Tim Upham's Page

Hello, you have inspired me to consider looking at psalm 122

Hi Tim, I came by, just to make sure we are still friends.

I still think you should put up a picture of some kind. I am sure you would like it. But then, it is a feminine idea, to decorate the scene. Maybe no picture is just as good, from a male perspective.

Best Wishes. You really are the only one keeping this group going.

Thank you Tim for inviting me to this network.

Tim -- We're so pleased you noticed and were encouraged by the Washington Post article.  We've become close with Moustafa and his wonderful wife, Lyn.  Do point others to their powerful example of creativity.  Yours,    Libby and Len

Food truck will deliver message of Mideast peace
By Emily Wax,
The Washington Post -- Friday, 25 January 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/food-truck-will-deliver-message-of-mideast-peace/2013/01/25/b121ea7e-6665-11e2-93e1-475791032daf_story.html
     Moustafa M. Soliman, a 76-year-old Egyptian American author and activist, wants to spread the message of attainable peace between Arabs and Jews with a food truck that serves kosher eats from one window and halal treats from another. 
     "I have spent years and had numerous meetings trying to get energy projects to work with Israeli and Arab officials, then a government minister leaves or Hamas fires a rocket or Israel launches an attack and the whole thing becomes hostage to who's in power,' he said. "When political structures are shaky, it's the grass roots that can really make a difference. I started to think, let's literally take it to the streets."

Hi Tim, Do have a look around google images. It is fun. I can waste loads of time admiring all kinds of lovely pictures. You are sure to find something you will find pleasing. With the introduction of goodle Crome, and the other new facilities, searching for pictures became rediculously easy. Do try it, I am sure you will find the results pleasing. The pictures themselves can lead to interesting articles.

Best Wishes,

Sussan. 

Hi Tim, I guess you know this group would be struggling, except for you constant contributions, so I am very glad you are here.

I still think you should put up a picture/symbol, but then, that would be because I am  firstly a person who is interested in visual impressions. 

The thing I like most about mepeace is that it pushes me to think more deeply about some of the most important issues in life - peace and justice, and how we are going to get there.

Dar-al-Islam seems applying strongly in the Middle East, not here in Indonesia due to our national constitution of Pancasila. Pancasila is our ideological foundation to embrace five principles of living in Indonesia. The first one is the Great Unity of Deity. The second principle is Humanity. The third is The Unity of Indonesia. The fourth is Consultation to reach consensus and representation. The fifth is Social justice to all Indonesians.

Due to the struggles of the separation movement and the emergence for solving the tsunami disaster,   Aceh got its own special status to apply the Islamic law but not the rest of Indonesia. We are still struggling to shape our new democratic process post reformation movement. Some areas, especially in regencies or distric leves have applied  local regulations to reflect the practice of Islamic law but the policies have gained lots of  nationwide protests. They do not work out, except only for the budgeting purposes as I can see.

Indonesia is not the source of origins as what the claims have made for Abrahamic religions which were borned in Middle East. All religions in Indonesia were alien which had to be contextualized into the local cultures. Competition to the control of trading brought out from traders who conquered and colonized, used the religions for dividing power, especially in the several transitional periodes like from Hinduism-Budhism to Islam to Catholicism to Protestanism. This historical richness of religious landscapes  inspired our founding father to conceive the principles of Pancasila as the ways Indonesians have to live in this freed world. Annouced the independence after the second war world along with the reality of ideological competition between communism and capitalism as well as the long period of colonial history, the creation of Pancasila for the new Indonesia was a genuine to image a country to live in harmony and peace for the world. At the time East Timor was not a part of Indonesia yet. It was given by the State after the crisis occured in Angkola which was a part of a colony of the Portuguese. The rise of communism in the area was scare to the USA. However, it stayed shortly for East Timor in a part of Indonesia because of many factors, one might be relating to the historical colonizer and religious identity. However, I think it might be relate to the practice of justice due to the centralizing sytems, not like in the USA which applies federalism.

So I think, Israeli nation state has to be existed in its original site. However, as you said, can Israeli and Palestine and the rest of Dar-al-Islam get out from their prejudies, stereotypes etc to recognise each other rights to live. For the areas I guess the model of reconciliation has to go deeply. I see you have thought about the solution, however, I think perhaps the economical choices have to be integreted into the peace process systematically. 

Thanks for sharing your skepticism, while the dillema of the making decision had to be made. Hope it worked well especially to serve the goal of the peacebuilding in the area of conflict like in Israel and Palestine. The process in which the program was conducted to include both the representation of parties especially those on the level of elites to engage into a peaceful negogiation seems becoming very important to be explored. I wonder whether this effort was a part of the interests of the Israeli government. Salam.

Perhaps Seeds for Peace could design a special program for those in this context. I wonder whether you have thought before. Thanks for your inspiring answer. salam