JIDS will present “An Afternoon with Combatants for Peace.” CfP is a joint community of Palestinians and Israelis, originally composed solely of ex-combatants, who work in solidarity to end violence and oppression in the region and to facilitate reconciliation through dialogue and mutual understanding. On July 12^th, we’ll hear presentations from four different CfP members, followed by a brief Q&A, and then small group discussions.  Three presenters have been confirmed: (1) Elie Avidor is an Israeli engineer and former combatant who was once wounded during the Yom Kippur war.  Elie now serves as a member of CfP’s binational activists leadership team, working on helping Palestinian shepherd communities resist settler violence in the Jordan Valley via “protective presence.” (2) Ahmed Helou has worked with CfP since 2013.  When he was younger, he joined Hamas and engaged in stone throwing, among other activities, before he was arrested and spent seven months in an Israeli prison.  At one point after his release, he was shot in the back by an Israeli soldier. Despite losing many loved ones, he is committed to forging a new reality rooted in equality and nonviolence.  (3) Tova Kahan is a project manager of the Protective Presence Consortium, specializing in community building and social responsibility.  Tova’s work includes bridging environmental practice with community engagement. She is a graduate of several advanced leadership and cross-cultural facilitation programs.

JIDS hopes to see you there. RSVPs for this event should be sent to [email protected]