Sunday, April 26, 2009

Another visionary in Bethlehem . . .

Friends, I've been asked while I'm in Bethlehem to meet Dr. Sami Adwan.
My good friend and one of my world-heroes in Vancouver, Reena Lazar,started our Peace It Together project. She responded to my previous blog post late last night and asked me to meet Dr. Adwan and pick up some papers that she needs. Reena told me:
He is a professor at Bethlehem University and is also one of the two people (along with the late Dan Bar On) who was behind the brilliant dual narrative project.
See: http://www.justvision.org/en/profile/prof_sami_adwan
And http://vispo.com/PRIME/
He is a warm and fascinating guy who I think is the leader of peace education amoung Palestinians.

The person who usual helps Reena with this lives in Ramallah and has not been able to get to Bethlehem. Ramallah is a few miles north of Jerusalem and Bethlehem a few miles south. I really don't know why Dr. Adwan doesn't just mail these things to Reena or to her partner in Ramallah. There must be a reason. Nonetheless, I'm happy for the possibility chance to meet Dr. Adwan -- if he is an and can meet me. I'm also happy to have a reason to visit Bethlehem University, which I have always been interested to see, and to learn about his projects.

While I've been writing -- right now -- Manal has called me twice. She is so eager for us to visit. I am so moved by speaking with her. Every time she talks to me she calls me "buddy", like, "I wait for you, buddy. See you soon, buddy." It is so endearing!
Yehuda, my son, is getting ready to come into the center of Jerusalem to meet me. Right now, I have to check a bus info website to figure out the best way for him and me to meet and then travel the three or so miles to the checkpoint in the Wall.
More later, God willing -- be-ezrat ha-Shem, inshaAllah.

1 comment:

  1. Hello David and thanks for the kind words. thanks for picking up the package, and i want to share with your readers why he did not just mail it to Ramallah. Yy understanding is that there is no postal service in the West Bank! At least that is what I've been told. someone please correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm correct, then just imagine, yet another thing we totally take for granted, but that many people in our world live without.

    i'm just sorry to hear you did not get to meet Sami, but thanks for picking up the package!

    Reena.

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