Partners for Peace organized its 6th annual tour entitled "Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision." The program was sponsored at AU by the Women and Gender Studies Program. Three women, one Christian, one Muslim, and one Jew shared their stories about living in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Nuha Khoury, a Christian Palestinian, revealed what it was like to live under occupation for three and a half years.
"With the escalating violence, most people are not even secure in their own homes," Khoury said. Her previous home was located next to Arafat's former compound.
Michal Sagi, a Jewish Israeli, joined an all-female Checkpoint Watch Group which women visit checkpoints around Jerusalem and watch, write and report on what is going on near the checkpoints.
"There are so many checkpoints around the West Bank that citizens are not able to do simple things that Americans take for granted, such as visiting a friend just to spend the afternoon chatting," Sagi said.
Finally, Nahla Assali, a Muslim Palestinian spoke about her birth in West Jerusalem and her later move to Damascus. Recently, her work in Ramalah left her stuck for three hours at a checkpoint.
"You never know when checkpoints will be closed," Assali said. "The uncertainty is frustrating."
"I feel this program will be successful," said Nora Cochran, who helped organize the event. Cochran works with the Women and Gender Studies Program. "There are more people that turned out than usual... It should be successful doing an event jointly with another organization."
For the speakers' biographical information, visit www.partners forpeace.org.
