Positive Disruption in the Holy Land / #OurHumanityByTheWayside #socialresponsibility #skateboarding @Israel @Palestine

Like in the United States, most individuals and families seek healthy opportunities to further their education and well-being, if given the chance. Invariably, there will always be elements looking to destabilize peace and a Palestine State coexisting peacefully with an Israeli state.

Would country families in the rural regions of Israel and Palestine consider taking a part in a mega-skatepark initiative with routine skateboarding contests involving both Palestinian and Israeli family youth?

These parks could dot the land complete with skateboarding schools that are inclusive of both nationalities. Building them within Palestine and Israel is important, as is building the largest skateparks between heavy tension points, including in and around Jerusalem and rural lands that are contested. Done quickly and magnanimously enough, the simple action of building these and sustaining the vision of why they are being built, would cause a ‘brothers keeper’ effect, directly impacting the political status quo, all ultimately by the actions of mom’s and dad’s.

Bring in the best skateboarding architects to help design for free, have the trucks and craftsmen and women pour the concrete, make the wooden ramps, create the skateboards. Build parks and make them safe and accessible to both Israeli and Palestinian families; that they may consider bringing their children and that leagues and skateboard schools be start up. If it be so, then the adventurous and brave will skate at these parks. Put the largest and best ones amongst geographical areas of tension.

This is one way to problem-solve and it comes down to actual Palestinian and Israeli families. Actual Mom’s and Dad’s. Just like the Scalzi Original coaches are focused on serving the diverse community with different ethnicities and national origins at our local skate park, diverse and wide-spread ‘heart-support’ within Israel and Palestine could spur this heart initiative into creation.

Dear Families and family members of Israel and Palestine,

Social good through social entrepreneurship can cross over political, ethnic, religious and governmental lines easily because of its inclusive, positive process of empowerment in serving one another. It is far healthier for our actual physical hearts also if we decide to live at peace with each other. What a long time of tension.. since 1947, 70 years ago. New approaches and new ways of thinking could be introduced so that the families of Israel and Palestine can grow and strengthen with a respite from tension. 

Surely, all the odds are against an initiative as simple as this one to take root and grow. So be it. Peace could be had when the minds and hearts decide to be heart-action leaders in service to one another, Muslim and Jew. That is to say, brother’s keeper’s.  This is the second of two top commandments of the God of Abraham, a God to both Jew and Muslim. The first being to love God with all our heart, mind soul, and strength.