Strange Encounters at Nonviolence Conference

Posted by tendor on Dec 29, 2005 in General | 2 comments

Bethlehem, December 29
Yesterday was Day Two of the Celebrating Nonviolent Resistance conference in Bethlehem. Dr. Mubarak Awad (who spoke at SFT conference at Duke University in 2002) and other scholar-activists spoke to an international audience of about 300 people in a large, cold auditorium in the morning. The low temperature in the conference building and my jet lag joined forces to put me to sleep during the session. There were a few waking moments, during which I heard the inspiring Reverend Naim Ateek talk about Morally Responsible Investment. A group called Sabil has published a book that urges Western institutions to think twice before investing in companies that aid Israel’s occupation of Paletinian territories. This immediately made me think about out own Boycott Made-in-China Campaign. What will it take to get it off the ground?
In the evening, Han and I headed over to a restaurant on Manger Street called “Restaurant and Coffee Shop,” where we ate french fries and drank you know what. There was a huge television in the middle of the restaurant, which suddenly began to show – you will never guess what – Seven Years in Tibet!!!!!!! Yes, it’s crazy! I like to believe that the restaurant owners knew it was my birthday and decided to give me a little surprise treatment.
Well, there is a plenary session starting right now where the Yoda of Nonviolence (also known as Gene Sharp) will be speaking. So I better sign off.