Upcoming activities of Rob Schrama in connection with Jerusalem
For more than 35 years I bring art into action, as a vehicle for change. I organize events all over the world for the benefit of a better world. I create a vision for a hopeful future and I involve as many people as possible to realize this idea.
The shift for the change in the world will start in Jerusalem. The opening of the Golden Gate has a key function in this transformation. We must take action ourselves to get access to the Temple Mount, and fascinate the population of Israel and Palestine with new ideas to re-create their future. For achieving this mission, I initiated a number of projects for the people of Israel and Palestine and for the international community as an extra necessary support. My events emphasize Jerusalem as a city of reconciliation and unity; a city that will be open for everyone, for Muslims, Jews and Christians, for Palestinians and Israelis.
- Jerusalem Hug
Since 2006, I initiate the event Jerusalem Hug, together with peacemakers from Jerusalem. This year the Jerusalem Hug has been held for the eight time, on June 23rd. Many hundreds of people embraced the Old City of Jerusalem. Israelis and Palestinians as well as peace lovers from all over the world walked hand in hand around the city walls, sharing their wish for peace and their love for Jerusalem.
Worldwide hope to reach a political solution for the Middle East conflict has been lost. The Jerusalem Hugsymbolizes a different way to achieve peace. We need to head in a new way: the way of the heart. We believe that when we find peace in ourselves and when we are able to forgive, world peace will come closer. Change begins at the basis.
Next year the Jerusalem Hug will take place for the 9th time. We will embrace the Old City of Jerusalem as many times as necessary, till all walls in the hearts of the people will be opened for love, forgiving and respect for all people who are living in the Holy Land. Jerusalem is the most perfect place for bringing together a critical mass of peace loving participants to achieve this shift.
More information? www.jerusalemhug.org
- Pa-il Federation Palestine-Israel
When the inhabitants of Jerusalem open their hearts to one another and consider their fellow residents as equals, they will not deem the disparities between them desirable anymore. And when there is the intention to live together in an undivided Jerusalem, it will also be possible to make it happen throughout the Holy Land! Palestinians and Israelis: two peoples, two nations, living side by side in one country without borders as a federation with Jerusalem as its capital.
The “Pa-il” movement has a complete new perception for the future: not a One State, not a Two State Solution, but a combination of both, a Three States for Two Peoples in One Land Solution. What does it mean? The three states are two states in one, two non-territorial nation-states federated in one supranational federation, which is sovereign on the Land, from River to Sea.
The federal state should be supranational to prevent that the two federated national states will be forced to become one nation. The national states should be non-territorial to allow every citizen to live wherever he wants, and to vote yet for his own national parliament.
And also to prevent any future risk of territorial conflict or partition. The federal government and parliament will be composed on a 50/50 basis: there will be no demographic problem anymore!
The Right of Return of Palestinian refugees and the Israeli Law of Return will be respected in the same way. Jerusalem will have a special status as capital of the Federation.
Many peace workers from Israel, Palestine and from western countries embrace the ideas of Pa-il, including myself.
More information: www.pa-il.org
- Professor at the Al Quds University
Preparing a shift in Jerusalem does also mean that Pa-il should participate in the coming elections in Palestine (new parliament) and Israel (new municipalities) in 2015. The emergence of young people in the last election was always very low, both in Palestine and Israel. The young generation will be definitively open for a change now! They eager to get more hopeful perspectives for a better life and want to get rid of the existing political parties who were not able to find solutions for decades.
I am applying to become professor at the Al Quds University in Abu Dis in January 2015. This could give me the opportunity to promote the Pa-il movement in Palestine (and in Israel as well). By being in Palestine for a longer period, I could elaborate my existing projects to create new accesses to Jerusalem for Palestinians. And I will be guaranteed to get organizational support of many students to realize these plans.
On behalf of the Pa-il movement, we will initiate special events for peace and reconciliation for Palestinians, Israelis and international visitors, where everyone could get the experience of living in peace and oneness. We need to generate so much good-will and involvement that the young generations of Palestine and Israel will vote away the old establishment in 2015! Pa-il should become a politic factor of importance, in both societies, in order to be able to prepare the shift in Jerusalem.
- Jerichon
There will only grow peace between the people of Palestine and Israel, if Jerusalem will be an open and free accessible area for Israelis as well for Palestinians. The entrance to the city is limited for inhabitants of the West Bank. Palestinians who are not inhabitants of East Jerusalem need to have permission to pass the wall that separate their territory with Jerusalem. A free accessibility to Jerusalem can only become realized when the mutual fear and suspicion between Palestinians and Israelis has been transformed into faith, hope and reconciliation. Unusual and unexpected methods might help to make that happen. For that purpose I have developed the Jerichon.
Since 2010 I am working out this idea that has been welcomed by international sport federations, especially by long distance runners from Palestine and Israel.
The Jerichon is a long distance run from Jericho to Jerusalem. The distance is about the same as the traditional marathon and is modeled on the latter. However, the big difference is that the run is not meant purely for marathon runners but also for those not so well trained individuals who can cover the distance at their own rate and time. Therefore the Jerichon might be seen as a kind of pilgrimage to the Holy City.
In contrast with the marathon which is usually run along a level route, the 40 kilometers of the Jerichon is a steady climb: from almost 300 meters under sea level in Jericho to 1200 meters above sea level at the finish in the old city of Jerusalem. The starting gun for the Jerichon will be fired in 2015 or 2016.
The Jerichon takes the participants through one of the world’s most beautiful nature reserves, Wadi Qelt, a colorful gorge and canyon, surrounded by rocks reminiscent of desert with the remains of an aqueduct from king Herod’s times. This in the holy books frequently described route runs past the famous abbey of Saint George under the grotto where Jesus meditated and fasted for forty days.
The Jerichon will surely be a challenge for long distance runners. The course is heavy; it will be a journey of suffering and hardship, for everybody who is making this exceptional trip. That is why the Jerichon is suited for all those who wish to take the suffering of his nation upon their shoulders, thus embodying in a symbolical way the idea of lightening these burdens in Jerusalem. A journey to redemption.
Halfway the route of the Jerichon, at the spot where the path along Wadi Qelt hits the Separation Wall, a peace camp will be built up. Circus tents and performing stages will facilitate acrobats, dancers and musician to encourage the participators to continue their quest to Jerusalem. On both sides of the Separation Wall artists and constructors will start to build a bridge of pallet wood, under supervision of international representatives of the fields of sport, art, music and spirituality.
The intention of the Jerichon is to create such an atmosphere of affection, understanding and trust in the general opinion in Palestine and Israel, that there could come a specific moment in time that the participants of the Jerichonwill be allowed to cross this Reconciliation Bridge, as a ‘Gateway’ to Jerusalem. This could only be possible under save circumstances, which however could be created when many peace loving participants on both sides of the wall will be present and the Jerichon will be covered by the international media.
The Jerichon will be a journey of reconciliation and forgiveness; of the letting go of suffering and taking hold of understanding. And of course, the finish should be situated on top of the Temple Mount, the ultimate location to obtain salvation for all the people and for the city of Jerusalem. Here, we could practice the same method as with the Separation Wall, and bridge the problem to get a direct access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Instead of going through, we could cross over the locked Golden Gate, by creating a Golden Bridge to the Temple Mount.
More information: www.jerichon.org
- Pyramid of Light
The Jerusalem Hug, as well as Jerichon are initiatives I started to realize the transformation of Jerusalem into a City of Peace, as an example for all cities and areas in the world where people are fighting. In this series, thePyramid of Light must been considered as my first attempt to create this change in Jerusalem. Since the year 2000 I am engaged to set up the Pyramid of Light in Jerusalem and in other cities in the world, as an ultimate shining symbol for oneness and unity.
The Pyramid of Light will appear after dark above the old city of Jerusalem. From the angular points around the city wall of Jerusalem, four powerful laser beams will shoot their fluorescent green rays into the universe. They will cross each other at a height of more than 800 meters.
From far and wide the rays can be seen and will attract the observers towards it. Three of the Pyramid of Light’s laser beams represent the world religions that consider Jerusalem their holy capital; the fourth beam stands for all of the other religions in the world that regard Jerusalem as a holy spot on earth. The beams of light will connect Earth with Heaven, mortality with eternity, humanity with God.
The old city as a whole is a Temple of God; a centre for all religions and for all people in the world. That is what thePyramid of Light symbolizes: We Are All One and Jerusalem stands open for All of Us. The laser beams create a sacred place to gather underneath. Exactly below the top of this light sculpture, at the crossing of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Armenian districts, the Rooftop Promenade is located. These rooftops will be accessible for everyone who wants to share his love and understanding for humankind with others. The inhabitants of the Old City will be asked to open the rooftop of their houses to invite visitors for a prayer together and for a cup of tea under the beams of the Pyramid of Light.
Although the city council of Jerusalem supported the Pyramid of Light as a possible initiative to be taken since 2000, I still did not get permission until now to establish the laser pyramid above the old city. What seemed to be impossible in Jerusalem, appeared feasible in other cities. In the Netherlands, a Pyramid of Light has been realized as a contemporary demonstration of peace in The Hague (2001) and in Amsterdam, during the International Day of Peace, September 21, 2006.
In Jerusalem however, the creation of the Pyramid of Light appears to be a much more difficult process. Initially, the municipality of Jerusalem told that the military authorities did not want to give permission. Later they promised me several times to integrate the Pyramid of Light as a part of the Jerusalem Festival of Lights, but every time the municipality cancelled the project. They always used to mention budgetary reasons for not integrating my light sculpture into the festival. So I decided to travel to San Francisco in 2011, for requesting the largest laser manufacturer in the world, Coherent, to support the Pyramid of Light.
Coherent declared me to be interested to produce and sponsor a very powerful laser set of 4 lasers for the pyramid in Jerusalem. So, the Pyramid of Light could appear as a permanent feature above the Old City of Jerusalem.
Coherent also wants to produce and sponsor an extra powerful laser set for Pyramids of Light in all other cities in the world that will support the Pyramid of Light of Jerusalem with a laser pyramid in their own city. This with the proviso that every participating city will be responsible for travelling costs and accommodation for the artists and technicians and will provide for a small budget for this event.
I intend to create a chain of Pyramids of Light around Jerusalem, in cities all over the world, as a shining example for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to live together in harmony.
With the support of Coherent every specific city could adopt a laser pyramid for one or more nights. The Pyramid of Light will be the ultimate spot to bring representatives of religions and cultures together, to release and preserve positive energy. Underneath the laser beams every person will be able to take the initiative for peace himself, by opening his heart to his fellow men and by celebrating their oneness. In this way a medium will be created for everyone who wants that Peace Prevails on Earth.
Cape Town Rotterdam Vancouver New York
If the inhabitants in cities in the world will demonstrate that they live in peace with each other, then it will surely affect the community in Jerusalem to live in harmony with each other too. In this way Jerusalem can develop itself into a City of Peace because of the examples other cities are giving.
The Pyramid of Light will be an essential completion for the transformation of Jerusalem into a City of Peace: a Grand Final of Light, to create a Holy Land for the people of Palestine and for the people of Israel. When real peace in Jerusalem will be realized, then we will be able to engineer peace in the entire world.
More information: www.pyramidoflight.org
The Jerusalem Hug, the Pa-il movement, the Jerichon, as well as the Pyramid of Light focus on love, respect and unity between all people. The events are symbols for another way to achieve peace. They give expression to this wish for change as a concrete statement. Jerusalem stands as a symbol for peace and forgiveness in the world. Let Jerusalem be a city of connection, the heart of the world where unity and peace will be a fact.
Drs. Rob Schrama,
Amsterdam, August 1st 2014
Jerusalem Hug Foundation
Krom Boomssloot 16
1011 GW Amsterdam
Netherlands
GOLDEN GATE PROJECT 