Life Storiesthat Build Community
Life StoriesThat Build Community
A report on the Life Stories Project
2010-2011
"An enemy is one whose story we have not heard."
Ms. Gene Knudsen Hoffman
Life stories humanize the "other"
Hearing personal narratives of our diverse backgrounds brings us closer together.
Listening and being truly heard is one of the great acts of welcoming and community building.
This new quality of communication awakens empathy and trust in the listener.
It heals the story teller.
It dignifies both..
(L. Traubman)
Life Stories - Events in the last 2 years:
Sulhita youth project:A 5 day gathering for 80 Jewish, Muslim and Christian youth ages 16-17.There were two life stories sessions : March and October 2010.
Conference on Integration of Immigrants,MoroccoJune 2011. Sharing life storiesas a way to build trust and relationships (60 participants from 204 middle east and European countries).
URIannual gatheringin Madba, Jordan. 70 participants from Middle East countries. There was alife stories workshop co-facilitatedby Hanan Jafali.
Peace education gatheringwinter 2009 in Tantur.An evening of Life Stories and music for 100 participants (organized byIPCRI).
Through Creativity- Learning languages from each other by sharing stories and songs. The project was initiated be special young activists. Jerusalem 2011(30 participants).
Seven hour workshop ofLife Storiesfor "Ma'agalim-Halakat" ("circles") dialogue group inJaffa,July 2011(26 participants).
Gatherings at the Dead Sea, winter 2009 & 2010.Two Life Stories sessions(40 Israeli and Palestinianparticipants each time)
Meet the Other- Rothschild Ave, Tel aviv, August 2011(20 participants).
Life Story evening in Ofakim, a small town in southern Israel. July 2011(40 participants).
Creativity and Life Storiesby the dead sea2011.Weekendwith two days of Life Stories,hiking, creativity, art and more (30 participants).
Sulha Peace Project. Life Stories for the staff and for participants from Israel and Palestine.Threesessions(10-30 participants).
EcoME, Peace Center. Twosessions of Life Stories and music for Israelis and Palestinians2010-2011 (40 participants).
Life Stories. One session at a High school in Modiin 2011(8 participants).
MEJDI.Five groups of tourists from USA came to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian Narrative.Included meetings with settlers, refugees, ministers, journalists, peace activists and more 2011 (6-25 participants).
Promoting Life Stories sessions with refugees from Darfur and Arithrea 2011.
Five meetings planned for later this summer.
Comments about Life Stories sessions
"Elad Vazana led a powerful and participatory workshop on how to convert imagined enemies into friends through sharing life stories. Elad, an Israeli Jew of Moroccan descent, did a masterful job of creating a safe space for people to share stories in ways that created openings where before only walls might have existed."Charles Gibbs - URI's founding Executive Director
The storytelling evening with Elad enabled members of different communities in the city of Ofakim, to share a very personal and powerful story, in a way that made everyone feel close to each other and to a mutual inner human existence. These kind of precious moments, are the ones that create a community and remind us all that we can understand one another and live together. It's a movement towards Peace.
Shira Lapidot,
Head of Cultural Managment Program, Sapir College
I'm experiencing Elad's workshops as very deep and profound healing moments. Itsurprisesme each time how much it touches my inner core and help me to see the other with open heart and learn that there are noenemies. Elad knows how to create a protected space of trust and truth in hisbeautiful way of being. Coming from a source of wisdom and understanding the human heart.
When we are telling our own story in a protected space, we can feel supported by the whole and the feeling of not being alone, is a healing feeling. when one is sharing his story he realize that he is not the only one. meaning that we can connect through personal stories and understand that all of us coming from the same source, going through the same stories and sharing the same wish for a better future. feeling that we are one has an affect that can change the world.
Lee Ziv- a Peaceactivist working in the Middle East. A producer, tour leader, global bridge builder between people, projects and hope. Lee is a co-founder of Musiaque project
I have known Elad for a long time as a facilitator, youth guide and friend.Elad is a very unique person. He has the ability to make a group of total strangers share very intimate and powerful experiences. With his gentle and humane personality he creates a safe environment that enables people to meet and exchange feelings, thoughts and experiences with the total and sincere respect for different narratives.
I was participating in one of the "Life Stories" events that was held in Jaffa. At the beginning I was skeptical. I didn’t think that people would cooperate and I came only to listen. I was definitely sure that I won't share a story of mine, because even though I am a performer in my profession, I don’t like to share my intimate thoughts in public.
After some seconds of silence people began to talk and tell stories about transformation and change. It passed from one another with just some music in between. It seemed like all the people gathered there (around 30 people) wanted to be part of the storytelling. I was fascinated by the stories. People talked about very deep change in their lives, in their thoughts and in their emotions. All the time I thought I don’t want to tell anything and I actually don’t have a story to tell. Just before the end I remembered a story and without even knowing what I was doing I raised my hand and started telling my story. I felt how people listened and I was moved by it. I finished my story and felt that somehow I became part of this group. I met some people later and they all talked about the strong experience. Some I never met after but the option that Elad suggested for us to gather and listen to one another and find the way to connect in your own way to other people stories, made the concept of foreigners and boundaries fall for an hour.
I think it is a very powerful tool. It goes beyond didactic ways of meeting the other. It talks the language of sharing stories like story tellers, but from a very pure and mundane perspective.
This project, brings a new way of listening and talking.
Iris Erez
Choreographer, dancer and dance therapist.
I entered a room not knowing about what the activity was going to be or who the participants were, all I saw were people from different nationalities, different languages, sitting side by side , opening their hearts, trying to comfort one another, I saw it's not wrong to share a story that bothered you or suffered from for years, I learned that it's ok to have a problem and it's ok that you can share , it's a relieving experience that was almost like a group therapy,everyone was sharing a story of his life and get the badenergy out of his system. it was weird cause people get validation and support from other members as they begin to share, and nobody was judgingothers. There were an atmosphere full of respect, safety and understanding.
Dina, Palastinian Peace Activist.
It was great. I heard a lot of moving stories that helped me clear things up in my mind. They moved me, and the energy of the meeting was amazing. It was so relaxing and private, it felt as if nothing that is said in the meeting can ever leave the room.
The potential is big. Story sharing creates a bond within people, and pulls them closer together. Life story can tell us and help us understand people, what moves them, what makes them what they are. There's no better explanation for being than a life story.
Ema, High school student from Bosnia.
Sample3 Hour Workshop
Opening context(5 minutes)
Who is in the room(15-20 minutes)
- Brief introductions (name, home town, why you chose this workshop
- All in "one breath."
Experience in pairs for everyone.(8 minutes)
- Participants share with the person sitting next to them whythey came to the workshop. Focus on what can be shared that would create a space for each participant later to listen to others (3 minutes each).
- Process the experience:Listen to several participants share with everyone (5 minutes).
Sharing "Stories of transformation and change – an event in participants’ lives that changed the way they see the world/others"(one hour)
- Six in-depth experiences (4 minutes each). Focus on what in the stories heard still resonate in the listeners,what came up for each participant while listening, and theirfeelings and thoughts about their lives.
- Live flute and oud music after stories 1, 3, and 5
- Small groups of four people (10 minutes) to process personal meaning for each participant after stories 2, 4, and 6.
Large group processing(about 30 minutes)
Hear what each person in room -- participants and facilitators -- will take home with them.
The Radio Program
The radio program invites people from diverse communities and backgrounds to share stories from their lives about change and transformation.
Participants include groups of people who have experienced cultural clashes in a variety of ways. Muslims, Christians, secular and religious Jews, former Hammas leaders, peace activists, academics, immigrants from Ethiopia, Russia, settlers, refugees and more share their life stories. By listening to the each other’s stories – the “Other” becomes more human, less of a stranger, and less frightening.
The stories are accompanied byambient music from diverse countries and traditions. The host also shares his own life stories to inspire and to weave the stories into a life changing program .
You can Listen to any of eight radio program"Life stories"in Radio All for Peace
Comments from the radio website:
"Great creation!"Tzakh
"DearElad, This program is even more exciting than the first one. Thanks for your words, your listening, the space for encounters through the heart. It’s precious",Duli
"I listened to Elad's radio program and it goes with the same idea of hearing the other's story. I think all people connect to stories. It is the format we grow up with as children and it keeps on fascinating us as adults. I think this tool can cross boundaries which cannot be crossed otherwise." Iris
"Great program. Touching!" Diana
"Great program, you sound great, I loved it", Hagit
Life Stories 2012 Plan
Life Stories meetings for diverse communities(14 meetings)
- 2 volunteers to help organize meetings
- 8 (estimate) meetings for adults and 6 meetings for youth in schools
- Between 20 to 80 participants in each meeting (Average estimated total of 700 participants)
"Life Stories" weekly radio program on All for Peace radio (16 programs)
- Volunteer (intern) to help with research of speakers and music
- 16 programs planned for next year
- 300 listeners per program (estimated)(Estimated total of 4800 listeners)
Training program for 15 Life Stories facilitators (8 meetings)
Train 12 facilitators to be able to initiate and facilitate Life Stories events and meetings.
- 8 training meetings planned for next year
- Each facilitator will lead at least 1 meeting the next year
- Estimated total of 350 participants
Contact Information:
Elad Vazana
+972 (0) 54 249 7009
skype : eladvazana