A New Earth
is particularly deeply entrenched in those parts of the world where conflict
between two nations, races, tribes, religions, or ideologies is long-standing,
extreme, and endemic. Both sides of the conflict are equally identified with
their own perspective, their own “story,” that is to say, identified with
thought. Both are equally incapable of seeing that another perspective,
another story, may exist and also be valid. Israeli writer Y. Halevi speaks of
the possibility of “accommodating a competing narrative,”3 but in many
parts of the world, people are not yet able or willing to do that. Both sides
believe themselves to be in possession of the truth. Both regard themselves
as victims and the “other” as evil, and because they have conceptualized and
thereby dehumanized the other as the enemy, they can kill and inflict all
kinds of violence on the other, even on children, without feeling their
humanity and suffering
annaabi.ee 
