Jane Fonda and Eve Ensler conduct an evening for women

December 20, 2002:  Actress Jane Fonda, accompanied by Eve Ensler and a team involved with the V-Day movement, conducted an evening for Palestinian and Israeli women peace activists, during their visit to the region.  Following a performance by singer Amal Murkus and presentations by a number of women peace activists, Eve Ensler recited excerpts from "The Vagina Monologues".  Before the program , Ms. Fonda chatted animatedly with girls from NSWAS.  Both she and Eve Ensler said they were inspired by the village and its activities for peace.

The event, which was organized by Daphna Golan (Jerusalem), Nava Sonnenschein and Wafa Srour of the School for Peace, and Dorit Shippin of the Pluralistic Spiritual Centre of NSWAS, was held in the village auditorium and attended by some 250 persons. The program included a potluck meal, a time for informal exchange and presentations by:

• Daphna Golan, the founding director of Bat Shalom, and long-term peace and human rights activist, who read from her book "Where am I in this Story"
• Suad Amiri, a Ramallah architect who was the only woman at the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations in Washington 1992-1993, who read from her yet to be published book "War Diaries"
• Haggith Gor Ziv, founder of the New Profile organisation, is director of the Center of Critical Pedagogy at the Kibbutzim College of Education and author of peace, human rights and gender equality curricula.
• Smadar Nehab, a feminist active in a number of peace organisations.  Her son is in jail for refusing to serve in the occupation.
• Lina Yassin, an active member of the Ta'ayush peace organisation.
• Nava Sonnenschein, founding director of the the School for Peace, who has trained hundreds of Jewsih and Palestinian conflict group facilitators
• Wafaa Zriek Srour, member of the School for Peace team and director of women's projects.

The evening brought into focus both the ways in which women are victimized by the current conflict, and their possible contribution to peace. Jane Fonda, by her powerful presence brought with her a message of encouragement and solidarity to women on both sides of the conflict.

Jane Fonda (right) with
Nava Sonnenschein

with girls from NSWAS

speaking with the audience

Eve Ensler

Amal Murkus