A conversation about the tens of thousands of people being killed in Gaza was the flashpoint for developing The Resilient Activist’s response, A Letter to Our Community …. This post shares the history behind that document.
As the devastation in Gaza and the captivity of Israeli citizens has continued, some of The Resilient Activist’s (TRA) board and team members strongly believed we should issue a formal response to the region’s ongoing grief and suffering.
That conversation was the flashpoint for me to write this post, drawing from my personal experience when my older son, Kevin, attended an environmental kibbutz in Israel. Remembering that time, 1996-97, a period of fragile peace in the region, reminded me how addressing the emotional and environmental effects of the Middle East war IS deeply rooted in TRA’s mission.
The outcome was a Letter to Our Community…, a collaborative effort by TRA’s team, offering a compassionate and mindful perspective on dealing with strong emotions about this issue.
“When we take time to become present, offer our difficult emotions a seat at the table, hear what they have to say, utilize contemplative practices to metabolize pain, and take action from that embodied place – we are supporting a global movement toward peace.” From A Letter to Our Community
A little background
I was discussing this Letter to Our Community… with a friend who is one of our valued supporters and I could see a really confused look on their face.
“How could TRA and its mission possibly be connected to the Middle East war?”, they asked.
I shared what I had learned from Kevin about a wetlands area in Israel designated as an important bird flyway and resting stop for migratory birds from Africa to Europe.
My friend’s eyes lit up. “You have to explain this when you post the Letter to Our Community… because it’s not at all obvious to folks like me!”
So here you go …
Israel’s Important Bird Flyway
The Resilient Activist was founded in Kevin’s memory to support environmental activists and their emotional well-being. If you’re not familiar with our history, this NPR story gives a good picture.
Kevin spent a semester of his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon at the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies, located at Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. One of his projects was to study a proposal for the first pig farm ever to be located in Israel and its potential environmental impact on the groundwater. It was a surprising idea – pigs in Israel – considering the Jewish and Muslim populations.
Although Kevin had visited Israel before, this experience, enriched by his Jordanian and Arab Christian roommates’ insights, deepened his compassion for all people in that region. I recall the time he meandered into the desert outside the Kibbutz and happened upon a Bedouin shepherd who invited him into his tent for tea. Since they didn’t share a common language, the only words they could understand were “Shalom” and “Salaam” – the Hebrew and Arabic words for peace.
I can’t describe the depth of his experience there any better than the Arava Institute does. In their own words, “Here, the idea that nature knows no political borders is more than a belief. It is a fact, a curriculum, and a way of life.”
In April 2024, the Arava Institute was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
“For almost three decades the Arava Institute has pioneered the education of university and postgraduate students from Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan to live together, work, and study the common problems they share and the opportunities they can embrace.”
- From April 2024: A message for this year’s spring holidays “Therefore, we call yet again for an urgent ceasefire of all sides, reiterating our call for the immediate protection of all Palestinian and Israeli innocent civilian lives…”
- Then in June 2024 The Environmental-Humanitarian Impacts of the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza This report provides an analysis of the environmental impact of the current Israel-Hamas war, focusing on the effects in Gaza and broader implications for the region in six key areas – water, health, food, emissions, energy, and nature.
Assessing the Environmental Damage
This is not a comprehensive list of articles connecting the war in Gaza and Israel and its environmental impact, but is a good start to explore this complex subject:
- From Al Jazeera, December 2023: How much environmental damage is Israel’s war on Gaza causing? Israel’s military onslaught has devastated built and natural environments in Gaza.
- September 2024: War will not keep millions of migratory birds from passing through Israel Some 250 million birds are expected to arrive in northern and central Israel in the coming months, with experts fearing tensions in the area might harm them; ‘The concept of war doesn’t exist in a bird’s lexicon’
- Bird Migration: Palestine Wildlife Society, “Migratory Birds Know No Boundaries (Birds Monitoring)”
- From The Global Environment Facility, 2022:
- From Raptors, 2022: Monitoring Egyptian Vulture Migration at the Galala Observatory
- From Arab News, 2019: What Saudi Arabia, neighbors are doing to protect bird migratory routes in the Middle East
- From Audubon.org, 2013: Birds Act as Peacekeepers in Conflict-plagued Israel and Palestine Published June 19, 2013, Israeli zoologist and birder Yossi Leshem helped organize a trans-boundary birding project that benefits both birds and people. “Israel, Palestine, and Jordan sit at the junction of three continents, which ‘for bird migration is heaven.’”
- Want to read more? Here’s a broad internet search.
Other Wartime Environmental Disasters
- August 2023 The Ukraine War Is an Environmental Catastrophe with Global Consequences
- November 2022 Story Disasters & conflicts In Sudan, conflict and environmental decline go hand in hand
- December 2020 Yemen’s Environmental Crisis Is the Biggest Risk for Its Future
Should we have stayed in our lane?
After all, TRA’s tagline is, “Support as we navigate climate change.”
And our mission is to “cultivate resilience to environmental stress by supporting community, personal well-being, and vital ecological health.”
As TRA’s organizing team, we grappled with two vital questions: “Is the conflict in the Middle East in our lane?” “Does our mission encompass the Middle East conflict?” The issue’s complexity challenged us to go deeper.
During one discussion, we decided to look closely at the basis of our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion policy, which states, in part:
“At The Resilient Activist, we value our common humanity. Our mission depends on being a compassionate, reflective, learning community, actively reaching out to bridge differences, and striving for equity through the transformation of ourselves, our organization, and our world…’We hope you will stand in mindful and compassionate solidarity with us.’”
Okay, so yeah, it sounds like writing a collaborative letter to our community would definitely be in our lane.
Did we vote on it?
At TRA we loosely follow Sociocracy principles: when a board member feels we should consider something new, here’s what happens. First, the board member states their position and reasoning. Next, each person is encouraged to ask questions, state their objections, suggest more research, etc. Then we bring it to a “vote.” The word “vote” is in quotes since the options differ from the usual “most votes wins” mindset. Instead, each person is asked to state whether
- they consent,
- they don’t consent, or
- they don’t consent but can live with the answer.
If even one person on our board doesn’t consent, no decision is made at that time. A team member can then add to the conversation, or we might table it for a future meeting or further research.
It took a few months of heartfelt discussion and drafts before all team members could consent. This ultimately led to our jointly written Letter to Our Community….
So how did the conversation go as we explored whether we should create a public letter? Here are some of the main points.
What if we piss someone off?
Well, we already have. That was what initiated our discussion. We wanted to understand what happened, what we said or didn’t say, and how we would work to react and respond differently in the future.
We know of people who hold such strong views about the Middle East war that they can’t even consider any other side’s pain and grief.
How can we acknowledge the grief and suffering for ALL beings – humans, plants, water, wildlife – while still acknowledging the astronomical disparities in suffering and innocent lives lost?
Whose suffering is worse or deserves more compassion?
So we then looked to our basic teachings and our Five Essentials for a Resilient World.
The Five Essentials for a Resilient World – Respect All Life
When we present our Five Essentials for a Resilient World for “Earth Care”, we focus Respect All Life on humans, wildlife, plant life, and all Earth systems.
When we focus on “Self Care”, Respect All Life is for personal well-being and activist resilience.
Our team’s heartfelt exploration of who we are and what we represent was a deep learning experience for us. Respect All Life reminds us of the necessity for us to broaden all our Five Essentials presentations to include these insights from within the lens of war and all beings who suffer in its wake.
Is there anything to be hopeful about in the Middle East?
Yes and no. Some amount of conflicts, war, killing, pain, and suffering has shown up in that part of the world since time immemorial.
The most challenging lesson shared in the Letter to Our Community… is the invitation to sit with the grief in community or meditation knowing that, in time, your just might blossom into compassion.
These articles may just help you on that journey to peace:
- Watch a webinar with The Damour for Community Development and The Arava Institute for a deep exploration of Jump-starting Hope in Gaza This joint project aims to rapidly deploy decentralized WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) and energy solutions.
- This link gives more information about the Jumpstarting Hope In Gaza Initiative
Final thoughts
The Resilient Activist has determined to create a safe space where all can engage with courage, compassion, and connection. We embrace diverse perspectives, cultivating an environment of mutual respect and integrity.
It may not be easy, but we are committed to holding ourselves accountable and continuing to learn more as we stay on the path to deeper compassion for all beings.
From my heart to yours –
