Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Can Mothers Bring Peace to the Middle East?

Thought for the Day: The war in the Middle East rages on and with each day the tragic loss of life increases. Pacifism and optimism don't seem to coexist in that area of the world. I am saddened by the senseless loss of life on both sides. I wish I had the answers that would end the conflict. The quote from above was first spoken in 1957 by Golda Meir, (1898 -1978), the 4th prime Minister of the State of Israel and the 3rd woman in the world to become a prime minister of any nation. She was a mother and grandmother who lead Israel into war with a heavy heart. Sadly. peace still eludes the region. Only two pieces of news this week gave me hope. 
     The 1st was an unprecedented announcement that the IDF, the Israeli Defense Force, opened a field hospital close to the border with Gaza, to offer treatment to Palestinian civilian casualties. In addition, they will be offering EMS services to women, children and the elderly needing medical treatment. Injuries requiring additional care will be transferred to Israeli hospitals.I commend their progressive attempts to let the civilian population know that they do not wish to harm them. Their issues are with Hamas.
     I believe that if the world ever learns to live in peace, it will be due to the efforts of mothers who will find creative ways to coexist for their children and their children's children's sake. I found the 2nd bit of news that gave a tiny ray of hope on Facebook. I added some images and share them as the 2nd words of wisdom for today. It is a prayer co-written by two mothers, Sheikha Ibtisam Mahameed, a Palestinian, and Rabba Elad-Appelbaum, an Israeli. I hope that their prayers will be answered...

Motivational Mondays: Will Middle East Tragedy Bring Peace & Reconciliation or Retribution?

Thought for the Day: Sometimes, even psychologists remain silent when they are upset. This has been the case for me regarding the events over the past weeks in the Middle East. First, I was shocked and saddened by the kidnapping, search for and finally the discovery of the murder of three young teenagers in Israel. I had no words and avoided speaking about it on my blog. Then, words failed me again as I was disgusted to hear of the murder of a Palestinian teen in an apparent act of retribution. I feared an escalation of acts of retributions. Two wrongs never make a right, they simply lead to more and more wrongs. Those of you who follow my blog know that I am essentially a pacifist doing what ever I can to advocate for a more peaceful world with sensible gun control. When I hear of senseless murder of children, even I have trouble finding the right words.

Today, I noticed an article that gave me a sense of hope in the midst of the terrible most recent tragedies that have happened in the Middle East. Instead of retribution, it was the story of Palestinians and Jewish mourners consoling one another. Can tragedy motivate people to find ways to reach peace?

Flashback Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Pete Seeger Singer, Songwriter, Sage's Powerful Weapon

Thought for the Day: The quote on Pete Seeger's Banjo, which a friend posted on Facebook yesterday has today's words of wisdom:

This Machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.

My father knew 3 people over the years who were famous. He went to school with Ozzie Nelson, the father of teen heart throb actor and singer, Ricky Nelson. His dentist was Felicia Rashad's (From the Bill Cosby show) father. When I was a teenager, the fact that he knew Ricky Nelson's father was pretty impressive. However, his third famous acquaintance, Pete Seeger, who passed away this week whose words of wisdom are on his banjo above, tops them all.

Motivational Monday: Psychology, Morality & Politics: Is there a Red Line Even Pacifists Cannot Ignore?

Thought for the Day: It's Labor Day and I don't feel like writing, however, often I find that I need to push myself when I feel least motivated. Sometimes, it leads to some of my greatest insights. I have been avoiding writing about the horrible events in Syria for a while now. I try to stay clear of political topics. Instead, I focus on things more directly related to the field of psychology. However, as a psychologist who has always looked at issues related to war and peace, I know that I need to address this sooner or later.

It will be no surprise to those of you who have been following my blog, that I am a "dove" at heart. I grew up singing folk songs of peace and protesting war. I lived in Israel and studied ways to help people cope with the trauma of war, father absence and death of a parent during war and terrorist attacks. Here in the USA, I have continued to work for peaceful resolution of conflicts, sensible gun control, and reduction of violence and bullying.

On the other hand, I grew up hearing about the holocaust. I know all too well the traumatic impact World War II and the Nazi's intent to annihilate the Jewish people (and gypsies and disabled of all races and religions) had on my family and on countless others for generations to come. I worked with holocaust survivors and their offspring. Therefore, I am conflicted by the evidence of the gassing of innocent civilians and children. Although I and most Americans are weary of wars and reluctant to get involved in yet another conflict in the Middle East, can we sit by idly and watch a tyrant who would gas his own people? What message are we sending to the world if we turn our heads and pretend it is not happening? Could hundreds of thousands of lives been saved during World War II if the United States had responded sooner to Hitler's regime? Is there a red line even pacifists cannot ignore? Has it been crossed?

I don't have the answers, just scores of questions. I hope that our president, congress and military strategists have creative interventions that will make a difference and help put an end to the violence. The red line in Iran and a nuclear threat to the world is rapidly approaching as well. Like it or not, we need to address these issues. Is there a moral red line that we all must cross when a tyrant moves toward the genocide of any group? It saddens me that I must write about this, but I guess this is why I did not feel like writing today. My guess is that it is something we all would rather avoid, but the world is looking to us for leadership and it is our responsibility to address these questions.

As always, your thoughts, suggestions and comments are welcome. Please join the discussion and share them here.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Maria Montesorri & Fred Rogers on Fear

Thought for the Day: As I will be in Boston today helping people dealing with the trauma of Monday’s bombings, I have turned to quotes by two educators that may help you deal with the tragedy & combat the natural fear of strangers that arises after such events. I hope you will take time to find ways to heal from this tragedy, since we all have been traumatized. I hope these words will help you & those near to you.

As more information is released regarding the Boston Marathon bombing, we can be inspired by a quote from Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian Maria Montessori who lived from August 31, 1870 till May 6, 1952. The founder of Montesorri schools believed that, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.” It often seems that terrorism & fear of strangers go hand-in-hand. We’re afraid of strangers because of terrorism & related atrocities. Terrorism feeds off this mentality, though, doesn’t it? Of course, recovery from these traumatic events is incredibly difficult. But, ultimately, we will only recover if we stop fixating on the senseless violence & emphasize that countless bystanders ran toward the scene of the crime to help. Even in the face of great danger, people rushed to save the lives of perfect strangers. Although the horror of the events is undeniable, we must remember most people are intrinsically good & willing to go out of their way to help strangers. Let’s seek out the heroes in this situation. In times of crisis, more often than not, you’ll see many helping hands. At the end of the day, take a cue from another educator, Fred Rogers, who helped children via television to deal with multiple crisis.: "When I was a boy & I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

Here's a video clip of Fred Rogers on talking with children about tragic news on television. You can also download a free e-book for parents & children, When Bad Things Happen to Children, on my webpage. It was written in response to the Sandy hook tragedy, but can be adapted to the current situation.