The opportunity cost of conflicts in the Middle East since 1991 is 12 trillion dollars, says a new research report on the Cost of Conflict in the Middle East by Strategic Foresight Group, a leading Asian think-tank.

For the first time in 60 years, the report presents a comprehensive assessment of costs of various conflicts in the Middle East on 97 different parameters- from the social to psychological and economic to environmental. Supported by the Governments of Switzerland and Norway, the AK Party of Turkey and Qatar Foundation, the Strategic Foresight Group involved over 50 leading experts and leaders from the region to gather input for the report.

This is a song of hope for the Palestinians in Gaza, composed and performed by Michael Heart (www.michaelheart.com)
Copyright 2009

Lyrics:

A blinding flash of white light
Lit up the sky over Gaza tonight
People running for cover
Not knowing whether they’re dead or alive

They came with their tanks and their planes
With ravaging fiery flames
And nothing remains
Just a voice rising up in the smoky haze

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight

Women and children alike
Murdered and massacred night after night
While the so-called leaders of countries afar
Debated on who’s wrong or right

But their powerless words were in vain
And the bombs fell down like acid rain
But through the tears and the blood and the pain
You can still hear that voice through the smoky haze

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight

We will not go down
In Gaza tonight

Made by Nizar Abu Zayyad.

You Don’t Live Here Anymore’ is based on the true story of Ahmad Darwish, an East Jerusalem resident studying in America who lost his permanent residency following the Interior Ministry’s claim that he resided abroad for over six years. The Interior Ministry officially confiscated Ahmad’s residency card on the spot and he became a stateless person. With no travel documents and no ID, Ahmad can neither remain in Israel in violation of the law nor return to America

The Film was officially selected in Jerusalem Film Festival / The Tromsoe Festival (Norway) / Berlin Film Festival (Germany) / Warsaw Film Festival (Poland)