Palestine Speaks Blog

I have always her about the conflict between Israel and Palestine in the context of politics, but I never actually knew anything about it. After reading Ibisam's and Jamal's stories I was shocked because I had no idea of the suffering that was taking place in that region, specifically the suffering Palestinians were experiencing at the hands of Israelis. I can't help but feel a sense of guilt by thinking poorly of the Israelis, especially after learning so much about the Holocaust, yet what they are doing to the Palestinians is wrong.

Ibtisam's story really touched me because of how raw it was. She was completely open and descriptive in explaining the checkpoints, harassment, and the lack of compassion soldiers had towards her. As I was reading her story, I got a sense of how strong and aspirational she is because despite what she has experienced she still hopes for something good for herself, her family, and her students. I love her quote on page 375: "I tried to make students thinkers before fighters", I really hope that she succeeds in her efforts.

I realize that there are two sides to every story, so although I disagree with the treatment of Palestinians by Israelis I want to read and learn more about the conflict before I make my own conclusions about the situation. 

The VOW Blog 9-84

The "Voice of Witness Reader" begins with an introduction that was written by Dave Eggers, the founder of Voice of Witness. In the introduction Dave clearly states the aims of VOW; which is to, make the testimonies of peoples extraordinary hardships known to the world. Also, VOW makes sure that readers of these testimonies get to know the whole person not just who they were during a time of turmoil. I think it is brilliant to convey to the readers that the people sharing their stories are more than just their story, they are mothers, fathers, friends, and survivors.

Chris Ochoa and Beverly Monroe are examples of survivors who experienced being falsely accused of horrible crimes that they did not commit, but managed to keep fighting until they were proven innocent. Both of them have now used their life experience to try to help those who have been wrongly convicted of crimes and to make a positive difference in the judicial system.