By Ofri Ilani
Haaretz -
This year, the Dalai Lama's award went to two local women: Dr. Galia Sabar for her work on and with African migrant workers, and Ibtisam Mahammed for promoting peace
In the summer of 2005 Dr. Galia Sabar landed in West Africa at the
The woman greeting her was Charity, a Ghanaian who had lived in South Tel Aviv for a number of years, where she worked as a cleaner. The women met when Sabar, a lecturer on African studies at
Fighting the stigma
The reason for Sabar's visit to
"In my mind,
Sabar met with Ethiopian Jews in their country of origin and later also worked to promote awareness of Ethiopian culture in
Sabar does not look African at all - she is a pale blond with blue eyes. "I'm the ultimate other in
Sabar says she is aware of the gap between her and the subjects of her research. "I will never be able to put myself into the mind a poor African woman. I will always be a white, Western woman, educated and well-off. But I can let that voice speak through me, which is what I am in fact doing. Thanks to my familiarity with African culture, it is easier for me to connect with people. When I go into a church in South Tel Aviv I know how to sing the songs and do the dances."
Sabar recently published a book on her research on African migrant workers in
'Knowledge is power'
The Unsung Heroes prize is awarded by Wisdom in Action, an organization that encourages scientists and academics to apply their knowledge for the general good. "I believe that as researchers, we not only have the right but also the duty to work toward change," says Sabar. "Knowledge is power. Academia must recognize this action as part of its being."
Ibtisam Mahammed, who won the award along with Sabar, relates that initially she was surprised that the Buddhist Dalai Lama was giving her a prize. However, she says, "When I read about it and spoke with other people who had won the prize, I realized that Buddhism is not that different from my own religion. Allah, God, Buddha - it really doesn't matter."
For many years now Mahammed has been organizing Jewish and Arab "women's circles" to promote dialogue about peace. She heads a number of women's peace organizations and has also fought on behalf of battered women in Arab society. While other Arab peace activists despaired of dialogue after October 2000 (in the wake of violent clashes between Arab Israelis and police), Mahammed says these events actually prompted her to go out and act.
"After October 2000, I realized how cut off Israelis were from our sector, and how much they didn't know about us," she says. "Close friends did not want to visit us at home in Fureidis. This is why I did not stop working after the clashes. I forgot about myself entirely. I would be away from home for days in order to increase awareness in Israeli society. Fureidis is so close to Zichron Yaakov and Binyamina, and still people don't know anything about us."