A rather remarkable
bottle of olive oil sits in our kitchen cupboard. Square, beautiful
dark green glass, with a dark yellow and green label that, among other things,
says “Sindyanna of Galilee.”
Sindyanna of Galilee is a non-profit organization located in
Western Galilee. Founded by women, this
organization works to provide employment opportunities for both Arab and Jewish
women, to bolster the local olive oil industry, and to do fair trade
commerce. According to their website, “Sindyanna symbolizes a unique cooperation
between Arabs and Jews, striving to strengthen the economy of the Arab
population in Israel. Sindyanna is not only a means of helping farmers and
growers from the North, but also a way of showing that a solution to the Middle
East conflict begins with creating real economic opportunities.”
You read that correctly.
In one of the most conflicted areas in the world there is a place where
Israeli and Palestinian women work side by side.
Often in conflict, especially interpersonal conflict, we
focus on words. We talk about healthy
communication; we talk about what kind of words hurt and which help. We spend considerable amounts of time
talking. Sometimes the outcome seems
clear after such conversations. Other
times, however, I agree with Eliza Doolittle who sings in My Fair Lady, “Words, words, words, I’m so sick of words…!”
Growing up I fought with one of my brothers a lot. We were best buddies who did many things
together. However, since we were, and
still are, definitely different individuals there were eruptions of squabbling. One day our mom, probably past
all patience with our fighting, ordered us to clean out the flowerbeds. Not
only that, there would be no starting from each end for us. We were to work side by side.
There is something powerful in working together, in
accomplishing a task, in building a common memory. There is most definitely a place for words
and conversation in conflict. However,
words aren’t the end all. Next time
you’re at odds with someone, DO something together. Accomplish something. Work toward a common goal. Then talk.
In case you're interested in learning more about Sindyanna of Galilee: http://www.sindyanna.com/sindyanna_of_galilee/
