REPORTS

Report by: Jacqueline Haessly, Ph. D.

Words seem so limiting as a way to express emotions associated with

the experiences shared during the V IFLAC conference in Los Angeles in

August 2005. I want to sing, to dance, to play a new way into being in

this world shared with so many other passionate women and men who care

deeply about issues of justice, compassion, and peace.

Thank you, Ada and Lucy, for making the experiences happen, and to all who

shared so freely of their hopes, fears, and dreams for a world of peace

for all the children of the world.

Ada, as I recall, you wanted a summary of our own presentations, as

well as reflections upon our experience of the conference as a whole.

I will reverse this order. Highlights are aplenty. Beginning with

the opening session with Frank on Wednesday evening,

where we shared our thoughts and feelings about

a world of apparent wholeness and a world still caught up in the grips of

conflict and violence, people shared from their hearts.

Thank you, Frank, for your own honest sharing of your story,

and for providing us with a very visual way to see our world.

Later, I, along with others, watched the dance

with Suzanne unfold, before heading for much needed rest.

Ada, your welcoming address on Thursday morning inspired us with your

message, "You And I Can Change The World". On Thursday, Friday, and

Saturday, panelists offered a variety of perspectives on topics

related to justice and peace: research and writing for peace, women

and peace, Arab-Israeli relations, nuclear issues, development,

partnerships, the power of women to influence change, peace education

in the schools, media, art, drama, and inner wholeness. Thursday

evening ended with the inspirational performance of "In Our Right

Minds," with Dale Allen, followed by an opportunity to read my poem

for conference participants. On Friday, Joanne provided us with an

opportunity to participate in the powerful experience with her Mural

Project, and on Saturday, thanks to Byron De Lear and his colleagues,

we had an opportunity to learn more about the use of media for social

change. Thanks, too, to Christophe Charles for his inspiring line,

"Today is Joy Day".

Special thanks to Rosetta, who attempted to keep us focused and on

time; to Sharon and others who arranged our Friday night celebration;

to Sharon and Rosetta for rescuing Mona when our family could not; to

all the people who provided music, song, and dance to fill our hearts

during these five days together; and to Cynthia King, whose soul

touched mine so deeply during our

late-night room chats.

My own contributions to the conference included moderating a panel on

the topic of Research and Writing for a Culture of Peace. I also

offered a presentation, "Weaving a Culture of Peace", in which I

identify seven stands that can aid in creating a culture of peace:

values ground a culture of peace; images and language patterns aid in

promoting a culture of peace; systems, structures, and policies aid in

protecting a culture of peace; and education and actions aid in

preserving a culture of peace. Together these seven strands help

sustain a culture of peace with justice for today and for

future generations. In addition, I also co-facilitated a presentation on

Women and Peace, and helped develop a listing of web sites important for

the work of peacemaking. During a story and poetry-reading session

on Thursday afternoon, one of my two poems, "CityScapes:

A Poem in Five Scenes", was selected to be read to the entire

assembly later that evening. On Saturday morning, I was one of

several people interviewed by Byron De Lear for use on his Radio Program.

This was an intensely rich experience, and I treasure the many

relationships that were nurtured during these days together.

Thanks to all of you!

*** If I could add two suggestions for future IFLAC events, I would

seek to have one person designated as the person in charge of

logistics, to make the hours and days flow more smoothly,

and I would be intentional about creating an intergenerational event,

and perhaps even an intergenerational Board. I have experience with a

process helpful for achieving this, if you are interested!

Peace and good,

Jacqueline Haessly, Ph. D.

Peacemaking Associates

1974-Celebrating 31 years of-2005

Education for Global Living

Value, Imagine, Promote, Protect

and Preserve A Culture of Peace

for today and future generations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Report by: Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen

5^th IFLAC PAVE PEACE Impressions in LA

My name is Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen. I live with my husband and two daughters in a large, isolated mining community in southwest Arizona, where mountains are torn down, crushed and leached for their copper content at North America’s largest open-pit copper mine. I am a Poet, and a recent member of IFLAC. I have no credentials, and attended the Conference as a layman interested in improving and using my poetic predilection to seek, compose, arrange, and create teaching-poetry with moral lessons, hopes and futures, to help light the path to peace for others with personal, social and peace poetry of learned awareness’, conceptual realities and spiritual growth.

For me, personally, participating in the Fifth Pave Peace Convention in Los Angeles, in August of 2005, was both an honor and a right. It was my right to join other like-minded people to discuss and implement events, actions and plans for peace, and to help, in the interim, to bring the hope of peace, to this planet. And, it was my honor to meet, observe, delight in, listen to, absorb and become friends with a rich gestalt-group of conscientious, compassionate, diverse human beings who are dedicated to reaching out, educating and aiding individuals, cultures and nations to strive, with thought-out methods, practices and plans, for peace.

My immediate sense of the start of the convention was a lovely, cohesive chaos of greetings, meetings and smiles of hope, eagerness and determination. We were all warmly welcomed by the infusive characters of Dr. Yvan Nguyen (Vietnam and LA), and Ada Aharoni, who is the founder and President of IFLAC, director of IFLAC programming, and enigmatic powerhouse of presence, intelligence and energy. The Keynote Speakers, Panels, Roundtables and Workshops arranged themselves, accordingly, prompted by Ada’s attention to detail, into what was to be the ‘Sum of the Whole’ in an important, timely collation after the general greetings and salient global information pertinent to fresh, eager minds was offered, continuing on to the finer-tuned education and applications of aid and methodology and resources, and the spurring of minds, hearts and souls towards solutions and brain-storming.

Presentations involved, but were not limited to: A brief history of the successes and programs of IFLAC during its 5 years of existence, by Ada, her reading of poems from her book: YOU AND I CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, Community strengthening exercises, by Frank Cardelle, a strong presentation and the means of resolution of bullying, by Blythe Hinitz, the genius-inspired Green Circle program, the Global Application for Self Reliance, or GCFP. There were reconceptions of the words ‘peace’ and ‘war’, by Jacqueline Haessly, Haim Aharoni and others, the ‘use’ of the feminine face of power-catalyzed synergy to rebalance the Earth’s masculine/feminine duality, and how ‘gathering the women’ could lead to new, viable answers to old habits, problems and thoughts. We learned of the world’s 3% population of cultural creativists, who believe everything, is an aspect necessitating constant watchfulness to be able to navigate through change and diversity of environments with respect and care. We were taught the Power of Leadership and the need of peaceful consciousness when taking on the responsibility of making a difference as a Leader.

There were low buzzings of conversation, laughing voices and mural-art-dreamings, mixed with love and humanistic concerns, weaving an incredible mélange of dynamism and collaboration of thoughts and efforts to give, and receive, knowledge, experience, ideas and blessings not only to each other, but to the world as our community. Encircling all who shared their spirits was inspiring soothing, or frenetic, postulating entertainment by singers, dancers and performers of conceptual merit and artistic purity. Candace Carnacelli, Dale Allen, and Suzanne Kennedy, led the enveloping of the circle with their enthusiastic passion and vivid portrayals of ‘Mankind’, using voice or moving form or twinkling eyes and a wink.

There were several people who stood out among us, to my mind; each person who attended will have their own lists for various reasons. Prof. Ada Aharoni, who radiates calmly vigorous strength, tempered by life, will and wisdom grounded us and mothered us along the road to listening and learning. Prof. Ernesto Kahan’s steady, palpable appreciation of humanity and its follies soothed and fortified our hearts. Rose Lord with her old-world-charming, yet vibrant, loveliness has a core of purposeful steeliness and advocacy-intentioned caring embedded within which glints and gleams of faith. Dorin Popa’s magnetism broods weighty goals and methodology, a concentrator of intense focus with an ear for the nuances and uses of poetic tools in evaluating others work. Nonie Darwish told her remarkable story of growing up in the Gaza Strip and Cairo, Egypt, shadowed by a Shahid father, with ardency and courage and emotionally-felt-relief of us all for her release from perversities of genocidal indoctrination, by her wisdom, and immigrating to America. Her efforts, through writing and speaking, to explain to Arabs the actuality of ‘actions’ of ‘Islam as a religion of peace’ are critical to change, and will show the true indication of words now spoken mainly by rote-without-thought, to help build trust, respect and peace between the Arab world and the West and Israel.

Dr. Cynthia King is a marvel of availability, her helpful, compassionate nature is expressed with such verve upon her caring face, she constantly caught our shifting emotions, showing us our reflective convictions of peace seekers who gain profound knowledge, painful or otherwise. Joanne Tawfilis and Deanna Kuhn, of whom I’ve gained the deepest esteem. Their beautiful, creative murals, and sharing souls which have enfolded thousands of adults and children around the deepest reaches of the world, have gifted rainbow-colors to the beautiful 5^th IFLAC CONFERENCE PAVE PEACE Tapestry, combined colors and efforts, that will wrap the bereaved families of the suicide attack in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, this year, and the Pyramids in September of 2010.

Byron De Lear spoke his presentation on the last day, upon the theme of the “Communications Revolution” and its effects on culture, with such masterful poetic glow, finesse and power, his message flowed warmly into my poet’s core and pooled with lustrous comfort. And this after he had been sitting for an hour or more with his entire panel in a tiny, hot dining area jammed with chairs after wedding receptions had usurped us from our conference room. Sharon Riegie Maynard carries her vital productiveness, astuteness and alertness, in her very being, as a living example of sympathetic guardianship, right along with Sherry Beal and Ruth Broyde-Sharone, both excellent speakers and powerful presences of all-people’s outrage and commiserative yearning to give dignity and life’s hope back to torn lands and their people.

The height of atrocity, the epitome of humanity’s savageness and horror, the stab to the heart came with Producer/Director Karen Hayes’ TV documentary-in-progress of Archbishop Tutu’s tour of Rwanda’s blooded, bodied lands of heinous genocide, where he was overcome with grief and lost his composure, weeping for the magnitude of victims, and the jailed perpetuators. His message of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation between bitter enemies could not have been an easy matter to balance even in his magnanimous heart and soul.

In a stroke of grace, Dr. Abuelgassim Gor from Sudan and Dr. Ram Mehta of India, arrived in the last hour or so on Saturday, the closing day for IFLAC’s conference. Both men had such auric potency emanating from their presence, I felt a need to clasp their hands with mine in an attempt to fill myself with their quiet, yet intense, impetus and eminent aptitudes. Both soft-spoken, but clarion clear in the purposeful intentions of their minds and use of their abilities. Professor Mehta, in the last few moments, was kind enough to introduce me to poet Bella Claire Ventura, from the World Congress of Poets, who exuded a vibrancy and questing intellect. Carried with me by the symbolism of a joined USA/Argentina-flags pin I wore each day, was the Director of IFLAC in Argentina, poet Maria Cristina Azcona, who could not attend, but who is one of the strongest, grace-filled woman I’ve had the honor of meeting. Her intense moral convictions and boundless, energetic work towards peace in the world, and her friendship towards me, are a source of cherished faith-reserve not only at IFLAC, but also in my soul.

Last and first on my list is Rosetta Jane Sanz, the ‘General’, as she came to be known, a resolver of conflicts and confusions of conference details who was enlisted by Ada, and, who turned around and enlisted me, probably because I was close to hand and looking lost, as her assistant, and gave me a chance to contribute in small ways, mostly by keeping her company as she solved problems, in the progression of the event. Her joyful stoicism and calm panics, her ability to achieve results, her dry, humorous wit and unique personality were the superglue of any fragmented pieces behind the scenes when mundane-minded catastrophes could have broken the conference’s back when glitches emerged and direction was needed, such as driving ‘somewhere’ in LA and purchasing a large fan for the last day’s cramped yet vital sweat-room panel presentations, or rushing across life-threatening LA streets to have copies of everyone’s listed names and e-mails made up for members to take home. She is, like most of the other participants, I discovered, a true ‘soul-sister’, a woman whose soul can instantly link with others, to the improvement and enhancement of whomever or all involved. She provided me, by her example and my observations of her values, character and self-effervescent manner, with the nerve to read a few pieces of my poetry to IFLAC members, my first public reading, which I was nervous about and reticent to perform, due to lack of opportunity or experience, or desire, really, in my short career, to gather in group-type contact situations.

With the wealth of careers, experiences, degrees and doctorates of most of the conventions illustrious participants, I never once felt inferior or patronized. I believe respect, which is part of the core of peace, is the first 'paver' of tolerance, of self-understanding, which leads to understanding others, of how to find the true path to peace and harmony. Thank you all for a rewarding, exhilarating experience and the friendship of your selves.

Respectfully, and with gratitude,

Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen

September 1, 2005

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report by: Nonie Darwish

The True Freedom Fighters

As an Arab myself, I am extremely inspired by what is happening in the

Middle East ever since the Iraqi elections. The will of the Iraqi people to

stand up for freedom and democracy has inspired the rest of the Middle East.

This was the first time I have heard a collective, strong voice among

Muslims and Arabs saying to the world loud and clear: "We want to join the

civilized world in democracy and freedom, and we are committed to stand

against the terrorists among us." The courage of the Iraqis has inspired

Lebanon and Egypt, and the rest is yet to come. There is a new era in Arab

political life in the making.

I could not help but compare that honorable stand of the Iraqi people to the

often neglected and rarely mentioned heroic stand of the Israeli people

against terrorism for so many generations. Despite constant terrorism, they

managed to grow, excel, maintain a democracy, continue the business of

living, riding buses, voting and maintaining their moral standards. Despite

many losses in Israeli lives and the constant threat of terror from all

their neighbors, most of the Israelis share a deep feeling of wanting to

live in peace with the Palestinians.

Their courage and struggle to survive and thrive in a sea of hostility,

boycott and terror went unnoticed by the world. It is time for the world to

say enough is enough to the terrorism against Israel. Israel is part of the

inspiration to the new Middle East yearning for peace and democracy, and the

world needs to give the Israelis credit for that. It is also time for the

United Nations to end its unremitting attacks against Israel.

Israel is like the Iraqi voters, like the Arabs yearning for peace and

democracy in the area. It is trying to survive in an area of the world that

has no respect to individual rights and freedoms; an area of the world with

extreme elements that would rather kill its own citizens than see them free

to choose. Israel was the first country to set that example, half-a-century

ago.

Unfortunately, there are still many in the West who think of themselves as

"progressive", "liberal" or "humanitarian" who shamelessly call terrorists

"freedom fighters". Such people gratify themselves by believing they are

championing the underdog when they excuse terrorism and refuse to call it by

its real name. Having accepted the arguments of the terrorists themselves,

they have lost the ability to recognize and celebrate true freedom fighting

when it shows up, as it did in Iraq. Instead, they make excuses for

terrorists, who are, in fact, the hidden hands of Arab dictators and

religious leaders who use the terrorists to obtain compliance, obedience and

to maintain power.

Terrorists want to preserve the status quo in the Middle East. They want to

maintain the oppressive tyrannical regimes, such as the Taliban and the

mullahs of Iran; they want to keep Arab women in bondage and are fighting

democracy by any means. They often work in harmony with tyrannical rulers,

who use terrorism as a tool to blackmail the West and Israel for more

concessions and financial aid.

We Arab-Americans who want to promote freedom and democracy in our culture

of origin are extremely discouraged by terror apologists, who claim that

terrorists have a good cause. To them, I say, "No!" We are the freedom

fighters; they are evil terrorists.

Terrorists do not have an honorable cause, but are pursuing the causes of

old, tired despots and tyrants of the Middle East, those who suppress

freedom at any cost. You have no idea how oppressive it is to live in the

Middle East. Terrorists deliberately target and kill children, women,

civilian men and leaders who sign peace treaties, such as President Anwar

Sadat of Egypt. Terrorists shamelessly hold the Koran and recite verses

while beheading the innocent without mercy. Terrorists do not care if their

actions hurt the reputation of Islam, a religion they claim to love.

Terrorists have no intention ever to make peace with Israel, or to accord

respect or equality to Christians, Kurds, Jews or other minorities in the

Middle East. To them, peace negotiations are just a game to confuse the West

and misrepresent their true intentions. When will all the Western powers

realize this and understand this game?

The goal of Osama Bin-Laden is to subdue the entire world, especially

America, under Islam. Terrorists follow that one goal blindly and will not

allow anything to stand in the way, not even the safety and security of

their own children. Like the Communists before them, terrorists believe

that their ideal state has not yet been accomplished, and no Muslim country

or constitution is pure enough to satisfy them. Even the Saudi regime, which

follows <I>Sharia</I>, Islamic law, is not Muslim enough for them.

The years of indoctrination by mullahs and dictators have turned many Arab

people into robots for terror, following a mirage of ideals and beliefs in

the perfect Islamic state. To them, the mere existence of the non-Muslim

world stands in the way of accomplishing this perfect Utopia. When the

terrorists speak to Western media, they give themselves the right to lie and

blame the West for all their problems. Western journalists also frequently

fall into the trap of being the enablers of these 'freedom fighters'.

"Progressives"' in the West must start seeing the budding aspirations of the

true freedom fighters in the Middle East. The true freedom fighters are

those who are standing for democracy and freedom, respect for minorities,

peace with Israel and joining the civilized world in a relationship based on

mutual respect. They are the Arabs and Muslims who are speaking for peace,

many of whom are jailed in places like Syria, Iran and Bangladesh for this

"crime".

Today's true freedom fighters are the voters of Iraq. It is the few of us

speaking against the stoning of Muslim women, the lashing and torture of

men, and the cruel and unusual punishments still going on in Muslim

countries. We are fighting the extreme poverty in the Arab oil-rich region

that is plagued with corruption. We are struggling against the

indoctrination of Arab children, who learn the 'values' of hate, terror and

vengeance.

We hear about the horror of how a whole Coptic Christian Egyptian family was

slaughtered by terrorists in New Jersey, but we are not dissuaded and

continue to speak out for peace and freedom. We are the freedom fighters.

At a rally against terrorism in Berkeley, California, some Arabs were trying

to disrupt the event by chanting, "Two, four, six, eight, we are martyrs, we

can't wait!" They were foolishly supported by some Americans. I want to tell

the "progressive" Left in America that they are supporting the wrong side;

they are not supporting the oppressed underdog, they are supporting the

oppressors and the terrorist system that promotes their hate and brings it

to America.

I wish the Left would see the new reality in the Middle East. Please move

beyond the sixties. The old causes they are supporting are the very ones

standing in the way of progress. They have now become part of the problem

and not part of the solution. They are no longer progressive, but are buried

in old and tired arguments of days gone by. Progressives of America: you

need a revival.

Let the world step back and see who the true freedom fighters are, and who

are the real terrorists, and never confuse the two.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report by: Rose

Dr. Aharoni asked us to write a one-page summary about our experience at the 5^th IFLAC Conference. Surely one page cannot contain all the impressions of those marvelous five days, but I’ll try. First of all, Thanks, Ada, you’re an inspiration.

We’re supposed to start with three lines about ourselves. I am Rose Lord, wife, mother, grandmother, cookie baker, writer, webmaster, and founding member of Global Coalition for Peace. My writing revolves around the relationship between food and peace. My work with GCFP is focused on two projects whose purpose is to help women to step forward and take their nurturing, peace-building place in this beleaguered world. The projects are Mother-to-Mother for Peace and Nonviolence and the Women’s Self Reliance Program.

My role at the 5^th IFLAC Conference was to give a presentation as a member of the panel discussion on How Writers and Peace Researchers Can Help to Bring About a Better World. Although I felt far out-classed by the other speakers on this panel, they made me feel like a welcome and valued contributor. I also participated in one of the group discussions on Women and Peace, a wonderfully refreshing and vitalizing discussion that resulted in some great ideas as well as some immediate outcomes. That’s women for you.

To be at the IFLAC Conference was a moving and energizing experience. So many people working, each in his/her unique way, to create a more peaceful and harmonious world. Each of us has a role to play in bringing about the positive transformation of our planetary community and the value of each of those distinct roles was very obvious at the conference.

On a personal level, I made some great new friendships. I gained some wonderful ideas about how to develop our programs and tremendous spiritual support and reinforcement for the work GCFP is doing and I left with a replenishing of my own energy from the abundance that was there.

It was sad to hear that many people who wanted to be there were not granted visas to enter the United States but also heartening to see the unremitting effort of some who persisted, even if they could only be there for the final day of this five-day conference.

One of the most valuable elements of the conference was the sharing of resources and information which was so forthcoming. So much benefit for all concerned can be derived by this sharing. For that reason, it is one of my suggestions that future IFLAC Conferences allot more time for networking. I think evenings would be the ideal time to follow up on some of the connections we make during the day.

I would also like to see one session devoted to updating each other on the projects or programs discussed and the ideas introduced at the previous year’s conference.

My final suggestion is that we make every effort to get more young people involved in this tremendous organization that I’m proud and happy to be a part of.