November 10, 2001, Beit Sahour
Our Special Rapprochement Peace Team

I was real impressed with the guys at Rapprochement (PCR) this evening. A traffic incident outside our office escalated into a shouting and screaming session. The streets are very narrow and it's easy to have close encounters. They told me that one driver came close to striking a pedestrian who was walking along the road. I was about to start teaching my "Internet for Activists" class, so about fifteen students were there. When they saw the fight break out, they rushed down to separate the men. I saw no fear in their faces as they repeatedly moved the groups of men apart. I saw people scatter as one man evidently pulled a gun. But the PCR guys stood firm. They calmed a situation that could have gotten very bad. I thought they did a terrific job. (And I was quite proud of them from the security of my second-floor classroom window.) I even saw one PCR member directing traffic around the chaos. In addition to the student volunteers, Ghassan Andoni, the director of PCR was right in the middle of the mix pulling people apart too!