Is being Palestinian a 'pain in the neck'; or a 'sentence to suffer gladly'? Does Palestinian identity reside in cross-stitch embroidery; sweet knafeh and the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish; or defending the rights of oppressed communities around the world? How does it feel when you cannot find Palestine under 'P' in the encyclopedia? Why grow fig and orange trees in the Arizona desert? What does it mean to know every inch of a village that no longer exists? In this ground-breaking volume; 102 contributors now living in the UK and North America reflect in their own words on what it means to be Palestinian in the diaspora - exploring how Palestine is both lost and found; bereaved and celebrated; and taking the reader on an intimate journey through the tangled ties between 'home' and 'homeland'. Men and women; young and old; Christians and Muslims; Palestinians from different generations and a variety of professional backgrounds (business people; lawyers; judges; fiction writers; poets; journalists; film-makers; diplomats and academics) offer contributions. Touching; often troubling; but full of character and wit; the reflections in Being Palestinian offer a radically fresh look at the modern Palestinian experience in the West. And the time-honoured issues of identity; exile and diaspora give acute sense to these very personal reflections.
#923879 in Books 2012-12-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.60 x .80 x 6.70l; 1.20 #File Name: 0745642454256 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great resourceBy Amanda H BlairWonderful volume on many of the gendered dimensions of contemporary armed conflict. Unlike similar edited volumes the authors included in this book are experts on these issues. Can easily be read in entirety or as standalone chapters. A great text to use for courses on armed conflict and/or militarization.5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. A must read for anyone interested in issues of women; peace and securityBy Kristen A. CordellI have followed Carol Cohn's work at the Boston Consortium on Gender; Security and Human Rights for many years. Her perspective is always interesting and accessible. This book is no exception. I found it a must read for anyone working /studying /writing on the topic of women peace and security. It was particularly interesting due to the fact that Cohn incorporates many different (expert) authors into the anthology and in doing so is able to showcase the diverse roles that women play in war; including: as soldiers; as fighters; as civilians; as caregivers; as sex workers; as sexual slaves; refugees and internally displaced persons; as anti-war activists; as community peace-builders; and more. Cohn approaches the topic of women and war as a continuum and appreciates the fact that without international attention to gender- peace is still out of reach. The message is a fundamental as it is vital- two things that can also be said about the book.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Amele KomlanThanks
