Ayuni ("My Eyes" in Arabic)
The "Ayuni" project is a technological adventure, private innovation, encouraging interaction between Israelis and Palestinians, and between Palestinians among their families in the Diaspora. We are making use of the most up-to-date Telepresence technology, in "lo-tech" approach (availability of personal computing as explained later on), to let Riyad (who is a Palestinian living abroad) and his relatives, see their home town Nablus, through the eyes of Neora (the Israeli partner). The outcome is both an internet site (www.neora.com/nablus), documenting the whole process, and a documentary film that follows closely and intimately, all the steps of this interaction, from setting up the technology, to visiting several locations in Nablus, as requested by Riyad and his family. Thus showing in a most visual and expressive method, how network technology can erase boundaries, break barriers, and build human relations between remote partners.

Target Audience:
For both Technophobes, who feel detached from technology, and could get closer to it through human stories, and for Technophiles who are always curious and in search for state of the art technologies. This makes it to be International interest, specifically for Palestinians and Israelis (it is English spoken).

Who is doing it?

Neora Shem-Shaul, the innovator and the "Israeli host", is a software specialist and writes (Haaretz newspaper) and lectures (Tel-Aviv university) about the culture influences of the internet on our society. Her novel "Digital Affair" was published by Hakibutz Hameuchad Pub. 1994. It is a detective love story happenning on the net, involving Israeli/Palestinian relations of the main characters. Neora is highly acquainted both with up-to-date technologies, and the IT industry functions in Israel. She has done some TV shows before, with high-tech assets (Ascola, Zombit - Edu TV).
Riyad Anabtawi (ICQ 3578646), is a Palestinian, living in Southern California, USA. Currently he is in Argentina, visiting his son. His family is from Nablus, nowdays they're all spread in Europe, North and South America, and are not able to visit Israel or Palestine. Since few months ago, after we got acquainted in the NetGammon, we became obsessed to get this project going, and put together days and night of work to figure out how to do it, conceptually and technologically.
Nimrod Kerrett is an Israeli computer specialist who supports us technically, online and offline. His insights not only fit my "lo-tech" approach, but gave a boost to the project, by enabling others (Riyad's family, my friends, potential sponsors, etc.) to watch us while we travel together virtually. (Technical Configuration for more details).
Meir Wigoder is my camera man, who is documenting the trip and interaction, as another viewpoint other than my own camera. He is a lecturer on Photography and Filming in Tel-Aviv University, and has major interest in the Israeli-Palestinian issue.