Karrie (left) and Addison (right) attend East Hill Friends. Their work is done through The Compassoinate Listening Project.
My son Addison and I will have an opportunity to travel to Israel and Palestine from March 25 to April 5, 2011, to participate in an interfaith project dedicated to fostering dialogue, healing polarization, and building bridges between people, communities, and nations in conflict. Since 1990, more than 500 Americans have participated in these journeys. We will meet with Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, and atheists and hear many points of view: political and spiritual leaders, representatives of various organizations, educators, and even extremists from all sides.
Deciding to go on this trip wasn’t a hard decision. This was due to my passion for conciliation and interfaith dialogue, and Addison’s anti-bullying advocacy activities at his school. Making it actually happen requires a bit more. Our original plan was to take this journey next fall or in the spring of 2012 to allow time to study, prepare, save, and raise funds. However, when we learned there will be no delegations scheduled in the foreseeable future, we once again deliberated, reflected, and prayed.
Addison and I believe that peace starts in our homes and communities, learning how to communicate and listen respectfully to those whose opinions differ from ours. We ask our friends, family, and community members to participate with us in this journey.
To learn more about our work, visit our website at http://www.compassionatelistening.org
