Activists Talk
Network in Hebron







Hejazi Jaaberi is a cheerful, youthful looking man who seems to
exude peacefulness. I met him at the central Square of
Ramallah, beneath the famous statues of four lions on Al-Manari
Street. He arrived precisely on time and beaming, despite the
grey, sombre weather.

He recounts how he first enrolled on MEND's nonviolence
training in 2004. Describing nonviolence as a "style of life" he has
been highly active for MEND since then.

As Hebron Coordinator for the Active Nonviolent Network, he
runs training courses in nonviolence, human rights and
communication skills, and oversees a summer camp with nearly
100 young people.

However, Hebron is not an easy place in which to run an
organisation such as MEND. Hejazi was instrumental in
establishing a Hebron office for the network in 2004, but it had
to close in 2006 due to financial difficulties. Despite his positive
outlook, it is clear that the lack of office makes even the most
basic organisational task difficult.

Perhaps partly to counter this, he has prioritised joined-up
working with other Palestinian civil society organisations.
Amongst these, Palestinian Youth Association Taa'un, or
‘Cooperation’, Hebron Youth Club, and YMCA Hebron are
regular partner agencies. Hebron University have also offered
some courses in nonviolence for students. Through this kind of
cooperative project, many young people have begun to take
nonviolent resistance seriously. One group learned how to use
film as a change agent, and made a film about Hebron.

But logistics aren’t the biggest problem Hejazi and his MEND
team face. Hebron is a divided city, and tension is never far
from the surface of daily life. Nonviolence is not always popular
amongst a population that suffers the persistent abuse of
settlers, many of whom promote a virulent and supremacist
strain of religious Zionism.

In this light, we discussed the recurrent question among
nonviolence activists in Palestine. Why is there no Nelson
Mandela, no Martin Luther King, nor a Mahatma Gandhi in
Palestinian society yet?

Hejazi’s take on this is boldly self-critical, and he suggests that,
too often, society refuses to allow the individual to flourish.
Despite the tireless work of MEND and nonviolence activists
throughout Palestine on empowering individuals, it is unclear
whether or not the quiet charisma of a Gandhi would be able to
command a popular following.

Regardless of these mountainous challenges, Hejazi is
unwaveringly determined. I asked the blue-skies question – if
they had money, what would they do? Summer camps, training
courses, and offices came the reply. In rich detail he described
a range of nonviolence facilities that would change Hebron for
good. He finished, "With money, or without money, we will
continue - we hope that we can convey this message of
nonviolence to all Palestinian people".

Perhaps in Hejazi’s message, his character, and his experience,
we can discern something of Gandhi’s own nonviolence – the
‘weapon of the strong’ as he put it. He is certainly committed to
nonviolence. And through his resilient personality and gentle,
wise words, it is evident that he is strong. Perhaps Hejazi Jaaberi,
and others like him, are the Gandhis Palestine so urgently needs.

This article is based on an interview conducted on February 26th
2007 by Takanobu Nakahara, International Public Relations
volunteer for MEND.
Author: Takanobu Nakahara
Edited by: Mark Calder

Photo: Takanobu Nakahara