Peace begins with the self, and that process is often beyond words. Even in a place as difficult and full of conflict as Israel, there are those who believe that the process of peace must start on an inner, emotional level. A handful of these women has found a way to nurture that peace by taking part in a transformative workshop lead by the Institute for Circlework in Ithaca. They came here so that they can return to Israel renewed, and continue working for a larger, deeper peace in that region.

Many of us think of the Middle East with despair, hardly believing that a true and lasting peace can ever be achieved there. Sometimes the message of peace and healing comes at unexpected times and from unexpected sources. Last month, six extraordinary Arab and Jewish women brought a living example of peace and co-existence to Ithaca. They came as participants in a workshop, hoping it would inspire them to continue their work. While they were here they showed a handful of Ithacans that true empathy and compassion are possible, even in places of deepest conflict.

The workshop they attended several weeks ago mirrors the process these women undergo in their peace efforts in Israel. They joined other women who had gathered to meditate upon and reenact the story of the Inanna, an ancient Sumerian Goddess who descended and returned through the seven gates of the underworld to meet her dark sister Ereshkigal. Over a weekend, the women used guided imagery, trancework storytelling, movement, and ritual to gain a greater understanding of the mystery of the soul's journey. "Today, more than ever, we need such myths that teach us to honor both the light and the dark, suffering and joy," said workshop leader Jalaja Bonheim.

Sitting in the offices of the Institute for Circlework before the workshop, Nitzan Gordon (Jewish facilitator), Mervat Hamati (Arab facilitator), and eighteen year old Elisheva Rubin (Jewish educator) explained what they are trying to accomplish.

Six years ago, Nitzan Gordon helped to gather a group of Jewish and Arab women to train Kindergarten teachers in techniques of individual nurturing, deep listening, and co-existence. The project has become known as "Beyond Words." It has now trained over 120 teachers and a several facilitators, spreading the impact of this work in Israel.

"The question is, what does it mean to be a leader of co-existence and peace," said Gordon. "We use a model of working in a circle. The first level of that circle is peace with myself. The heart begins to open from finding this sense of inner peace. Then there is the possibility for real co-existence, for a real Peace beyond peace on paper."

Through the course, certified by the Israeli Ministry of Education, educators learn a variety of techniques to touch all those aspects which make us human. The project works with Kindergarten teachers, because the teachers are working with the young before they know how to hate. Each leadership workshop offered by Beyond Words is facilitated by two Arab and two Jewish educators.

In places of conflict, such as Israel, there are often too many opinions expressed without real dialogue. Words can become manipulative and destructive. The Beyond Words project chose, instead, several techniques which go beyond words on many levels. There are physical levels of dance and movement, non-competitive games, and healing touch and massage. "That really breaks barriers very quickly," said Gordon. Movement therapy helps people express things which are deep and true. According to Gordon, it's harder to lie with the body. "Reaching feelings through
the body is much easier because defenses are not so strong."

Emotional levels are touched through listening partnerships, as the women practice co-counseling to relive inner burdens and regain joy and a love of life. In the words of Mervat Hamati, it's a process to, "go through all these feelings, and not to go alone. It's a long way to go, and a decision that you want to go through the dark things." She believes that each of us needs to have someone to listen to us laugh, cry, and even scream. Then it's possible to see things in a clear way. "You can make decisions in an objective way," said Hamati.

"World violence is caused by the fact that people are holding so many emotions in. When they do come out, they're released in violent ways," said Gordon. " A lot of what's happening in Israel is on a feeling level. People are not thinking. The problem is solvable. It's not so complicated that we can't find a solution. But because so much feeling is involved they're not finding a solution. If they could just find a way to get beyond these feelings..."

In the beginning Nitzan Gordon literally needed to climb over fences to bring this training to teachers. "Women are not going to come to this group to talk about co-existence and politics," said Gordon. "No one wants to talk about that. They are exhausted and tense. First they need to take care of themselves and their needs. We offer a place to relax
and feel nurtured, and from that we start." Since then word has been spreading, and more teachers want to take part. "A lot of teachers say it's the one course that really meets their needs."

Their trip to the United States was set in motion by an invitation from Goucher College in Baltimore to lead workshops and lectures on their techniques for peace work; techniques that can work in almost any setting for all sorts of problems. "If facilitators who work with me are going to give teachers a feeling of nurturing, they have to know how to nurture themselves. So we're coming to work, but we're also first nurturing ourselves, so that the work we're going to do will be different," said Gordon.

In addition to sharing their work, these women find it important to let people know that there is healing happening in Israel, that there's good news beyond all the fear, violence, and distrust that fill the news. Touching one teacher at a time may not be a dramatic path to peace, but these educators believe that their work is making a difference on a very deep level. Arab facilitator Mervat Hamati adds, "I hope that there will be peace so we can take this work into the occupied territory."

The women of Beyond Words and Institute for Circlework had worked together previous to the early November workshop. The training themes of skillful communication, compassionate understanding, and co-existence are elements both groups share. In the past year Nitzan Gordon and her co-facilitator Mervat Hamati took part in a week-long Circlework™ training workshop held in British Colombia. By doing so they have deepened their practice of inner healing. "We've needed a place where we can do in depth work on ourselves, to heal what we go through in Israel," said Gordon. Having that time and space gave them a needed respite, so they could go back to their work with renewed strength.

Circlework™, a group practice developed by Ithacan Jalaja Bonheim, is based on the recognition that human beings have always gathered in circles, and that in doing so, we gain access to a great source of healing, inspiration, and guidance that allows us to create life affirming connections with ourselves at others. As a form of relationship practice, Circlework teaches us the ways of peaceful co-existence, skillful communication, and compassionate love of self and others.

Some of the techniques in Circlework were similar to those used in Beyond Words. Others, such as writing exercises and an integrated use of literature and music, were new. A dramatic difference between them is the collective group process used by Circle, where by the power of the circle supports a woman's process. Gordon and Hamati are now exploring ways to expand their one on one co-counseling with group process
training for the Arab and Jewish Kindergarten teachers.

"I think this is based on the understanding that our wounds are not just personal wounds, but that they are collective wounds" says Bonheim. "When a woman or man is doing a piece of healing work, in a sense they're doing it for us, and we're doing it with them. We aren't separate in these wounds. For the peace process it's very important to see the collective nature of our wounds."

Participants in the Circlework™ Training learn how to use the power of the circle with skill and integrity, and how to apply its dynamics in diverse settings ranging from churches to corporations, while working with widely diverse population groups. "The great strength of Circlework is that it starts with something completely universal," says Bonheim. By empowering people to use the circle skillfully and with integrity, it serves as a force for inner and outer peace. "We draw people's attention to the center, and awaken their awareness that there is this place where we all connect," she says.

"The great gift of Circlework™ is that it is inherently empty. It's just a circle. It's so simple. This is the basic form where by human beings have created community, no matter where they lived. The Circle belongs to every human being."