13 Palestinian youths from the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation in Bethlehem had a chance to spend the first two
weeks of July in Austria. „We wanted to show that Palestine and its conflicts affect us. And we
want to raise the awareness for problems outside of our country“, said Bogdan
Pammer, an 18 year old student from Steyr in Austria
and a main organizer in an interview to a local newspaper titled “A break from
the conflict in the Middle East”. The project „Building
Bridges to Bethlehem“
was a cooperation of ‚Service for Peace’, ‚Universal Peace Federation’, and
‚Women’s Federation’ supported by the Palestinian community.
For the 6 boys and 7 girls it was an experience of
another kind: Green nature, trees, pastures, water and especially the freedom
to move in a country without walls and to walk on the streets without fear
wherever you feel like.
Bethlehem is a twin city of Steyr,
an old industrial town in Upper Austria. The
young guests stayed there for a week with local Austrian families. They walked
in the mountains of the national park Kalkalpen, practiced driving with Segways,
visited the local BMW company and the museum „World of Work“ and they even
cooked a meal in a biological farm. They had discussion evenings in a local
Catholic and a socialist youth club and were invited for an official reception
in the city hall. Former Mayor Hermann Leithenmayr, initiator of the twin city
partnership expressed his gratitude during a cultural event in a local high
school: „Such a project brings new life to our partnership with Bethlehem”.
For the second week the guests from Bethlehem
moved to Vienna.
150 people gathered for an interreligious charity event for the project with a
report about ongoing activities of the Middle East Peace Initiative, short
statements by the guests and a Palestinian dance performance. The Ambassador of
the Palestine Mission, Dr. Zuheir Elwazer, commented on recent developments in
his country. After a day of sightseeing they moved to a youth hostel in
Seebenstein near Vienna.
During the next two days there were discussions about peace, conflicts and
reconciliation with youngsters from Austria supervised by experts.
One day was set aside to visit the United Nations and
the Parliament in Vienna.
The guests were curious to hear about the development of democracy from the
time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire with eight nationalities represented and
eleven languages spoken in the assembly to the rebuilding of modern democracy
after the destruction of parts of the building during World War II. A Vienna district Mayor invited them to a trip up to the Danube Tower,
were they had a breathtaking view over the capital city with a stormy wind
blowing 150 meters above ground.
For the last day a trip to Lake
Neusiedl on the border to Hungary
with a visit to the Designer Outlet
Parndorf was organized. The local Mayor welcomed the guests and the manager
invited them for lunch. After a short time of shopping they went for a boat
trip on the lake. An evening with Palestinian food, a thought provoking Pantomime about daily life under
occupation, Arabian dance and music was a perfect conclusion of the two weeks, which
participants will remember for a long time.
(Peter Haider, UPF-Austria)
