I got this feeling I cannot describe while reading emails from friends in Baghdad, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Gaza, Beirut, and Belfast about the candle vigils that we all organized as the MERYAN; the Middle East Regional Youth Action Network, all synchronized at the same time, in the same spirit, to denounce not only the bombings in Amman, but all the bloodshed, violence, and terrorism that's taking place in our region.
When the bombings took place here in Amman, it was a shock to all MERYANers, mostly because to them Amman was the safe place that made it possible for a group of active youth from Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, as well as Jordan to meet again after they participated in the International Youth Parliament (IYP) in Sydney in July 2004, through the Quaker Service and KAFD. One of the ideas for an action project proposed at the IYP by a Jordanian participant was to set up some kind of a network of active youth in our region. Amman became the meeting point, and it was here last august that the group was expanded, a vision was drafted and it all became more tangible.
When the bombings took place here in Amman, it was a shock to all MERYANers, mostly because to them Amman was the safe place that made it possible for a group of active youth from Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, as well as Jordan to meet again after they participated in the International Youth Parliament (IYP) in Sydney in July 2004, through the Quaker Service and KAFD. One of the ideas for an action project proposed at the IYP by a Jordanian participant was to set up some kind of a network of active youth in our region. Amman became the meeting point, and it was here last august that the group was expanded, a vision was drafted and it all became more tangible.
Our group vision of the MERYAN is a network of young people and youth organizations that starts in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine and seeks to build bridges across all borders that divide our youth, drawing its uniqueness from the diversity of its members that is rooted in their lived realities/experiences. The MERYAN seeks to build and strengthen relations between them and to reach a larger segment of youth.
After the bombings, we all wanted to take some sort of action to express our feelings against the killing of all those innocent civilians in each of our countries, and we decided to hold candle vigils or silent marches at the same time, and to state what we as a youth group completely reject and what values we call for.
Here in Amman, we agreed that we would do the candle vigil in front of the Radisson SAS at 5:00 PM on Thursday the 17th, but until Tuesday (15th), it had completely slipped our minds that we need to get official permission. The point was brought up on Tuesday night, we started discussing it and trying to make arrangements on Wednesday… there was no way we could let it go and not carry it out! It was a crazy last-minute effort… the King Abdullah Fund for Development agreed to be the official umbrella through which we could request permission from the mayor; we went to them Thursday morning, got the letter signed, took it to the mayor of Amman, explained the whole idea to his office manager, sat waiting… and then within 15 minutes they gave us the ok! I was so happy and grateful at how helpful everyone was… and got out of that office at 12:30 with one big concern; can we get enough people in time?? It was a frantic effort with countless phone calls and messages, and faxes and calls to some newspapers and agencies as well!! But WE DID IT! Around 40 people came, we distributed the statement that all of us in the MERYAN group had drafted together, and explained that while we were standing there at the stairs of the Radisson SAS holding these candles, we were not alone, the same stand with the same statement was taking place in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Northern Ireland…
It felt beautiful, because most of the young people present there are those whom I've always felt inspired by, proactive, aware, and involved. It was cozy but very genuine and very heartfelt.
After the bombings, we all wanted to take some sort of action to express our feelings against the killing of all those innocent civilians in each of our countries, and we decided to hold candle vigils or silent marches at the same time, and to state what we as a youth group completely reject and what values we call for.
Here in Amman, we agreed that we would do the candle vigil in front of the Radisson SAS at 5:00 PM on Thursday the 17th, but until Tuesday (15th), it had completely slipped our minds that we need to get official permission. The point was brought up on Tuesday night, we started discussing it and trying to make arrangements on Wednesday… there was no way we could let it go and not carry it out! It was a crazy last-minute effort… the King Abdullah Fund for Development agreed to be the official umbrella through which we could request permission from the mayor; we went to them Thursday morning, got the letter signed, took it to the mayor of Amman, explained the whole idea to his office manager, sat waiting… and then within 15 minutes they gave us the ok! I was so happy and grateful at how helpful everyone was… and got out of that office at 12:30 with one big concern; can we get enough people in time?? It was a frantic effort with countless phone calls and messages, and faxes and calls to some newspapers and agencies as well!! But WE DID IT! Around 40 people came, we distributed the statement that all of us in the MERYAN group had drafted together, and explained that while we were standing there at the stairs of the Radisson SAS holding these candles, we were not alone, the same stand with the same statement was taking place in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Northern Ireland…
It felt beautiful, because most of the young people present there are those whom I've always felt inspired by, proactive, aware, and involved. It was cozy but very genuine and very heartfelt.
Most importantly, it felt great to make it happen in such a limited period of time… a reminder that we have the ability to mobilize people and take action if we really believe in it!
We weren't certain our friends in Iraq would be able organize something similar, because of the very difficult situation, so it was amazing to know that they got together in spite of everything, and held a vigil on the rooftop of their NGO; the Iraqi Al-Amal Association.
We weren't certain our friends in Iraq would be able organize something similar, because of the very difficult situation, so it was amazing to know that they got together in spite of everything, and held a vigil on the rooftop of their NGO; the Iraqi Al-Amal Association.
The group in Beirut got together in front of the Jordanian embassy amidst very tight security measures. Here's a bit of news on what they did on the Petra news Agency website. And here's what our friend Nelly shared with us:
I personally felt all of you today. I felt what a wonderful group of people we are. I felt the presence of every one of you and I felt that what we did was for every one of us, no matter where we are. I felt we were doing this for Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, and of course Lebanon. I kept remembering you all, I was trying to imagine what it would be like if you were with us (physically..) This is our vision…our mission…
In Ramallah MERYANers organized a silent march in which 70 people participated, and in Bethlehem a vigil was held and brought together around 50. The group in Gaza held an event at the Ministry of Culture with a film, a musician playing Oud, candles, a mural to write comments on, and signatures. In Belfast a vigil was organized at the Student Union building near Queen's University, bringing together 30 people, mostly Arab students, one of whom had lost her cousin in the Amman attacks. It was covered by the University Radio, and attended by the president of the student union.
I'm still waiting for the rest of the pictures, but here are the ones that have been shared so far…
(Amman, then Baghdad, and Bethlehem)
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