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BY RAMYA GOPAL

In print | Published November 30, 2006

Speak for Peace, a new student-run discussion group, was recently established to promote dialogue on campus about the Arab-Israeli conflict. Founded by Nate Allen ’08 and Phillip Issa ’09 last year, the group has spent this semester working to establish a place in the campus community.

Among several events they have sponsored were “Breaking the Silence,” a lecture by a former Israeli Defense Forces sniper, a Professor Panel on Peace and “The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Building Bridges Between the Youth,” a lecture by an Israeli conscientious objector.

The group’s purpose is to make people on Swarthmore’s campus comfortable with addressing the conflict through discussions, which could eventually shape a policy that brings Jews and Arabs together.

Allen and Issa were brought together through their common interest in approaching the conflict. Ethnically, they lie on either side: Allen is the president of Ruach, the Jewish student organization, while Issa identifies as half Lebanese and half Syrian.

Allen was particularly inspired by a Seeds of Peace conference that was held last year. This event helped to further his belief that grassroots could fill in the gaps of public policy. “We realized that this was something Swat students could be interested in … peace instead of political agendas.”

According to Issa, Speak For Peace holds weekly meetings that “try to make people feel comfortable” with dialogue through activities that encourage students to reflect on their opinions.

“We had a spectrum activity about how students felt about their views [at one meeting],” Issa said. “We got members to think about how their views matched up with policy ideals. Some students changed their minds about their views.”

Most weeks, the group members are involved in discussions about policy. Louis Rosenberg ’09, a regular participant, found those discussions to be very helpful.

“I understood the perspectives of others and how they were informed,” Rosenberg said. “We’ve all developed mutual understandings, and we’re becoming friends.”

Rosenberg’s motivation to join the group originated from his frustration with what he described as pervasive factual misconceptions of some students on campus.

“A Swarthmore student made offensive comments to me with false evidence,” Rosenberg said. “I realized that people were getting inaccurate information. This club addresses the need for more education and discussion.”

Speak For Peace is structured so that there are no elected officers. Rather, a core group of dedicated members sets the agenda by means of consensus.

Despite its initial popularity, the club meetings are dwindling in the number of participants. Issa suggested that this decline in membership may be a result of the fact that the Arab-Israeli conflict is not a priority for most people.

Another obstacle to the group’s success is its particular approach in addressing the Middle Eastern conflict. “Students want to do something instead of talk,” Issa said. “We are trying to think of ways for the group to become more active while staying neutral.”

The most recent event hosted by the Speak for Peace group was a well-attended Professor Panel. The panel, which featured speakers from both sides of the issue, drew several hundred students and garnered a generally positive response on campus.

One upcoming event in December is a Paces takeover with Middle Eastern food and a dialogue between the two sides of the issue.

Allen is already thinking of longer-term events. “There is talk of starting a peace camp including Palestinians and Jews between the ages of 16 and 18,” Allen said. “The camp would hold conflict workshops.” At the moment, however, the group’s main concern is becoming chartered and finding an advisor.

Humzah Soofi ‘10 greatly enjoys the group’s meetings on Monday nights. “Everyone is so accepting of viewpoints,” he said. “They are there to listen to you instead of just to express their opinions.”

He thought that the motivation behind the group was an inspired idea. “We can never achieve anything if you have blind faith in only one side,” he said. “This club helps us come to some understanding.”

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