Heartbeat

This initiative is based on the belief that music can be a means to connect people, build trust, and inspire hope, compassion, and respect - especially modern, popular music, which "has long been the voice of change all around the world and a powerful means for youth expression and non-violent action." Music is the tool here to bring together young Jewish and Arab musicians and strengthen their voices in a context in which fights over land rights and basic recognition in the region keep the two groups strictly apart.

Heartbeat began by bringing together 12 Israeli and Palestinian high school students for a weekly musical encounter. By listening, playing, and writing music together, the students learned about each other's communities, histories, political views, identities, and hopes and developed new tools for self-expression and social change. On September 21 2008, the United Nations (UN)'s International Day of Peace, the United States (US) Consulate in Jerusalem sponsored Heartbeat Jerusalem's debut concert, which was attended by 300 Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals at the Jerusalem YMCA Theater.

Since its inception, Heartbeat has mentored 100 young musicians through retreats and camps. As of March 2014, the group has 25 members, scattered throughout major cities in Israel. Incorporating Middle Eastern traditional sounds with a pop punch, they hope to create music for a larger audience, singing in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

Throughout the school year, a select group of Israeli and Palestinian youth musicians (ages 14-18) meet every other week to explore and create music together. According to organisers, by engaging throughout the year, students deepen their mutual understanding, build trust, and have access to numerous opportunities to amplify their voices - spreading trust across the wider community through concerts, recordings, and music videos. As described here, the ensemble of youth artists has performed across Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Germany, and the United States (US) and in 2014 is traveling from Boston (Massachusetts) to Washington, DC for performances at universities, music venues, and congregations. To cite a specific example of an exchange event, the "Hip Hop Hunda", in May and June 2010, 16 Israeli, Palestinian, and German youth musician, rappers, and poets (ages 16-21) took part in an exploration of the past, present and future. Living and creating music together for one week in Jerusalem and one week in Berlin (Germany), participants of the project explored Hip-Hop and other urban art forms as tools for youth empowerment and social change. Their week in Jerusalem culminated with two performances. In addition, the group recorded a full album of original music, released in late 2010.

In 2014, the group will be one of 80 organisations under the Alliance for Middle East Peace pushing to launch the International Fund of Israeli-Palestinian Peace. At a briefing at Congress (in Washington, DC, US), Heartbeat performed to promote person-to-person diplomacy and represent Israeli and Palestinian citizens' voices to Congress calling for less of an effort to fund military efforts and more focus on people-to-people programmes in creating a sustainable, peaceful, just future for that region.

Youth, Conflict

Israeli guitarist Guy Gefen says having Israelis and Palestinians working side by side is often viewed as controversial. "Some people get very intense around the idea. They are fearful and they think we are talking about giving rights to one side and taking them from the other." According to organisers, "[f]ear, violence, ignorance and a pervasive lack of trust define the political and cultural reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most Israelis and Palestinians have only encountered the other side through televised reports of extremist violence or calculating politicians.  As violence intensifies in this small corner of the world, people retreat to their side, and are too often unable to trust in the humanity of the other.  To break the status quo of separation and violence and to build a future of peace, security, justice, and freedom for all, people on both sides must know the other; they must communicate and understand each other's needs, fears, hopes and shared humanity. People on both sides must be shown tools of change more effective than violence."

According to Heartbeat: "Many organizations have formed with the goal of building understanding and peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Many of these organizations focus their efforts on youth....Some of these organizations have utilized specific mediums in bringing together Israeli and Palestinian youth, including basketball, soccer, creative writing, theater, film, photography and music. Until Heartbeat, Jewish-Arab youth music programs exclusively used classical music as the medium for communication and exchange. While a number of popular adult music ensembles featuring Jews and Arabs playing together have existed for years, before Heartbeat, there has never been an organized effort to bring together Jewish and Arab youth musicians through modern, popular music that youth are often most connected to."

"Heartbeat's Vision
Heartbeat works to help create a world where all people live freely, with safety, opportunity, dignity, and full equality.

Heartbeat's Values
Heartbeat promotes the inalienable human rights of ALL people, including the rights to freedom, equality, safety, dignity and justice. We condemn violence of absolutely any kind; physical, emotional, psychological, structural and beyond. We vehemently oppose the oppression of any group or person by another. As an organization we do not and morally cannot impose the political beliefs and understanding of our leaders upon our youth participants. However, we do everything in our power to expose our participants to the ugly truth of what is happening and enable them to form and express their own opinions."