One Voice: Peace in the Middle East

May 2008 marks Israel’s 60th Birthday. So I figured it was a good time to do a political video to get a handle on the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and learn why it’s such a social, religious, and cultural hotbed. Here’s an interview with One Voice’s Darya Sheikh, who offers a very easy-to-grasp explanation from a historical and current viewpoint. The great thing about Darya is she is half Palestinian, half Israeli, so if there is anyone who has a strong tie to it and compassion for both sides, it is she. The takeaway for me is that, no matter what has happened in the past, it’s time to move on and create a safer living environment for people who live everyday in society there. It’s just like anything else, from a fight in a marriage to a schoolyard brawl: people need to let bygones be bygones, forgive, and more forward. Each side has valid points and feelings. And most of the people in the Middle East want a peaceful environment to live and raise their kids in. Unfortunately, the minority that straps bombs onto themselves get all the press and sway people politically and emotionally. Go figure. The situation is a mess over in the Middle East, to be sure. But like everything else on the planet, from my perspective, it’s still not anything to give up on. While we’re here, alive and able to impact the planet, I think it’s our duty to try to do so on a positive level. Peace CAN be achieved over there. And you can help. Visit OneMillionVoices.org to learn how OneVoice has started a positive, peaceful political movement in the Middle East which is swiftly moving from the countercultural to the mainstream, and how you can help it along.