Dear friends,
As 2022 has come to an end, I had to reflect on the past year in my personal life and the path that New Narratives Community has been taking since 2020 when it was incorporated.
New Narratives Community was created on the foundation of a concept: that the political outcomes in the middle east, and specifically in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian issue, are the result of the quality of the conversations among those involved in the conflict.
I’m not too active on social media currently. However, a few days ago, I had an exchange on Twitter about the Palestinian struggle. To tell you the truth, the quality of the conversation diverged from what I believe to be constructive and truthful. It got out of hand, and it became more of an emotional outburst instead of an exchange where ideas of both sides would be understood.
Upon reflecting on the conversation, once it concluded, I realized that it was a failed attempt at dialogue. This brings me to what is truly important to me in establishing New Narratives Community. To revisit the narratives of all sides and to try to understand them and respond not from a desire to win the argument but with the aspiration to arrive at a shared perspective. A perspective where even if we still disagree, we can at least acknowledge the humanity of the other side.
As 2022 has come to an end, I believe that the heated exchange that I had a few days ago was for a reason. Such that, in 2023, we will make a conscious effort to re-examine our narratives and make an attempt to improve the quality of our conversations.
Here is to 2023; the year we will build the foundation for reaching a shared understanding.
Happy New Year
Banafsheh Zia
January 1, 2023