Dear colleagues in Palestinian-Jewish dialogue,

We just received this by fax from Dr. Nico Smith, founder of Koinonia-Southern Africa, the daring movement of the '80s and early '90s that brought together courageous Black and White citizens in "meal groups" to counter institutionalized apartheid in a positive way.

Often at social and physical risk, the women and men found a way to break down stereotypes and build bridges of understanding. This model began to reverse their fear, mistrust, and general ignorance of one another. It helped change the fabric of national relations in South Africa.

The model inspired us a lot, and has proven successful for us in bringing together Palestinians and Jews here. -- L&L

Pretoria, South Africa

Dear Libby and Len,

I received both your faxes of 28 Dec. '98 and 3 Jan. '99. Thank you for both. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from you again.

I'm so thankful to hear about your continuing involvement in the mealsharing project between Jews and Palestinians. I was really so thankful to read all the information you have provided in your fax of 3 January. I can only plead with you to continue with the project because it really has an enormous influence on the minds, thinking and perceptions of those participating.

My basic concept on the meals was always that, in any community wherever in the world, how big or how small, and what ever differences that may exist in a community, people have to trust one another in order to find a peaceful and meaningful way of co-existence. In order to trust one another, people need to learn to know one another.

You can't trust a person if you don't know the person. In order to learn to know a person, you need to talk to the person.

Only through talking can people reveal themselves to one another. And to talk to one another people need to meet with one another.

And there isn't a more suitable place to meet than around a dining table in a person's home. At the dining table, we become equals, looking in each other's eyes and faces and do the basic things every human being does in life, namely talking and eating. Thus, please continue in what you are doing. It will never be in vain.

The sad part of my letter is that Koinonia faded out after 1994. All our sponsors then said they consider our mission fulfilled and we shouldn't continue with the project. Sadly enough we had to close our offices.

Now that the country has been liberated from the grip of an ideology, and apartheid has disappeared from all the statutory books, it is clear that apartheid has not yet disappeared from the minds of the people.

We continue to live in different worlds and still have our perceptions of one another and our distrust of one another. A politician told me the other day, "Nico, your meals you have arranged between Whites and Blacks are now even more needed than before liberation. Wouldn't you start with it again?"

It's interesting that I have written a letter to one of the main newspapers in South Africa only two weeks ago in which I have invited interested people to start with a meal project again. Thus far the response is both negative and positive.

I hope this will be the resurrection of Koinonia. It was therefore very strange to me to receive your fax just after the letter had been published - to me a very strong indication that some of us should start again, especially in this time when crime and violence in society is once again tearing people apart and making them believe that we are all enemies of each other.

I believe in Margaret Mead's trust in a small group of thoughtful and committed people changing the world. I will thus be very thankful if we can stay in touch and I will inform you on how the new developments are progressing.

Please send us as much information as possible on your experiences with these meal groups and all the lessons you are learning from it.

Unfortunately I have no email or internet yet but do hope I will be able to afford it during this year. I will let you know when I have it available. Let us in the mean time stay in touch by fax.

Yours with warmest regards from a very hot South Africa and to you both a year full of meaningful actions and experiences.

Nico