Last summer, Michael Vicente Perez spent his own money for the chance to put his life in danger. Perez, an anthropology graduate student, lived in the West Bank of Israel for almost two months, where he worked as a nonviolent activist.

During his time in the area, he made an effort to place himself between the most violent forces participating in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Some of the things we would do is stay in the houses of families whose children had been suicide bombers and be there to hopefully prevent the house from being demolished," he said.

Perez said it was not uncommon for live ammunition to be fired.

"We would stand in front of the children to try and act as buffers," he said.

Perez is a member of the Michigan Peace Team, a statewide organization of civilian peacemakers who have worked in other countries as well as in the United States as nonviolent activists.

Perez said he heard about the team through friends and other activist groups he was involved in. He left for the West Bank of Israel on April 27 and didn't return to the states until June 10. The Michigan Peace Team helped him to fund-raise for his plane ticket, and once he was there, he paid for all expenses, such as food and shelter, from his own pocket.

James Madison Professor Michael Rubner said life for the Israeli and Palestinian people is very uncertain, and it never is possible to tell when the next act of terror will occur.

"They are really not in control of their daily lives," he said. "No one ever knows when they wake up in the morning if they will get back to sleep at night."

Rubner said he thinks the conflict is more complicated than many members of the peace team are aware of.

"My concern with the Peace Team has always been that they are really taking sides in a sense," he said. "They are really sympathetic to one side of the victims, but not to the other.

"I really cannot see that they are going to have a lot of positive impact on either side," Rubner said. "A few well-meaning people who sit there to symbolize moral concerns are doing God's work but really cannot make much of a difference."

Perez said he was aware of the fact that he could be injured or killed while he was in the West Bank, but that it did not deter him from his activism.

"There is not much you can do to protect your safety," he said.

Perez said the only thing he could do was to wear a fluorescent yellow vest or red hospital vest to show he was not involved in the conflict, and that did not always guarantee he would be left alone.

"They accused us of trying to traffic people through the check points, and I was detained," he said. "The soldier was becoming more and more aggressive, and he slapped me with his open hand."

Perez said he was held for about five hours and that the soldier was angry when he had to let him go.

"He kicked the vehicle, insulting and spitting at the driver."

Despite the experience of being held prisoner, Perez said he plans to return to the West Bank to continue his work as an activist and to do research as an anthropology student. He said he would recommend the experience to others.

"It was rewarding in many ways," he said. "It really showed me the endurance of people; despite the situation you object them to, they still find a way to live, and for me that was incredible."

But he also said it was something that took a lot of dedication and sacrifice.

"Just beyond the sort of threat to your life, there are the practical reasons like money," he said. "It's certainly not a vacation - it's a personal commitment. I would argue it's a moral obligation, but I can't prove that."

Perez said although we have never experienced any kind of conflict in the states similar to those in the Middle East, it is something that could happen.

"We send the military to places to fight, and in this case, we are sending people over who really care about human rights and people. The constitution, in a sense, is not limited to the borders of our country," he said. "If it happened here, I think it would mean a lot to Americans if they had people come over here and show that they care."

Amy Cairns, a Peace Team volunteer for six years, said the team's main motive is to support people by nonviolent movements to bring about peace and justice. She said the group trains volunteers to go into countries where there is violent conflict and act as a nonviolent presence. The group also does trainings and presentations in Michigan to teach people how to use nonviolence in their daily lives.

While the Peace Team's objective is to help others, Cairns said she has gained a lot from the experience.

"It's really changed the way I think and the way I act in the world," the higher and adult education graduate student said.

Cairns said anyone interested in getting involved in the Michigan Peace Team should visit the Web site, michiganpeaceteam.org, to get more information.

Alessa Thomas can be reached at thoma470@msu.edu.