Ali Abu Awwad and May Pundak at FIFDH

During a visit to Geneva in March 2024, Ali Abu Awwad was joined virtually by May Pundak for a panel discussion at the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights.

Ali, a leading Palestinian advocate of nonviolence and founder of the Taghyeer movement, holds a unique place in B8 of Hope’s story. A longtime friend of the organization, he was the original inspiration behind its creation and has remained an important part of the wider community surrounding its work. May is the Israeli co-director of A Land for All, a B8 of Hope grantee advancing a shared political vision grounded in equality, freedom, and self-determination for Palestinians and Israelis.

Together, Ali and May shared their vision for the future and spoke with one voice on many of the questions facing both peoples. Their appearance at FIFDH gave a prominent Geneva platform to two people deeply engaged in developing nonviolent, forward-looking alternatives to the conflict—and brought greater visibility to the grassroots peacebuilding work at the heart of B8 of Hope’s mission.

Before the festival event, Ali also met with B8 of Hope friends and Next Gen members. He left them with a message that captured both the difficulty and the purpose of this work: “Courage is not just about overcoming the painful reality but it is about being able to take painful decisions towards a peaceful future.”