On May 3rd, 2017, a meeting was held in the youth center of Kfar-Sava. The purpose of the meeting was to increase solidarity between women and girls from around the world, who are working to improve women’s status and achieve gender equality.
The meeting was attended by Young Women Parliament girls from Tira, Herzeliya, Kfar-Sava and Bat Yam, as well as by women from Seattle’s “Center for Women and Democracy” who were visiting Israel at the time.
The meeting was also joined by representatives from the Kfar-Sava Municipality, SHIN-For Equal Representation of Women & Women Parliament, and the American embassy in Israel. After the opening remarks by Rachel Levi-Herz and the representatives of the various organizations, talking circles were held. As part of these circles, the attending girls and women discussed the topics of marriage and religion, racism, vulnerability and protectiveness of women and girls, and young Jewish and Arab women’s ability to lead a world-wide change.
During the evening, Massa Da’es, a representative of Young Women Parliament from Tira, read a song she wrote in March 2016. She wrote it as part of a special meeting of Young Women Parliament girls from Kfar-Sava and Tira, which was dedicated to song-writing (Spoken Word workshop):
“Not all those who wander are aimless. Especially not those who seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond the image.”
She quoted,
She is a ten years old girl standing on a wooden floor,
where all lights are off,
only the light in her eyes lights the whole stage, the light in her eyes spreads hope.
A brave one describing each person in her society,
swaying on stage and daydreaming,
dancing, singing, screaming…
saying:
I had a dream where a red curtain opened and I was dancing there with the sound of melodies,
bravely saying,
I won’t hug someone unless I wanted to, and I won’t hug each person who visits just because they are guests, and if I wanted to I could hug tighter than anyone in this world.
Applause,
ladies and gentlemen,
young and old,
applause to me and in their eyes I felt honor.
Just because I am a different female…
Brave, dreaming, clever, ambitious.
The sunlight bothered me, and I woke up realizing it was all a just a dream.
I walked on my toes, facing a mirror where there was a fine woman at her forties, she is beautiful even with the wrinkles beneath her eyes.
I brushed my hair gently, wore a little red dress, applied my perfume, and drew my pointy eyeliner.
I opened the door of the room smiling at my husband then I moved on,
later I walked out of the living room smiling at my family,
I started walking outside the house smiling at each person I met,
I swayed with the sound of wind like it was beautiful melodies,
I felt the warmth of sunlights like it was my stage lightning,
And I heard birds singing as if it was the crowd applause,
Then I found myself on stage with my dream coming true.
I had only one thing to say…
“The power of determination will make you unstoppable.”
Links to the website and Facebook page of Seattle’s “Center for Women and Democracy”
http://www.womenanddemocracy.org/
https://www.facebook.com/womenanddemocracy/
Opening remarks by the “Center for Women and Democracy”
(This text was copied from a pamphlet that was published by Seattle’s “Center for Women and Democracy” ahead of the delegation’s arrival to Israel).
WELCOME WOMEN OF GOOD CAUSES
The Center for Women and Democracy is thrilled to have you aboard our 2017 Global Networking trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories – our tenth adventure to meet, share leadership experiences, and learn from women all over the world.
You are in the best of company – 38 delegates who are elected officials and former justices; statewide immigration advocates and social justice leaders; business entrepreneurs and women philanthropists; young women “rising stars” and Northwest pioneers of political strategy, child protection, tribal empowerment and women’s rights. We are Native American, Hispanic, Caucasian, Vietnamese, Muslim, East Indian, Sikh, Christian and Jewish, to name a few. We are twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty and seventy somethings with one basic commonality: we are women who are global citizens, dedicated to a better world where far more of us have the same equal rights and choices as some of us. We believe we’d get there a lot faster and better if more women were able to “lead where you land” – our motto and personal goal.
Since our founding in June of 2000 we have led delegations to Rwanda, Iceland, Cuba, South Africa, Chile, Sweden, the Baltics, Morocco and Vietnam. This year we are excited to visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories to explore the social dynamics of the Holy Land, and an emotional conflict that has its roots in the beginning of three of the world’s religions. The delegation will be guided daily by experts in the history and current dynamics of the conflict and peacemaking in Israeli and Palestinian Territories. This is no coincidence that we as Americans are seeking out the best in conflict resolution as our own country is in desperate need of the tools to unite despite feeling divided.
May we join together to bring back insight as to how good people of different perspectives might live together better. Thank you for joining us this year as we travel with purpose (while having fun and making new friends) in search of new thoughts and ideas that we have yet to carry out, but the world sure needs.
Cathy Allen and Cameron Behrens
Co-Chairs Global Networking Committee The Center for Women and Democracy