Photo of Brooklyn sunset taken by Christa Avampato
In the last days of his presidency, Bill Clinton called PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. “You are a great man,” said Arafat. “I am not a great man. I am a failure, and you made me one,” Clinton replied. I don’t know if Arafat can bear all of the blame but he was a key player in the region’s failure. Never quite endorsing nor denouncing anyone or anything, he failed his people and neighbors by holding to the messy, non-committal middle.
After Arafat shook hands with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the White House lawn, Hamas’s (then called Change and Reform) rage exploded into violence. They narrowly won the 2006 election with 44.45% of the vote. Fatah, the next closest party and founded by Arafat, won 41.43%. The remaining 5 parties collectively won 12.3%. It wasn’t a runaway victory. A majority of Palestinians didn’t want Hamas.
2006 was the last time Palestinians voted. With 50% of Gazans under 18 today, they had no say in 2006. We have no idea how they’d vote now.
We know Hamas wants Israel to invade Gaza. They’d love to publicize the casualties. It’ll be bloody, horrific hand-to-hand, door-to-door combat. Only fans of chaos win that kind of war.
This picture is the view from my Brooklyn apartment. I spend a lot of time at this window, looking out across Ditmas Park, Kensington, Borough Park, Midwood, Greenwood, Windsor Terrace, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights, and Bath Beach. They’re some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world. A mix of every religion, culture, and ethnicity. Many Jews. Many Muslims. All New Yorkers, and so far, peaceful.
I hope it’s not too late for peace. The world could give Palestinians an option other than Hamas with humanitarian aid and safe passage. The Arab world could denounce Hamas, come to the table, and stand for peace for all. If we leave Gazans with no food, water, medical care, or electricity, their desperation will grow exponentially. I’m afraid of where that leads.
Is peace ever impossible? Is a spirit of humanity ever completely snuffed out? Time will tell.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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Christa Avampato 