Community

Three co-founders of our grantee EMDR4Peace led a workshop at FIFDH exploring individual and collective trauma—and how therapeutic practice can create space for dialogue across deeply divided communities.

What a privilege to welcome two talented women from the Palestinian and Jewish Israeli peacebuilding communities: Juman Daraghmeh, who shared her communications expertise with B8 of Hope, and singer and peace activist Noa, a longstanding public voice for peace and shared humanity.

Around 20 Palestinian and Israeli activists gathered for an informal dinner in Geneva—a rare opportunity to reconnect, exchange updates, and spend time together beyond formal conference settings.

Naji Abbas visited B8 of Hope while in Geneva to address the UN Committee Against Torture, offering insight into the wider human-rights work of Physicians for Human Rights Israel.

Ten Palestinian and Israeli New Story Leadership alumni spent a week together in Geneva developing the Phoenix Plan—a joint vision for Gaza’s reconstruction and a different political future.

B8 of Hope helped bring Résister pour la Paix to life—a film following Palestinian and Israeli activists who continue choosing peace, justice, and partnership despite profound loss—and welcomed 600 people to three powerful Geneva screenings.

As a contributing funder of There Is Another Way, a documentary following B8 of Hope grantee Combatants for Peace, B8 of Hope joined its FIFDH screenings and helped bring the movement’s commitment to nonviolence before Geneva audiences.

At FIFDH 2024, B8 of Hope brought together two people with deep ties to our work: Ali Abu Awwad, a longtime friend and the original inspiration behind B8 of Hope’s creation, and May Pundak, Israeli co-director of our grantee A Land for All.

At the Geneva Graduate Institute and the University of Lausanne, B8 of Hope introduced students to the work of our Palestinian and Israeli grantees, our pro-solution approach, and the role of trust-based philanthropy in sustaining peacebuilding.

On a beautiful summer evening in Geneva, five activists from two B8 of Hope grantee organizations shared their personal stories, the challenges they face, and the commitment that keeps them working for change.

Amira Mohammed and Evelyn Uzan of Unapologetic: The Third Narrative, an initiative supported by B8 of Hope, engaged more than 130 students at Institut Le Rosey, Institut Sainte-Marcelline, and the International School of Geneva in open and challenging conversations about identity, narrative, and polarization.

At Institut Le Rosey, bereaved Israeli and Palestinian fathers Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin shared how they chose reconciliation over revenge—and invited students to consider what peace demands of us.

French filmmaker and activist Hanna Assouline joined Year 13 students at the International School of Geneva for a screening and an honest conversation about peace, dialogue, and refusing to surrender to division.

In conversation with Palestinian host Amira Mohammed, Mehra Rimer reflected on the personal journey behind B8 of Hope and the complexities of supporting Palestinian and Israeli civil society as an Iranian peacebuilder.

Le Temps named Mehra Rimer among the 100 most influential people in French-speaking Switzerland—bringing wider recognition not only to her leadership, but to the peacebuilders at the heart of B8 of Hope’s work.

An interview on RTS introduced a wider Swiss audience to Mehra Rimer’s journey, the story behind B8 of Hope, and the Palestinian and Israeli civil society movements working beyond violence and division.

Through research, mentorship, and direct conversations with peacebuilders, B8 of Hope’s Educational Immersive Experience helps young people approach Israel and Palestine with curiosity, empathy, and the confidence to question easy answers.

Through partnership with Solutions Not Sides and gatherings with activists, supporters, and B8 of Hope Next Gen members, a diverse London community is beginning to grow around dialogue, shared humanity, and support for peacebuilders.

Visiting Washington, DC in 2024, Mehra Rimer carried the work of B8 of Hope’s grantees into conversations with policymakers and peacebuilding institutions—and saw ideas developed in Geneva reach the halls of power.

In Morocco, B8 of Hope helped open diplomatic doors for our grantee A Land for All, creating space for its Palestinian and Israeli leaders to present a shared political vision to influential stakeholders.