While the ongoing violence between Israelis and Palestinians has painted a picture of hopelessness and despair, more than 80 organizations and communities have a very different picture to paint: the hopes, dreams, aspirations, and visions of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians who desperately want peace.
Above and beyond the current conflict, 10,000 kites will fly in Spring 2005, spreading messages of peace.
Israeli Artist Adi Yekutieli, the projects visionary, and his Palestinian colleague, artist George Nustas, are facilitating the joint Israeli-Palestinian venture to create and manufacture the kites, as well as the painting of the kites by Israeli and Palestinian families whose messages will fly above and beyond the current despair and the wall that is so definitive of it.
We at 10,000 Kites believe that mutual artistic creations between Israelis and Palestinians provide a tremendous vehicle for breaking down those barriers that have kept these people at a psychological distance, even though they are living in the same part of the world. We have already witnessed a newly found sense of purpose, and marvel at the dynamic connections and bridge building that has taken place between Israeli and Palestinian adults and children, since the idea of 10,000 Kites was launched in fall 2004. Not even the physical barrier that separates Israelis and Palestinians is high enough or long enough to prevent good people of good will who want to reach out to each other and communicate their collective desire to live in peace.
10,000 Kites is a Los Angeles based organization in partnership with The Association for Arts in the Community and Cross-Cultural Dialog, established in 1998 by Israeli and Palestinian artists and educators to encourage dialogue through mutual artistic creations.
Liberty Hill is acting as fiscal sponsor, and will send all gifts intended for the Association for Arts in the Community and Cross-Cultural Dialog in Israel to the New Israel Fund, donor advised, which will send the donations to the Association for Arts in the Community and Cross-Cultural Dialog.