SEEDS OF PEACE NEW VISIONS FOR PEACE 2015-2016 Fellows

Yaser Abu Deyeh into Dastangoi, a traditional art of Urdu storytelling. Oral History Project His works range from biographical dastans on histori- cal figures in the Indian heritage—Kabir, Amir Khusrau, The son of Palestinian refugees, and Dara Shikoh—to contemporary themes like cor- Yaser grew up in Syria and porate culture and the digital divide. The author of the Jordan and teaches now at Pal- national award-winning children’s book My Gandhi estinian schools in Jerusalem. In Story, he also works on history education through chil- addition to teaching at both the dren’s literature. This includes research and conducting high school and university levels, workshops at leading institutions across India. He has and pursuing his Ph.D., Yaser collaborated closely with leading global non-profits to has an interest in oral history. He tell stories of conflict between culture and development. has been an active participant Ankit has spoken about storytelling at various presti- in Seeds of Peace Educator gious platforms including the Jaipur Programs—as a Delegation Leader, graduate of the Literature Festival, the University of Toronto, TEDx, and “Making History” Educators’ Course, and participant in the State Council of Educational Research and Train- countless regional programs. ing. He participated in the “Making History” Seeds of Peace Educators’ Course and a subsequent workshop Project Summary held in Jordan in June 2014.

Yaser is training high school students to use oral Project Summary history as an educational tool and as part of a larger Ankit’s area of focus is the confluence of stories project focused on the collection of oral histories from and history. Inspired by the Seeds of Peace “Making Palestinians and Israelis, particularly around events in History” course, he began exploring multivocality in 1948. He intends to use the comparison of the two narratives and developed Project Agora. Project Agora narratives as a pilot for a larger set of oral history initia- is about the spaces where text (where we are) and tives. Yaser views this as a valuable method to explore context (where we come from) meet. The idea is to one’s own narrative and that of the “other,” given that pursue the historical narratives within literary works and these are often not presented in textbooks. build on the literary aspects of scholarly writings on the past. To offer cross-cultural understanding, the project Ankit Chadha will include research on select children’s literature titles. Project Agora Based on this, he well prepare a report analyzing ap- proaches to teaching history through creative and criti- Ankit is an India-based writer cal thinking with narratives as a foundation. A resource and storyteller who brings book incorporating best practices, along with an online together oral narrative perfor- repository, are part of the project’s scope. mance, literature, and history. Given how rarely South Asian children’s literature While earning his Bachelor’s in deals with confronting historical narratives, Project history at Hindu College, at the Agora seeks to set benchmarks in terms of sensitivity University of Delhi, he started towards local culture. The success of this project will be scripting street plays and won in enabling students to engage with the past to build accolades for the productions he an understanding towards a peaceful future. User-gen- wrote and directed. After work- erated content around the project (reviews/resources ing as a web marketing professional at digital startups, added to the platform by users, shares/interactions on he quit his job and persued storytelling as his full-time social media, and proven usage of repository) will be occupation. Ankit specializes in bringing new content among the metrics for success. tional programs for youth in Jaffa. She is focused on Lubna Maher Al Rayyes providing civic engagement and leadership opportuni- One Family ties for Palestinian youth in the city, which are largely underserved when it comes to empowerment programs. She is partnering with key Palestinian leaders in Jaffa Lubna is the head of the to develop and lead programs that will ultimately aim elementary school division at the to create young leadership groups in Jaffa, enrich the American International School in social involvement of young Palestinian, nurture self es- Gaza. teem of Palestinian youth at risk, and develop a sense She was a delegate to the of belonging to the community. Seed of Peace Camp in 1994, the second year of the camp and the first year that girls par- Meenakshi Chhabra ticipated. Boundaries of Conflict She is also a graduate of the Seeds of Peace Educators’ Meenakshi is Associate Profes- Course “Expressive Arts; Educational Transformations.” sor at both the Interdisciplin- ary Studies Program and the Project Summary International Higher Education Intercultural Relations Program “One Family” is a series of activities Lubna is design- at the Graduate School of Art ing in her school to encourage learning of concepts and Social Sciences at Lesley such as freedom, respect, humanity, justice, coopera- University in Cambridge, Mass. tion, and peace. Lubna has long been passionate She completed her PhD in Edu- about connecting youth in Gaza with the outside cational Studies at Lesley and world, particularly given travel constraints on Gazans. postdoctoral work at the Harvard Graduate School of She developed the concept for “One Family” after the Education. Meenakshi is a scholar and practitioner in last war in Gaza, as she grew worried that young the field of Peace and Conflict studies. Her current re- people were becoming more violent and angry. At search and practice focus on the teaching and learning the core of “One Family” is the concept of accepting of historical events of collective violence between con- the “other,” especially by learning about other cultures flicting countries. She has been awarded two Fulbright through movement and dance. She views success as senior scholarships and a third Fulbright Specialist being able to create a peaceful learning environment award to teach and conduct research in India related and cohort of children who understand and accept the to the topic of History Education and Peace. other—who can forgive and reach out to the world Meenakshi has published in national and interna- with open arms. tional journals. In addition to teaching at Lesley, she has been engaged with Seeds of Peace since 2001, specifically with its South Asia and Educator Programs. Iris Cohen Meenakshi lives in Lexington, Mass., with her husband Jaffa Youth Project and two kids, and enjoys long quiet walks, travelling, biking and reading. Iris works at the Israeli Ministry of Education as the head of the Project Summary Tel Aviv district schools, working In her research, Meenakshi has found that teaching with educators teaching society history, particularly teaching about events of collective and values in both formal and violence, has implications for the way young students nonformal schools. Iris has been perceive the enemy other. The teachers’ enactment of to the Seeds of Peace Interna- these events in the classroom either supports the stu- tional Camp twice as a Delega- dents to break the hegemonic discourse of the content, tion Leader. or perpetuate it. Hence, the role of the teacher is criti- cal in any initiative that seeks to transform the discourse Project Summary in the direction of peace. This project will aim to edu- For her Fellowship, Iris is creating informal educa- cate and support teachers from both India and Pakistan tent in ways that spark student curiousity and informs to build content and skills that support a peace-oriented them about the cultures in the region, the conflict itself, pedagogy in the two countries. and different concepts that arise from this conflict. This Specifically, Meenakshi will extend her research textbook will be accompanied by dialogue facilitation related to the teaching and learning of historical events training for teachers, since it is imperative that teachers of collective violence between conflicting groups with know how to lead difficult conversations in classes. a focus on the India-Pakistan conflict. The project will Given that so many people in Israel and Palestine are concentrate on developing 1) a framework for teaching learning English, this project has the ability to tap into and learning about boundaries of conflict starting with a wide market, since the textbook first and foremost the 1947 Partition of British India; 2) a two-year pro- offers a great method to studying the language. This is posal for a collaborative Teachers Training Workshop important because the switch to a different language for India and Pakistan for teaching about differences, brings an element of neutrality into studying about the and boundaries and histories of conflict. “other.” Students will potentially be exposed to material they have been shying away from for years because Ashraf Ghandour of singular narratives in their communities. However, Socially Responsible Literature through learning English as a foreign language, they will be able to access this kind of information while deconstructing their own singular narratives and being Ashraf was born in Beersheva exposed to the other. Students will also be exposed to and currently resides in Haifa. NGO work and peace work in their region through He carries bachelor degrees in reading comprehension passages. Psychology and International Re- This project has the potential to grow to every region lations, and is presently complet- in conflict and bring people together as they learn a ing his Education degree while second or third language, immersing them in informa- teaching English literature at the Reali Beit Biram High School in tion about the culture they are in conflict with. Haifa. Throughout his studies, Ashraf has helped found several Doaa Adnan El Jedy human rights organizations, including the Palestinian- Shujaeya Community Project Israeli Mediation and Peace Students Association. He was also the co-founder and vice president of Guaran- Doaa is an experienced teach- teeing the Rights of Others World Wide (GROW Intl’), er and tutor, with a degree in an organization founded to raise awareness about early education. She is the Pro- international conflicts among North American students. gram Director of the Shujaeya Ashraf also works with Artsbridge Inc., an organi- Community Project which was zation that brings people from different sides of the established following the 2014 Palestinian-Israeli conflict together through dialogue and Gaza war to offer support to art therapy communication methods. youth, educators, and parents in The more human rights work he has become in- one of the most devastated com- volved in, the stronger his urge has become to work munities of Gaza. She took part as an educator in Jewish schools to ensure students are in the Seeds of Peace workshop “Educational Leader- exposed to a “different Arab” compared to what the ship In Times of Crisis” in December 2014. Israeli media is willing to portray. Project Summary Project Summary Doaa is interested in working with Palestinian children “Socially Responsible Literature” will be a series of facing social and psychological challenges, particu- textbooks that are meant to teach English as a foreign larly as a result of traumas from violence and war. This language in regions of conflict. The first textbook cur- Fellowship will enable Doaa to expand the Shujaeya rently being written focuses mainly on the Middle East Community Project and provide children the chance North Africa region. It uses typical English teaching cur- to express themselves, heal from trauma, and learn life ricula, but introduces new topics that deal with conflict and study skills, as well as cooperation and empathy. resolution and conflict awareness. It introduces this con- She is working to create peaceful learning environ- ments and build a sustainable and creative learning Project Summary community. Sulaiman is working to share his own story as a way of learning, teaching, and knowing the narrative/story Iddo Felsenthal of what we call “the other.” He is collaborating with an Come to My Classroom author on a book of narrative nonfiction about his life and activism. The book will tell the story of his family history, time in prison, and the secret conversations Iddo teaches civics, history that led him to cofound the Palestinian- and Israeli-led and Arabic at a public Jewish organization Combatants for Peace. high school in Jerusalem. He is The book will also frame a conversation between a lecturer about Islam and the himself and his biographer—a product of the Amer- Arab-Israeli conflict in different ican-Jewish community and its divisions around the institutions and is also involved Israeli-Palestinian conflict. in teachers’ training with several Finally, woven throughout his narrative, this book will institutes. explore and pose questions about social change strat- Iddo has participated in the egy, the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Seeds of Peace Camp and the identity politics that inform it. regional programs since 1997 as a Seed and later as a facilitator and an educator. He has been politically active ever since he could remember, and he is trying Sana Khalid to raise political awareness through his educational The History Project: Scaling Impact work. He is married and has a son. Sana is the Manager of Project Summary Delivery and Partnerships with “Come to my Classroom” is a mini-course for Arab The History Project, an organi- and Jewish teachers in Jerusalem. The main objective zation that aims to help youth of the course is to give teachers tools and experiences learn identify biases and stereo- that can help them teach about the conflict. By using types by juxtaposing contrasting different methods of bringing the “other” into the class- textbook history narratives and room, through the transformative experience of meeting by making history education fun. the other side and through skills from the discipline of She is responsible for hiring and dialogue facilitation, teachers who take the course will managing volunteers, identifying be equipped to teach the conflict in a more tolerant, delivery partners, social media, and conducting impact open, and peaceful way. analysis. Sana also has been working with an organization that promotes education, environment, and community Sulaiman Khatib health in South Punjab. Her first book of poetry collec- My Story tion is in the process of publication, and she is currently working on a series of short stories. Sulaiman attended GATH- Sana was a Pakistani Delegation Leader at the Seeds ER+962 and has been involved of Peace Camp in 2014 and a GATHER+962 partici- with Seeds of Peace activities pant. in Israel and Palestine. He was imprisoned in Israeli jails for ten Project Summary years and five months, starting Sana’s goals with The History Project are to reach out at the age of 14, for his po- to a minimum of 1,000 students in India and Pakistan litical activity. Today, he is the this year; develop lesson plans, and conduct teacher co-founder and co-director of trainings with The History Project textbook; and hold Combatants for Peace. He has interactive sessions with parents to raise awareness spoken at many universities, schools, and public gath- and gain visibility via social media. erings, telling his personal story of transformation from violent to nonviolent struggle.

Eppie Bat-Ilan Nadia Miari Bint Hur WaImmha You Know My Name, Not My Story

Born in Jerusalem where she Nadia is an English teacher now lives and works, Eppie is a at one of the biggest junior high writer and artist engaged with schools for Palestinian students the healing potential of the arts in Israel and is responsible for in Israel and Palestine, and in twelve 9th grade classes. She Jerusalem in particular. has taught at the Sakhnin school Her work seeks to locate, since 1998 and been a mem- highlight, and create shared ber of the school leadership metaphors, associations and since 2005. transformational experiences in Nadia has experience with both Arabic and Hebrew—to build and broaden the Arab-Jewish meetings with youth movements that work imaginative bridge between the two societies. for pluralism within Israel, and speaks Arabic, Hebrew, Working from a vision of the mirrored destinies of and English fluently. Palestinians and Israeli Jews, and from a rarely-voiced mutual need underlying conflict and injustice, Eppie has Project Summary designed a number of structures to develop in-depth cul- “You Know My Name, Not My Story” aims to bridge tural bridges. One of these is a women’s joint empow- the gaps between Arabs and Jews in Israel. Nadia erment group that uses voice work and cultural learning plans to bring youth together through sports, arts, and in an empathic, echoing safe space. She is also active other hobbies so as to create non-political ways for in the Women of Action group, founded by Israeli and them to relate to each other. She views this as critical Palestinian Seeds of Peace Educators. to peace in the region, as the conflict with Palestinians cannot be separated from the internal conflicts in Israel. Project Summary Bint Hur WaImmha is a project of transformative Ismail Mukbil theater: a richly musical, dramatic performance that Arroub Community Center addresses the realities of the Jewish-Palestinian conflict by building from a shared world of associations and Ismail is a peace activist and reaching out to both Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking was a teacher of English lan- audiences. Based on the mother and sister’s story from guage and a school principal the well-known film Ben-Hur, the performance—set to for private and UNRWA schools be staged at Jerusalem’s old Lepers’ Asylum—focuses for more than 40 years. He on women’s roles, voices, and experiences as a fresh worked in a number of local prism for both conflict and healing. By connecting the organizations in the fields of history of the asylum, the Ben-Hur legend, and contem- peace education, communica- porary Israel and Palestine, the project seeks to offer tion, nonviolence, human rights, audiences a magnetic narrative and an experience and conducted a course on of understanding beyond and through differences. respecting the other and empowering children and Planned to be time-specific as well as site-specific, the women in Palestinian society. performances will be staged at key national and reli- He works on best practices in regulatory work by gious dates that amplify the narrative and ritual power building and developing an advanced network of of the story. relationships with professionals at the local and interna- The performance focuses on women’s voice, experi- tional levels for the empowerment of Palestinian society ence and emerging narrative as a source of healing for in marginal areas, particularly Palestinian children in individuals, families, and the two conflicting societies. Arroub Refugee Camp. Success will be in the numbers of joint audiences that Ismail holds a high diploma in School Administration are attracted to the performances, as well as critical from the Education Institute in Amman, Jordan, and a response. In the long-run, this project can also move Bachelors degree in English Language and its Literature beyond Jerusalem, which would obviously be a sign of from Bethlehem University. its broad impact. He led the Palestinian delegation to the Seeds of youth in India and the West Bank. Peace Camp several times and was a participant in the first Educators’ Course, “Narratives; Moral Imagina- Project Summary tion; Educational Action.” Hold Everything Dear is the working title for a film Ismail was one of the core educators in the Seeds that will inquire into the idea of home—about longing of Peace Model Schools Initiative and Peaceful Learn- and belonging. The documentary will be situated in ing Environment workshops that engaged Palestinian Israel and Palestine and delve into what “home” really educators from 2007-2009. means to us today and uncover previously untold stories under the premise that more than losing our home and Project Summary our land, the ultimate loss is that of losing our story. Over the past two decades, Palestinian society has gone through significant economic, social and politi- Hanoch Piven cal changes. These changes have directly affected its Pivenworld composition, as well as its participation and production systems, values, and the relationships between different Hanoch creates colorful groups in society and between individuals and govern- collage portraits which have ing bodies and institutions. appeared in many major Ameri- These changes have had a pronounced effect on can publications, including Time Palestinians in refugee camps, particularly children who Magazine, Newsweek, and lack access to opportunity. Rolling Stone, as well as in The Arroub Community Center will strive to empower many European publications, youth in the Arroub Refugee Camp through a variety of like the The Times of London. He activities that will help them live peacefully and have gained great visibility in Israel equal opportunities alongside other groups in their due to his collaboration with community. The Center will also aim to enhance their Ha’aretz newspaper, his children’s books, and his TV abilities to play a role in public life. program on Israeli Educational TV. Hanoch has received multiple professional awards, Ajay Noronha most notably a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustra- Hold Everything Dear tors of New York, and a Parents’ Choice Gold Award for his iPad App, Faces iMake. Ajay is a cinematographer, His book for children, What Presidents Are Made documentary filmmaker, and Of, was selected by Time as one of the 10 Best director based in Mumbai with Children’s Books of 2004. over 20 years of experience in Hanoch’s art, made with everyday found objects, the film industry. stimulates us to look at our world in a playful new way, His passion for telling a story engaging the viewer in active participation. Many visually has taken him across the schools in Israel and the USA use his collage method in world in diverse contexts—tele- the classroom. vision shows, documentaries, Hanoch is also a sought-after speaker, encouraging feature films, music videos and creativity and communication amongst children, educa- video art installations. tors, executives, and leaders in general. A variety of A geology graduate from St Xavier’s, Ajay has been audiences, ranging from migrant children in Guate- a copywriter and worked at CRY – Child Rights and mala City to Jewish and Muslim educators in Israel, to You before going on to study film at the MCRC, Jamia CEOs of high-tech companies, have participated over Millia Islamia, New Delhi. the years in his workshops. He teaches cinematography at the Sophia Polytech- nic, Mumbai and conducts workshops at other film Project Summary schools. An Indian Delegation Leader at the Seeds of In his own art and in his workshops, Hanoch works Peace Camp and participant in the “Expressive Arts; with everyday objects to spark the imagination and to Educational Transformations” Course, Ajay has also stimulate new ways to look at the world beyond the conducted filmmaking workshops for educators and status quo. He will create an arts education curricu- lum and teacher training course based on the artistic Married happily for 42 years, she has four children method he developed and on the extensive educa- and four grandchildren. She is a very curious person tional experience he gained over the years conduct- who never stops learning, and believes that people ing workshops around the world. Themes that will be have the talent and the influence to make a change. explored and expressed include composed identity, She therefore continues to be a big believer in educa- history, dreams, community, and ‘the other.’ tion. This curriculum will ideally provide a road map for educators to engage children into using this easily- Project Summary applied visual language to communicate both internally Haya’s project will expand her efforts to grow a and with their respective communities. The implementa- strong network of Jewish and Arab educators and citi- tion of this project will hopefully be accompanied by a zens in Israel devoted to cross-cultural understanding, series of workshops conducted with educators through- leadership, and civic engagement. Haya works with out the region in which they will be trained to use diverse populations within Israel to build bridges be- this method in their communities. These educators will tween the Jewish and Arab, and religious and secular, then produce documentation of the implementation in communities. She works with non-profit organizations to their own communities which will be showcased on a create various activities that develop meaningful rela- dedicated webpage. Thus, a collection of self portraits tionships between these communities through meetings of children from diverse parts of the world will slowly and dialogue groups. emerge. She also plans to conduct language courses in which In the future, Hanoch aims to create a traveling art Jewish and Arab Israelis learn each other’s language center to reach local children, families, teachers, and and culture; film discussions and “listening tours” for the broader communities. citizens to learn about marginalized communities; outreach workshops for marginalized groups in Israel; Haya Shapira and meetings in Jaffa for Jewish and Palestinian Israeli From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl: Bring- women. She is also involved with efforts to create ing People Together in Israeli Society to strong women leadership (both Jewish and Arab) in be Active and Engaged Citizens several municipalities that focuses on dialogue and liv- ing together in a shared society. Haya recently retired from her position as Director of the Social Education Department in the Israeli Ministry of Education. She was responsible for various subjects, including the creation of programs for teaching stu- dents values, leadership, and community service and training teachers in the field of informal education skills. She is now a full time social activist and tireless advo- cate for cross-cultural understanding, civic engagement, and leadership. Haya holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from Hebrew University, and a Masters degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Education Systems. After receiving her teaching certificate, she worked for many years teaching history and citizenship to junior high and high school students before being pro- moted to vice principal of a public school and coun- selor in the district. She has been involved in Seeds of Peace for many years.