STOP THE WAR COALITION

PEACE-DANCE PROPOSAL FOR MANCHESTER 21^st or 22^nd Sept 06

(particularly suitable for Sept. 22^nd , UN International Peace Day?)

DRAFT OUTLINE

TITLE: “Dancing through the Wall” (NB Alternative: “Dancing down the Wall”)

BACKGROUND

v A version of a proposal sent to Israel/Palestine before the Israeli elections. If politically feasible, people would have danced through the WALL from both directions, jointly and equally reclaiming the space. The Dance (below) would, in Manchester, be a proxy.

v Arises from my experience as a teacher of ethnic village and community dancing (circles, lines, spirals) and my trips to Israel in Oct/Nov 05, exploring Dance and, (separately) Action Research, as tools for peace/bringing diverse and conflicting people together. I was exploring in respect of Action Research with the Bereaved Families Forum (both communities). You could refer to Aaron Barnea’s letter of Aug 10^th to E. Olmert and Fuad Seniora (www.theparentscircle.com). (I am not a spokesperson or representative of the Parents Circle).

v Intentions:

· This kind of Dance brings people together on an entirely equal basis without cultural appropriation or dominance. (No-one can move unless all move together, the dance jointly owned in the dancing with mutual respect). Diversity and distinctiveness among dancers is positively valued, given the commitment to the present moment which produces such coherence.

· Re-humanising self whilst recognising the humanity of the other (‘enemy’). Demonstrates irrelevance and futility of the WALL. Recovers hope.

· Assist in transmuting reactive and culturally supported anger, fear, grief and the ‘mistrust of victimhood’ (Alistair Crooke) into a more balanced strength of co-creative purpose around political messages: – “see people behind the stereotypes”; “no more killing of children”; “recognition of peoples’ rights & justice”; “people from both sides can accept each other to a degree and work together”; “give hope for a peaceful, collaborative future”; “reclaim a future jointly”. Refer to OURAIM publication, and reprint of Alisatair Crooke’s article, distributed on London Peace March.

· Arouse media interest in a form of political theatre emphasising global human identity and interdependence, without loss of other identities.

· Network from a central place to other areas nationwide a possibility.

· Strong, positive interfaith connections and engagement desirable; engage UK faith/ethnic communities.

CHOREOGRAPHY

v General: People are invited to dance (holding hands) with others mutually deemed to belong to the same category (e.g. Arab with Arab), with whom they feel comfortable, in ‘open’ circles. In succeeding dances these circles begin to move as curving lines which begin to join up. These initial dances happen on either side of a divide/no-man’s land/checkpoint/ projected mock-up of the WALL. Eventually, with a specific dance to fusion-music, both lines approach the checkpoint gap simultaneously from each direction led by e.g. Palestinian/Arab and Israeli/Jewish children/adolescents, respectively. The head of each line joins with the tail of the other creating a single large (or possibly concentric) closed circle(s), leading to a final dance in an open circle where distinctiveness is evident, and also collaboration, interdependence and coherence.

o Where religious or cultural taboos prohibit physical contact, then scarves can be used between people of different categories (e.g. muslim women, men) to maintain coherence whilst emphasising distinctiveness.

o If people are too traumatised or dispirited to dance, then they can ‘hold the space’ as spectators, joining in – if moved – from an outer ring. Parents with young children/push chairs could be in the centre. People in wheelchairs to the centre?

o People in (mock-ups of) Israeli army and militia uniforms could eventually dance together or in the circle.

v Specific

· All dances would need teaching (see below). They would be extremely simple and accessible to anyone with normal coordination and physical capacity. Music would be from a range of countries with an East/West balance played by a fusion band, if possible.

· Religious, political and community leaders would be invited to take part. (A Rabbi, an Imam and a Priest demonstrating a dance together would give a powerful message).

· Parents of those killed in London bombings and of the bombers involved, by invitation.

RESOURCES in MANCHESTER SITUATION

An afternoon with an agreed focus on Palestine/Israel
Suitable insurance
A large park with a reasonably secure, unobstructed, danceable surface
Two large screens facing in opposite directions, with a ‘no man’s land’ gap, with projection capacity (images of the WALL, the teaching of steps etc.)
A band with a world dance capacity (I have one in mind) on a dais with compère dance teachers. CD capacity for some dances.
Dance teachers and leaders (I have many contacts)
Media support, even broadcasting. (This event could be nationally networked (simultaneous dances elsewhere?). PUBLICITY
Political and admin. support from British Israeli/Palestinian peace groups (e.g. Jews for Justice in Palestine, Just Peace) who take a balanced, un-demonising and even-handed approach and have worked together across boundaries for a long time.
Official permissions; community politicians on –side; security (with the Chief Constable joining the dance?)
A fine afternoon (!). A political context in Sept 06 that makes this acceptable to enough people in all communities to defuse any extreme militant backlash or anti-dialogue takeover.
Bereaved Parents / children present to lead the dancers.
Others to emerge.

ADMINISTRATION & TIME SCALE

Ø Given the shortness of the time scale, this proposal could be scaled up or down to suit available resources; I have offered above a more ambitious approach. If the Coalition likes the proposal, then the Manchester event could be an activists-only try-out event to validate the approach for a larger scale event later, probably with national / international networking.

Ø Would need to be ‘owned’, financed and administered by committed Peace groups working with me as above. Whom do you have in Coalition who might be interested? I would be happy to travel to meet anyone/ an alliance for this purpose and work hard on the actual Dance, Music, Band side of things, and further unpack what can only be a brief outline.

CONCLUSION

I believe that this approach has great potential, given the acceptability of its intentions. It would fit with a strong ‘negotiate now’ message, relevant where people are fighting and dying. It might be offensive, threatening and challenging to anyone committed to battle from the perception of one side being entirely ‘right’. However, given participation, confrontation of the ‘enemy’ could come from a different position recognising underlying common humanity and a desire for a peace, just to the people on both/all sides, not an ultimate victory for one which denies the humanity of the other. Given a cease-fire acceptable to all parties, then such a Dance would eventually have a strong celebratory note. To many people, especially Westerners, dance is individualistic, fun, leisure. The kind of Dance proposed is something else, since its variety (sound, beat & steps) responds to any exigency of life, including the sadness and injustice of long-term occupation and repression (e.g. Greece).

I commend this for your attention.

Ken Masters

NB: I wish to maintain recognition of my rights as originator of the concept of this Dance, together with my friend Stefan Freedman, international Dance teacher, on whose original choreographic idea this is based.