Palestinian Literature Festival

Last week, Dar Annadwa (the cultural center in Bethlehem) held an event for the Palestinian Literature Festival. The event was called "Literary Representations of Migration and Travel" and was essentially a dialogue between three authors: Claire Messud, Michael Palin, and Robin Yassin-Kassab. It was interesting that they were here for the Palestinian Literature Festival, as none of them are Palestinian or have lived in Palestine, but they all had interesting things to say about this place, the situation, and what their response will be. During the course of the night, one of the audience members challenged the 3 authors, demanding to know what they will do once they return to their respective countries, now that they have seen what is happening in Palestine. Claire Messud addressed this question wonderfully, stating that, while they probably will not be able to sway their political leaders, they will do the best they can using their medium: literature. That made me think about my role when I return to the US...it is not realistic to think that I will be able to change any political policies or convince President Obama to make changes in the Middle East policies, but what I can do is inform people.
On a different note, one of the authors spoke of the importance of celebrating the uniqueness of each person by listening to their story. If there is one skill that I have improved on this year, it is listening. I have been blessed by the number of stories I have heard, all very unique and different in their own ways. There is Elias *, a store owner in Manger Square, who is angry about the situation and has little hope a peaceful solution but nevertheless continues on with his life, warmly inviting us in for tea or juice every time we pass his store. And Mary, a teacher from the school who recently invited me to her home and brought me out to the porch overlooking the street where she saw her cousin get shot and killed by the Israeli army during one of the Intifidas. Or George, another teacher from the school, who was imprisoned for some of his life and is one of a few teachers who is never given permission to go to Jerusalem. And the Pastor of my church here, who continues to be a light to his congregation and community despite living in such a difficult place. And Samar, the mother of my friend, who, despite not having the opportunity to finish school, has done amazing things with a women's group and continues to fight for the rights of women. All of these people, while they may not say so themselves, radiate light and hope through their unique stories. As I think about returning home and telling my story of my experiences, these stories will most definitely bear weight in my own story.


*To protect the privacy of these people, I have used fake names