We believe in the power of storytelling to connect people across societies.

Mid East Storytellers was created on the premise that stories are a powerful medium for amplifying the values of the peacebuilding community. We reject hatred, bigotry, and racism. And we refuse to accept the status quo that denies Palestinians—and Israelis—equality, liberty, and security. We value respect and tolerance, two of the values most important for social coexistence.

But we are not there yet. Amid the terrible violence this year, Israeli and Palestinian civil society spoke out for our values, for peace, justice, and equality. But those calling for an end to the occupation, for Israel/Palestinian peace and self-determination, struggled to be heard. Too often, their voices were crowded out of the conversation. We have a long way to go to achieve equality, mutual respect, and recognition that coexistence implies. 

How do we get there? We believe that sharing the stories of our community can play a part. Mid-East Storytellers’ second cohort is a call for all of us to move from coexistence to non-violent, peaceful co-resistance. We hope you will join us in our movement for peace.