A Journal of Positive Futures Peacemakers are addressing one of the world's most intractable conflicts through an innovative new program Listening With Compassion by Kari Thorene W hen Nachson Wachsman was captured by Palestinian terrorists, his family was thrown into a storyline all too familiar to both Israeli Jewish and Palestinian families. Within one week, a botched rescue attempt startled the terrorists, who responded by shooting and killing young Nachson. They arranged to meet in Jerusalem, and from that moment on the father of a son killed in conflict and the father of the killer joined together to work for peace and tolerance in Israel.
Peace walks hand in hand with reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing.
And Green should know. A veteran of the Mid East peace movement, Green developed the Mid East Citizen Diplomacy project for the Earthstewards Network in 1990 and has led 13 citizen diplomacy expeditions to Israel since. Listening to Enemies Dialogue between groups divided by history and conflict can be nearly impossible, Green says. Without the necessary training, Israeli Jews and Palestinians would often sit together and yell at each other and think that they were engaging in healthy, positive work. That's why Green integrated a precursor to dialogue called Compassionate Listening - to be practiced with both groups separately before they are brought together to talk.