maybe he should try to get to know someone that is Jew and talk to them about his voew and listen to their views.

• When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj. That is a horrible way to look at it.

• If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe that they need to open there eyes.

• We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe. Sad that he has to live and think that way
• I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until they’re almost gone. Mahmoud. He needs help.

• So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj. That they need to have a peace treaty

•
• In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner?People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel this is a great way to look at it
•
• The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj. It’s sad that they have to live this way

15. That they all need to just stay in good spirits and just try to live a normal child hood, as possible. Also you should try to see through the eyes of the other side .

16.i think that this comes from their parents and their surrounding media, and the views of their friends. Some of the children must have let this really affect them deeply and let it take over their lives. While the others probably just want this to end. The violence that happens around us and the view that the media gives us of certain groups of people.

17. Try to organize groups to go to certain parts of our community and talk things out.

18. Yes, I would. Yes enjoy their the experiences just be open minds to everything that we can do

Vi · Veteran Member

Section C

13. Religion is used in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict I believe to further hate for the people who actually don’t see that we are all different for a reason and have different beliefs for a reason. It is also to help try and bring them together so that we can learn about one another and try to not judge a book by its cover. Religion has taught me to respect everyone because I don’t have a right to make a judgment about someone without actually knowing them because it’s not fair to them and I wouldn’t want that happening to me. I believe that there is a distinct difference between fundamentalism and religion because religion is less extreme and something we all follow by. Violence is the only answer would be a fundamentalist belief and people who grew up around that their whole life would accept that. We would need to show them different solutions and that there are other answers than violence.

14.

· The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel

I feel as if it’s not fair and right to what they did to the Jews, what gives them the right to and what makes the Jews different and deserve that?

· God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe
This quote is definitely not right in any way, taking something away from someone who believes it was from god can make them feel less of themselves and that they had done something wrong.

· I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko This is a good quote because he sees that they are all equal and that they can share and not go to violence for answers.

· I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud
He is making a quick judgment about the Jews, he may say he knows them but he may as well be saying they’re mean from what others say.

When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj
This quote is uncalled for because violence is not the answer and he needs to learn how to get to know a person before actually doing something he would regret.
If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe
His way of seeing his own future goes to show you that he never really got to know any Arabs, not all are the same and that he sees them all as one and what they stereotype is.
We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe
This quote really makes me think because he doesn’t care at all about Arabs and doesn’t care if the army shoots one of them, which I feel is wrong.
I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until theyre almost gone. Mahmoud
I agree that they do things for their country but killing a group just so that there will be fewer is uncalled for and not a way for kids to think.
So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj
This quote is indeed something people think about, and it’s true that if someone kills our loved ones then we have an instinct to hurt them back.
In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner?People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel
I agree completely with this quote because even though one side may be declared a winner, they still lost some people fighting for them. Knowing that you had lost someone is a loss in of it itself.

15. If I could say one thing to each of the speakers I would say that they should take the time to get to know one another and see that they can indeed get along even though they may not believe in the same things.

16. That kind of hatred comes from their perceived notions and what they are taught and learned. Their parents and environment also play a key factor. Some children feel as if coming together can benefit their lives and would agree to putting their differences aside. Others are just too caught up on judging each other without knowing them completely. Gangs and racism in my environment are things that teach people about hate.

17. I would have days where people from different religions and cultures come together and actually do things that everyday people do. This would show that everyone can get along and we can all put our differences aside.

18. I would let my children visit so they can be more open minded to other people from different cultures. This could teach them and broaden their ideas on people. I would also participate because I would feel that I have some learning to do myself. To prevent our fear of building bridges we could just go and do it, put our guards down and allow new experiences to happen.

illy · Member

Section A

1) Things like behavior, religion or beliefs, economic, political, and social because they might have different religions or beliefs, which will make their behavior differ from others. There economic, political, and social conflicts may differ by money, technology, race, government laws, and society itself. The things that may appear on both our list of hard to hear things will probably be discrimination or religious beliefs.

2) Yes, there are moments that felt universal or points which seemed to typify childhood such as sports, games, and food. We can use common experience to build bridges because by people seeing that there are actually things in common they might bond with each other or feel closer to one another.

3)Yes, we do have to contemplate with things like those listed for example we had a terrorist attack which made it much harder to go on plains, busses, and trains because of bomb threats an things of that nature.

4)When normal means being surrounded by war things that will happen is children will tend to pick up off the hatred, you see random people or loved ones getting shot right in front of you, and also you might start to get a different aspect on things and develop a train of thought that involves violence. The impact it has on people’s ability to find peaceful solutions is that it will be much harder, because of the war going on most people may not hear you or understand the situation of trying to find peace because they may not believe there is or will be a peaceful solution. The events of September 11 influenced my ability to be a peace-maker because life itself isn’t peaceful. There is a lot of risk too life and you can’t always trust what others say and believe or do.

5)Specific things that have happened to make these moments possible is the children actually want to know more about each other, although some said if they did meet someone of a different race they would kill them or hit them with stones. For example Faraj doesn’t like Daniel at first because he is a different race but once B.Z. gives them the chance to talk and Faraj hears all the things they have in common his barriers tend to weaken because he wants to meet him now. Yes, there could be ways to facilitate the barriers in our community but it would be very hard and take a lot of work. When the target of hate is humanized you tend to change or weaken your barrier because you realize the things you have in common and how you actually can get along.

6)Since September 11 the people that have been humanized is the Americans because although they have been attacked, they still tend to help each other and get through the struggles and tough times. I think the Muslims were demonized because although there are bad Muslims out there, the Muslims who are sane and innocent have been discriminated and treated poorly.

Section B

7)I believe our attachments of land come from our history or past such as memories, family, and friends. If I had to fight for my country I would only fight for the better and not for the worst or things of pity. The factors that influence the amount of risk I am willing to take is, will there be a better outcome of what I am going to do? Will I suffer more than now or will I be looking towards my death? I would risk more to save my church because of the religious beliefs in society. I would rather save my home than a sports stadium because my home is everything to me. My home provides my shelter, food, water, and family gatherings.

8)The events of September 11 have influenced my opinion on risk to keep alert and watch out for things happening around the world and in my community because you never know when something drastic or life threatening can happen. It also influences me on fighting for my country because iot makes me want to fight for things such as freedom, peace, and justice. It makes me feel worried in many ways that others can choose to put my life or me at risk or in life threatening events whether or not I agree to it.

Heling is · Veteran Member

Zachary W wrote:

Heling is wrote:
I think at this point in time it is nearly impossible to see the land shared equally between the two religions. Although tolerance should be preached, I think in some ways it breaches your alligence with G/d as you are accepting other's views that they believe in something different. It may be easy for us to comprehend that, but I think for extremely religious orthodox Jews and radical Muslims, that is something that is just an impossibility. Until religion becomes obsolete, or if it ever becomes obsolete, I can't ever see the land being divided equally between the two religions.
Communism for ALL!

As much as I believe that communism should be the most efficient method of government, I just don't think Communism can solve this one, Zach.

BiancaDee925 · Veteran Member

Section C

13) Religion is used in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to further hate because when the issue of religion comes up, people on each side will think that their beliefs are right and that the land is rightfully theirs. My opinion on religion is that everyone believes in what they want to believe in, and everyone should be respectful because all our different beliefs are a factor that makes everyone unique.

The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel

I think Sanabel needs to know what’s the real reason regarding her situation and not blame her misfortune on all of the Jewish people.

God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe

According to your beliefs that may be true, but the Arabs probably just wanted a home of their own. How about sharing the land equally?

I think this is our country and it’s also theirs. Yarko

I think what Yarko said is the correct way to view the situation.

I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. They’re mean and deceitful. Mahmoud

I think what Mahmoud said was hurtful to many people of Jewish descent. How can he generalize all Jewish people in such a negative light?

When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj

What Faraj said was completely uncalled for because violence doesn’t solve anything. Just because someone’s Jewish doesn’t mean you can throw a rock at them.

If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe

Moishe hopes to never meet any Arabs in the future. He’s basically generalizing the Arabs based on stereotypes, but he needs to know that not all Arabs are like that.

We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe

I feel that even though he might disagree with the Arabs’ beliefs, that shouldn’t mean he should be happy that an Arab might be killed.

I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until theyre almost gone. Mahmoud

There’s a difference for doing something for your country and killing innocent people, so I don’t agree with what Mahmoud said.

So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj

Unfortunately, what Faraj said is true. If someone hurts a loved one, people have the instinct to fight back as vengeance.

In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner? People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel

I agree with Daniel 100% because he’s right; sure maybe one side may win the war, but in the end, people die and homes and cities get destroyed.

The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj

Sadly, this is true for Faraj because the environment he lives in is just terrible.

15) If I could say one thing to all of the speakers, it would be that just because the Palestinians and Israelis have their differences, don’t let that stop you from at least being civil towards one another.

16) I think the hatred comes from the environment that a person lives in. If a person never met “the victim of hate”, they’re going to continue this hatred and never learn to put their differences aside.

17) In order for people to get to know each other, there should be a festival of some sort so people can gather and share their beliefs and culture through song, food and inspirational speeches.

18) I would let my children participate, and I would participate as well because I want to expose my children to other cultures and be accepting of others’ differences.

BiancaDee925 · Veteran Member

Reply to Harrie:

In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner? People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel

This quote is very true, again, both sides are doing the same thing, killing each other and trying to keep the other groups away from “their” land. No one really wins in the end.

^ I agree with what you said here because if they end up killing each other, that isn't going to solve anything.

BiancaDee925 · Veteran Member

Reply to Richard:

4.) When being normal means being surrounded by war, you begin to develop a train of thought that reflects the violence of the war itself, and their ability to find peaceful solutions is clouded because they are immersed in such heavy conflict for so long that they begin to believe that war and violence is the only answer to our problems.

^ Unfortunately, that is true for the people is Israel. The environment that they live in affects their decsions and way of thinking, so they believe that war is the answer to the conflict about land.

joelhead · Veteran Member

Section A

1. with years of engrained bias and prejudice, it would be hard for anyone to hear opinions and ideas that go against or challenge what they believe in. it would be difficult to hear the faults of my side, for example hearing what my people had done to other groups or races, just like it would be hard for other groups to hear what they did to my people.

2. it seemed like when the children were playing together (the game when they were sitting together in a circle, when they played soccer, mock fighting, etc) unified them to what they all really were; just kids. no hate, no bitterness or racism, just kids having a good time. when they were all eating together it seemed very peaceful and lighthearted. food seems to bring communion to everyone, acting like a very good bridge between warring people.

3. whereas I have never had to face these things, it must be a horrible thing to think every day. it must awful to have to think about whether or not they will see their mother alive after school or something. I cannot begin to imagine what affect that would have on a young mind.

4. if someone was born into a warzone, it would drastically change who they grow up to be. it would make them learn very self-reliant, because young children could outlive their parents. they would have to learn to become very mature very quickly if they wish to survive. however, living in such an environment could also instill bad prejudices and bias faster than to children who live in more peaceful environments. With war is constant anger and pain, and this would intensify and deepen hate toward those with whom you are at war against. events such as 9/11 make being a peace-maker difficult, because it seems like an unprovoked attack on our side. however, one must learn to overcome this if they want to succeed in peace.

5. i think the bonding between the children helped break down the barriers that the societies set up between them. for example, the events such as playing soccer and playing together and telling stories brought them closer together and helped them bond. this bonding experience shows that they are very similar, and are just children. their societies have geared them to think that they are different or better than others, but in reality they are not, they are just children brought up in warring civilizations.

6. it seems like the american people have been humanized and glorified ever since the 9/11 attacks, because americans don’t want to admit to their faults and think that foreign people have no right judging us. the arab people are the ones who have been demonized and seen as subhuman for the attacks they set on america. it is hard to see the human side of people who would seemingly attack your home country unprovoked, but then again i am american and i have been influenced by american propaganda and media, not arab.

Section B

7. our attachments to land come from what we believe in. if family and memories are important, than we will feel tied to the land from which those originated. if one’s land is threatened, their ties to it may be stronger, like the children in the documentary. the land someone comes from can affect someone one of two ways; they are either irreversibly tied to it because it is where they come from, or hate it because it is where they come from. if someone had an awful upbringing and wanted nothing more than to forget about it, they may be willing to leave their land to the dogs. as for what one would be more willing to save, it again depends on how they feel about what. if a religious place has brought someone nothing but pain and suffering, or lies and deceit, they may run away to the mall for sanctuary and shelter from those who tied them to a religious place. if some ones home is broken and they are abused there, a sports stadium may be an escape from the horror they face when at home. what is important to people may not be what is expected to be important; it depends on their specific situation.

8. 9/11 may have influenced me to see things in a new perspective, and showed me that people are willing to risk everything to fight for what they believe in. it is not really fair for others to put others, regardless if it is me or not, in danger for what they believe is right. but, it seems like that is the base of conflict, disagreeing, and putting others in harm’s way for what you believe is right, whether or not it is.

9. The two major differences between the two groups is their ways of life and beliefs. both think they have the rights to the land they both occupy, however the israelis have more freedom because they have more political influence in the area. This creates different perspectives because it makes one feel inferior to the other, and the two may have totally different views on what is right and what is wrong.

10. fear, being one of our most basic emotions, can severely alter one’s perspective on things. It can bring people together to aim for one goal, much like the humans in the series Ender’s War. in this series, an alien race threatens to wipe out the entire human race. in order for them to overcome this common enemy, they use their fear to unit under one leader, put aside their differences and seemingly meaningless quarrels, and work together to defeat the larger enemy. they all fear death and failure for their culture, but they were brought together and realized that their fears were all the same, and this made them realize some of their original fears were irrational. yarko does not live in the same fear as the others, because he seems isolated from most of the real fighting. i think it is fair that he wants a normal life, because i am sure everyone does, despite the troubles around him. faraj, however, is not able to get away with not thinking about such things, because they are such a huge part of his life, and that can probably never been undone.

11. some issues i think about on a daily basis are nothing compared to what these children think of. I worry about getting to school and back safely, yes, but that is because of my worry of car accidents, not road side bombs. homework, mothers, activities, good grades and serenity are my main worries. i choose not to see problems such as other people’s drama, shortcomings and ignorance, but more importantly their differences. to me, differences are not a big deal, and feel they should not be a part of people’s complaints or worries. i try to view everyone the same, but if people judge me by my differences I just ignore it. either that, or don’t notice it.

12. i believe that peace is the only answer. religion is a way for people to try and reach peace, and I do not believe people are going about the right way to use their religion to try and overcome differences and war. people use religion as an excuse to fight, but I think that the point of religion should be an excuse for peace.

Section C

13. in a way, religion is used in all of these ways in the middle east. it is used as an excuse to fight, inspire hate, bring people together, and to get action and reactions out of people. both fundamentalism and religion seem to be too set in their ways and stubborn to want to change for anyone or anything, and depending on the where they are in the world depends on how much influence they have on the government controlling the area.

14.

The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel
this seems a little harsh, but this is probably how she felt.
God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe
this is probably his view on the matter, but the arabs feel the same way about god giving them the land, correct? whoever is up there probably gave everyone equal chance to all land
I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko
I agree with him. “this land is my land/this land it your land….” why can’t they share?
I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud
I do not believe he really does know jewish people, if he think they all are mean and deceitful.
When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj
he probably feels very passionate about his hate toward jewish people, but I feel violence from him will only instill more anger between the two.
If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe
and what would that accomplish? I don’t think making them fly away would solve anything, because they would either come back, or make you fly away as well.
We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe
that is a little harsh, but jokes like this are probably common with these people. if there was more peace, a firing range wouldn’t be needed at all.
I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until theyre almost gone. Mahmoud
this is honestly a horrible thing to say, especially from a little boy. it is inhumane to kill anyone, but just wrong to specifically target women and children. that is just sick and twisted. to wish anyone away is not good, even if it may sound like a good idea.
So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj
it seems just, but wanting to kill more people will only get more of your own people killed. the more you kill, the more they kill. why can’t people do the math?
In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner?People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel
I agree with this. just, hand down, this is dead on.
The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj
this makes sense. our dreams often do not line up with our life we are living right now, so we must deviate from our normal life in order to succeed in accomplishing our dreams.

15. i would probably ask a universal question to everyone; if children had more meeting like on the documentary more often, do you think the violence would at least subside in the middle east?

16. most of the hatred comes from parents or guardians of these children, as well as their environment and people and events that surround them. the children show the differences of people open mindedness; some are willing to put their differences aside to work together, while others are too narrow minded to see beyond their wants of ‘justice’ or ‘righteous land ownership’. I have learned not to hate things, but I feel like violence and people feeling superior to others would instill hate in people in my community.

17. events like what happened in the documentary would help with peace in my community. getting to know one another will at least start the process of healing hate and building bridges between people.

18. I would allow my children to go, if i had children. if I had the opportunity, i would go and try and help with peace if i knew it would help. even if it wasn’t guaranteed it would help, I would still go, because there is always hope. forget the danger; if it weren’t for martyrs, where would the world be? seeing the possible outcome of true peace is enough for me to overcome my fear of getting hurt or killed, and knowing what needs to be done to get peace.

Moussa · Veteran Member

Section A

1.When it comes to any situation or issue there are always different sides with strong supporters for both. For an issue like gay marriage, I may choose a position in support of gay marriage because many aspects of my life influence my opinion such as religion, culture, environment…etc. Many of these also affect my opponent’s position on the issue and therefore both sides may find it hard to hear the other side’s belief. Because of the way we grew up and the opinions we developed, it becomes hard to hear because you can’t imagine any other way of viewing the issue. This usually makes both sides feel awkward and uncomfortable, even offended.

2.There were many moments that felt universal throughout the documentary. When the children were wrestling, eating, and playing together, they created a bridge between them to move past their differences and enjoy each other’s presence. They created a universally accepted surrounding where the children can be children regardless of their political and religious differences. By focusing more on our similarities we can connect people who may seem completely different from one another. We can focus on the similar experiences with one another rather than our differences to build bridges from which to reconcile our differences.

3.No, thankfully I haven’t had to worry about a bus blowing up when I go on it. I have considered what it would be like when I join the army because at a time in the past I strongly considered going to the army. No, never thought about “them” letting my father out of prison, since he never was in prison. I have never had a friend who’s father had shot at anyone I love, however I wouldn’t doubt it in the past when all our fathers living in the civil war fighting each other. Never have had to worry about leaving or returning to my families’ home, however my parents have had to.

4.When the norm becomes war, people will always be violent in thought and nature. The violence against them only breeds more violence in response and a never ending cycle begins where each side gains revenge of the other. It becomes much harder to come up with peaceful solutions to this violent because your life is so affected by the violence. When someone becomes a victim of violence, it breeds hate, and that hate always gets in the way of peaceful negotiations. The events of September 11 haven’t affected my ability to be a peace-maker mostly because it didn’t have as big of an effect on me since I was not even in the country, and even so, I always try keeping an open mind for the greater good.

5.Beforehand, much of the hatred between the two groups was based in a very general way; Israeli disliking a Palestinian and vice versa. However, by having the two groups meet, the makers of the documentary put a face on those being hated on both sides. Faraj had wanted to shoot Israeli’s but soon became very good friends with Daniel and Yarko. They became good friends because hatred is diffused when you make the haters realize that those they hate are actual human beings just like them. We can dissolve the barriers in my community by having the different sides partake in an activity that both enjoy. This would force them to work together and build positive relationships with each other.

6.Since September 11, Muslims and Arabs have been demonized as “different” and “un-American” not only in the U.S. but in many other countries like Russia, China, Germany, and France…etc. Those who were humanized were the average and “typical” American who isn’t Muslim or Arab. People were humanized by creating a common enemy and demonizing Muslims and Arabs. There are countless stories where Muslim Americans were stereotyped against, not served, and even had to go back to their country of origin. To me it shows that in times of crisis, people rarely use their minds. It is very similar to a child put into a corner, and reacts erratically to escape danger, even if it takes the innocent with them.

Section B

1.My attachment to lands come from my experience and need for them. When we grow up on a land, or in a country, or a specific house we build a connection with it because that is all we really know given the years spent on it. For many, religion is the basis for their attachment to land; some believe land was given to them by God, others believe that God gives them the right to fight and kill invaders of land. Family history and ties also are reason for attachment to lands because if you can connect a land with something much more personal like family or religion, you can build a very strong attachment. This is why I wouldn’t fight for a mall or sports stadium over my home or mosque because it has no religious, family, traditional, or cultural ties to me.

2.Because of the September 11 attacks and other aspects of my life, I would be willing to fight against any threat of my freedom or any threat toward my homeland within reason. A blind or irrational fight wouldn’t be worth fighting regardless of the threat to home or my way of life.

3.The differences of where the Israeli’s and Palestinians live are vast. Israeli’s move with a lot of freedom without being searched at checkpoints. They have a lot of mobility within their land as opposed to Palestinians who don’t. Israeli’s also have more and better reliability for water, electric, and emergency services. Things that they have similar are harder to find; they both have similar children games, schools (though Israeli schools are much better)…etc. Living in greater poverty per person, Palestinians develop an opinion of being oppressed. Added on to this feeling is the constant checkpoints and searches they have to endure to move around their land. Israeli’s have a feeling of freedom since they aren’t limited in their travel…etc They feel that the checkpoints and security are a necessary evil on the Palestinians to protect themselves from danger.

4.Fear plays an important role in our ability to have compassion for others. If we fear someone, it is hard to be comfortable around them. We feel the need to escape while we can, or take revenge to eliminate the threat when given the chance. Over the course of the film, the children change from being very animus to each other’s peoples to understanding the humanity found in each other’s characters as well as their similarities. By the very end, they return back to their normal states after two years of not speaking to each other, but they return with a hint of understanding that those on the other side aren’t so different from them. Many of the Palestinians were still afraid that the Israeli’s won’t stop oppressing them and give them more freedoms, while the Israeli’s still held their position that the Israeli’s were there rightfully, and that it was their land. Yarko is not justified in wanting to pursue a normal life despite the suffering of others around him because while others are suffering around him there can be no “normal life”. Suffering is never the norm and should never be accepted. No one can live a “normal life” while other suffer, they can only the create the illusion of normalcy. Yarko’s kind of thinking stops peace in its tracks because it leaves the problems to the next generation to solve until each generation leaves it to the next. No, Faraj can’t not think about the conflict like Yarko because he lives in harsher conditions than Yarko. Yarko lives a relatively good life in comparison to Faraj, whose life is constantly overshadowed by checkpoints, limited academic and economic opportunity and much more.

5.In our daily lives we think about very superficial things, like our clothes, music…etc. As we grow older we think about money, food, housing…etc but never think about the larger issues of our society like gay marriage, abortion, and other issues that we prefer to leave to others to solve instead of us.

6.My religion teaches me that killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity. It is strictly prohibited and deeply condemned. Anyone that does so is bound for an eternity in hell. This aspect is not always reflected in the conflict. Another aspect of my religion teaches is that every person has the right to defend him or herself from an oppressor. This aspect is greatly reflected and is the basis of much of the fighting on the side of Muslims in the conflict. It is not reflected in my community because gangs here kill innocent both on purpose and by accident and much of the time the attacks are not based on defense, but rather on attacking a rival gang. Different initiatives that promote peace using hip hop and different cultures will help put these values to the forefront of the community.

Section C

1.In this conflict, religion is used in almost all aspects of life. It is used to inspire both Jews and Muslims to fight for their land. It helps build hatred for the other side by finding justification for their own side. They normally would feel hatred to against anyone who stands against their cause. They also use their religion to carry out their version of justice in their society. My religion makes me realize that many religions have very extreme thoughts but at the same time helps me realize that there are extreme perversions of my own religion. It makes me believe that religion could be great had it not been given (or created based on your own thoughts) to imperfect humans. Humans don’t deserve the privilege of religion. There is no difference between fundamentalism and religion because religion is an extreme (not saying it’s untrue). Compared to science, religion has been used to kill, enslave, oppress, and fight forever. People use the name of God/s to kill others, and as a famous saying goes “As long as there is a God, there will be killing in his name.” God is a fundamental belief because it is so far away from the conclusions of science that is can be considered extreme. Extreme oppression will always lead to the acceptance of fundamentalists beliefs. Creating more economic opportunities will decrease the influence of fundamentalists. Providing more freedoms and creating a freer society will always lead to decrease of power and influence of extremists.

2. The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel. My initial reaction was that the comment felt antisemitic however I know the politics of the region and realize that she only refers to Israeli's as Jews because Israel recognizes itself as a "Jewish State". She obviously feel hatred at such a young age and feels oppressed.

God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe. Moishe uses his religion to justify Israel's existence today by having God by his side. It becomes very complicated when each side uses God to justify their side and claim land.

I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko. I'm glad someone in that entire and longlasting conflict has an open mind which understands that everyone can live together in peace, and that ownership of one's land doesn't mean the eviction of others.

I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud. I feel it's very sad that someone so young would have such thoughts against anyone else, however I understand how those feelings developed and why he believes in them so much.

When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj. He seems to have this thought that violence will solve the problem, when he needs to understand otherwise. As much as I disagree with his view, again, like Mahmoud, I understand how it developed and understand why he still believes so.

If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe. Given all the violence and fighting, having Moishe wish all others that he doesn't like "fly away" is expected. It combines his childish wishes with the thoughts he believes about a very complicated conflict.

We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe. Horribly violent, however most of these thoughts come from the media and household opinions about the conflict. That is where all this animosity comes from.

I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until theyre almost gone. Mahmoud. Extremely violent in nature, this statement and Mahmoud want a way for the conflict to end. He just sees or hopes it to end with the end of Israel. His constant reference to Jews is more a reflection of Israeli's than the actual religion, because all the Jews around him support a government and country that he believes is oppressing him. He supports the killing of women and children because he's been told of the thousands of women and children Muslims that were killed over time. He's bitter.

So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj With this statement, Faraj perfectly describes why the conflict has gone on for so long. Each generation bases it's violence on the fact that there has been previous violence, leading each new generation to be bitter and remember deaths.

In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner?People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel. Daniel shows a very good understanding and openminded view of the conflict and it's TRUE effects on each side. Both sides' militaries gain power from violence because they claim they are the victim, but very few actually try to avoid it because violence can always be used to empower a group or country.

The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj Faraj is talking about (and correctly so) the economic and financial limitations that the conflict and poor conditions in the country has created for them. In most, if not all, conflicts, the people are always limited economically and financially and catch reach their dreams.

3. If I couldn't tell each single person something specific because many of their thoughts run the same. I would tell Moishe and Mahmoud about the similarities they share and tell them that they shouldn't just drink up everything they listen and not let their humanity fade away. I would commend Daniel and Yarko for their open minds but tell them that they should not let anyone else get the necessary change done, and that change is initiated from single and normal people like them. I would tell Faraj that he should generalize his hatred on Israeli's to ALL of them but try to better understand them and how they live; better understanding always leads to peace. To Sanabel, I would say that she is a very openminded girl, and should be a leader of her people because there are very few in power today that aren't very stubborn and as open minded as she is.

4. This hatred on both sides comes from the violence from when they are born. It also comes from the influence of previous generations that lived through very violent times that teach their children these hateful thoughts; the conflict is usually painted in black and white, when it deserves to be seen in all its shades. Only some want to partake in conversation while others won't based on their upbringing, their parents...etc. Those that tend to be more religious, tend to have a more extreme side because they are using their religion (something extremely personal) as their excuse for hating. The others may believe in their religion but don't always put it in the forefront of dicussion, or they find common ground between religions to talk and tolerate one another. I personally don't have anything that reinforces hate toward anyone in my community, however, that may be because I don't pay attention to those sources of hatred at all.

5. Cultural or Multicultural days in schools and communities, in areas such as parks, schools, and public places can create a better understanding between peoples and create the conditions for peace and less violence.

6. If the safety of my kids was not guaranteed, I would never let them visit the Palestinian family. I understand the dangers some families will face on the Palestinian sides and would fear their death too much; I would only send them if the conditions of protection were right. Learning about Palestinians isn't worth the risk of losing my children, there are other safer ways of learning about Palestinians, like talking to Palestinians living in Israel. I would only send them if they were adequately protected. I would participate because I would learn more, but also because it would allow me to be there with my children and protect them from danger. Recognizing that the other side is made of humans like us, and realizing our similarities is the best thing we have to fight fears of creating bridges between different peoples.

Bianca Vieira · Veteran Member

SECTION B:

7.) Our attachment to our land comes from our experiences; from our traditions from our culture, family, and friends. It is the memories we hold that makes you attached to anything. If your land is destroyed, along with the land your memories and experiences are destroyed. I think for everyone this question is a different answer because of his or her experiences. To some the church they were baptized can hold a great deal of attachment and to others a tree in their backyard. I would risk a lot for my land. I live on a street with 12 houses on it, and 9 of the houses belong to my family members. My grandparents and great aunts and uncles made it a priority that they saved money to buy land for each of their children. I am very lucky I live in a neighborhood with my entire family. That is why my land is so precious to me, worth everything to fight for. The land my family bought was sued for unity so to see it destroy would completely destroy my family. I would risk more to save my church than my mall. I was baptized at my church; I received my first communion, and my confirmation. My family members also had the same experiences. My church is a place I go every Sunday to reflect on life. The Dartmouth mall or s sports stadium is nowhere near in comparison. My church is a part of me, a reason for who I am today. The mall and the stadium are superficial to my life, they brought me no meaning.

8.) September 11 hasn’t had a large affect on me compared to what I see in others. It has made me realize how strongly people feel for their beliefs, and how far they take it. Even risking their life and the lives of others. It has changed my naïve way of thinking. It made me realize that it can happen to us, that we are not invisible to anything. Many time we say “that won’t happen to us.” But in reality it did. It also made me realize that because of September 11 it will be a never-ending war, because people will always have their judgments, and will always want revenge.

9. The children are living in separate worlds, because they are forced to. That is all they know, hatred and checkpoints as a way of life. I feel the Israelis have a better way of life, because in the movie it seemed like that had more freedom when it came to their land. The similarities are that they are all being treated unfairly. They both have to live with a destruction of a life. Because the war influenced their lives so much and created so much hatred, it will unfortunately continue on to their kids and so on. Never ending war ):

10.) As a natural human instinct when we are afraid, it bring along anger and the will to survive. We let the fear overcome us that we keep our walls up and never let people break it down because of our insecurities. Unfortunately that’s what makes everyone so hostile and defensive towards one another. The kids are scared to meet each other and talk really badly about them before they meet them, but when they meet all of that goes away and slowly as time passes they take down their walls, which changes everything between them.All the kids want to live a normal life and put aside society’s conflicts. If they could just realize that not everyone is out to harm them, they wont be so scared to let people in because they are scared of violence, and danger towards them

11.) In school is when I notice I tend to put my blinders up. I feel there are constantly conflicts in school, on a daily basis. Either in the core or lunch room, in the classrooms, in gym, in the parking lots. Its everywhere. I always try to have positive energy but when there is constant battle it’s hard to have an optimistic attitude. I notice myself thinking “ I wonder how much good press NBHS could get if we could just focus on the good things, rather than all the bad?” I’m not going to lie there are days where I fear my safety in school because I feel some people take it to the extreme. I try to not let that get to my head but its been 4 years and I feel it has gotten worse, dramatically. Another big universal question I have is what is the real truth? I can stay up for hours wondering if the government is some how controlling everything. What if the news is all a made up stories, what is our history book have been re-written, what if I am constantly being watched. What is real? I guess its what I have faith in but it still pops up in my mind. How do I know that what I am told is something completely different in India? What is universal, and what isn’t? Weird I Know It was the novel 1984 by George Orwell that changed my mind! Think about it what if life was really like the book.)

12.) My religions tradition of being a Roman Catholic has always taught me to believe that if I do harm onto others I am really putting harm on to Jesus, and myself. If you are at war with others you are creating war with yourself, tour family, your community. It takes such a toll on people, and sometimes it is hard to realize that. Although I believe in this, it is much easier said to be peaceful with everyone but sometimes even with all your work to create peace it involves more than just one person. I believe in the movie the war has affect the children’s life so traumatically. I think in my community if one person is upset with someone it takes a toll on the rest of the neighborhood. An example I can relate it to is every 4^th of July my street has a block party, we have been doing this for 14 years. One year there was a conflict about ball playing in the street that took a toll on more than just the 2 houses. At the party it felt like everyone was involved. It ruined my experience no one could take to the other because they thought sides were being taken. Its crazy how something so small can amount to so much, on so many people.

-- Edited by Bianca Vieira on Friday 26th of February 2010 08:43:17 PM

-- Edited by Bianca Vieira on Friday 26th of February 2010 08:43:43 PM

Bianca Vieira · Veteran Member

SECTION C:

13.) Religion plays a major role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. They are fighting over their holy lands. It is pretty contradicting because they are fight over holy matters because for religious beliefs that do not want war. They use their religion to pin point conflicts between each other because of different beliefs. If they were both taught to have an open mind it would be less stereotyping and conflicts. Fighting for their beliefs is one thing but going to extremes for religion is a puts negative views on religions. That is why I feel through generations religion has been take the back seat. Because people see how controversial it can be, and they chose to not pick and be open minded.

14.)

·I feel sorry for Sanabel because she can’t choose her life, it was forced on her.

·I think it is not necessarily correct, but that is what they were brought up in, that is what they believe which is sad.

·I like this quote; it shows hope for open minds and unity.

·Very stereotypical but you can’t blame them, that is all they know. It is how they were brought up to believe in.

·I think it’s a way of running away from conflict and I can agree with that because when your life is war, you just want to take away the reason and for them they think it is the Arabs and visa versa.

·This makes me sad, that they find violence okay, and how he uses an exclamation mark makes it worse.

·WOW its crazy how this is okay for Mahmoud it just shows how dramatic their lives are

·If they keep thinking like this the war will never end. They need to get the revenge out of their minds because it will be a on going battle generation after generation.

·This quote gives me hope! That someone gets it and wants others to get it because he knows that is the only way peace will overcome if people could just stop and realize there is no winner in war. Freedom isn’t free when thousands of people are killed.

·): this is what I think. What a horrible way of thinking but to them that is their truth. Its unfortunate they have to suffer thoughts like this because of others generations above them.

15.)I would ask them what they think is realistic to change this on going war to peace? And if they are willing to make the change, and stand up for it.

16.)The hatred comes from the life they live, it is their reality to walk down the street and see people killing each other. Hatred is apart of their everyday life. I think some of the kids are willing to set aside their differences because they want a normal youth. They probably are thinking they don’t want this to go on forever, they don’t want to be limited forever, If you cant even choose your own friends how is that right?

17.)I notice the New Bedford community is very divided. I notice in my neighborhood you say good morning to each other, where in other neighborhoods people don’t even look at others. I feel everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives, but if we just took a couple of seconds a day to smile of people it can be years worth of happiness, which can change a lot!

18.)Right now in my life I say I would because I think the experience is great, but I don’t know when I’m a mother my maternal instincts will change because I want to protect my childs safety. So right now I would say yes because I think the freedom and experiences you have shape you as a person and I wouldn’t want my children to miss out on that.

-- Edited by Bianca Vieira on Friday 26th of February 2010 09:21:30 PM

Zachary W · Veteran Member

Vi wrote:
11.Issues I think about on a daily basis are whether or not I am going to actually live to see another day. I usually try not thinking about things like that and I just like to live in the moment. I choose to see all the good in people and surround myself with good people, because I feel we should live life like it were our last and choose to be happy, anything less than that is just not worth it.

Just curious as to why you think about whether you will survive to see another day, seems pretty extreme for a high school kid in Massachusetts

Zachary W · Veteran Member

9. The difference of among the communities and cities that the Israelis and Palestinians live are the restrictions and rights that each have, or don’t have. The Israelis are able to go to most places and travel through checkpoints without being questioned, solely because the Israelis ‘control’ the state. The Palestinians, however, after many were kicked out of their homes decades ago are barely able to leave their refugee camps and are almost better off to just stay within the camps. The similarities between the two include the dangerous that is faced in many city centers and the fear and hatred felt towards the other for having to live in this way. The checkpoints are reasonable to some extent but, if they only check people who aren’t with Jewish citizens or who are Palestinians then the practice becomes more discriminatory than as a safety precaution. The parade through Jerusalem was an intentional provocation because although they didn’t appear threatening or violent it made Palestinians either suppress distaste through even a jeer, because if anything did happen the blame would be on the Palestinians and the portrayal of them in Israeli media would be given proof.

10. Fear plays an important role in our ability to have compassion for others, because if we have always been taught to fear and hate another group it is nearly impossible to feel bad for them. Fears causes feelings of justice and vengeance instead of compassion when the one you fear is harmed. Yarko is completely justified in wanting to pursue a normal life, because the situation the kids of the area are going through truly has nothing to do with them or even their families because of the age of the conflict. Also, people should be able to live their lives without fear and worrying about circumstances more powerful than you.

11.The only issues that I think about on a daily basis would be about school and the forum work for multicultural studies that I need to finish, other than that its basically about what I am going to do for that day. I feel that I have gotten to the point where I truly don’t have many issues that I try to neglect or push out of my mind.

12.Much like Heling’s nonexistent religious traditions, my nonexistent traditions have taught me to be accepting and respectful towards others and always strive for peaceful ways to solving problems. This is reflected in my community by the fact that there are people from several different backgrounds living together without ethnic or cultural clashes.

13. Religion is used in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to belittle and separate the people, if the religious context was not there there would not be a conflict, at least not like there is. Each side uses their religion to ‘prove’ its their land and teach that the other religion is wrong. If people were more willing to look past religious differences many problems of the world would be able to be solved more peacefully.

14.

•The Jews kicked us off our land and put us in this camp. Sanabel

Sanabel needs to look at both sides because on each side there is a group who feels they have been pushed off “their” land by the other.

•God promised us the land of Israel. The Arabs came and took it! Moishe

I feel that Moishe and others need to look past what his religion has ‘taught’ him and realize that they can share the land peacefully.

•I think this is our country and its also theirs. Yarko

From this quote Yarko seems to be an understanding individual who just wants peace.

•I dont like talking to Jews. I know them. Theyre mean And deceitful. Mahmoud

Mahmoud needs to be more open and go and meet more people who aren’t like him to understand cultural differences and acceptance.

•When I see a Jew I want to grab a stone and throw it at him. Faraj

I feel sorry that Faraj and many others feel this way because if people knew more they would not feel this way.

•If I could make my own future, all the Arabs would fly away. Moishe

•We have our army to protect us. We have our firing range. And if the soldiers aim poorly, its okay cause they might shoot an Arab! Moishe

Moishe’s quotes show the ignorance that parts of both sides have, if each side merely got to know each other these beliefs wouldn’t be so widespread.

•I support Hamas and Hezboullah. They kill women and children but they do it for their country. The more Jews we kill, the fewer there will be. Until theyre almost gone. Mahmoud

Mahmoud needs to realize that these extremist groups committing atrocities that should never be idolized because nothing good will ever come from terrorist activities.

•So we both think of the same thing. We each think of our relatives who have been killed by the other side. So we each want to kill each other! Faraj

Faraj seems to have some understanding for each sides feelings but he doesn’t actually show regret for it or a desire to change anything.

•In war both sides suffer. Maybe theres a winner but what’s a winner?People on BOTH sides die. Both sides lose. Daniel

This is very true and if more people thought like this thousands of people would not have to die every week around the world for rights and freedoms all should have.

•The life we live doesnt allow us to accomplish our dreams. Faraj

Faraj has seen how true this statement is, people with dreams killed or forced to give them up because of the travesties that occur way too often.

15.I would ask if they feel truly justified in hating every Jewish/Palestinian person other than what the media and propaganda tell them.

16.I believe that the hatred that is reflected comes from an innate fear and lack of understanding for the situation. Some of the children are more willing to put aside their differences because of how they have been raised and the values taught by their parents.

17. To facilitate cultural understanding and acceptance people must participate in cultural learning programs and classes which will bring about more understanding for why some groups believe in what they do.

18. As much as I would like for my children or myself to be a part such an experience, I am not sure if I would let my kids go, the only way that I would would be if I went with them. To prevent our fear from blocking our ability to build bridges these encounters need to take place in neutral locations where religious differences are not focused on.

-- Edited by Zachary W on Saturday 27th of February 2010 01:08:56 PM

Moussa · Veteran Member

Freire02 wrote:
Section A
1.It’s hard because they do things because they were raised like that, and grew up in that lifestyle. While others are offended by their opinions and way of life because there lifestyle is also different, growing up in a different environment.

Having grown up with those things, do you think they can change their train of thought and actions overtime?

Moussa · Veteran Member

Zachary W wrote:

15. I would ask if they feel truly justified in hating every Jewish/Palestinian person other than what the media and propaganda tell them.

And what if they feel they are justified in hating because of all the violence they grow up with? I think it's fairly evident that they do feel they are justified, but the question is about changing their perception and how.