V: Is the occupation in Gaza something that you talk about with your friends and family? Why or why not?

Hani: Not necessarily the war in Gaza, but more so about what’s happening in Jenin and the West Bank. This is a daily and very regular conversation to have with my family. It’s interesting because it’s never about how we’re actually victims and that this is happening to us. We’d talk about people we’re losing over there like it’s a regular occurrence, we don’t even talk about it in a sad or serious tone. It’s just another day. It’s because we’re Palestinian, my family is still in Jenin and this is not new for us.

V: Lastly, the general question for everyone, What does peace mean to you?

Hani: Peace, for me, means anything you do does not affect anybody else in a negative manner. Peace is stillness. Peace is silence. Peace is the benefit and the privilege of being bored. Peace is not knowing where you’re life is going but being excited about that, because it’s good uncertainty.

Diva: I’ve been trying to figure out how I feel about the situation and I realise I have two sides of feelings toward it. I am, of course, grieving. For the first time in my life I have feelings of grief and gratitude at the same time. When I came to this country 10 years ago there was no space for Syrian immigrants to grieve. We had to be appreciative of what the Northern European government had given us. Our culture is based on gratitude and I feel like the governments have used that cultural knowledge to make us feel demeaned. As if what they were offering us, a chance at life, is something to be grateful for. This is also a reason I’m grieving as much as I am right now, because I never could.

V: How can we, while in Amsterdam, help the harmed people in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and the diaspora?

Diva: I can’t really give an answer that will break it all down. What worked for me personally is learning more about the history, trying to find roots in the issues. I believe we’re all quite stuck in the present while there is so much history to unpack. It’s hard to talk about what’s happening in Palestine, Syria or Lebanon when I don’t even understand the context or haven’t tried to know the history. This is why I started reading, I’ve been reading this book that I feel is extremely valuable called “Hold Everything Dear by John Berger. It’s amazing.

V: how do you envision peace, or what values do you see as necessary to live in a peaceful world?

Dive: There is a beautiful saying in Arabic. We say; “if you’re neighbour is okay, you’re okay.” I feel like this is a mindset we should live by more in The Netherlands. I’ve been very lucky, I live in spaces with communities and I often find myself with people who care for me and check on me. For me, peace is making sure the people around you are okay and you check in on them. If they tell you they’re not okay, there’s most likely not a lot you can do but be understanding and aware of their situation. I think it’s important to be mindful for the people around you.

Yonah: The situation’s been close to my heart since I was very young. I’m Jewish and I wasn’t raised super religiously, but we did go to the synagoge. It’s something that was always there, I think every person that’s Jewish has grown up with their grandparents feeling unsafe. It’s something that's passed on to you. The Jewish people have historically always been oppressed but it is Israel that has been oppressing Palestinians and waging war on Lebanon. From a very young age it didn’t make sense to me that the decedents from the people who survived the holocaust were now oppressing others. For me it makes sense that if you go through something, you’re supposed to sort of be the forefront of change instead of continuing the tradition of oppression.

V: Is the genocide and continuing occupation of Gaza something that you talk about with your friends and family? If you do, what do you talk about? And if not, why don't you talk about it?

Yonah: Yes because I'm a very outspoken person, but I think it's only been a few months since I started talking to my parents about Israel. I mean, they knew I was pro Palestine from very young age, but we never really talked about it, because my mom is still going through the trans generational trauma from her parents that went through the Holocaust. They never really talked about it when they were young, it was just kind of there. I feel like we're sort of discussing it but at the same time, it's still like this big shadow looming over our family. Like there’s some family members I haven’t spoken to and I am definitely not speaking with them again, as they’ve posted so many horrible things this year and treated me and my family so badly. So, it's causing a big rift within not my immediate family, but my family at large. My friends are more supportive, but I also feel like that's my very leftist bubble. So, I've met friends who I go to protest with now and I'm very close to them, because this and other politics are very important to me.

V: How do you think we can make positive change? I mean, us here in the Netherlands, people in Europe, people who are not very close or directly involved, how can we actively do something about it?

Yonah: Protest, you’ve got to make yourself heard and not just through social media. Even though that is important, it’s the protesting that shows you’re present. That means sacrificing your time, your attention, being in a space of political unrest and maybe even bringing yourself into a dangerous position

Because the police have been treating everybody like shit, but it's nothing compared to what people all over the world are suffering from. Look up brands that actively support discriminatory practices. There's websites that keep track of those brands. It's not really that hard to find them, when you see which brands they are; boycot them because that's the direct way of saying you don't believe in what they’re doing.

Aya: Yes, this situation has been present in my life, my entire life. I read about it in school, wrote reports on in, spoke on it at the dinner table, etc.

When I was in Lebanon one summer I experienced an Israeli invasion myself. These invasions have been happening since long before I was born. It’s something you learn about as you grow up and as gruesome as it is, it’s almost become a default to us. What we experience in the past year is something that’s been happening but is now right in front of us and I’m glad people are finally seeing what’s happening and hopefully waking up enough so we can do something about it.

V: What do you think people can actively do from a place like Amsterdam, to change the narrative and make it better?

Aya: I think a lot of people feel hopeless right now and see the fact they’re in a safe space such as Amsterdam as a disadvantage, while it’s most definitely an advantage. Being here means you have recourses, tools and platforms you can use to raise more awareness. Everyone here has got so much more security and less at stake. I think it’s important that people recognise that and dare to take risks and actually do or say something, because it’s far less risky for a lot of people than for any POC person speaking up.

V: Here is my last question, the question we’re asking everyone, what does peace mean to you ?

Aya: Peace has so many meanings, a lot of things contribute to peace. In its essence, it’s about every individual’s right to feel included, seen, safe, free to love, to hold and be respected. It’s about not being policed by one another and listening to what other people have to say, even if it’s something you don’t necessarily agree with. Mostly it’s about respecting each other, whoever they are and whatever they stand for as long as it’s not harmful to others.

Peace for me is feeling like you have security, space and clarity to simply be and to breathe. A lot of people take this for granted, but for many it’s not a luxury.

Finn: I think it’s horrible what is happening over there. I must admit, before last year I didn’t really know what was going on. But now that I am aware through everything I’ve learned and the people around me that showed me a lot of horrible things, I think it’s insane that this is still happening and that we’re all just watching. That there’s a genocide going on and the entire world is just watching is crazy.

V: Do you feel like you are living in peace here in the Netherlands? (How does that compare to what you see happening in places like Gaza?)

Finn: It depends on what you consider peace. I mean, we’re not fighting each other, we’re not at war, but there’s still a lot of violence in our society as in almost every other society. I do consider The Netherlands in a peaceful state, especially if you compare it to places like Gaza.

V: What do you think individuals like yourself can do to help bring about positive change in situations( like the occupation in Gaza?)

Finn: I’ve thought about this a lot, I still don’t really know. I think it’s important to make others aware of the situation and share the things that are happening over there to inspire others to help and share as well. At least that helped for me, to understand the severity of the situation.

I study political science, so I know how difficult it is with the Geo-Politics to actually get something done as an individual. So I think by being an activist by going to protests and sharing your thoughts through conversations and social media, is unfortunately the most we can do

Raaf: Yes, I talk about it with my friends mostly. I have a harder time talking about it with my family because I feel like most of the older generation just say “it’s a conflict” and that’s where the conversation ends - or they don’t know how to help in the situation so they won’t talk about it. It feels a lot safer to talk about it with my friends, also because with those same friends I would attend protests and such, which makes it known we’re on the same side and gives it a safe space to talk openly.

V: How do you envision a peaceful world? What elements or values do you think are essential for creating that kind of world?

Raaf: That’s a tough one. Personally, I’ve always been a sensitive person, since I was a young child it was always confusing when kids were mean to other kids based on looks, race, religion, etc. Especially as a brown kid amongst mostly white children.

So, I don’t really know honestly, it’s about sensitivity, understanding and empathy. I unfortunately think that a lot of people lack these qualities and I have a hard time figuring out how to instil that in people because it comes naturally to me.

Potentially through education, but I feel like a lot of people are unfortunately too lazy and not wanting to learn about hard and painful stuff. Even though I believe It’s very necessary to be open to this, to be vulnerable and feel the hurt.

V: In your own words, what does "peace" mean to you personally?

Raaf: Peace to me means love, for sure. I try to find peace and love in the smaller things. Lately when I’ve been walking down the street and I see people laugh and smile I try to connect to their moments of joy even if I don’t know them. That makes me feel happy and peaceful.

Peace for me is feeling like you have security, space and clarity to simply be and to breathe. A lot of people take this for granted, but for many it’s not a luxury.

R: We need to raise a lot of money, I think the most direct way for us to do something is to get money towards the people in need. I hope at some point the world and people in power will realise that this is not okay and that us as a society do not want this for the world. That’s why we have to share as much as possible and make people be aware. Because if everyone is saying they don’t care about it, nobody will care about it. We have to be the ones that care about it, so when the whole world is against it, there can be an end to this.

V: What does peace mean to you?

R: I think peace is when you’re uninterrupted. If you can live your life the way you want to and there aren’t people interfering with that in a harmful manner. Then I think you’re in a situation that you experience peace. You still have to create a peace of mind for yourself but at least you’re in a peaceful environment.