Monday, February 05, 2024

Wildpeace - the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water

Wood duck drake vocalizing in Central Park
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Wildpeace

Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives might be, 
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. 
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water. 
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Thursday, February 01, 2024

"Side By Side" - Conflict, Hope, & Change in Israel & Palestine - Ithaca College, February 6, 5:00-6:30 pm

 


Witness a riveting “dual narrative” of Israeli and Palestinian history through the interwoven personal & familial stories of two individuals --one Israeli (Uriel Abulof) and one Palestinian (Nizar Farsakh) - who have become scholars, political advisors, professors, and activists for peace.

Dialogue & Question and Answer to Follow.

Muller Chapel, 5:00-6:30 pm

Sponsored by Hillel at Ithaca College and Office of Spiritual and Religious  Life

More on the speakers

Uriel Abulof is an associate professor at Tel-Aviv UniversityLinks to an external site.’s School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs. Abulof studies the politics of fear, happiness and hope, legitimation, social movements, nationalism, and ethnic conflicts. He has written extensively on the Middle East and Israel and is the recipient of the Young Scholar Award in Israel Studies. 

Nizar Farsakh is a trainer on leadership, negotiations, and advocacy with over 20 years of experience across the Middle East and North Africa. Before joining George Washington University, Farsakh was head of Civil Society Partnerships at the Project On Middle East Democracy (POMEDLinks to an external site.) where he built the advocacy capacity of Arab civil society organizations. Before that, he directed the Palestinian Delegation in Washington D.C. Between 2003 and 2008 Nizar advised senior Palestinian leaders including the President, the Prime Minister and various ministries in their negotiations with Israel. Currently, and in addition to teaching negotiations at the Elliot School of International Affairs, Nizar co-founded an online leadership training platform Inspire Leadership SchoolLinks to an external site., and is frequently invited by think tanks and the media (ArabicLinks to an external site.EnglishLinks to an external site.) to comment on Middle East affairs. He is also on the board of the Museum of the Palestinian PeopleLinks to an external site. in Washington D.C.