Palestinian teens’ Austria trip a cultural respite from strife
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070717-081956-4959r
July 17, 2007
VIENNA — Thirteen Palestinian teenagers from Bethlehem’s Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation recently had the chance to spend a memorable fortnight in Austria, a respite from the rigors of daily life in the occupied territories.
“We wanted to show that Palestine and its conflicts affect us. And we want to raise … awareness for problems outside of our country,” said one of the trip’s main organizers, Bogdan Pammer, an 18-year-old student from the Austrian city of Steyr, in an interview with a local newspaper titled: “A break from the conflict in the Middle East.”
The project, “Building Bridges to Bethlehem,” was put together through the collaborative efforts of the groups Service for Peace‚ Universal Peace Federation, and Women’s Federation, supported by the Palestinian community.
For the six young men and seven young women who visited Austria during the first two weeks of July, it was an altogether novel experience: green countryside, trees, meadows, lakes and, especially, the freedom to move in a country without walls, to roam the streets without fear, exploring wherever they felt like. … [continue]
