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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 12, 2005
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| July 17, 2003 |
How do we face the Palestine issue? – Guest Speakers' Forum |
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| Peace Boat guest speakers at the forum for peace in Palestine |
Co-founder of Peace Boat, Tatsuya Yoshioka, introduced the Guest Speakers' Forum by asking participants not to forget the plight of the Palestinian people once the ship sails away from the Middle East and onto other countries. The lectures preceding the Forum, given by speakers with first-hand experience of the reality of life in Palestine, had educated and shocked participants with a truth that rarely makes the international media. Yoshioka posed the question of "How can we help?" to the guest speakers and the participants of Peace Boat.
First to speak was Mazen Jabary, a Palestinian worker in the Youth Development Department of the Orient House in Jerusalem. He highlighted the links between the plight of the Iraqi people and that of the Palestinians. He also made mention of the vast numbers of people who demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq in February, and emphasized that although they didn't stop the conflict, the display of public opinion in opposition to the war was encouraging. Mazen spoke of the vital need for "solidarity and commitment" in the quest for peace, and referred to the positive collaboration between Peace Boat and its NGO partners in Palestine. |
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| The "Appeal for Peace in Palestine" petition to be delivered to the Israeli embassy in Athens |
As a freelance TV reporter, Kazuo Goto's job is to broadcast the facts - a job becoming increasingly difficult in the Japanese media. The coverage of the conflict in Japan presents a religious war between Islam and Judaism, when it is more accurately a one-sided war of occupation and persecution. Goto's advice to the audience was to not believe everything they see in the media, and to ask the question of "Why is this being broadcast and who are the beneficiaries?" On a positive note, he said that new technology and the Internet are helping to develop a "Civilian Media Network" where anyone can be an eyewitness and free from political or corporate bias.
Mari Oka, Professor of Arabic Studies at Kyoto University, stressed the need for people to understand the root cause of the problem, and like Goto had said before, know that it is not simply a war between Arabs and Jews. After 50 years of "oppression, dignity destroyed and neglect of humanity" it is not a case of sides but "human rights." Citing Israeli International Student, Danna Bader's experience of activism, she said that people could only do something once they knew the truth. |
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| Palestinian, Rama Mari, receiving a gift of paper cranes symbolizing the hope for peace in Palestine |
Danna Bader asked Peace Boat participants not to forget the manipulative systems that exist in Israeli society, and how they indoctrinate its citizens with fear and hate of the Palestinians. By teaching people, especially the young, to criticize these systems and the information they receive, she hopes that they can "discover the truth about what is happening in Palestine."She encouraged the audience to take action against the media if they believe something they see reported to be wrong or untrue, and to show films such as Jenin, Jenin - the documentary of the massacre at a refugee camp in the West Bank which took place in April of last year- wherever possible.
Palestinian International Student, Rama Mari, opened her comments by saying that "you don't have to be Palestinian to relate to the conflict, as it is a struggle of a stronger power over weaker one." - something that happens all over the world. She emphasized that "only international solidarity and support can solve the problems," and that people must develop skills to find out the truth of what is really happening in Palestine.
The US government gives 10 billion dollars in aid to Israel every year - more than any other country in the world, including the military equipment used against the men, women and children of Palestine. US International Student, Ryan Amundson, spoke of the need to spread the knowledge of this finance of oppression to the global community. Ryan asked, "Do people know of this 10 billion a year being given to Israel?" and called for action to condemn this US support of violence.
Tatsuya Yoshioka concluded the symposium by saying to the audience that once you become aware of an injustice you are faced with a choice - to run away from your newfound knowledge, or to act. He appealed to everyone present "not to run away from these problems," and saying that "any action helps". A group of Peace Boat participants presented Rama Mari with a mural made of paper cranes to be taken back to Palestine as a symbol of support and the quest for peace, before giving details of the "Appeal for Peace in Palestine" petition to be signed and delivered to the Israeli embassy in Athens. |
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