“Peace is built first and foremost by courageous human beings who refuse to surrender their humanity, even in the darkest of times.”
This year, B8 of Hope celebrates its 10th anniversary. It is impossible to mark this milestone without acknowledging some of the peace heroes and mentors who have inspired me, taught me, and kept me on this difficult but meaningful journey over the past decade.
I could have simply admired them from afar. Instead, my admiration was so profound that it changed the course of my life and led me to become actively involved.
Some friends ask me: “Why Israel-Palestine? Why not Iran and your own roots? Why not a local charity in Geneva?”
The answer is simple. I was deeply moved by people like Robi Damelin and Ali Abu Awwad. By Leila Al-Sheikh and Michal Halev. By Chen Alon and Sulaiman Khatib. And there are dozens more whose names deserve to be mentioned. But let us not turn this reflection into a list.
Everything began when I first met Ali Abu Awwad in July 2014, on the land he had transformed into the Karama Center for Nonviolence.
What struck me most was his sincerity, his courage, and his vision.
I still remember some of the ideas he shared that day:
“My best weapon is my enemy’s humanity.”
“Peace will happen when two truths meet.”
And perhaps most importantly:
“Dialogue is not a place where we come to agree. It is a place where we learn to disagree nonviolently, until eventually our truths and narratives can meet.”
These words stayed with me.
Ten years later, after meeting hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders, I remain convinced that peace is built first and foremost by courageous human beings who refuse to surrender their humanity, even in the darkest of times.
They are the reason I am still on this journey. Check out our new website to learn more about my – our community of real life peace heroes at B8 of Hope.