Palestinian Bassam Aramin and Israeli Robi Damelin are unlikely allies.
But they share a powerful bond: the loss of a child to conflict.
Grieving parents unite for Middle East peace
But they share a powerful bond: the loss of a child to conflict.
Many parents like Bassam and Robi have grieved for lost children since the conflict started more than 60 years ago.
Today, these friends serve as spokespeople for the Parents Circle Families Forum.
Robi, Bassam and more than 600 other families spread peace, reconciliation and tolerance in the region through the organization.
The duo travels throughout Israel, the West Bank and across the world to share their personal stories with anyone who will listen.
The Parents Circle Families Forum, a nonprofit organization supported by USAID, is made up of more than 600 Palestinian and Israeli families who lost a family member to the conflict. The organization was established in 1995 by Yitzhak Frankental and several bereaved Israeli families.
USAID has supported The Parents Circle Families Forum since 2008 through various projects and activities including training sessions and dialogue encounters. The goal is to foster humanization and empathy towards both Israelis and Palestinians and to break down the psychological barriers by providing a platform to communicate.
This project is just one of dozens that are supported through USAID’s Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM) program.
In many cases, these projects bring Israelis and Palestinians together for the first time. Since 2004, the U.S. Government has invested $84 million across 100 grants.
The CMM program is part of the U.S. Government’s effort to support people-to-people peacebuilding efforts worldwide. These activities bring together individuals of different backgrounds and help communities address conflict, reconcile differences and promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence. By supporting reconciliation activities and working on common goals around economic development, environment, health, education, sports, arts and information technology, USAID is building more democratic and resilient societies.
Photos by Bobby Neptune for USAID