The Fairhaven Project Presents

The Participants In Their Own Words

Imagine you're a Palestinian 17-year-old, and the only real contact you've ever had with Israelis is with the occupying soldiers, who practically live inside your East Jerusalem house.

Or imagine you're an Israeli 17-year-old, and the only real contact you've ever had with Palestinians is hiding from the rockets they regularly launch toward your kibbutz from the Gaza Strip.

Now imagine you've somehow landed aboard the crew of a tall ship sailing from Nantucket to Fairhaven in the middle of the night, and that you're stuck doing the 4 a.m. watch, alone on deck with the enemy, who happens to be another 17-year-old.

That's the experience that six Palestinian and Israeli youths had in the summer of 2008 as part of the first-ever Fairhaven Project.

The U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem hand-selected the six youths - three boys and three girls - on the basis of their leadership, strength of character and maturity.

All of the youths have been scarred by violence, knowing of schoolmates, friends or loved ones who have been killed.

The program removed the youths from the region and gave them an opportunity to interact as people, as human beings, he explained.

The organizers think they've already sparked a seagoing interest in one youth, while another has expressed interest in attending college in the United States, and arrangements to make that happen are underway.

"One of the Palestinean girls had never had an opportunity, ever, to be on a boat. We couldn't get her away from the steering wheel,"

The youths, none of whom speaks English as their native language, did remarkably well using the language to talk about what it was like to learn sailing and confront their differences a little.

"It was really great that we and Israelis got to be friends really fast," Gaby said.

"I thought it would be hard, but it did well and we got very easy communicating."

(The youths' last names are not being used for security reasons when they go back home.)

An Israeli boy named Oz said the Fairhaven Project's organizers gave the young people no choice but to talk and work together. They were often on their own, with no one else to rely on, he said. He talked about working the watch with a Palestinian girl named Natali.

"We had to stay awake from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. to watch that the boat is not moving away," he said.

"So it was nice to sit and talk with her, and to laugh with her. With all the rest, also, to sit and laugh, and to make crazy things."

Some of the youths were skeptical, however, about what the project can ultimately accomplish, at least in the near future.

Still, Adi, an Israeli young man, said the project was a welcome break from the Middle East.

"I will soon be in the army. In this nice, quiet and relaxed place, it's possible to get to know each other in a way that wouldn't be possible in Israel or Palestine," he said.

Danah, a young woman from East Jerusalem, said she had never before met an Israeli other than the soldiers who monitor most Palestinian movement in the West Bank.

The youths, acknowledged that few minds were changed on the big issues confronting their region.

"Everyone sticks to his own opinion," Danah said. "You can't really change it, but you try."

Still, there were glimpses of what might be.

When the youths were asked what it might take to bring peace to the region, the Israeli, Oz, offered, "I think that to return a little bit of the land of Israel."

The Palestinean, Gaby, responded, "To make some equal(ity) between the two sides."

To which Oz then said, "Not some. Equal."

Oz acknowledged that young people tend to follow the hardened positions of their parents, whether they are Israeli or Palestinian. But he allowed that things might change. The level of violence has been declining the past two years.

"I think that now it's starting a generation of people who are going with their own ways, our age. (They have) their own thoughts, and start going sometimes against their parents, and against their parents' thoughts, doing what they want to bring the peace back," he said.

The youths said it is easier for young people to break through the divisions on a personal level than for leaders on a political one.

"When you're an adult, it's much more complicated, with all the politics and stuff," Tal said.

But it's not as complicated for these kids, for this week.

Gaby notes that much of the three weeks has been videotaped and that they will show it back in the Middle East. He's not worried that his countrymen will think this sort of thing can't happen back home.

"It's not about in America it's different," he said. "It's about we were in one room and we were together. It's like that. That's how the people have to think about it."

By Jack Spillane
The New Bedford Standard Times


	The Participants In Their Own Words Imagine you're a Palestinian 17-year-old, and the only real contact you've ever had with Israelis is with the occupying soldiers, who practically live inside your East Jerusalem house. Or imagine you're an Israeli 17-year-old, and the only real contact you've ever had with Palestinians is hiding from the rockets they regularly launch toward your kibbutz from the Gaza Strip. Now imagine you've somehow landed aboard the crew of a tall ship sailing from Nantucket to Fairhaven in the middle of the night, and that you're stuck doing the 4 a.m. watch, alone on deck with the enemy, who happens to be another 17-year-old. That's the experience that six Palestinian and Israeli youths had in the summer of 2008 as part of the first-ever Fairhaven Project. The U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem hand-selected the six youths - three boys and three girls - on the basis of their leadership, strength of character and maturity. All of the youths have been scarred by violence, knowing of schoolmates, friends or loved ones who have been killed. The program removed the youths from the region and gave them an opportunity to interact as people, as human beings, he explained. The organizers think they've already sparked a seagoing interest in one youth, while another has expressed interest in attending college in the United States, and arrangements to make that happen are underway. "One of the Palestinean girls had never had an opportunity, ever, to be on a boat. We couldn't get her away from the steering wheel," The youths, none of whom speaks English as their native language, did remarkably well using the language to talk about what it was like to learn sailing and confront their differences a little. "It was really great that we and Israelis got to be friends really fast," Gaby said. "I thought it would be hard, but it did well and we got very easy communicating." (The youths' last names are not being used for security reasons when they go back home.) An Israeli boy named Oz said the Fairhaven Project's organizers gave the young people no choice but to talk and work together. They were often on their own, with no one else to rely on, he said. He talked about working the watch with a Palestinian girl named Natali. "We had to stay awake from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. to watch that the boat is not moving away," he said. "So it was nice to sit and talk with her, and to laugh with her. With all the rest, also, to sit and laugh, and to make crazy things." Some of the youths were skeptical, however, about what the project can ultimately accomplish, at least in the near future. Still, Adi, an Israeli young man, said the project was a welcome break from the Middle East. "I will soon be in the army. In this nice, quiet and relaxed place, it's possible to get to know each other in a way that wouldn't be possible in Israel or Palestine," he said. Danah, a young woman from East Jerusalem, said she had never before met an Israeli other than the soldiers who monitor most Palestinian movement in the West Bank. The youths, acknowledged that few minds were changed on the big issues confronting their region. "Everyone sticks to his own opinion," Danah said. "You can't really change it, but you try." Still, there were glimpses of what might be. When the youths were asked what it might take to bring peace to the region, the Israeli, Oz, offered, "I think that to return a little bit of the land of Israel." The Palestinean, Gaby, responded, "To make some equal(ity) between the two sides." To which Oz then said, "Not some. Equal." Oz acknowledged that young people tend to follow the hardened positions of their parents, whether they are Israeli or Palestinian. But he allowed that things might change. The level of violence has been declining the past two years. "I think that now it's starting a generation of people who are going with their own ways, our age. (They have) their own thoughts, and start going sometimes against their parents, and against their parents' thoughts, doing what they want to bring the peace back," he said. The youths said it is easier for young people to break through the divisions on a personal level than for leaders on a political one. "When you're an adult, it's much more complicated, with all the politics and stuff," Tal said. But it's not as complicated for these kids, for this week. Gaby notes that much of the three weeks has been videotaped and that they will show it back in the Middle East. He's not worried that his countrymen will think this sort of thing can't happen back home. "It's not about in America it's different," he said. "It's about we were in one room and we were together. It's like that. That's how the people have to think about it." By Jack Spillane The New Bedford Standard Times