Don't stop talking!

I found this Search for Common Ground reflection on the dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis very profound. http://www.commongroundnews.org/print_article.php?artId=29053&dir=left&lan=en&sid=2

I particularly like the last paragraph:

"I come from Palestinian roots, but more and more in these dialogues and in other areas of my life, I see myself as someone whose primary role is to enable and sustain the process of dialogue as a whole. As such, I do not represent one side. We are all parts of the whole and if we could see ourselves as a part of those who are outside our ethnic and religious communities, we would not be afraid to sympathise with their fears and pains. We would know that they are ours, too."

Having said that, while every drop of dialogue surely contributes to hope, each drop often disappears into the barren soil of despair. Little dialogue streams do not necessarily join together to become a main stream. Do we have to work smarter to ensure that commitment to dialogue, dialogue initiatives, and capacity building for dialogue are all woven into and anchored within a nationally accepted safe-space infrastructure?

All the best for 2011. Peace be with you all.