Palestinian, Israeli Peacemakers at ICAR
With wisdom beyond their physical years, Eliyahu and Ghassan, arm-in-arm, rocked in unison. Their self-made music, preserved in the depths of their soul, tapped and floated about the room elucidating the experience for us all. It seemed only at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR), protected within the walls of academia, could this free flow of heart-to-heart disclosure be witnessed. But no, Eliyahu McLean and Ghassan Manasra, Jew and Arab respectively, effect change through human connection throughout Israel, Palestine, and the world. Their repertoires of successful peacebuilding accomplishments confirm that not only within the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution does this magic unfold.
Eliyahu McClean is the director of Jerusalem Peacemakers, a network of religious leaders and grassroots peacebuilders in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Ghassan Manasra is the director of the Islamic Cultural Center in Nazareth, a center promoting tolerance and interfaith dialogue. Eliyahu is a leader in such bridge-building projects as the Abrahamic Reunion, the annual."On the Way to Sulha" initiative (the most recent gathering on August 26-28 brought together over 3,000 people) and monthly inter-religious, Israeli-Palestinian peace gatherings in East and West Jerusalem. Ghassan is an M.A. student in Islamic Studies from the Hebrew University and a Fulbright scholar who will be teaching at the Catholic University in Washington D.C. this fall. Eliyahu McClean and Ghassan Manasra spoke about the grassroots peace processes between Israel and Palestine at ICAR on September 10th. The event was hosted by the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.