Hello,

My name is Jeremy Hrynkiw.  I learned about your organization (and festival) while planning a weekend first time trip to Toronto.  Unfortunatley I do not arrive until tomorrow night and won't be able to attend the kite festival.  However I felt the need to write and congratulate you on the your efforts to create open dialouges between Isrealis, Palestinians, Jews, and Muslims.  I especially was happy to see the focus on artistic cooperation.  I believe that the struggle for peace in Isreal is one that all nations should strive toward.  I think the strife in that region affects world stability a lot more profoundly than people think.

Growing up in Northern Alberta, I had very little understanding of the Arab-Isreali conflict, anti semitism, Islam etc.  Any racism that I experienced was drawn strictly alnog colour lines (partic. White - Native).  However I had the unique experience of living aborad in an international residence (Norway).  There I met a became friends with 2 Palestinian men (doctor and teacher), and an Isreali man (law student).  I soon saw that, despite their opposing political viewpoints, all the men were united in their fear for their families, and grief for friends and family killed.  Each night, when news of violence was on TV, I watched these grown men break into tears, pace frantically, and desparately try to call loved ones back home.  I remember Abdulla (Palestinian doctor) telling me when he was quite upset, that it wasn't religion, or culture that made people violent, but it was have a wife or daughter or son or husband taken away senselessly.  He said that anger and grief promoted extremitism and violence far more than religion ever could.  I remember thinking of how this applied to either side of the conflict, to all citizens of that region.  I became very pessimistic and cynical about the conflict when I returned to Canada.  I tried to speak to Palestinian and Jewish student groups at my school (University of Alberta), but their often negative, and heated responses just furthered my cynicism.  I began to believe that conflict resolution was hopeless.

Your organization is the first I have come across to promote peace and understanding between the two sides.  I hope my letter both congratulates and encourages your efforts. I can't tell you enough how happy it made me to see this event being held.  I know itŐs not much, but I hope that this response will give you a little more motivation to carry on this vital work, especially if you begin to feel discouraged, or hopeless.


Thank you

Jeremy Hrynkiw
Exploitation & Development
Phone:  (403)699-4552
Fax:      (403)699-5731
hrynkiwj@nexeninc.com