Last week's announcement that direct talks between the Israelis and Palestinians would be resumed was something that excited Global Citizens around the world. But while diplomats from all over the world prepare to gather in an attempt to resolve the complex issues and problems that prevent peace from coming to the Holy Land, what can Global Citizens do as ordinary people to help promote peace in this strife-torn region of the world?
Off the top of my head, let me put forward two very simple and modest suggestions.
The first way Global Citizens can further peace in the Middle East is by making a simple change to their grocery shopping habits, by purchasing products from Canaan Fair Trade. This cooperative produces olive oil, honey, olives, tomatoes, soap, and other products made using sustainable practices by farmers and workers in the West Bank. If you purchase these products from Canaan Fair Trade, every dollar spent on these products helps generate economic activity in the West Bank, creating badly-needed jobs among the Palestinian population. This project enjoys healthy support from both the Israeli and Palestinian communities.
The more people in Palestinian territories who have meaningful employment and economic self-sufficiency, the fewer people there will be who can be seduced by the siren song of extremism and thus the fewer people there will be who will be turned towards violence and hatred against Israel. Fanaticism of all stripes flourishes most fervently where the people are cynical and lack hope for the future. By helping the economic development of Palestinian territories through such enterprises as Canaan Fair Trade, Global Citizens can counter the cynicism and despair that has so long infected the Palestinian people and help build a forward-looking social framework that will go a long way towards improving relations between Israelis and Palestinians.
The second way Global Citizens can further peace in the Middle East is by supporting the organization called Seeds for Peace. This wonderful program brings together Israeli and Palestinian teenagers in summer camps, teaching them conflict resolution and leadership skills, while allowing them to build personal friendships with fellow young people on the "other side".
Thousands of teenagers have already graduated from the Seeds for Peace program since in began in 1993. These "Seeds" are hard at work building mutual trust and understanding between the Israeli and Palestinian communities in numerous fields of activity, ranging from politics to science to business. Even a small financial contribution to Seeds for Peace of, say, $25 helps further the cause of peace in the Middle East. (And not just the Middle East. Seeds of Peace has now started operating summer camps for Indian and Pakistani teenagers, too.)
Buying Fair Trade products made in the West Bank and supporting summer camps for Israeli and Palestinian teenagers may sound a bit distant from the events that will shape the future of the Middle East peace process. But such things are, in the most basic sense, the stuff of which peace is made. And you don't have to be a diplomat or government official to participate in these efforts. Being a better Global Citizen is simply a matter of spending some of your money in a different way than you otherwise would have.
When you get right down to it, securing peace for the Middle East is a human endeavour and requires the participation of all Global Citizens. The two simple ideas proposed here are just scratching the surface of what is possible, so get out there and start doing the work yourself. The Holy Land has been soaked in blood for centuries, and buying a bottle of Fair Trade olive oil isn't going to fix it. But every little bit helps.
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