Narratives of the Conflict - Choose Second Activity

NOTE: this assignment is for CHOOSING what you will do for the second "Narratives of the Conflict" assignment, NOT for the actual writeup.

Please write a short paragraph where you (1) mention what you did for the first Narratives of the Conflict assignment and the perspective(s) it reflected and (2) discuss what you have chosen for your second "Narratives of the Conflict" activity and the perspective(s) this second activity should reflect. Please note in the paragraph how you have checked on the feasibility of your activity choice. For instance, if you want to read a book or watch a movie, note in the paragraph how you are going to gain access (library/purchase/etc.). Or, if you want to interview someone, note in the paragraph that you have done some initial work to make sure that you can find someone to interview.

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Your "Narratives of the Conflict" assignments will give you the opportunity to see the conflict from the point of view of Jews and Palestinians. In the rest of our class, we will primarily focus on readings that discuss historical events analytically. In the "Narratives of the Conflict" assignments, on the other hand, you will create opportunities to expose yourself to the narratives of those living through the conflict. The assignment consists of an activity you engage in and a short writeup (500 words or more) of that experience. You have a lot of freedom to choose activities that work for you, and I make some suggestions below. The only requirements are: (1) the activity you choose should be related to the conflict and focused on narrative rather than analysis or documentation—so, for instance, reading an analytical history of something related to the conflict does not count, whereas reading something fiction but narrative-focused would count; (2) you have to approve the activity with me beforehand; (3) there must be balance in the activities you choose—so, for instance, if one activity focuses on only the Jewish perspective or history, the other has to either cover both sides or focus on the Palestinian side; and (4) you must complete a writeup of your activities.

Some examples of activities you could choose to do are:

• Read a book. Some examples: Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan, O Jerusalem by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa, I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity by Izzeldin Abuelaish, and narrative-focused books by Israeli figures like Amos Oz or Palestinian ones like Ghassan Kanafani (but please do not choose Return to Haifa because we will be reading portions of those for class)
• Watch a movie or part of a TV series. Good choices include Paradise Now, The Syrian Bride, and Lemon Tree. Some of these are available on https://yvideo.byu.edu/ (Links to an external site.) in the POLI 474 course collection. Note that many movies and TV series about the conflict—including very good ones like Munich, Fauda, or Prisoners of War—have content (language, violence, etc.) that you may not be comfortable with. Do your research to make sure that you pick something you are comfortable with. The website imdb.com (Links to an external site.) has a "Parents guide" section for every movie/TV series that can be helpful.
• Follow (and potentially interact with) Israeli/Palestinian figures, individuals, and organizations on social media or in another manner. This can be a useful way of gaining exposure to narratives and perspectives, though in order for this assignment to count you must document time spent and which accounts you are following. There are many Facebook/Twitter accounts and pages that you could follow for this assignment, including pro-Israel ones (such as StandWithUs), pro-Palestinian ones (such as Mondoweiss or the Electronic Intifada), or ones that are more in the middle (such as Ask an Israeli/Ask a Palestinian Project).
• Interview an Israeli or Palestinian. If you are interested doing this as your activity, please make an effort, through Facebook pages or other resources, to find someone to interview before you have to choose your activity. I *may* be able to help with finding someone who is willing to be interviewed, but I only have so many friends who are willing to do this any given semester, and ultimately you would be the one responsible for your assignment.

These are just examples, and you could certainly choose a different activity as long as you get approval from me. Feel free to be in contact at any time with questions about the assignment.