Starhawk has been a leader in alternative spirituality communities and political activism for more than twenty years. She was likely one of the earliest to interface spirituality with progressive political actions through creating rituals which speak both to participants' spiritual needs and their desires to create positive political revolution.

StarHawk is currently in Nablus with other Internationals attempting to monitor Israeli soldiers' activities and protect and assist Palestinian civilians. She has been trying to facilitate rapport between those soldiers (who show that they don't agree with or feel guilty about what they are ordered to do) and Palestinians. The story she told was heartening: She has been spending most of her time with a family whose four-year old Palestinian boy immediately begins crying with terror each time he sees an Israeli soldier. This morning she saw the boy walking near his family's house as a soldier also approached the house. She stopped the soldier, someone she'd been conversing with for several days, and asked him to remove his helmet and wave to the little Palestinian guy. The Israeli soldier did so and the little boy waved back. So StarHawk went over to the little boy and brought him back to the soldier who reached out to shake the boy's hand. They shook hands and then the boy kissed the soldier on the cheek. The soldier returned the kiss.

Page last updated June 5th, 2002