My Friend is a Palestinian Bedouin: XV. Work Attitudes

My Friend is a Palestinian Bedouin: XV. Work Attitudes

There is a large difference between Bedouin culture on one side, and North America and Western Europe on the other side, when it comes to work attitudes. I will share my thoughts on three aspects: the issue of combining intercultural friendship with business, differences in attitudes toward work and leisure, and the topic of child labor.

Stories of Friendship: At the Garage

Anata, a Palestinian village just outside Jerusalem, January 2011. While Bashar and I were in the garage office, Fawaz, one of the mechanics, came in with his small boy (about 2 yrs). He was angry. He wanted his salary. Bashar explained to Fawaz that he already received more money than he earned. Bashar showed him from the notes he wrote in his diary how much he brought in (quite little). The discussion took at least a quarter of an hour. Bashar then got angry at Fawaz and raised his voice.

Not having understood much from the discussion, I asked Bashar what had happened. He then informed me that two days before police came to the garage with the intention to arrest Fawaz and Bashar paid NIS 4000 (about $1000) to get him free. The conversation continued as follows:
Daniel: [frowning] Did you take the money from the garage?
Bashar: Did you think from my family? You really are a European! You would not have paid?!?
Daniel: You could have told me about this; I am your partner in the garage.
Bashar: Do you not see how busy I am? If I tell you about everything that happens, it will take me an hour every day.
Daniel: So tell me in five minutes.
Bashar: [angry] Perhaps go home!
Daniel: [insulted and upset] I intended to, but before, you told me to stay.
Bashar: [changing to a soothing tone of voice] Do not take everything so exactly. Stay!

Things calmed down between us and ten minutes later I saw Bashar and Fawaz talk in a friendly way, as if nothing had happened.

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Daniel WeishutDaniel J.N. Weishut, born in the Netherlands but living in Jerusalem, is a professional with a diverse background. He holds an MA in Clinical Psychology and an MBA in Integrative Business Administration, both from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and a PsyD in Clinical and Organizational Psychology from the Professional School of Psychology (Sacramento). He has about thirty years of experience in consultation and therapy with a wide variety of clients and issues, more than twenty years of practice in group facilitation, and over fifteen years of know-how in governance and management in various organizations.Daniel Weishut offers his services as a "Partner on the Way", while taking a world-view that people are diverse but equal. He works with a variety of clients, but his special interest is in work with those who have found themselves persecuted or otherwise in conflict with their social environment, because of their culture, identity or belief system. For example: migrants, expats, refugees, Holocaust survivors, soldiers, pacifists, and individuals from religious, cultural or sexual minorities. Daniel Weishut is a social activist and in this capacity he volunteers as Chairperson of the Israeli Association of Group Psychotherapy, as Member of the Membership Appeals Committee of Amnesty International and as forensic expert for the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel. He also is involved in raising awareness about the situation of Bedouins around Jerusalem; awareness which led among others to the writing of his dissertation "My friend is a Palestinian Bedouin: Challenges and opportunities in intercultural friendship".

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