In Search of Peace: A Journey to Israel/Palestine: Bethlehem and other adventures

Information

At the end of the Winter 2012 term I was offered on opportunity to volunteer as an intern in the community of Neve Shalom, Wahat-as-Salam, the Oasis of Peace, a community of Israeli Jews and Arabs. Founded in the 1970s, NSWAS was founded as a cooperative village, proving to the world that Arab/Palestinians and Israelis can live together in peace and prosperity.

I will be interning at Peace College within NSWAS this summer. Peace College offers courses in conflict prevention and peace-building and I will interning with them for a period of four months this summer.

NSWAS and Peace College have given me an opportunity to travel to Israel/Palestine, something that I have wanted to do since I was 12 years old.

Here I will post entries and pictures of my experiences within Israel and Palestine.

Blogger: Chris MP
Mission: World Peace
Place: Israel/Palestine

Friday, 22 June 2012

Bethlehem and other adventures

The Church of the Nativity

Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the West Bank about 8 km south of Jerusalem.

Bethlehem is mostly populated by Muslim Palestinians, but there is a small minority of Christian Palestinians and Bethlehem is one of the major centers and holy places of the Christian faith, the place of Nativity.

Today we were in Bethlehem to conduct the final meeting of the SFP change agents course for women in journalism. The SFP had me lead one of the discussions and reviews of the program. It was amazing to participate in the process of the program and learn about the situation from the prospective of journalistic investigation and reporting and hear exclusive from women on the occupation, the conflict and the peace process.

Within the Church

The Church of the Nativity is located in the center of Bethlehem and is located on the spot where Jesus was born, the sight of the stable, the manger and the exact place of birth.

The tapestries within the church

The area is packed with pilgrims and the catacombs are cramped and stuffy, but it was an amazing place to visit. Tapestries decorate the walls of the Church which, is still a very active place of regular worship beyond the pilgrims. There was actually a Palestinian family baptizing their child today as we wondered around the church.