Muhanad & Ali with the Director of Friends of Taghyeer Movement Stephen Stern (second from right) and Chris Bahara (first from the left), who works for Taghyeer as social media expert.
Taghyeer co-founder, Ali Abu Awwad, after nearly three years denied entry to the United States, was the lead presenter in a speaking and fundraising tour that reached nearly 2,000 people in 24 American venues. He was joined by the new Executive Director of Taghyeer, Muhanad Kharaz, and Stephen Stern, the Director of the US Friends of Taghyeer Movement. The tour began on January 5, 2020 and lasted until February 5, 2020. We are grateful for major tour support from the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace and, J Street, for the active engagement of Alternative to Violence Project, One Voice on Campus, Our Generation Speaks, Nonviolence International, Friends Forever International, and many others including 40 US donors (so far), and most especially to the Topol Family Foundation of Boston, for providing funds for Taghyeer activities in Palestine.
Taghyeer inspired audiences around themes concerning the need for building a Palestinian mass civil society movement based on nonviolent identity in action. Taghyeer believes in the role of the Palestinian people taking responsibility for social change, bettering community living conditions, while partnering across Palestinian society to build a path to end occupation through nonviolence envisioning a peaceful solution to the conflict. Throughout the tour, and as Taghyeer encourages everyone to be pro solution, key relationships were established or renewed among conflict resolution and nonviolent action professionals, in universities and Middle East advocacy organizations, across Muslim, Jewish and interfaith communal spaces, and among Palestinian American community leaders. The tour ended with Ali galvanizing a large international, inter-communal audience at the Middle East Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. Taghyeer received a moving standing ovation for daring to show hope and an opportunity.
Taghyeer thanked everyone who made this trip a success including our partners at Friends of Taghyeer Movement, Stephen Stern for organizing the trip, Annie Berdy for her continued support and efforts, and a special thank you to all who helped Ali obtain his visa.
If you would to learn more about the trip, feel free to contact us.
Taghyeer on the Air
Taghyeer founder Ali Abu Awwad and Executive Director Muhan
ad Kharaz talk about why Taghyeer believes in nonviolence as both a strategy and
identity, why women and youth are increasingly taking on leadership roles in the resistance to the Israeli occupation, and the deep historical connection between the Palestinian cause and the Black liberation movement in the United States.
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