Michal Eskenazi
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How does your work promote an end to the conflict?
People are always saying that when there is peace civil society needs to be prepared, people should know. First of all, it affects what happens; what starts at the bottom will rise to the top. Second, I think we need to invest as much work as possible in what will take place the "day after" [peace] and how we envision it to be. You can sign an agreement officially but from our experience here, we know that at the end of the day it's meaningless. There needs to be something structured in society; this needs to happen among decision makers too, but they [civil society] are not the people who signed the agreement, so this seems important to me. I took part in a discussion at the American Consulate with a well-known [Palestinian] activist and suddenly she said, "I don't understand. We are working and working and we have activities, yet you continue building the fence!" I am involved but not because I think my work will lead to peace with the Palestinians or that tomorrow the wall will fall (the fence, or whatever it's called). This is an important process, affecting the people around me, we need to affect as many people as possible, keeping in mind that it isn't going to happen tomorrow. When it does happen, it will be in a much more stable environment because it will be across society.