In the most recent session of our facilitators’ Team Learning Series, we chose to explore how the issue of “normalization” and its connection to our educational work at the School for Peace.

The team was joined by cultural researcher, activist and poet, Ali Mowassi of the Mada Al-Carmel Research Institute to anchor the process in a historical framework and guide us in an open, honest, and in-depth exploration.

The concept of “normalization” has become a growing part of public discourse, posing serious questions and dilemmas in daily work and life: Is continuing to live a normal life in an abnormal situation an act of resilience or is it unethical?

In the context of our educational work, we sought to explore how we could recognize and avoid acts of “normalization” — the preservation of occupation, oppression, Jewish supremacy, and unequal power relations between Jews and Palestinians, often under the guise of bringing the two together. We also hoped to confront a big question: Does our joint work as Palestinians and Jews contribute to changing reality or, contrary to our intentions, might it preserve it?

As an organization whose work is based on binationalism, the issue of normalization is a challenge that we constantly face. The horrors of the current war have pushed the issue further to the forefront, requiring us at the School for Peace to reexamine our perceptions and professional tools in order to most effectively meet the moment.

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