Thank you for your interest in this project. In this document are further details of the retreat. We have tried to keep it as brief as possible, and such things as how to get there will be sent to you upon registration. There is also a registration form at the end of this document. If you wish to participate in the work retreat, please fill it out and return it to us.
With love,
Nathan and Zohar

Being peace, Israel and Palestine work retreat
3-18 October, 2010

This will be the fourth time we are running this retreat in Israel and Palestine.

Our days together will combine work with time for meditation, inquiry and processing of our experience. We believe full heartedly in the importance of the work we will do together, and feel a substantial benefit to all involved will be the connections and relationships that will develop.

One part of the retreat will be spent in a Palestinian village. We will stay in the village by invitation of the local council. They have asked us to help by harvesting olives with the villagers. But in their own words, the main need and wish is for us to listen to their stories and to bear witness to their suffering.

The other part of the retreat will be spent in Israel. We will travel out to Palestinian villages every day to help with the olive harvest. We will be staying at the yoga studio of a sangha friend, and joining the activities of the Jewish organisation Rabbis for Human Rights. Their peaceful human rights activism stems directly from their spiritual life. For more about the Rabbis please see their website www.rhr.israel.net. One of the main projects the Rabbis are involved in is olive harvesting. Many Palestinian villagers living in the territories occupied by Israel are prevented from accessing their olive groves during the harvest season, either by the Israeli army or by Jewish settlers. They therefore lose their main source of income. In a beautiful act of non-violence Jewish Israelis and international volunteers come to pick the olives with the villagers. With the presence and protection of these non-violent activists the Palestinians themselves are also able to work on their land.

We also hope to participate in peace walks, in Palestine and Israel. We will walk silently in the name of peace with Israelis and Palestinians together as beings of the earth. Allowing ourselves to go beyond the differences deeper into the essence of our oneness.

We feel very privileged to work with such inspiring organisations. The retreat we propose will combine hands-on work as well as the opportunity to meet both Jews and Palestinians and share their lives. We hope to provide an opportunity for all of us to discover and share who we really are. This is a stepping out into the unknown. It is not just about helping, but about the willingness to experience things for ourselves. Not about judging, but about witnessing and sharing. Together we can support each other on this journey, creating moments of inner and outer peace as we go.

There may also be a chance to participate in a Tovana Insight Meditation retreat before and after our retreat.

The work retreat will be facilitated by Nathan Glyde and Zohar Lavie

Practical details:
3-18 October 2010

Something to remember is that both the middle-eastern mentality and the volatile situation in the middle east make all plans subject to change. We must all be prepared for changes to the schedule. We are confident that our time will be of value to ourselves and others. A lot of hard work is going into making this retreat happen, and just the idea of it is already providing much needed support and an injection of energy to peace activists.

Cost:
A flight from Europe to Israel costs around £200-275 or €400-600. The earlier you book the better.
We are doing the best we can to keep the costs as low as possible. The cost per person will be about £350. Unfortunately we cannot be more precise at this point.

Accommodation:
In order to keep the costs down we will be staying in dormitory accommodation, and possibly camping. We will mostly be doing our own cooking.

Safety:
We do not intend to be daredevils or put any lives in danger. There is plenty of work to be done away from areas of armed conflict. Your safety is our primary concern, and during our time together we will do all we can to ensure that everyone will know where we are and why we are there. All the villages we will work in will understand our peaceful intentions. The danger involved in this kind of work is obvious to all of us. Yet we believe if we act clearly and consistently in the name of peace, we can evolve the changes we want to see.
In peaceful acts peace is born, through non-violence violence ceases.

For any questions please contact us or write to sangha_seva@yahoo.co.uk
For registration please fill the form