Dienstag, 24. November 2009

emergency education in Sungai Batang and Malalak, West Sumatra



There would be so much to write about, but finding time and words for it, is kind of difficult.

From the 13th till the 22nd a group of 11 volunteers from the organisation Friends of Waldorf Education were working with children which were effected by the earthquake which happened end of September.
In the first Camp there were around 700 people living on a soccer pitch in tents sponsored by Rotary International, only 95 tents fit on the land so that sometimes two families had to share one tent. Imagine 5 to 13 people sharing a tent of 4 square meters. Anyway the children were comparatively healthy compared to the ones in Gaza we met in July.

In the second Camp in Malalak is the situation much more difficult due to the landscape. The villages lays on top of a mountain, main parts of the road got destroyed either by the earthquake or by the following landslides. Out of the 808 houses in the village 566 are damaged or destroyed, 28 are not seen any more - covered by soil and rocks. 62 people got killed whereas 33 are still missing - oh no 32 because we found one dead body. Luckily we didn't see it as a whole, because after 6 weeks its only a black corpse any more with a horrible smell. Interestingly enough that the area wasn't searched with heavy machines, I don't understand and know why. Now people aren't looking any more for the missing bodies because of there strong Islamic believes, they said the dead ones are buried, so why to disturb them any more. But can you imagine walking over an area were you are sure that dead bodies are laying below you?

In that area work was much more difficult, children showed symptoms of traumatic experience. In the school we worked, 12 children are dead. And keep in mind, that only three years back a earthquake happened at the same spot, not as strong as the last one, but still. People therefore just finished rebuilding and settling back to normal live and than it happened again. People losing faith in the stability of the earth, there basic stronghold also on a symbolic level gets disturbed or destroyed. So of course children in school can't concentrate any more, aren't that motivated, opposing the teachers, getting aggressive, wake up at night because of nightmares and so on ... so we could set a starting point for children to strengthen their self healing abilities. Lets hope it is sustainable and helps the children to overcome their traumatic experience and integrated it into their live.

Samstag, 18. Juli 2009

work info about Gaza

read Annies Blog (colleague of mine) about our work in Gaza AnnieAlina I don't have the time at the moment to write about it.

Lukas

Sonntag, 12. Juli 2009

preperation for Gaza

I am going again to Gaza, on Tuesday 14.7.09 we hopefully manage to get into Israel and on the 15. to Gaza via Erez.I hope that I am able to provide you more detailed information about the whole situation in Gaza and some personal insights in the next days.

I am following the "Free Gaza Movement quite close and found that post just a second ago.

Donnerstag, 18. Juni 2009

Was würden Sie tun, wenn Sie für ein Projekt zur Woche des Grundeinkommens 2.000 Euro zur Verfügung hätten?

Es kommt vor, dass jemand eine Idee hat, die er oder sie gern realisieren möchte. Ein Projekt, eine wirklich originelle Aktion, eine Veranstaltungsform, etwas ganz Besonderes. Es fehlt nicht an Fantasie, auch nicht an Mitstreitern oder an Motivation. lese hier weiter!


Perspektive Wechseln am Unternehmen Mitte in Basel



Schwindelerregend, ob das schon die angestrebten 30m sind? ca. dreimal so hoch wie unser Hochseilgarten, ich bin gespannt wie ich mich darauf fühle, wir werden sehen.



Neuland - so sieht es aus!

Freitag, 5. Juni 2009



(Bild von David Masuch)

das war letztes wochenende in hugolsdorf bei captura, jemand hatte eine slackline mitgebracht, ich habe immer wieder versucht darauf zu laufen - es ist schwer - macht aber unglaublich spaß.

Ich hatte dort 5 volle tage, wieder unglaublich energiereiche tage. vor einigen wochen hatte ich das gefühl, ich müsse immer min. 8 std. schlafen um fit zu sein. nein, es geht auch anders, oft habe ich nur wenige stunden geschlafen, die begegnungen und menschen haben die kraft gegeben, vieles erleben zu dürfen. so ein glücksgefühl wie dort hatte ich schon länger nicht mehr. ich habe im moment das gefühl, dass das leben einfach läuft, ich treffe hier jemand, der mir etwas anbietet und dort jemand der mich auf den länger gesuchten gedanken bringt - ich bin glücklich.

eins wurde mir deutlich, über diese tage. ich haber in meinem leben immer zwei pole die zusammengehören und sich gegenseitig unterstützen oder befruchten. sei es die schreinerausbildung und die schule, das studium und die arbeit bei idem, die tiefe frage nach dem daseinsgrund des menschen, den beweggründen für sein handeln und die aufenthalte in israel und palästina, mit seinen tragischen momenten.

deswegen auch hier ein zweites bild.

Mittwoch, 27. Mai 2009

Bachelorthesis

I just handed in my Bachelor thesis, everyone who like to read it,is welcome to do so. I am looking forward for comments.

Notfallpädagogische Krisenintervention als Herausforderung für Soziale Arbeit or emergency educational crisis intervention as a new challenge for social work

PS: Sorry, most is in German.

PalFest09

You probably all know, that PA backed activities in Jerusalem are forbidden since the signing of the Oslo agreement. Even the Palestine Literature Festival, which should have started in the Palestinian National Theatre, was cancelled by Israeli police. Have a look at


Find out about PalFest09

Samstag, 16. Mai 2009

Bericht von Anja Reichel

Wie darf man das nennen?

Südafrika 1985. Zwei schwarze Südafrikaner werden Zeugen eines Autounfalls, der verletzte Mann ist weiß. Sie rufen einen Krankenwagen für Weiße und stehen dem Verletzten so gut es geht bei. Doch der Krankenwagen kommt nicht. Sie rufen noch einmal an und betonen, dass es sich beim Verletzten um einen Weißen handelt. Nicht recht überzeugt fragt die Stimme am Ende der Notfallhotline „Ihr seid doch Schwarze, seid ihr sicher, dass der Mann weiß ist?“

Wie würde man das nennen? Unterlassene Hilfeleistung auf der Basis rassistischer Vorurteile? Apartheid?

Vorgestern fuhr mein Verlobter Ghassan mit seinen Arbeitskollegen durch die Westbank zu einem kleinen Dorf, in dem er Gruppenleiter- und Theaterkurse in einem Frauenzentrum anbietet. Viele der größeren Straßen in der Westbank sind nur für Israelis befahrbar, und für Palästinenser mit Sondergenehmigung (Bus und Taxi, Transportunternehmen, Ärzte). Dann gibt es aber auch Straßen, die nicht von Israelis befahren werden sollen, dies ist nach israelischem Gesetz unter Strafe gestellt. So soll verhindert werden, dass jüdische Israelis in die wenigen Gebiete der Westbank fahren, die unter palästinensischer Sicherheitskontrolle stehen. Ghassans Kollege kommt aus Ostjerusalem, und darf deswegen das Auto der Organisation mit israelischen Kennzeichen sowohl auf der einen als auch auf der anderen Straße fahren.

Sie haben gerade die Siedlung Ariel passiert, mit 30.000 Einwohnern eine der größten israelischen Städte in der Westbank, und fahren auf die Schilder zu, die Israelis darauf aufmerksam machen, dass sie hier nicht weiterfahren dürfen. Palästinensergebiet A, keine Durchfahrt für Israelis! Da werden sie Zeuge, wie der Fahrer des Wagens vor ihnen plötzlich die Kontrolle verliert und mit einem LKW zusammenstößt. Sie steigen aus, um dem Ehepaar im Unfallfahrzeug Erste Hilfe zu leisten. Die ältere Frau hat bis auf einen Schock keine offensichtlichen Verletzungen davon getragen, ebenso wenig der LKW-Fahrer. Der Ehemann im Kleinwagen jedoch blutet stark und ist kaum bei Bewusstsein. Die Insassen sind Israelis. Ghassan bittet daher seinen Kollegen, eine israelische Ambulanz zu rufen, die von der nahegelegenen Siedlung innerhalb weniger Minuten am Unfallort sein kann.
Ghassan spricht mit dem Fahrer auf Hebräisch, um ihn bei Bewusstsein zu halten und ihn zu beruhigen. Er hat sein Hebräisch in einem Kurs an der Uni in Nablus gelernt. Das ist schon eine ganze Weile her, aber es reicht, um mit dem Mann Kontakt aufzunehmen.
Mittlerweile sind 10 Minuten vergangen und es ist noch kein Krankenwagen in Sicht. Weitere Palästinenser kommen zur Unfallstelle. Ghassan fragt seinen Kollegen, ob dieser beim Anruf erwähnt hat, dass der Verletzte Israeli, Jude, ist. Es gibt für Israelis keinen Grund, auf dieser Straße zu fahren. Ghassan befürchtet, dass der israelische Notruf denkt, beim Verletzten handelt es sich um einen Palästinenser, und deswegen keinen Krankenwagen schickt. Was für mich total verrückt scheint, ist für ihn ein selbstverständlicher Gedankengang.

Sie entscheiden sich daher auf Nummer sicher zu gehen, und auch eine palästinensische Ambulanz zu rufen, die zwar einen wesentlich weiteren Anfahrtsweg hat, aber besser als gar keine Hilfe wäre. Ghassans Kollege ruft danach noch einmal beim israelischen Notruf an und macht der Person am anderen Ende klar, dass es sich beim Verletzten um einen jüdischen Israeli handelt. Daraufhin kommt kurze Zeit später ein Militärjeep zur Unfallstelle. Ein Soldat steigt aus, sieht die vielen Palästinenser um das Auto des jüdischen Ehepaars stehen, versucht zu erfassen was passiert ist, und will dann dem Fahrer Wasser geben. Ghassan erklärt ihm, dass es aufgrund möglicher innerer Verletzungen gefährlich sein kann, wenn der Mann trinkt. Der Soldat wird zornig und will sich mit Ghassan anlegen, und nur schwerlich kann dieser ihm erklären, dass es wichtiger wäre, endlich einen Krankenwagen zu bekommen. Eine Polizeistreife kommt, der Polizist fragt „Wer hat den Unfall verursacht?“ und will dann den Ausweis des palästinensischen LKW-Fahrers konfiszieren. Schließlich ruft er beim Notruf an, und bittet „Dringend, schnell, schnell“ um einen Krankenwagen. Nach einigen Minuten kommt die Feuerwehr. Dann kommen zur gleichen Zeit der israelische und der palästinensische Krankenwagen. Die palästinensische Ambulanz hatte sich direkt nach dem Anruf auf den Weg gemacht, ohne dass jemand wissen wollte, wer das Unfallopfer ist. Die israelische Ambulanz fuhr erst los, als der israelische Polizist bestätigen konnte, dass es sich beim Verletzten wirklich um einen Israeli handelt...

Wie darf man das nennen? Wir stellen uns oft die Frage, wie wir in Deutschland auf von Israel verübte Menschenrechtsverletzungen aufmerksam machen können. Es ist einfach, über palästinensische Raketen aus dem Gazastreifen zu sprechen, niemand wird uns vorhalten, dass wir allgemein gegen alle Araber oder alle Moslems sind. Wie können wir aber erklären, was Besatzung ist und welch einen Einfluss dieses System auf jeden Aspekt im Alltag der Palästinenser hat, wie Menschen ihrer Grundrechte beraubt werden. Und das, ohne als Antisemit bezeichnet zu werden, gegen alle Israelis, gegen alle Juden. Es ist ein schwieriges Unterfangen, und vielleicht sind wir noch nicht bereit für diese Art von Kritik. Das Problem ist nur, dass unsere falsche Vorsicht und bedingungslose Unterstützung nicht nur für die Palästinenser, sondern auch für die Israelis kontraproduktiv ist und die Gräben im Nahen Osten nur noch vertieft.

... Die Ambulanz kam also schließlich, aber ohne Arzt, nur der Fahrer = Sanitäter war zur Stelle. Ghassan und seine Kollegen halfen dem Sanitäter, den Fahrer aus dem Auto heraus auf die Trage und in den Krankenwagen zu legen. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt kamen 5 weitere Armeejeeps und mehrere bewaffnete Siedler zur Unfallstelle. Ghassan hatte den Eindruck es sollte sichergestellt werden, dass die Palästinenser nicht über die Israelis herfallen. Sie stiegen aus und schrieen die umstehenden Palästinenser an, sie sollen verschwinden und es gäbe nichts zu sehen. Eine Frau schrie zurück „Wir helfen dem Mann, wir wollen ihn nicht umbringen!“ Der Krankenwagen war mittlerweile abgefahren und Ghassan und seine Kollegen machten sich auch wieder auf den Weg.

Nach getaner Arbeit gingen sie im kleinen palästinensischen Dorf zum Mittagessen. Während sie so saßen und mit dem Wirt über Gott und die Welt philosophierten, gesellte sich ein israelischer Gast zu ihnen und beteiligte sich an ihrem Gespräch. In einem Gebiet, das für den Israeli Sperrzone ist. Warum ist er trotzdem da? Gutes Essen und nette Leute. Moslems, Christen, Juden, an einem Tisch mitten in der schmerzlich zerteilten Westbank, einfach so, gutes Essen, nette Leute.

Wie nenne ich das? Hoffnungsschimmer!

Mittwoch, 13. Mai 2009

you might wonder why ...

You might wonder why I post that many tragic and saddening stories ... yes I am wondering myself, because I do forget to post the nice stuff happening in our world. Anyway, right now I m finding all that information, while researching for my BA thesis. Have you ever heard about traumatized children in Iraq? I haven't, but now, have a look at this article from theGlobalist

and an even better story, still not sure how that could be possible in 2009

Samstag, 9. Mai 2009

The Freedom Theater in Jenin

Have a look at this beautiful work, they are coming to Germany as part of the





For further information have a look at The Freedom Theater

Thats the work we need to support!

Mittwoch, 29. April 2009

need to follow

As I am doing research for my BA thesis about "emergency education a challenge for social work" I am reading a lot about Gaza and other conflict regions. I was always wondering if some serious investigation about harming people during the Gaza attack is done. Via a friend I found it today, have a look at the page of Physicians for Human Rights - Israel and have a look at the report of the independent fact finding mission.

Montag, 27. April 2009

frustration must be relative

A few weeks ago I read in a blog, how it is to be Palestinian, I started to cry ... because I remembered how I felt when we had to leave Gaza, how frustrated I was, but I am not even Palestinian, imagine how it must be for mother being rejected to leave Cairo Airport ... but read it yourself, its rather long but kind of important for me: Raising Yousef and Noor: diary of a Palestinian mother

Sonntag, 5. April 2009

"Die 200 reichsten Menschen der Welt haben mehr Geld als 41 Prozent der Weltbevölkerung. Wenn diese 200 Personen jährlich auch nur ein Prozent ihres Vermögens zur Verfügung stellten, könnte mit diesen sieben bis acht Milliarden US-Dollar die Grundbildung für alle Kinder dieser Welt finanziert werden. Die Weltgemeinschaft ist gefordert, diese Ungleichheit zu reduzieren und für mehr Chancengleichheit auf der Welt zu sorgen."

Zitiert aus "Schutz von Kindern in bewaffneten Auseinandersetzungen – Handlungsmöglichkeiten der Entwicklungspolitik" von Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul in "Kinder im Krieg" Konferenz am 25.08.1999 in Berlin der Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Voller Text

Mittwoch, 1. April 2009

Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen

Ich beantrage es auf jeden Fall, wenn die Bundesregierung so was macht, dann muss da ja was dran sein. Macht mit, es lohnt sich!

Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen

Donnerstag, 26. Februar 2009

nice blog and idea betterplace.org

Sonntag, 22. Februar 2009

presentation

Neues Datum für Basel:
Connect Cafe (Unternehmen Mitte, Basel) 26.02.2009 19:00 Uhr

Rudolf Steiner Schule Loheland (Fulda) 06.03.2009 20:00 Uhr

Alanus Hochschule, Alfter bei Bonn, 24.03.2009, 20:00 Uhr

Sonntag, 15. Februar 2009

Gaza experience 2

Even I am quite tired now I want to write a bit more before I forget to much ... today in the morning our director of the whole project gave a presentation in front of a few foundations which brought a lot of pictures back to mind.

Second day in Gaza, we did a lot of reflection after the first day which helped me to get a few things more clear on what to focus working with the kids.
The south group went back to the Eid Al Agha school close to Khan Younis. When we arrived a huge group of girls was already waiting for us on the school yard. What can you do with 150 girls in all ages with 3 people? The rest of our group went to the office to meet the schools principle. So I went into the middle of the group, we wanted to do a huge circle, but unfortunately that did work because the girls wanted to stay as close as possible to us. Yeah most of them hadn't seen friendly strangers their whole live. So I just started telling a story and acting at the same time. Could you imagine little Lukas standing in the middle of 80 girls, all staring at him? We were going for a trip, running, climbing, swimming, resting, eating - all with gestures. At the end when we had breakfast I asked what can we eat - they said cucumbers, tomatoes and so on, so I cut them symbolically, all the girls were laughing, because a man preparing breakfast for them and passing them symbolic food, that's something they never experienced. We had a lot of fun. But what do you do, if much smaller girls comes to you, a little afraid of all the noise around her from her older colleagues and looking with big brown eyes at you an grape's your hand ... all at the sudden everyone wants to be on your hand. Wow at some point I was fleeing into the office because there were to many of them. Waving. But at least they had got something to smile while fighting planes were flying over us.
Shortly after we got a smaller group and started real work. The thing I described with the story telling was working know much better, because we could walk/run in a circle and got some actual movement into the kids.



This pics were drawn by the children just before we arrived. I wanted to share at least one, to show you some of the inside of these kids. Just try to imagine what this girls wants to express and free from her inside.

In the afternoon we went again to the Al Qattan centre to work with more children. Oh I forgot to write about the children in the centre from the first day. I will do later.
Again a similar situation, hundreds of children waiting for us. The south group was the first who did arrive, the north group was still on there way. So we said yeah, lets start. I had a group at the beginning of around 50 children. That's already a big group but nevertheless I couldn't send half of the group away. We had different ages from 3 to 15 years. So you can't play little kids are going for a trip but you also cant play difficult concentration games. So what do you do? Make the best out of it and get a mixture. At the beginning it was fine, very often I had to explain by showing to every kid, what we want to do. For example: Your right neighbour in the circle is passing you a clap and you should pass it on with taking it from the right side and describe half a circle in front of you and pass it on the your left neighbour. Imagine Lukas standing in front of pretty much every child showing him/her the movement. For me it was one of the nicest things I could do, because I had the chance to look at least once in every child's eye's.
After a while we wanted to play my river game. Imagine on one side of a river is you home and on the other side your school, so in the morning you want to go to school and in the afternoon you want to go home. My blue rope was the river, making first smaller than bigger waves and the children had to jump over it. Imagine in the meantime around 80 kids doing that. Of course it got chaotic. It took the staff of the Al Qattan who were either filming me with their mobiles, translating or supporting me by getting some order in to the whole, and me some five minutes we could continue. But than I tolled the story of a little boy, maybe a boy like Mohamed or Yousef or any one else going into the jungle. Than imagine me, liking to act. That got scared of a loud noise which he heard by a sudden. So he climbs on a tree. (Keep in mind, around 100 kids [a group of three years arrived in the meantime] around me, sticking to my lips) Than he saw a small animal crawling through the huge jungle plants. The boy is wondering how such an animal can make a noise which scares him to death. After a while the coy climbed down the tree, saying halo to the small monkey, he couldn't the see that it was a monkey, because the tree was so high. (Lukas as a monkey, haha) They became really good friends, went home the boys house, went to school together, visited friends, did everything together for the whole live and lived as long as you can think.
The kids were so happy, they didn't want to go. Just nice. My co-worker, translator and me lost our voices during that day, we couldn't talk afterwards, but still, just nice, I mean what shall you do?

Next day, so to say our last working day as we found out at 5:30 pm, but one after another.
We went to the Atfaluna Society for Deaf children. That meant for us a long day and hard work. 250 children and youth wanted to meet us. Deaf. Deaf? What? How can I communicate with them? Oh yeah true I like to act and I still have got my body. It took me some time to get over the fear that this work is more difficult than the one we did the days before. At the end it was easier and you know why? I didn't need to talk! They were looking at me to see what I am doing, to understand what I was trying to say them. But still I had a good translator into sign language, amazing what you can tell with it - everything - except names as we understand them. Telling all the time all letters takes to much time, so you get a sign for you, I was the smiling one ;-) I agreed on that, of course! It got so much power out of that work, in the morning I was so tired but after working with them in such a nice centre, I was so inspired. For sure the staff did its part. They were so interested in our work, that they didn't want to let us leave before we tolled them a little about our way of working. We had a good but short session with them which needs to be completed.

Than we went to the Samulie/Samunie famliy. You might have heard of them, their case was in the media as well. 39 people of that family (not a single family, rather the family clan) were called into one room at the beginning of the war. Most of them were shot by an Apachi and killed, houses destroyed all around them, around 10-15 houses, olive groves, chicken stable. Two houses were left for a military base. (if you want to hear more details of that family, just put "samuni gaza" in google, but be careful, you might not be mentally able to get along with some of the pictures). The kids were already on our first day in the Al Qattan centre so we knew some of them. Just make sure, you know about what kids I am talking right now. Most of them lost their whole family, they didn't just loose them, they SAW how they were rotting because ambulances couldn't reach the area for around for days. The kids had no food, no water.

IMAGINE

The kids we saw had swollen and crusted eyes, of the phosphorus being used. Flies were sitting in them. I had the feeling some of them still had the dust of the break down of the houses in their hair. Some didn't talk, some were crying, shouting, some very aggressive, some really shy and everything in between.


Difficult just to play with them, but we did. At the end, I was telling again my story of the little boy as mentioned above. After I finished, I wanted something I could offer the kids from me personally. So I gave everyone a golden ball, symbolically. I asked them to take it home, show it to there parents and friends. One boy asked me what it is. I tolled him, look its something personally and very important from me. I made a gesture, took that time the ball from my heart and gave it to him. He took it and asked me, if I would become his new brother, because he lost his family. I don't need to tell you, that I am still nearly crying ... when I am writing that. Of course I said yes! And now, all kids asked me, if I would be their new brother. What are you telling 20 kids? Yes I am their new brother. But can I bee a brother for them, if they need one? What is a brothers task in Gaza? Can I fulfil that task? I hope and I wish.

It s 1:30 am and I need to do breakfast tomorrow for our meeting ... to make it short ...

After we left the family we went to the Al Amal orphanage. We just arrived their, introduced ourself and wanted to start working as we got a call from the German embassy in Cairo telling us we have to leave immediately because the boarder is closing by 7 pm. So we had 1,5 hours to take our staff from the hotel, go to the boarder, which takes one hour and be out. We were shocked, why do we need to go out today? We had signed when we entered, that we leave at the 5.2. We didn't know what is going to happen. So we had to leave.
We managed to get out and were on the Egyptian side by 8:30 pm. We tried again on the 5th to enter again but except soldiers and police there were NO one at the boarder.
We were so frustrated, we just started working, no we had to leave all the amazing people which we couldn't say good by to. What could we have done if we would have been able to stay the whole two weeks as we plant... god knows.
We had some nice days in Egypt, except a very live questioning incident. We stayed at the beach in Al Arish, 50 km south of the Gazan boarder. It was night, a colleague and me wanted to walk at the beach ... what we didn't know that we were in closed military area. That means between 6pm and 6am is the beach closed and controlled by the military... by a sudden soldiers shouted at us in Arabic, lay down, raise your hands, get down on your knees ... we didn't see them coming. As they were close to us the shouted us to lay into the sand. I moved my had a little up and was looking in to an Kalaschnikov. I thought, ok thats it, a German went to Gaza to help traumatized children and got shot by Egyptian military. What a good headline.

BUT, we could solve the whole situation and since Monday the 9.2. I am back in Switzerland. Now we are preparing the next activity, of course we want and need to go back. Lets hope it will happen. If any body has some money left, just donate it to the Friends of Waldorf education

Freitag, 13. Februar 2009

presentation

I am giving presentations about my Gaza experience:

Waldorfschule Ismaning 19.02.2009 20:00 Uhr

Connect Cafe (Unternehmen Mitte, Basel) 24.02.2009 19:00 Uhr

Rudolf Steiner Schule Loheland (Fulda) 06.03.2009 20:00 Uhr

And I am willing to give further presentations, I would go everywhere I can to tell what I have seen. Just write a comment or an email.

Donnerstag, 12. Februar 2009

news in arte info



just telling you, be careful what you see and hear ...

Some pictures

Some pictures of what we saw in Gaza and some of our work. Just klick on the pic and you get to a picasa collection.

Gaza 09-02 1


A press release in my German home town Fuldaer Zeitung

Artikel für Online News geschrieben Lukas in Gaza

Dienstag, 10. Februar 2009

Gaza experience

I am back home in Basel. Sooner as expected and difficult to accept - but still good.

But from the beginning and everything in order - hopefully understandable for you.

On the 28. of January a friend contacted and told me that the Friends of Waldorf Education Rudolf Steiners are going to Gaza and a experience pedagogue isn't joining so they might have a space left in their team. So I called them and asked if I could join. They gave me half an hour to decide. I had to ask the Volkersberg team if it is ok if I am going because I said, that I gone work there at the beginning of February. For them it was a quick decision, they told me that it is important to go there. So I called the Friends and said that I gone come. Just e few minutes after I realized what I just decided - yes I am going to Gaza. A piece of earth I wanted to go long time ago but was to afraid and didn't know how to go and a place were a few days back tons of bombs were falling - thousands lost there beloved ones, lost there houses, basic live and so on, were injured people trying to recover, traumatized children/humans searching for ways how to cope with their experience - I was nervous, didn't know what to think about my decision. But at the end I said to myself - well you decided to go, it must be for some reason!

On the 31.1. I was leaving from Basel to Paris to meet most of our team, doctors, teachers, translators. We flew to Cairo were we spent a night, a huge and interesting city, I would like to spent some more time there to know how life is going. On the 1.2. we left early in the morning going to the German embassy to collect a recommendation letter, that we can enter Gaza. We arrived at the Rafah boarder (between Egypt and Gaza) at around 3pm. It took quite some time, a lot of good will and efforts until we could talk to the major which decided if we can enter or not. Finally after a few hours of discussion we made it at around 7pm to the Palestinian side of the border. We were welcomed by bearded man offering us juice. Fairly easy we got our stamps of the Palestinian Authority, the first one I got into my passport even I have been several times in the Westbank, I felt some how of proud. Until 9pm we made to the Al Quds (Jerusalem) hotel. One of the best places to stay in Gaza and one of the most expensive. I didn't understand why we need to stay there, but later we found out, that all the others were full (of refugees or closed). When we went out to get some food the streets were quite dark and our contact person told us, that most of the area is without electricity because of the denial of fuel entering Gaza which runs the Gaza power plant. Shortly after being back in the hotel, we had a blackout but only a few minutes, until the generator was started. Everyone who can effort a generator has one and runs it with fuel which is coming through the tunnels from Egypt. Approximately 2000 tunnels exist with around 30 people working in such. Most of them stay in the tunnels for a weeks and get sick due to the lack of sunnlight and oxygen.

The next day, 1.2. a small group of us is going to the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP) to organize our work. The rest of the group went around Gaza city for a while to get a first impression of the people and the destruction. Shortly after we were welcomed by Mahmoud Abu Aisha at the GCMHP which tolled us his own story, have a look at Dalal - the only survivor in her own family, than we all met with Dr. Ahmad Tawahina to discuss our work. It was clear in the whole program based on Antroposophie that we gone work first with children and than see what else need to be done. So we were looking for schools which needed some kind of support.
We split up into two groups, one going north to the heavily destroyed Al Atara region and another one south close to Khan Younis and the former settlement of Gush Katif. I was in the later.

At around 1:30pm we arrived at the Eid Al Agha school to work with some 8 and 12 years old girls. It was the first challenge for me, how do I interact with the girls, are they going to accept me as a foreign man? They heartbreakingly did! We were assisted by two people from the Quattan Centre which are doing great work. At the beginning I thought. why are we here? They are doing the best work for the kids, they don't need us. But after the session we got to know them better and they tolled us, we are traumatized ourself, we need your support as well. But we can't show our weakness in front of the children, they need us more than ever so we cant show our trauma. But you know about us, so we don't need to hide.
What we did? Some games mainly, jumping, clapping, throwing a ball, rope skipping, some "German" lesson. We were a little overwhelmed because we got the group from one minute to the other and especially me, having no experience in working with traumatized children, busy with my own to cope with the whole situation ... but at the end all of them seemed to be pretty happy. And I said before I left to Gaza, I am not psychologist, I know how to play and get a smile on children's faces, that's what I can do - and that's what I saw at the children's faces. (I will post some pics as soon as I have them, my bag got stuck at Paris airport yesterday).
With the second group (12 years) I did some stampers around the circle. For me it seemed to be pretty easy but for them them it was rather difficult. The task was to send the stamper from left to right through the circle but most of them mixed up right and left. For me it seemed to be some kind of disconnection between the two sides of the brain and the physical body. I did experience this phenomenon quite a few times. And it wasn't just the stampers which seemed to be somehow disturbed but as well the sight how some children looked at me. I had the feeling that they were physically present but mentally somewhere else between their experience and their feelings, they were looking through me.

So far for now. For those of you who cant wait to read more anniealina a friend and colleague who was with us or a press release from the NNA

More is there tomorrow.

Samstag, 31. Januar 2009

I am going to Gaza

On Wednesday I got a chat from a friend asking me to join a team of different therapists, pedagogues and a few more people going with the "Friends of Waldorf" education to work with traumatized children and youth.
I an hour I gone go to the airport in Basel going from there via Paris to Cairo and than tomorrow to Rafah. We ve got invitations from different organizations in Gaza. The German foreign ministry said we can go. Now it is depending on Egyptian police at the boarder, depending on Hamas and Israel if they let us in and if they let us in if they let us work and move! Quite a few questions which are unclear but we gone find out as soon as we are there.
I gone stay for two weeks afterwards we gone see what happens next.

All the best for everyone here and there. emergency education that is the program I am going with.

Sonntag, 18. Januar 2009

where am I ii


Größere Kartenansicht


In Basel working at the IDEM office which is located in the Unternehmen Mitte a really interesting building. read their web page to see what they are doing.
That the desk I am working at. The people are somewhat different than on the pic.




What am I working?
  • Well at the moment I am busy with getting articles together for the annual report of IDEM.
  • The upcoming work camps need some advertisement, we still need details of the upcoming projects in summer and autumn.
  • The content of a new flyer need to be formulated and designed.
  • Probably the biggest topic is the whole financial situation. We need to find new sponsors and foundations for ongoing support. Its mainly about the running costs like rent, electricity, printer,phone, in short all the office stuff. In summer we need to find a some source of income for myself. Until know I am living on BAföG (student loan) but after I finish my studies coming summer, I wont get it anymore. Maybe I than take part in the "work searches income" project, but lets see what happens until than, still some time to go.


Basel has a grey sky today, somehow grim. Some rain is falling down - but I should go out like yesterday. After some time outside it felt so much better. Waking along the Rhein isn't to bad,maybe after I eat something.

we will not go down



a unilateral ceasefire - what does that mean? Is it a tactic by the Israeli government to make the world believe that they are a the peace loving presidents and ministers? One has all ready been killed and several injured since the declaration of the ceasefire - so what is the difference?
I hope Hamas stops shooting but keeps its conditions for a long term ceasefire. Otherwise its gone be just a repetition of former plans.

Hoping for better days!

Samstag, 17. Januar 2009

Rabbi Yisroel Weiss on Fox News

Imagine Fox News and than such a message.
Rabbi Weiss even went to Iran. Listen to him.




sign a petition against the ongoing violence with avaaz

Mittwoch, 14. Januar 2009

In Basel

Ich bin seit Montag in Basel bei einem Praktikum bei IDEM. Es ist schön hier zu sein, viele Leute kenne ich, ich kann direkt über dem Büro bei einem Freund wohnen.
Viel Arbeit steht an, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit muss geleistet werden, Fundraising betrieben werden und Trainings organisiert werden. Nach einem ersten guten update was in der letzten Zeit geschehen ist und was in der nächsten Zeit ansteht hab ich gleich richtig angefangen heute. Hauptsächlich Emailarbeit bis jetzt, aber dass wird sich wohl in den nächsten Tagen auch nochmal ändern, wenn es mehr um konkrete inhaltliche Arbeit geht. Dann auch gerne mehr dazu.


Am 9.1.09 hatten wir ja noch unsere Mahnwache in Fulda für die Opfer der kriegerischen Auseinandersetzungen zwischen Hamas und Israel. Wenn ihr auf das Bild klickt kommt ihr zu einem kurzen Bericht und Video von mir.




Ein meiner Meinung nach wichtiges Video. Man hört über die Bewegung der refusniks in Deutschland wenig bis nichts. Ich finde es wichtig sich auch diese Seite anzuschauen.


Freitag, 9. Januar 2009

interesting article

I just got that article: Avi Schlaim

I do recommend it to everyone!

Donnerstag, 8. Januar 2009

solemn vigil (Mahnwache)

After I read on the bombing of the UN school in Gaza yesterday, I decided that I need to do something - at home and try to bring some tiny little more awareness to the city I live in. We gone have a solemn vigil or Mahnwache (in German) Friday 9.1.09 at 5pm at the Universitätsplatz in Fulda.
What I want to do? To give a voice to the voiceless at home - try to get some more support for international human rights and some more actions against international law violations - support for civilians which are the victims of that fighting. I also want to remember the resistance fighters and the soldiers suffering under their governments decisions. That might be an uncommon view, but still they are humans. Don't tell me anything, that they could decide against the participation, yes they could, but they didn't. I know that there are many more arguments I should consider - but fuck one dead person is one to much.

I hope some people gone be in Fulda on Friday, lighting some candles and asking the by passers some good questions.

Montag, 5. Januar 2009

where am I

In general at home :-) Where is home? With my parents in Loheland
Größere Kartenansicht

I had a nice and easy trip back from Ramallah via Jerusalem to Ben Gurion airport close to Tel Aviv. There I had some time to wait until my plane left, but with coffee, juice, chocolate and my laptop time went easily by - I shouldn't forget all the people I chatted with, was really nice.

Can you imagine that visited friends for 4 month? That's what I tolled the security personal at the airport, they believed my but were very curious about the species and dates I brought with me :-)

Arriving tired and exhausted in Frankfurt, a surprise waited me. My brother, his girlfriend and two good friends waited for me, yipih I was happy - but tired. We had some coffee and on the way back I got some nice and tasty Christmas cookies, yamie. But it was so cold in Frankfurt, I immediately froze. Hamdullilah now I m used again to that kind of weather, we even got snow at home, its so nice, a white world. I should get some pics for you, maybe tomorrow.

But what saddens me - you probably know what - Gaza and all it s links. By far to many people died, I dont know what to say - I cant say anything else except stop this bloodthirsty war - Israel stop occupation know and you will secure your people! I hope it ends soon, but I fear that is only a optimistic dream.

How can I wish every one a beautiful new year knowing what is happening in Gaza? Nevertheless I do! what you could do, is signing a petition