Is Dialog Possible?

In response to several apparently innocent email messages from a local Arab, I decided to offer my correspondent the opportunity to use his willingness to be open and exchange information for some greater purpose than satisfy each other's curiosity. To that end I set up a blog (tentatively) called "Between Shilo & Turmos Ayya", the names of our two communities, separated by 2 kilometres and a clash of civilizations. You can read our exchanges and follow the development of our dialog by subscribing for "Updates" on the site.

It occured to me that (hopefully) we weren't the only intrepid explorers into the uncharted territory of cross-civilization dialog. I discovered a recent article in the Canadian Jewish News describing a joint Arab-Jewish literary journal published by university students there.

A group of Jewish and Arab university students want to show that it is possible to have differences on the Middle East conflict and co-operate on a project that aims to allow each side to understand the other a little better.

The six students – three Jewish, three Arab – are editors of a soon-to-be published literary journal that allows young Canadians of Jewish and Arab origin to honestly express their thoughts and feelings on the conflict through stories, poems, essays and photos.

Way to go guys! I hope you publish your material online as well!