John baskind's Page

Profile Information

When it comes to peace, how would you describe yourself?: I am a born activist

What do you believe are the 'burning issues' today?: War, Hunger, Poverty, Education, Our Planet, Violence, Inflation, Human Rights, Our Shrinking Freedom

So what is it?: Ultimately, it's human rights and a decent education. Starting in kindergarten!

More: People who fear change and "the other" are reactive and believe that overwhelming force is the answer to everything. Israel and the USA are the most fearful. In the MidEast, official Israel still lives on Holocaust survivor mentality, most Arab countries are still living on Nazi-inspired hatred of Jews, since the time of the Grand Mufti.
The best way is to learn to understand "the other"--make friends with Jews, if you're Arab, with Arabs, if you're a Jew. We're not very different, and there is no need for us to be. We can even eat in each others houses, because Halal IS Kosher. And whether we refer to G-d as Allah or Hashem, it is only us who believe in the essential unity that is the One.
When Arabs understand that we have suffered and died for centuries, resisting all attempts make us into (to my Christian friends, I apologize), idolators, honoring and loving Hashem/Allah, maybe we can begin anew.
I know and am heartened by the fact that so many Israelis have already reached out their hands in friendship to Palestinians, and vice-versa that eventually only the most frioghtened will try to continue to hold power through the deliberate practice of separating us. In other words, the kooks, extremists and power-hungry frightened freaks make us fear each other, because it shores up their own power.

More about me: Born in South Africa, I became involved in liberation politics at home and spent my adult years in South Africa actively working against the Apartheid regime. I went to Israel in 1978, lived on a Kibbutz near Haifa. I left shortly after Sharon went into Lebanon, after the massacres. With my american fiancee I came to New York, where I continued my personal fight against racism, working at Carnegie Hall showcasing African-American and African artists, as well as other underrepresented groups (piedmont blues musicians, hill-country traditonal musicians, avant-garde and serious new music. With a partner I cofounded the World Music Institute (still going) in 1985. I ran the Jazz Composers Orchestra Association, and its non-profit distribution arm, the New Music Distribution Service, also deloping the first distribution company focused purely on World Music, with its own store in new York. I became a graphic artist, worked in an issues-oriented marketing company, and ended as a creative director, mostly on projects in Eastern Europe after the fall of the CCCP, and in Bolivia, doing political campaigns and mass media information tools to provide a basis of knowledge for dsealing with the new economies. After a stint as COO of an education-based CD-ROM producer and marketer, I went back to school to take a degree in Mathematics. I'm in the middle of that now.

At 2:44pm on June 13, 2010, Eva said…: Hello,

iPeace is deleted from David Califa the end of June. Here you can find a new home.

http://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/

You are cordially invited.

Warm regards, Eva

At 5:18pm on December 9, 2009, Sharon Taphorn said…: You approach live with Truth, Trust and Passion, and know that Completions are a part of your time here, love and blessings on your special day, thanks for coming on the earth journey, love Sharon

At 4:20pm on May 14, 2009, Majed Abusalama said…: okey , john , really iam ready to work with you sure for makeing peace,you can give my contact detials to anyone who interesting to work with Gaza or the palestinains, it,s good for you to attempt organziation , and if you can do this organization for the palestinian and the Israel, specailly if we cn work for the youth and the children.

be in touch
majed abusalama

At 2:14pm on May 2, 2009, Majed Abusalama said…: thanks for adding me , i hope if we can share somthings together, i Have alot of friends in Israel untill i can achieve the peace iusses and to tell the palestinains about we can live together , but always we have somethings difference like lerberman , this person , i don,t know really what he will do with the new government , he prevent me to go to jureslem for peace conference.
i hope if we can find a way to do somethings together.

thanks , be in touch
majed abusalama
gaza

At 9:23am on March 1, 2009, Paul RETI said…: Hello John!

Welcome, and thanks for joining iPeace, it's great to have you on board with us! We hope you'll find your experience here valuable, enriching and effective.

There are many levels and facets to iPeace. Please take your time to explore them all.

Choose what interest you from hundreds of groups, read and participate in forum discussions, post your blogs or upload your multimedia.

Make friends and enjoy their contribution. We are coming from over 170 countries and celebrating diversity.

The iPeace space is all about freedom of expression and mutual respect.

You'll find it easier to navigate and use iPeace if you read the following:

About iPeace,
Guidelines for Using iPeace
Spamming, Harassment, Stalking
and FAQ

and if you like it here, please help iPeace get stronger by inviting your friends.

It is easy, just click the LINK.

Peace and Love
... Paul R and all the iPeace Welcome Team.