Activists Talk
Network in Ramallah









Two hours before our meeting, Osama Abu Karsh had returned
from a reconciliation conference in Turkey, involving 120 NGO’
s, and many Palestinian and Israeli activists. Still, the 35 year-old
was full of humour and a contagious idealism as we began our
interview at the European Coffeeshop, his favourite place for
discussions such as these.

Osama has worked tirelessly for nonviolent conflict
transformation throughout the Middle East – in the international
field, for example as a delegate at last November's Arab
Regional Nonviolence Network conference, and locally, as
Coordinator of the Active Nonviolence Network in Ramallah.

It has not always been this way. When he was 14 years old, he
was jailed for three years for throwing a Molotov Cocktail at
Israeli troops. Upon his release he was active with Fatah’s youth
wing, and he continued to believe in the legitimacy of violent
resistance.

The process of transformation was not overnight. Many of the
factors in his transformation are mundane: marriage, a change
in his job, and higher education – he has a Masters in Social
Development from Bir Zeit University. The outbreak of the
second intifada also forced him to rethink the old violent
methods of resistance he once espoused.

If there was a single decisive turning point, it was January 18th
2003 – he has no difficulty remembering the date. Osama
attended a nonviolence training event organised by MEND.

He was persuaded. Six months late, he was elected
Coordinater of the Active Nonviolence Network in Ramallah
and threw himself wholeheartedly into MEND projects, such as
the well-known Radio Soap Opera, and a ‘curriculum reform’
project. He also co-led the 2006 Summer Camp, which drew
around 80 young people from all over the West Bank. If they are
able to raise the funding, the camp will be repeated this year.

He has also been instrumental in the ‘Alternative Youth Leader’
program, a project initiated in 7 villages with 20 to 50
participants in each village. Palestinian young people aged
between 22 and 28, and particularly members of local social
and sports clubs, are trained in a range of skills, such as
nonviolence and conflict resolution, and computer literacy.
Participants are then encouraged to apply their training within
their local area.

Like many of the ANN offices, the Ramallah base has had to
close due to lack of funding. Whether negotiating checkpoints,
avoiding internal fighting, or suffering the direct effects of
occupation, his job is tough and getting results can be a very
slow process.

"We make few changes in adults," he admits candidly. "But," he
continues, "we see big changes in Menders", referring to the
force of young Palestinians who have signed up to Active
Nonviolence.

But for him, it is not only about results, it is a matter of right and
wrong. I ask him whether, over all, people are moving towards
nonviolence. "We sometimes see change but no big change.
Still, we believe in this struggle".    

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