Peaceful actions and laudable goals

Today's Tribune de Genève has two stories juxtaposed that evidence real concerns and actions that have been, and are being, undertaken to alleviate, in small and peaceful ways, the humanitarian disaster that exists in Palestine.  One story discusses the strategy advocated by "Boycott Désinvestissement Sanctions" (BDS).  Created in 2005, BDS initiatives have been multiplying throughout the world in order to encourage boycott, divestment and sanctions actions dealing with Israeli-produced goods and services.  These actions are not only intended to have an economic impact, but more precisely to be successful in changing opinions and political positions. According to the promoters, such campaigns should be evaluated by a series of measures, including economic impact, greater exposure of the issue in the media, shifts in popular discourse over understandings and dynamics of the Palestinian struggle, and the psychological impact upon the offender that the behaviour causing the boycott is not acceptable.  The Swiss BDS group is implementing such a boycott throughout Switzerland.  A sidebar accompanying the article lists the three main supermarket chains and the specific products that are targeted.

The second article is more heartening, if also heart-breaking.  After two years of letters, packages, hundreds of stamps and overwhelming expenditures of time and energy, 12 students of a Geneva school are meeting their Palestinian pen-pals face to face.  The 16 Palestinian children, ranging from 8 to 13, have for the first time in their lives set foot on soil other than that in the Balata refugee camp.   Balata was established adjacent to the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank in 1950.  Entire generations have matured within its confines since then - with nowhere to go.  Therein lies tangible and desperate despair  - apparently inexplicable to too many who are otherwise logical and goodhearted persons.

The 10-day visit is intended to show the young Palestinians that there is something in life other than an enclosed space, that other lives and possibilities are possible far from conflict.  It is hoped that the visit will provide them with hope, friendship and a vision for a better future.  The visit is being sponsored by the Meyrin Foundation for the promotion of cultural, social and sports activities, the Department of Culture of Geneva City, the Permanent Mission of Palestine to the UN in Geneva and by Royal Jordanian Airlines.  Getting the young Palestinians here at all was a remarkable achievement, with packages lost or stolen, customs charges required at several different times, and visa problems,  In fact, two of those who were to accompany the group were denied visas and thus not allowed to leave.

Between the 16 Palestinians and their 12 Genevan "hosts," it was love at first sight, in spite of language barriers.  Would that there could be many other such meetings!  It's a small world, after all, and it is very hard to hate a person with whom one has shared pleasant experiences.  Perhaps that is why so much energy and effort are spent in dehumanizing and demonizing so that some may always be considered "other."  And that is tragic.