A cooperative Arab-Jewish children's project led to the creation of this peace sculpture, now permanently installed in the Peace Garden at Seattle Center, in the shadow of the Space Needle.  Under the direction of project founder Amineh Ayyad, Palestinian-American, and local Iraqi Artist Sabah Al-Dhaher, Arab and Jewish children came together for many weeks to create this sculpture.  The project was sponsored by The Arab Center of Washington, The Middle East Peace Camp (an Arab & Jewish children's summer camp), Kadima (a progressive Jewish community), and the Iraqi Community Center.

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Flying Kites for Peace

  

The Jewish Transcript (vol. 81, no. 11)

May 27th, 2005

Hadar Iron, an Israeli, and Amineh Ayyad, a Palestinian, work together to launch a peace kite at Magnuson Park on Friday, May 20.  The two women led several local peace groups and individuals in making and flying kites in solidarity with the 10,000 Kites for Peace event taking place on the same day in Israel and in the Palestinian territories.  Over 45,000 Israelis and Palestinians signed up to fly kites along the 370-mile barrier under construction by the Israeli government.

 

 

10,000 Kites for Peace
By D’vorah Kost
The Newsletter of Congregation Eitz Or, Summer 2005

A small planning committee, prompted by the mellowly-driven tikkun spirit that resides steadfastly in Jerome Chroman, gathered on Sunday May, at UUC, to plan Seattle’s Kite-Flying for Peace to take place on Friday, May 20th in solidarity with 45,000 Israeli’s and Palestinians, with whom the concept originated. That gave us less than three weeks to make and implement all decisions and necessary details for a citywide community Happening: getting a park permit, a security/peace keeper, kite-making supplies, publicity, media, sponsorship, etc. Representing Congregation Eitz Or, the Arab Center of Washington, Kadima, Middle East Peace Camp, and University Unitarian Church, ten of us (a minyan), including an Israeli and a Palestinian, commenced one of those joyous, easy, ragtag, make-it-happen-cuz-everyone-does-what-they-can-do-and-it-all-fits-together-in-the-end process. Only a few days before the event did we realize we needed a back-up plan for rain! This is Seattle, after all. Helloooo….? And Thursday’s bizarre weather, alternating every 5 minutes between sun and storm set in the unavoidable doubts.

What an interesting couple of days! I can’t remember when I was so emotionally invested in rainless skies. How hopeful and relieved I was when I entered Magnuson Park at 3:00 p.m., and I had not seen one rain drop all day! How stunned I was when I pulled into the parking lot and my windshield revealed a handful of raindrops! And then the deluge began. A hard rain was going to fall!! And fall it did. All over our first few tables.

The rains ceased and we proceeded with our set-up. People began to arrive. Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, Christians and Muslims, and men, women and children, friends and families, neighbors and strangers. Making and flying kites for peace. Children singing and instruments shaking. Colors abouncing in the skies. Grasses waving, wind blowing. Reb Tsurah, Yosaif and D’vorah singing Shalu Shalom Yerushalayim. Our hopes and dreams aloft, flying out to Palestinians and Israelis and the land and water that all must share EQUALLY. Hearts opening and Hadar Iron, an Israeli, and Amineh Ayyad, a Palestinian, giving voice to their beautiful and sensitive and courageous hearts, speaking eloquently for us all.
My heart is full with the miracle of it all. The rains ceased, for us. Let there be peace all over the world. May we soon see the Wall come down, violence cease, the settlers peacefully leave Palestinian lands, and may freedom, justice and abundance for all prevail. Amen.

 

 

Kites take flight with words of peace

The Seattle Times

May 21, 2005

 

Cory Arevalo, center, lifts a kite into the sky yesterday at Kite Hill at Magnuson Park.  William Brockus, 7, left, and Alejandro Brockus, right, also were taking part in an event called "10,000 Kites for Peace" intended to show solidarity with participants at a similar event in the Middle East on both sides of a 300-mile barrier between Israelis and Palestinians.  The kites were decorated with messages of peace.

 

 

 

 

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Last modified: September 08, 2006