EUGENE, Ore.—Two students, 18-year-old Deema Yusuf from Ramallah, Palestine, and 22-year-old Yaara Tal from an Israeli kibbutz near Gaza, have enrolled at Lane Community College as part of the Peacemakers Scholarship project.
The women will study at Lane and serve as resources to provide an alternate perspective on the possibility of peace in Israel and Palestine through activities sponsored by the Lane Peace Center, International Programs, and within the wider community. They already work for peace in Israel and Palestine through an organization called Creativity for Peace: www.creativityforpeace.com
Their first local presentation will be on Monday, Oct. 21 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 1175 E. 29th Avenue in Eugene. The second presentation, sponsored by the Lane Peace Center, will be Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 1-3 p.m. in the Center for Meeting and Learning, Building 19, Room 226 (auditorium), main campus, 4000 E 30th Ave., Eugene. Both events are free and open to the public. Speakers include Deema, Yaara, and Dottie Indyke, executive director of Creativity for Peace.
Deema and Yaara are attending Lane on a scholarship funded by donors to the Lane Foundation and by community members offering homestay. The scholarship covers tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board (homestay), health insurance, and yearly travel from and to Israel and Palestine.
In return for scholarship support, the women will speak about conflict, peace and reconciliation for Israel and Palestine in college and high school classes, at community events, in churches, synagogues and mosques, and maintain a blog about their experiences.
Creativity for Peace is a New Mexico-based nonprofit with operations in Israel and Palestine. Deema and Yaara will talk about their experience with the organization, their ongoing struggles and passion for peace-building, and their dreams for a future of peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
"Everyone who meets our young women is changed by the experience," says Indyke. "They inspire with their courage and eloquence and instill hope that peace may actually be achieved in Palestine and Israel."
Since its inception in 2003, Creativity for Peace has brought 207 girls, ages 15-17, of Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths from Israel and Palestine to New Mexico for a summer program of peacemaking using facilitated dialogue, art-making, field trips and social time. The girls return home and continue to meet year-round and take part in leadership and communication training offered by Creativity for Peace in the region. This year, Creativity for Peace is partnering with Lane Community College.