In ongoing conflict zones, art has been used as a mechanism to bridge societal gaps and facilitate communication between separated communities and amongst a broken society. This collection of writings and art intends to show the reader that there are innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict, experiencing similar war traumas and desires for peace. It is easy to take one side and hold steady and unwavering, while it is much harder to put yourselves in the shoes of the “other”. This publication intends to put the reader in the shoes of every writer; of Palestinians, of Israelis, of all those who have experienced trauma as a result of this ongoing and long-standing conflict. How have you been affected by the conflict in Israel & the Palestinian territories? Would you like your voice to be heard? You are invited to submit your entry of a poem, short story, and/or visual art (150 -500 words) to be considered for publication in Art for Peace in the Middle East, a collection of short stories, poems, and visual art that side by side will show the human side of the conflict.
This is the first edition of Art for Peace and is being organized by Taylor Rockoff, a graduate student of International Development at American University in Washington DC. Her concentration is education and conflict resolution. As an American Jew, her studies of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has motivated her to create this project, which she hopes will allow the voices of Palestinians and Israelis to be heard and understood as neighbors rather than enemies. This will be published online and subsequently published in print, used in events focusing on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and peace-building in DC and abroad. It will be used as an educational mechanism for those involved and vested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from abroad, whether by religious affiliation or political motivation, to understand the conflict from a human rather than political perspective.
Your submission could answer as many of the following questions as possible in your own creative way; however if one specific set of questions speaks to you more, then write about what moves you the most:
- How has the Israeli/Palestinian conflict affected your own personal life and the lives of those you love?
- What has it felt like, looked like, smelled like, sounded like when you were affected by the conflict?
- What has your role been in advancing peace? How do you feel playing that role? Have you always played the same role? Has your role changed? Why?
- How do you feel about those on the other side of the conflict? Do you feel segregated? Is it easy/difficult to interact with the “other”? If you could say anything to someone on the “other” side, what would you say?
- What do you hope for? What does it feel like when you think of the future for you and your family? In what circumstance do you allow yourself to have hope or when do you find yourself most able to dream about the future?
If you have art- be it poetry, a short story, or illustrations that you already have created which responds to one of the above themes, also please feel free to submit that work.
Once you submit, your entry will be reviewed, selected, and edited. Please send your entries of 150 - 500 words as well as photos/illustrations to Taylor Rockoff at TR3703a@american.edu with the subject line: ART FOR PEACE by April 12th. Also, be sure to include a short biography attached in the email with an excerpt explaining your interest in this project.
If you have any questions about the content of your entry or further details, please reach out to Taylor Rockoff at the email address listed above. Looking forward to your submissions!