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| Coca-Cola, Happiness Without Borders |
When a colleague sent me this Coca-Cola video link, I have to admit I was reluctant to watch it. I figured it would be something gimmicky intended to boost Coke sales. I might be right about their profits but not about gimmicks. Breaking down borders and doing so in a very creative way, Coca-Cola actually gave me the “warm-fuzzies” by the end of this video.
After the warm-fuzzies had passed, my first thought was calling Coke and saying, “Hey, do you guys wanna try this in the Holy Land?” And indeed, whether it is Coca-Cola in the future, or athletes in the present, what governments cannot accomplish seems to be accomplished, even in small ways, through grassroots efforts.
Last month’s (April) first annual marathon in Bethlehem, meant to raise awareness of “The Wall” and the issues it is causing united sympathetic Israelis with concerned Palestinians. The consecutive jail sentences earned by an Israeli teenager for refusing to serve in the obligatory, consigned service of the Israeli military for conscience reasons related to The Wall (which he thinks is wrong) also shows something of a desire for unity is afoot among the individual blades of the grassroots movement.
The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land has been hard at work trying to accomplish the same goal through its “Children Without Borders” program where Palestinian and Israeli youth play sports together on the same teams and receive training and advice from pro-athletes & coaches. It’s yet another way we can all work toward peace.
Thanks Coke. And thanks Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land. (See these and more “Children Without Borders” photos on our Pinterest board.)
