A Convoy Christmas
by Adriano Contreras | Sunday, December 27th, 2009

I can’t honestly remember most Christmas days. They’re usually spent opening gifts and then sitting around or waiting to see a film at the theater. For me, all of the family fun happens on Christmas Eve. This is my first time being away from family on Christmas and I must say, there is no way I will forget it.

Its not that my family is boring, though there are times I might have dozed off. This year I spent the holiday with a different family. A family built upon solidarity, social justice, and respect. I’m not related to anyone on the Viva Palestina convoy, but I would split with them my meal into 10 if that many bellies went hungry.

It was hard to remember it was Christmas day. For nearly all of us on the convoy, snow and cold weather are the make up of this holiday. Instead we awoke to a cool breeze and glowing sun. Instead of walking to a Christmas tree to open a present, I sat in on an strategy meeting. When Christmas carols were no where to be heard, Monica whipped out her pen and wrote a ‘Break the Siege’ carol. Quite exhausted and dirty, we walked about in zombie like fashion before George Galloway made an appearance and lived up some spirits.

Aware of our temporary situation in Aqaba, many of us decided to look into the cost of a hotel. To our surprise we were offered a number of complimentary rooms. When word spread of our convoy being stuck in Aqaba, a representative of the hotel returned hours later offering up completely free rooms to everyone with an indefinite date for checkout. Our jaws dropped. Its one thing for someone to offer you some camel meat or pay for your drink, but to be housed in a nice hotel for FREE… shows the capacity of human beings when genuine solidarity exists.

If humans are inherently greedy, then there is no way you can explain a person’s desire to house over 70 individuals for free in a society where profit is the motive. Imagine if the underlying social conditions took profit out of the equation, what sort of potential we’d have as a species for advancing in the right direction. People in Gaza would not starve on Christmas Day. Not a single homeless person would line the streets of New York City or an alley in Damascus. Medicine could be readily available and free.

Humans are not inherently greedy. They’re inherently malleable. You learn to be greedy. You learn to be violent. You learn to be a Christian. You learn to be a Muslim. You can be all sorts of things in all sorts of combinations. The conditions that drive people to do what they do and become who they are is the root of “human nature”.

The nearly 500 folks (I’ve been saying 300 previously) on this convoy gathered at various times on Christmas day. In the morning for a briefing. Early afternoon for lunch and again for dinner. In the evening Christians attended prayer at a Mosque and Muslims returned the solidarity at a Christmas gathering outside the Greek Orthodox church. Jordanians openly welcomed us as we walked the streets and often introduced themselves and gave thanks.

I spent the day watching people continue to carry on with the work of the convoy. Many made their way to internet cafes and sent out press releases to media outlets. Media in Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Turkey, and many more responded and ran stories. I teamed up with Nada from PressTV and worked all day doing interviews and capturing different events.

How could I possibly forget this Christmas? I was in Jordan on a humanitarian aid mission to the world’s biggest open air prison. I spent it doing what I love most… filming. Surrounded by people full of determination and hope when all the signs point to no progress. What we’re doing here, what we did on Christmas day, has blanketed the entire Middle East and engulfed my memories for years to come.

Tags: Christmas, convoy, egypt, Israel, Jordan, Viva Palestina

11:17 am. Viva Palestina.