Daniel Lubetzky

Actionist: Someone who refuses to stand by and
instead chooses to take control over his own destiny, particularly as it refers
to matters that are ordinarily seen as beyond the power of individuals. Someone
who believes and knows that he can change the course of history based on the
power of his and his peers’ actions.

Why was the above new definition necessary? Because to the
best of my knowledge, there are a plethora of words to describe sullen fatalism,
but none to described determined activism and conviction as to the power of
individuals to change history.

The two definitions below do exist currently in the dictionary, and can be antonyms to the above:

Determinist: Anyone who submits to the belief thatthey are powerless to change their destiny

Fatalist: Anyone who submits to the belief that they are powerless to change their destiny

Today at an event at Benny and Channa Levy’s in EinHod, which the Egyptian Ambassador attended, I was asked by one of the guestshow I managed to stay so optimistic. While the question was asked in a sincere way meant as a compliment, I explained that for me this has nothing to do with optimism but with determination.

While as a person I do consider myself to be a positive thinker and an optimist, the truth is that with regards to the Middle East Conflict and all areas of anti-semitism, I live in the shadow of the Holocaust and am more of a determined pessimist than anything else. The fear of extinction, and the conviction not to allow what happened to my Father to
happen ever again, is what drives me.

The false spectrum that many people often assume is between optimism
and pessimism. But in fact the real distinction is between action and
inaction.

Instead of spending so much time thinking whether the glass
is half full or half empty, let’s just fill up the damn glass.

  Today we met with Dr. Saeb Erakat in Jericho & he agreed to join the
OneVoice Honorary Board and to help us with the OV Summit.

Erakat is the tough but fair, pragmatic and constructive head
Palestinian negotiator.

(here he is in center with me on the left and Dr. Fathi Darwish on the right)

Last May at the WEF conference in the Dead Sea, Dr. Erakat stunned the
audience by publicly chastising Iran’s delegation for their negative
interference in Palestinian-Israeli affairs.

Iran’s Minister was waxing poetic about the Palestinian struggle and
the Zionist satan when Erakat called Iran for its hypocrisy and asked
the panelist, "please, don’t help us. You are hurting us with your
calls to annihilate Israel. Please don’t help us. I am telling you
now as a Palestinian. Stay out of our affairs."

Erakat recognizes the importance of public opinion and grassroots
efforts. He also serves on the board of Seeds of Peace. He committed
to speak at the Oct.18 summit.

Sent from my iPhone – pardon typos
.

Many locals in Gaza are starting to demonstrate. The Hamas forces
have threatened the international and local media not to cover the
uprising. Tomorrow prayers were called by citizens fed up with Hamas
oppression. Media has finally started to ignore censure, emboldening
more. Tomorrow can be an important day in the grassroots struggle
against militant absolutism.

Sent from my iPhone – pardon typos
.

Palestinian negotiators invoke the fact that the window of opportunity for a two-state solution is closing and will soon be replaced by the call for a “One State Solution” in order to incite fear among Israelis and push them to the negotiating table.  But this negative tactic is unwise, both because a “One State Solution” is akin to a state of war, because Israelis will never accept it, and because it causes bad will among the Israeli public.

Israelis use the path of unilateralism as a means to redress the perception that time is not on Israel’s side and that Palestinians should thus not be in a hurry to negotiate.  By being willing to unilaterally extricate themselves from the Palestinian lands and impose a solution, Israelis hope that Palestinian negotiators recognize they will not be able to use time against Israelis, and that they will get less if they don’t come to the negotiating table with a pragmatic approach.  But this strategy, too, is unrealistic, because there will not be a bilaterally and internationally agreed end to the conflict without an agreement among the parties.

In the end, both parties are barking a lot, but neither of their barks has bite.

The only bite is from militant absolutists and foreign fundamentalists that will use this incessant leaderless back-and-forth bickering to drive a wedge and pray on the situation.

Both sides need to recognize that time is not on the Israelis OR Palestinians’ side.  Time is not on the side of moderates that want to end the conflict. 

 The Clinton Parameters lay out clearly how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be resolved.  The Heads of State of both Israel and Palestine were elected on a platform to end the conflict.  Both Olmert and Abbas want a two-state solution. The Israeli and Palestinian public have clear supra-majorities that support a two state solution (at least still now, though not forever!).  It is time for the politicians to sit, lock the door, and not exit the negotiating table till they work out the details for an agreement premised on the Clinton parameters (which the OneVoice Pillars from the People are based on).

Enough bargainging and posturing!  All of this is helping only Ahmadinejad and his proxies!

That is why on October 18th, 2007 the Israeli and Palestinian people in unison will send a message to the world and to their leaders: we demand immediate, uninterrupted negotiations till the completion of an agreement among our heads of State, to be presented to their people within a year from that date.  www.OneMillionVoices.org.  The deadline from the people is October 18, 2008.  The time has come.

Then there are the low moments, which invariably will come when you
are taking yourself outside the safety zone, which you must do if you
want to achieve something meaningful.

When things are bad or bad news or disappointments come – you must
derive strength – from friends and family, from a steadfastly united
team, from Board members and supporters – and from internal conviction.

Self-analysis and critical introspection are also invaluable here.
But most essential is to not lose the long-term vision, to keep things
in perspective, to remember why you do what you do – and to remind
yourself where you are coming from.

Today as most days over the last couple months has been an almost
intolerable roller-coaster of many highs and some painful lows, of
news, developments, successes, setbacks, warm and much needed pats on
the back, and cold skeptical dismissals that of course also ‘get to
you.’

It started with success after success on the recruitment, media and
fundraising front. But then I got a phone call from an important Arab
dignitary who had promised to lend a hand and unfortunately backed out.

We will certainly overcome, and the momentum is overall steady and
strong. But high expectations can be the worst enemy of your spirit.

My personality is such that I take successes as a given, and I take
setbacks very seriously. They really bring me down.

At these times it is good to be able to count on friends and
supporters whose loyalty is ironclad. And it is important to remember
there is NO ALTERNATIVE but to prevail. Too much is at stake.

Sent from my iPhone – pardon typos
.

Driving up to Jerusalem with one of my mentors and Board members, Ian
Fisher, we discussed the importance we put in self-analysis and self-
criticism, and the essential need for objective constructive criticism
from others, both re. personal management and strategic substance.

Being a CEO in charge of taking ultimate decisions and guiding your
team, it is very valuable to find team members you trust to give you
earnest feedback re. your internal management. Board members, peers,
and mentors are also invaluable sources of feedback.

But the most important source for keeping grounded is the internal,
constant analysis of your own actions, behavior, ideas and failures -
not to chastise yourself but to help you improve. A self-imposed
methodical and introspective daily examination of the day – through
prayer, meditation, writing, or structured thinking – is healthy.

Precisely when you are succeeding the most, that is when self-
criticism is most vital to keep you grounded.

.

[I am often asked for career advice by students and friends searching
for what to do with their careers, so I will start sharing thoughts as
the below for those interested - you may find the advice is worth as much as you paid for it]

The obvious advantage of choosing as your job something that you are
passionate about and gives meaning to your life is that you are never
bored, that you get a lot of fulfillment, and that you derive that
very meaning.

A lot of my friends that chose a more traditional path after law
school some times complain about the long hours, lack of fulfillment,
and lack of ‘meaning.’

But there is also a less noticed corollary to each of the above.

Living your mission can be addictive and dangerous because it turns
your job into an obsession and you into a workaholic. It is hard for
you to find as much enjoyment in a lot of otherwise rewarding social
activities when you derive so much fulfillment from advancing your
mission. And so your responsibility as a social entrepreneur is to
force yourself to have some non-work space with your friends and
family – and with yourself, lest the fire of your passion burn you out.

The positive corollary to the negative of having a job that doesn’t
give you as much fulfillment is that you can complement your work with
after-hours hobbies and social activities that will give you
fulfillment.

I personally feel very lucky to be able to truly (and not as a
gimmicky marketing fad) combine social and business objectives, which
is unfortunately not as frequently done. I would not change my path
for anything else – what I do with PeaceWorks and OneVoice is what I
would choose to do if I could choose anything in life.

But no one path is superior. As you evaluate your professional path,
it is optimal – indeed important – that you find something you can
ENJOY doing. It would be a shame if you are otherwise miserable at
work, and it is likely to make you perform badly.

But beyond the minimum requirement for your job that it be something you enjoy and care about, finding ‘meaning’ withing your vocation or through outside pursuits is a very personal decision.

Today we filmed our first scenes of the “We Are Standing Up” viral video we are planning to release as a teaser for the October 18th OneVoice Summit: One Million Voices To End the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

It was great seeing the energy of all involved, the real commitment, and the real awakening that happens in peoples’ actual lives, when they get involved with our message even if through film…

 The sound guy, who never had known about OV till today, started debating with a group of 4 Israelis who initially would have rathered been left alone – and told him so.  In the end, he signed them up and they got involved.

Gil Shamy, the OVI Executive Director, recruited a couple dozen people to join us for the recording.  And Ayelet Daniel quickly followed up to get them to wear OneVoice pins and get them to sign the OneVoice Mandate.

This is the power of OneVoice, that people start recognizing their power and potential for change, and we just need to keep going till we achieve critical mass and tip the point.

Today’s filming was in Tel Aviv, on Rothschild Street – which is actually a beautiful avenue.  We had a grandmother (played by Savta Dotty who blogged about us) stand up from her knitting, a pregnant Mom stand up for the future of her kid, and a few others who you will have to wait to see.

 Yesterday in Ramallah I planned the filming with the Palestinian team and hopefully we’ll complete the filming on both sides within a week to two at most – and edit right away, to release by second week of September.  If it ends up looking the way I have envisioned it in my mind, I think it will be an energizing blockboster that will really awaken people.

It starts from apocalyptic depression and inaction,

moves on to an internal awakening,

which results in each individual STANDING UP To End The Conflict

and culminates with ALL PEOPLE joining together as OneVoice to Stand Up….

Then it cuts to invite the viewer: Join Us on October 18th.  You, too, Stand Up…