by Aaron Tolkamp

In the summer of 2010, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Hope Equals first summer trip. The idea of the trip was to gain a better understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to do this by meeting groups dedicated to bringing about peace and reconciliation. However, the goal of Hope Equals doesn’t stop there, but encompassed raising awareness about the conflict at home, back in North America.

Being a student at Redeemer University College in Hamilton, ON placed me in the perfect place to begin raising awareness. I must admit the task of raising awareness back at home can seem very intimidating. Whether it is starting a Hope Equals group on campus, doing presentations, or even taking the step to vocalize my newfound passion for peace and reconciliation. However, I began to realize just how important it was to take these steps forward to organize groups, do presentations or vocalize my thoughts. I personally found it easier to take the steps forward to do presentations, as the opportunities were granted to me and I enjoy talking to people.

I had the opportunity to do two different presentations. The first was to a group of friends and people from my home church. Another participant from the trip and I got to explain just what we saw, as well as to show the reconciliation work already being done by Israelis and Palestinians. Although intimidating at first, the amount of support and interest that was shown afterwards was uplifting.

The second presentation was to a CRC church in Sarnia, Ontario. This church was one I had never visited before, the people at the presentation all people I didn’t know and, interestingly, all older than me; making this presentation even more intimidating. Not only was I now presenting to people I didn’t know, but also to a group that, for all I knew, would see me as a young student, and possibly think that they knew more than me. However, my fears were never realized. They were open, willing to listen and (from what I could see) respectful as they realized that I was someone with a personal understanding of the conflict. All of these things made me realize the importance of doing such presentations and networking, no matter what our fears may be. Raising awareness is a vital part of Hope Equals goals, and possibly the most important part.

Going on this summer trip was a great experience and granted me a new understanding of the conflict. What this trip was really meant to do though was equip me with the ability to raise awareness once I was home, because it’s the work done afterwards that truly moves Hope Equals forward. As I saw other people from my group doing presentations and trying to raise awareness it made me realize the importance of the work that is done once we were home, as well as gave me the encouragement to pursue my own awareness raising projects. So to all those involved with Hope Equals, or planning on going a trip this summer: remember the importance of what is done back home. Yes, it can be intimidating, but the reward of seeing other people gain a new perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is so worth it.