Event brings together Palestinian and Israeli caregivers for two days of coexistence

If you can tell only two people about the work COHI is doing with the Middle East Coexistence Project and if they go on to tell two other people — that is all it would take to get the message out there and to get more people involved.

Israeli midwife and Project Coordinator Gomer Ben Moshe delivered this important message at the Coexistence meeting at Beit Jala. COHI Director Leilani Johnson, Aisha Saifi, Palestinian Midwife and Project Coordinator and other Israeli and Palestinian midwives also attended the meeting.

Despite the fact that both regions have been involved in a continuous bitter dispute, for the two days of the meeting Israeli and Palestinian midwives ate side by side, shared anecdotes, problems and concerns about their personal lives and work, laughed together and even had the opportunity to express themselves through dance and movement.

Numerous goals and issues were discussed and agreed upon, but probably the most important one was that all Israeli and Palestinian midwives yearn for is peace and coexistence between the two regions. These courageous ladies have taken it upon themselves to play their own significant role in bringing this about by regularly meeting with each other and helping each other save the lives of women and children in the troubled region.

The two-day meeting comprised a presentation on pain, a dance and movement exercise, and a lecture by one of the participants on the working conditions at her hospital. But the midwives spent most of the meeting discussing projects, issues, future goals and the difficulties that they encounter while working in the region plagued by crisis and war. The following are some of the important issues that came up during the meeting:

• All midwives agreed that the coexistence work was most important. Time should be dedicated for the midwives to get to know each other, learn about each other’s experiences, train and work together. Midwives from both regions decided that they would like to meet three times a year. The next meeting has been set for February 16^th 2010.
• Coexistence projects should be complemented by other independent projects such as the Sudanese Refugee Project that the Israeli midwives are a part of, or the Skin to Skin project that has been organized by an Israeli and Palestinian midwife or the Mitaloon Birth Center project that the Palestinian midwives have adopted.
• The urgent need for midwifery guidelines was also discussed. Both sides agreed that even though protocols for midwifery exist in both regions, guidelines were also needed to better develop midwifery as a profession.
• Palestinian midwives talked about creating awareness about home births as an option for Palestinian women. Currently, majority of Palestinian babies are born in hospitals and birth centers.
• Long-term sustainability of the COHI Coexistence Project was also earnestly discussed. Both sides expressed interest in registering the project as an NGO, obtaining office space and permanent staff.
  - Emotional, political and physical problems and difficulties faced by women in trying to make such coexistence meetings were also talked about in great detail. Their commitment to the cause, their determination and initiative were appreciated and applauded.