.

I got this text from a email and hope it brings some inspiration and clarity for you. 

When I hear the word "terrorist" applied to an individual, I imagine:

1. Someone who is passionate about contributing to the dignity and
autonomy of their people

2. Someone who wants other people to understand the pain they
experience in not having those needs met.

3. Someone who feels so despairing about their needs being honored
that they are choosing strategies to meet those needs which include violence

4. Someone who hopes their strategies will be effective at meeting
their needs by:  

a. Focusing world attention on their unmet needs and hoping that
attention would lead to increasing world wide support for honoring and
meeting their needs

b. Inspiring their compatriots to express themselves powerfully in
support of contributing to the dignity and autonomy of their people

c. Making the cost of the other side's domination strategy so high
that they chose not to continue with that strategy and allow the dignity and
autonomy needs of the target population to be fulfilled

When people use strategies to meet their needs that include violence I feel
sadness and fear because I so long for peace, autonomy, cooperation and
dignity among all people.

I imagine nonviolent compassionate strategies based on acknowledging and
understanding the needs of both parties in the conflict would more
effectively contribute to everyone's needs getting met. To hold that hope
and to offer that hope in this world of so much hopelessness will require
persistent work to build empathic connection and community within groups and
across groups.

I see this framework applying equally to the suicide bomber and to the
leader of the Israeli government, to the young Palestinian man holding a
rock in his hand and to the President of the Untied States signing papers
approving weapons sales/aid to the Israeli military.

Wondering what rises for anyone reading this.

Jerry