Sumaya Farhat-Naser
Expert Spotlight
Sumaya Farhat-Naser is co-founder and former director of the
Jerusalem Center for Women, a Palestinian non-governmental organization committed to the realization of a
Middle East peace based on justice, the protection of human rights, and the advancement of women's rights.
In 1994, the Jerusalem Center for Women and the Israeli women's center, Bat Shalom, created Jerusalem Link, bringing together Israeli and Palestinian women to develop and implement strategies for ending the occupation while creating the conditions for a just and sustainable peace.
Together, the members of the Link educate people on each side of the conflict about one another and create a new political discourse.
Because of military-enforced roadblocks and curfews that prevented her from entering
Jerusalem, Dr. Farhat-Naser was forced to resign her position with the
Jerusalem Center for Women in 2001.
While unable to enter the city, she has had to find a way to spread her message in and from the town where she is confined.
Similarly, Israeli and Palestinian members of the Jerusalem Link are often kept apart by the continuing violence and occupation.
The Jerusalem Link's dialogue and education programs have been periodically suspended, though the body continues to release joint statements.
Each of the two constituent groups also conducts peace-building work on its own.
Despite recent setbacks, the
Jerusalem Center for Women and Bat Shalom continue to work together whenever possible; they remain committed to finding a joint resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Although she is no longer affiliated with the
Jerusalem Center for Women, Dr. Farhat-Naser remains heavily involved in Palestinian peace-building work.
She now conducts training sessions for women and youth within the occupied territories on conflict resolution, nonviolence, civic leadership, human rights, tolerance, and empowerment.
In a recent interview, Dr. Farhat-Naser said:
For the last two years, I have pursued my peace-building work as an individual, rather than through organizations; this provides a certain freedom that is very important at this time—the following selection reflects the early days of this personal work. My time at the Jerusalem Link helped me through this process, developing my peace-building strategies and dialogue skills under severe pressure. I am happy to have had that experience, and I value my connections to my Israeli partners for peace. Even now, I continue the dialogue by addressing with them difficult political issues through writing—both because that's easier for some issues than face-to-face discussions, and because we are rarely allowed to meet. But we do stay in touch.
It's important that in all of this, we see ourselves not as victims, but as activists, as people who can make a difference. So often, people think of women only as victims. We are not victims! We are not weak! Victims need pity. We don't need pity—we need to be independent and functional. We need roles that are challenging and demanding. This is what we want as women. We women have to learn from each other. I'm sure so many women have experienced the things I have—both in my country and around the world. We have to learn from each other, believe in our own strength, and take action!
Of course, the ability to do this is not unique to women, but it is through women's organizations that much of this is taking place. This is because the men's organizations are the established ministries and offices—and they're not working across the divide. We can't do this work without the support of men on both sides, and they can't do it without us. There are and always have been men who dare to cross barriers, to say what they want, to seek peace. But when men have done that—Palestinian or Israeli—they have been punished quickly and harshly. They have been put in prison. They have been attacked from both sides. In joint demonstrations, soldiers and police always arrest the men. It's as though the women are ghosts—they don't see us. They don't want to know that we are capable of reaching across the barriers. They don't want to believe that we are working in politics and able to raise our voices. But we are.
Through it all, she has remained committed to a just peace—and to the importance of perseverance and cross-conflict alliances.
