Brewing Peace Through Art, Wine, and a Dash of Bowie

Imagine a world where understanding and harmony flourish, ancient traditions blend seamlessly with modern innovation, and the power of art and culture brings people together.

This is the world I dream of creating, and it’s the essence of my ideal job – though I’m well aware that some might call me a dreamer, to which I’d say, “Well, Bowie collaborated with Nine Inch Nails, and nobody saw that coming.”

As an anthropologist and entrepreneur, I envision myself as a cultural bridge-builder, guided by Kahlil Gibran’s profound wisdom: “It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and persevering courtship.

Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity; unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created for years or even generations.”

My mission would be to foster that spiritual affinity between neo-Zionists and their neighbours(the original dwellers), creating moments of connection that transcend generations of conflict. Here’s how I’d weave this tapestry of understanding:

I would establish collaborative wineries bringing together Israeli and Palestinian vintners to craft wines from indigenous grapes like Hamdani and Jandali.

These “Wines of Affinity” would symbolize their shared heritage, with each bottle telling a story of cooperation and mutual respect.

Building on the UNESCO recognition of Nabulsi soap-making, I’d create workshops where people from all backgrounds could learn this ancient craft together. As they mix olive oil, water, and lye, they also blend their stories and aspirations, creating a metaphorical “soap of understanding” that cleanses away prejudice.

Speaking of pushing boundaries, let’s talk about the Thin White Duke himself.

Bowie showed us how cultural fusion should be done – not some sanitized “world music” compilation you’d find in a dentist’s waiting room, but real, raw collaboration.

This man worked with everyone from Queen to Iggy Pop, Trent Reznor to Luther Vandross, and even threw in some Nile Rodgers funk for good measure.

If Bowie could make “Under Pressure” with Queen while allegedly subsisting on milk, peppers, and other substances I won’t mention here, surely we can get people to sit down and make some soap together.

I envision music and dance events that would make Bowie proud—where traditional Dabkeh dancers might engage in rhythmic conversations with electronic musicians while oud players trade riffs with electric guitarists.

Imagine a Palestinian hip-hop artist dropping bars over an Israeli rock band’s groove, creating something that would make both their grandmothers raise their eyebrows and maybe tap their feet.

Like the ancient wines discovered in Roman tombs, I’d work to ensure that the fruits of this cultural collaboration are preserved for future generations.

We’d create time capsules containing our wines, soaps, and recordings of our music to be opened in two millennia – a testament to the enduring power of unity.

At the heart of this dream would be the Gibran Institute of Affinity, an educational centre dedicated to Gibran’s philosophy of love and understanding, serving as a beacon of knowledge and inspiration for generations to come.

Here, people would study not just conflict resolution but also the art of creating spiritual affinity – that spark of connection that can transform relationships in an instant.

This isn’t just a job – it’s about crafting moments of genuine human connection that have the power to reshape hearts and minds.

It’s about believing, as Gibran did, that love and understanding can blossom instantly if we create the right conditions.

So, let’s raise a glass of our indigenous wine, wash our hands with our collaborative soap, and dance together to the rhythm of unity.

For in this dream job, we are all artists of peace, composing a symphony of understanding that will resonate through the ages.

And yes, this all sounds somewhat idealistic. Some might say I’m channelling Bowie’s space oddity more than his earthly wisdom.

But as the man himself sang, “We can be heroes, just for one day.” However, in my case, I’d settle for getting people to agree on the proper amount of olive oil in hummus. Baby steps, right?

May harmony find you,

Irena Phaedra

P.S. Tomorrow do I answer the question about the significance of my name or should I write about equations?…perhaps most probably I’ll do both.