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Longboarding Peace Between Israel and Palestine

Michael Brooke, a Canadian publisher of Concerete Wave magazine (covers the world of Longboarding) travels the globe helping both kids and adults to find peace and balance in their life. Especially when their lives get turned upside down, he does it through an amazing project called "Longboarding for Peace". Let´s follow the story below to find out how Longboarding for Peace has made a difference, when bringing longboarding to one of the world’s most conflicted areas: Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
3. 3. 2014

Beginning

Of course you can’t just show up in a place with some longboards and hope that things will work out. You need solid contacts and careful planning. Thanks to Surfing 4 Peace (Surfing 4 Peace is a person 2 person and cross-border cooperation initiative that aims to bridge cultural and political barriers between surfers in the Middle East.)  and Peres Center for Peace, a not-for profit organization based in Jaffa that promotes peace-building between Israel and its Arab neighbors, were things a lot easier.

The most stressful piece of the initiative was ensuring the timely delivery of the longboards and helmets. Michael got tangled in red tape on a number of occasions. Fortunately, Surfing 4 Peace has experience with getting surfboards into Israel, and the gear landed just a few days before Longboard for Peace team first demo in Jaffa.

Documenting the proceedings were two photographers and one videographer. Yair Hasidof regularly shoots skateboarding and is based in Tel Aviv. Alice Martins is a Brazilian who works with Surfing 4 Peace and has photographed extensively in Gaza. Uri Richter is an American-born Israeli who is creating a short documentary of the tour. All three captured some incredible moments. Within hours of Yair’s and Alice’s images being posted on Facebook, tens of thousands of people had seen them and numerous people had left many positive comments.

Jaffa, Tel-Aviv

The first demo was held at the Peres Center in Jaffa. Jaffa is a mixed town, i.e. it has both Jews and Arabs living together. The team assembled an hour before the demo to unload the car and coordinate things. The demo featured a local martial arts club performing first. The kids sat patiently watching the kung fu moves but were pretty excited to get on the boards. Joining the club were about 15 Jaffa locals. It was extraordinary to see the children interact with their Tel Aviv neighbors. Normally, these kids would not run into each other, and yet here they were having a great time rolling around joyfully on longboards. Yoni Ettinger, a pro longboarder for Earthwing Skateboards, explained the basics of skateboarding, and the kids followed his direction – most of the time! Once they felt somewhat balanced, they immediately started rolling faster. “I have been teaching skateboarding for many years, but most times, I have taught people who have at least some experience,” Yoni said. “Watching these pure beginners learn quickly was wonderful. Seeing them so stoked was like a gift for me.” As each minute passed, the kids grew more and more passionate about riding. Mickey Kook of Surfing 4 Peace found the experience truly transformative. “It is so easy to get caught up in what the media choose to show us, [but] reality always has a way of surprising us, [to] change and open our minds,” he said. “I can definitely tell you that many minds were opened.” The kids there skated for more than two hours and were hounding the Peres staff about when the next session would be. The question was, what would things be like in an environment like East Jerusalem and the Palestinian city of Jericho?

East Jerusalem

As most readers are aware, the political situation is very complex in the Middle East. Geography plays a huge rule in where people feel safe to go. Most Israelis don’t visit East Jerusalem, and getting into Jericho requires special permits. The tour picked up local guide at the East Jerusalem border crossing, and as the bus plunged into what was for many uncharted waters, they all just went with the flow. “I was nervous about going to Palestinian territories,” Yoni said. “I figured I was going to look like an alien to these people. But what I quickly discovered was that we had a bond, and that bond was longboarding.” Upon entrance to the school, located in the Shuafat Refugee Camp of East Jerusalem, the team was greeted by the sights and sounds of a puppet show. About 45 minutes later, the skate session was under way. While the boys took to the longboards as one would expect, it was truly exceptional to watch young Palestinian girls and women hop onto the longboards too. "I am quite sure these women never expected to be riding skateboards that morning, but I also think they probably were not expecting to meet up with Israelis and interact so closely with them. It was a mixture of surrealism and pure stoke", Michael says. Yoni says the East Jerusalem demo was the highlight of the trip. “I held the hands of a middle-aged Palestinian women who needed me for balance,” he said. “I could feel how happy she was, and that, in turn, made me very happy.”

Jericho

Before entering Jericho, the bus picked up a journalist and photographer from local Ma’ariv newspaper. Jericho was recently handed back to the Palestinian Authority. The city sits at an extremely low point and has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years. As the heat of Jericho is pretty intense (it regularly hits over 100° F), the demo took place in the early evening. After the team had waved through the city without hassle, the boards and helmets were unloaded and a simultaneous translation began. The 25 kids took to longboarding quickly. They were fresh off a soccer practice, and some removed their soccer cleats to get a better footing on the board. Over the course of an hour, a bond developed between Arabs, Israelis and those from North America. Even the Ma’ariv folks could be seen rolling around on a board. “This truly was an amazing experience,” said Mickey Kook. “The energy the crew had was unreal. It was filled with unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime.”

When Michael Brooke first told people in Canada that he was planning to go to the Palestinian Territories, they honestly thought he was insane. There was serious concern for his well-being. But he doesn't see it this way. He sees it as an important first step in opening minds and creating a climate for change and eventually peace. Tami Hay-Sagiv of the Peres Center says it was amazing to see kids from the most shy to the most confident all rushing to the skateboards, keen to start exploring and trying out different moves. “Everyone felt included,” she said, “both boys and girls, old and young, Hebrew speakers and Arabic speakers.” She said Longboarding for Peace made everyone feel young, rejuvenated and free from the heavy conflict that surrounds people there. “This was an inspiring experience for all of us! It made us all realize again how powerful sport is, especially when you utilize it in the service of peace.”

Source: Concrete Wave magazine, text and photos: Michael Brooke

3. 3. 2014

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