July 9, 2011
Crossing the line
This week I am heading to the West Bank for work (!?!): Enhancing Technology Education in Palestinian Universities (etep).
I will be spending a week at Palestinian Universities participating in capacity building workshops around educational technology. The University I am visiting is preparing to set up a group like CCNMTL and we are going to consult and share our experiences around these efforts.
I am anxious and excited about the trip. I have visited Israel numerous times in my life, but have never crossed the green line. My knowledge of the situation on the ground has been hyper-mediated, and witnessing the it in person will likely be transformative. I am doubtful that my first-person accounts will lend much more credibility or persuasiveness to future debates, but I anticipate that my own understanding and assurance will grow.
There are times and places for protests and flytillas, but I am hopeful that collaborating around shared objectives, working together on projects, and introducing radical pedagogical interventions will have a significant impact on promoting peace over the long-term.
Filed by jonah at 12:01 pm under earth,ethics
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Sounds like a great opportunity, Jonah. Have a great trip! Let’s just hope you have been behaving yourself on Facebook:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/08/pro-palestinian-airborne-protest-blocked-israel-_n_893398.html?ir=Divorce&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews
as someone who has been an observer/virtual volunteer of OLPC, I’ll wait for a chance to hear about your work and see how it compares to the small and large pilots of OLPC which include that area of the world
Hey, Jonah-
I’m in Ramallah. Send me an email when you arrive; it would be great to see you if you’re not too busy.
-Mallory