Shwanesh ManiovI think that part of the change that occurred in me is because of who I am. I can’t see myself as Ethiopian because I can barely speak the language. I don't have my parents’ culture - I don’t have anything in common with Ethiopia. Sometimes it’s hard for me to regard myself as Israeli because sometimes I do behave like an Ethiopian culturally... So it’s easier for me to understand the other, the stranger, whoever feels alienated, because I sometimes feel alienated by society. It’s not really logical, but that's how I got started. Shwanesh Maniov immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia with her family when she was seven years old. While majoring in Middle Eastern Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, she became involved in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. As the coordinator for the Israeli foundation Children of Abraham, she organized and participated in exchanges between Israelis and Palestinians that focused on religion, culture, and history. Shwanesh was a facilitator for Palestinian and Israeli teenagers engaged in daily dialogue at the Seeds of Peace summer camp in the United States in 2004. |
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