the face2face project

Has anybody else heard of this effort? This would bother
some people that I've known. The ones without a sense of
humor. Or (much more important) without a living
breathing sense of reverence and wonder, for the scope of
healing actions that humans are capable of. Even in the
wounded and suffering Middle East. I think it's one
of the most suprising and beautiful things I've seen in a
while. Here, respectfully borrowed from their site
(www.face2faceproject.com), is the project's statement
of vision:


***********

FACE2FACE

When we met in 2005, we decided to go together in the
Middle-East to figure out why Palestinians and Israelis
couldn't find a way to get along together.

We then traveled across the Israeli and Palestinian
cities without speaking much. Just looking to this world
with amazement.

This holy place for Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
This tiny area where you can see mountains, sea,
deserts and lakes, love and hate, hope and despair
embedded together.

After a week, we had a conclusion with the same words:
these people look the same; they speak almost the same
language, like twin brothers raised in different families.

A religious covered woman has her twin sister on the
other side. A farmer, a taxi driver, a teacher, has his
twin brother in front of him. And he is endlessly
fighting with him.

It's obvious, but they don't see that.

We must put them face to face. They will realize.

We want that, at last, everyone laughs and thinks when
he sees the portrait of the other and his own portrait.

The Face2Face project is to make portraits of Palestinians
and Israelis doing the same job and to post them face to
face, in huge formats, in unavoidable places, on the Israeli
and the Palestinian sides.

In a very sensitive context, we need to be clear.
We are in favor of a solution for which two countries,
Israel and Palestine would live peacefully within safe and
internationally recognized borders.

All the bilateral peace projects (Clinton/Taba, Ayalon/
Nussibeh, Geneva Accords) are converging in the same
direction. We can be optimistic.

We hope that this project will contribute to a better
understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.

Today, "Face to face" is necessary.
Within a few years, we will come back for "Hand in hand".

************

Do, if you have the time, watch the absolutely wonderful
video #5 on the site (in "video" pulldown at top of page):
Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders talking about the
many faces of God, and then pulling crazy faces of their
own in front of the camera, to be pasted giant-size on the
Separation Wall...

And here is a site with more astonishing photos from
the project:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerusalem_peacemakers/
sets/72157605777480600/

If you have a bit more time and room for inspiration,
please check out my other blog, where I've posted yet
more recent actions of unity and affirmation, in the midst of
the suffering. The systems and the powers may be failing
their/our collective humanity, but the people are surely not...