As part of B8 of Hope’s annual Let’s Talk About Peace workshop with Philanthropic Adventures, students at Institut Le Rosey met two remarkable members of our grantee organization, the Parents Circle–Families Forum: Israeli father Rami Elhanan and Palestinian father Bassam Aramin.
The workshop began by exploring peace activism, bridge-building, dialogue, and nonviolence—and the difficult work of overcoming the stereotypes, fear, and hatred that keep people apart. Rami and Bassam then shared their own stories. Each lost a daughter to the conflict. Each had every reason to retreat into grief or anger. Instead, they chose to work together to prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating loss.
Their testimonies moved the students deeply because they made reconciliation real. This was not an abstract lesson about peace, but an encounter with two people who have transformed unimaginable pain into a shared commitment to dialogue and change. In their choice to stand together, Rami and Bassam offered a powerful reminder that profound grief does not have to lead to revenge but can take us down the path of healing instead.
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.
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.